President Russell M. Nelson has announced 15 new temples to be built and dedicated in the coming years during the closing session of the 195th Annual General Conference.
The new temples will be located in:
- Reynosa, Mexico
- Chorrillos, Peru
- Rivera, Uruguay
- Campo Grande, Brazil
- Porto, Portugal
- Uyo, Nigeria
- San Jose del Monte, Philippines
- Nouméa, New Caledonia
- Liverpool, Australia
- Caldwell, Idaho
- Flagstaff, Arizona
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Spanish Fork, Utah
In his announcement, President Nelson remarked that we should have “confidence before God.” This confidence, he explained, includes confidence in the fact that He hears us, He loves us and He yearns to help us.
President Nelson continued to explain how to gain this sort of confidence: “In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God!”
“Charity is the foundation of a godly character,” he said. “We are to be His instruments for peace."
“Virtue makes everything better and happier,” President Nelson explained. “Our thoughts, words and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous, and filled with the pure love of Christ towards all men.”
President Nelson, before announcing the temples, ended his remarks by saying, “As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase.”
President Nelson traditionally announced new temples at the concluding session of each general conference. In his seven years of presidency, he has announced 200 temples thus far. This is more than every other president of the Church — combined.
To date, 43 of his announced temples have been dedicated and 55 are under construction.
This announcement brings the total number of temples — operating, under construction, or announced — to 382.
The dramatic increase in temple construction in the past years is part of President Nelson’s initiative to create a global Church and prepare a people ready to receive the Savior at His Second Coming.
Despite watching from home for the preceding sessions of general conference, President Nelson appeared in person for this closing session — although his words remained pre-recorded.