Template:Featured Temple
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Puebla Mexico Temple on Sunday, May 19, 2024. The Church News wrote that the faithful temple attendance of the Latter-day Saints of Mexico can be broken into four eras:
- The first covers some four decades beginning in the mid-1940s, as faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico made great sacrifices in finances and time to travel for days to attend the Mesa Arizona Temple, where they made covenants and participated in sacred ordinances.
The second era followed with the 1983 dedication of a new house of the Lord in Mexico City, serving the Latter-day Saints as the country’s sole temple for a quarter-century.
The next, which occurred at the close of the 20th century, featured the prominent role Mexico played in a period of global expansion of temples, with 11 dedicated houses of the Lord in the country coming in a three-year stretch from 1999 to 2002.
And the fourth era — still ongoing — includes the past six years, as President Russell M. Nelson has announced a dozen new temple locations across the country, including six alone in and around the Mexico City metro area.[1]
A joint statement from the Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was released on March 5, 2024:
- Today, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the responsibility and ownership for the Kirtland Temple, several historic buildings in Nauvoo, and various manuscripts and artifacts officially transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for an agreed-upon amount. Together, we share an interest in and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations.[2]
“We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents, and artifacts,” said Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.”[3]
Included in the transfer are original elements of the Kirtland Temple, including an oval window frame, front door keystone and frame, stone arch, windows, and pieces of original stucco and sandstone.[4]
The Kirtland Temple will remain an historic building. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reopened it on March 25, 2024, for public tours at no charge.
