Cebu Philippines Temple
The Cebu Philippines Temple is the 132nd announced temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On 18 April 2006, the First Presidency announced plans to build a second temple in the Philippines. The first temple built in the islands was the Manila Philippines Temple, which was completed in 1984. The Cebu temple is one of eleven temples that have been announced or are under construction.
The announcement was made by letter to the priesthood leaders in the Philippines. The Philippines is home to more than half a million Mormon Church members organized into 80 stakes, and although the Church has not yet announced which stakes will be a part of the new temple district, the members in the area were overjoyed to learn of the plans to build the temple because it will cut long travel time and expenses and make it possible for more members to attend the temple. Many of the members in the area have gone to great lengths to make the trip to the Manila Temple. Some have even sold possessions to have enough money to attend. One group even traveled twelve hours in a flatbed truck to be able to attend the temple. Another group of 60 youth attended the temple and performed more than 2,000 baptisms and confirmations. With such devotion to attending the temple, the Manila Temple has been constantly full, and members have been praying that they would be blessed with another temple. In the letter, members were encouraged to contribute what they could financially to the construction of the new temple.
Contents
Ground Breaking Ceremony
In November 2007, the ground was broken for the Cebu Philippines Temple. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in attendance.
Early Missionary Work in the Philippines
Missionary work began in the Philippines in 1898. The first two missions were in Manila and Cebu City. The first two Mormon missionaries were in the U.S. military and had been set apart to do missionary work before leaving for the Philippines. The work was initially very slow but increased dramatically after World War II. In 1961, the Church was officially recognized by the Philippines government. When the Manila Temple was built, there were 76,000 members in the Philippines. This number has grown to more than 520,000 members in 1,000 congregations.
Open House, Cultural Celebration, and Temple Dedication
In December 2009, the First Presidency of the Church announced the dates for the open house and dedication of the Cebu Philippines Temple. The public was invited to visit the temple beginning on Friday, 21 May 2010, and continuing through Saturday, 5 June 2010, excluding Sundays.
A cultural celebration of music and dance was held on Saturday, 12 June 2010, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The temple was dedicated on Sunday, 13 June 2010. Three dedicatory sessions were held to accommodate Latter-day Saints in the area served by the temple.
- "More than 2500 youth danced in the Cebu Coliseum, and another 1100 performed via video from their remote locations across the islands, while 9,000 watched. Those who performed remotely danced with the same careful attention to vibrant costumes and dance perfection, knowing that though they were dancing in a field or a yard for away from the auditorium, their images would be sent into the gathering so they could participate." [1]
Formal temple work commenced at the Cebu City Philippines Temple on Monday, 14 June 2010.
