About the Church
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| Today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 17 million members in over 176 nations and territories worldwide.[1][2] Currently, 202 of its beautiful temples adorn sites in North, South, and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and numerous islands of the sea. As of 18 January 2025, there are also 52 temples under construction, and 113 temples that have been announced (not yet under construction) for a total of 367 Temples. Of the 367 total temples, 185 have been announced by President Russell M. Nelson during his over six years as Church president. The following temples are currently undergoing renovations: Salt Lake Temple, San Diego California Temple, Kona Hawaii Temple, Stockholm Sweden Temple, Manhattan New York Temple, Anchorage Alaska Temple, Orlando Florida Temple, and the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple.
The relief and humanitarian efforts of the Church have helped bless the lives of millions around the world, regardless of faith, as it follows the example of its Living Head, Jesus Christ. Sadly, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still greatly misunderstood, and many myths and falsehoods still exist. We hope that this site will provide information to those who visit hoping to gain knowledge about Latter-day Saints (nicknamed "Mormons"), either on a given topic in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or simply about Latter-day Saints in general. Articles cover topics about such things as basic Latter-day Saint beliefs, Church doctrine, Church history and leadership, temple work, family life, Latter-day Saint literature, controversial topics, Church organizations, and humanitarian efforts.
"Fundamental Premises of Our Faith" given by President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency at Harvard Law School.
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Featured Article
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| Baptism by Immersion describes baptism in which the entire body is put under water and then brought back up. As a symbol of death and resurrection it is one of the contraversial aspects of the LDS faith when compared to other Christian denominations. In the Church, unless every part of the body (including hair) goes under water the baptism is not valid, and must be done again.
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Featured Temple
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As the gospel of Jesus Christ spreads throughout the world, temples are constructed and dedicated to make sacred ordinances available to all. A number of Church leaders throughout the years have prophesied about this growth. Here are a few examples:
- “The Prophet Joseph Smith called on all who held the Priesthood to gather into the little log school house they had there. It was a small house, perhaps 14 feet square. But it held the whole of the Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were then in the town of Kirtland. . . . When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work. . . . When they got through the Prophet said, ‘Brethren, I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it.’ I was rather surprised. He said, ‘It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.’” — Wilford Woodruff[3]
- “There will be hundreds of [temples] built and dedicated to the Lord." — Brigham Young[4]
- “We don't build temples until the Church is well established in a country. Our predecessors have prophesied that temples will dot the landscape of North and South America, the isles of the Pacific, Europe, and elsewhere. If this redemptive work is to be done on the scale it must be, hundreds of temples will be needed.” — Ezra Taft Benson[5]
- “In recent months we have traveled far out among the membership of the Church. I have been with many who have very little of this world’s goods. But they have in their hearts a great burning faith concerning this latter-day work. They love the Church. They love the gospel. They love the Lord and want to do His will. They are paying their tithing, modest as it is. They make tremendous sacrifices to visit the temples. They travel for days at a time in cheap buses and on old boats. They save their money and do without to make it all possible. They need nearby temples—small, beautiful, serviceable temples.
- “Accordingly, I take this opportunity to announce to the entire Church a program to construct some 30 smaller temples immediately. They will be in Europe, in Asia, in Australia and Fiji, in Mexico and Central and South America and Africa, as well as in the United States and Canada. They will have all the necessary facilities to provide the ordinances of the Lord’s house. This will be a tremendous undertaking. Nothing even approaching it has ever been tried before. These will be in addition to the 17 buildings now going forward. . . . This will make a total of 47 new temples in addition to the 51 now in operation. I think we had better add 2 more to make it an even 100 by the end of this century, being 2,000 years “since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh” (D&C 20:1). In this program we are moving on a scale the like of which we have never seen before. . . .
- “If temple ordinances are an essential part of the restored gospel, and I testify that they are, then we must provide the means by which they can be accomplished. All of our vast family history endeavor is directed to temple work. There is no other purpose for it. The temple ordinances become the crowning blessings the Church has to offer.
- “I can only add that when these 30 or 32 are built, there will be more yet to come." — Gordon B. Hinckley[6]
At the end of 2024, there are 202 dedicated temples, with 51 more at various stages of construction and 114 additional temples announced for a total of 367 temples worldwide. In his remarks at the October 2024 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson said,
- “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.
- “Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!
- “Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a world filled with dizzying distractions, how can we do this?
- “Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.
- “Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.”[7]
6 Maps Showing the Worldwide Locations of the Church’s 350 Temples
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Featured Scripture
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| 2 Nephi 25:26 - And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
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Featured Individual
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Matthew Scott Holland - General Authority Seventy
 Matthew Scott Holland - General Authority Seventy Matthew Scott Holland was born on 7 June 1966, in Provo, Utah. He is the son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a former president of Brigham Young University (BYU) and a current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother is Patricia Terry Holland. Matthew earned the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1980. In April 1983, at the age of 16, he delivered a message titled "Muddy Feet and White Shirts" at the 153rd annual general conference of the Church.
Matthew was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 4 April 2020, at age 53. He previously served as the sixth president of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, from June 2009 to June 2018, succeeding interim president Elizabeth Hitch. Following the transition from a state college to a university in the summer of 2008, he became the first president of the university.
Prior to joining UVU, Matthew was an associate professor in the political science department at BYU in Provo, Utah. In 1991, upon completion of his undergraduate work at BYU, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, he received the honor of being the valedictorian of BYU'’s political science department. He was also on the board of the National Organization for Marriage, which is a political organization which opposes same-sex marriage.
In 1992 he spent an academic year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a Raoul Wallenberg Scholar. He later studied early American political thought at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He received a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science from Duke University in 1997 and 2001, respectively. He also received an academic fellowship to study at Princeton University as a James Madison Fellow.
Building on his dissertation, Matthew published Bonds of Affection: Civic Charity and the Making of America with Georgetown University Press in 2007.
As a faculty member at BYU, his emphasis on applied learning concepts led to his selection as the institution's "Civically Engaged Scholar of the Year" by Utah Campus Compact. He is a member of the American Political Science Association and the American Historical Association. He also serves on boards, including the Deseret News Editorial Advisory Board, Utah Technology Council, and the Salt Lake Chamber. In 2011, Matthew received the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award through the Utah National Parks Council of BSA.
On 6 November 2017, Matthew announced that he would leave his position at UVU in June 2018 to serve as a mission president for the Church. He was assigned to serve in the Raleigh North Carolina Mission.
Matthew Scott Holland served as a full-time missionary in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission. In 1996, he married Paige Anita Bateman who is also a Utah Valley native, graduating from Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, before enrolling at BYU. The Hollands are the parents of four children. Matthew is currently serving at Church headquarters as an area assistant to the North America Southeast Area.
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MormonWiki is sponsored by the More Good Foundation. The wiki serves as a tool through which positive LDS content can be developed in a collaborative manner, in order to provide sound and true information about Mormons and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes nicknamed the "Mormon Church"). This website is not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but has been mounted by sincere adherents to the LDS Church and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no intent to cover controversial subjects except to explain the stance of Mormonism and the Church of Jesus Christ regarding these subjects. (Read more...)
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