Plans for the construction of the Philippines Laoag Temple have been announced in the recent 193rd Semi-Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held previously on October 1, 2023.
“Spending more time in the temple builds faith.” President Russell M. Nelson shared as he announced in his prerecorded message the plans to construct additional temples in 20 locations across the world.
Laoag City is located in the northwestern part of the Philippines and the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte with a population of more than 110,000 residents. The Laoag Philippines Temple will be the 13th in the country and the 335th temple in the world.
Currently, 12 temples have been announced, are being built, or are operational in the Philippines. They are situated in the cities of Alabang, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Davao, Iloilo, Manila, Naga, Santiago, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Urdaneta. The first temple in the country— the Manila Philippines Temple, was dedicated in 1985.
Members of the Church consider temples as literal houses of the Lord – a place where individuals can make sacred covenants with God, feel His love, and receive personal revelation that could help in their everyday lives.
Unlike meetinghouses where the members of the Church attend weekly church meetings and related activities, temples are where members perform sacred ordinances that help the Lord in His great work — “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
Temples help members feel closer to God and feel peace despite the chaos around the world. Members of the Church also believe that through the sacred ordinances performed within temples, their families can be together forever – even beyond the veil. The blessing of an eternal family is made possible because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
To learn more about temples and the beliefs and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here.