Elder Renlund Dedicates Davao Philippines Temple

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Davao Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

Church President Dallin H. Oaks assigned Elder Renlund to dedicate the fifth operating temple of the Church in the Philippines and the first on the major island of Mindanao. He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund; Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the Church Temple Department and his wife, Sister Christiane Kopischke; and Philippines Area President Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr. and his wife, Sister Marie Revillo.

The dedicatory session was held in the morning and rebroadcast in the afternoon to meetinghouses within the Davao Philippines Temple district, where thousands of Latter-day Saints gathered to participate.

The Mountain of the Lord’s House

In his message prior to the dedicatory prayer, Elder Renlund spoke about an original painting hanging at the main entry of the Davao Philippines Temple. The painting, titled Mountain Morning, depicts Mount Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines.

Davao Philippines Temple Dedicatory Prayer

He used the mountain as a spiritual metaphor, drawing from Isaiah’s prophecy that in the last days, people would go up to “the mountain of the Lord’s house.” While Mount Apo is widely known for its beauty and history and has been considered sacred by early Filipinos, Elder Renlund taught that no physical landscape, however majestic, has the power to transform people, offer saving ordinances, or bind families for eternity. Only the temple, the true mountain of the Lord, he said, can do that.

“In the temple, we learn more about God’s purposes. We receive the fullness of the Holy Ghost. We receive direction in our lives. We mature in our discipleship of Jesus Christ,” Elder Renlund said.

“Because of what we do in the temple, we gain strength to endure and prosper outside of the temple. We create greater power to resist temptation and to repent. We receive hope, comfort, and strength to withstand mortality’s trials better,” the Apostle added.

Healing Through the Savior Jesus Christ

In the dedicatory prayer, Elder Renlund prayed for the people who will be served by the Davao Philippines Temple. He asked Heavenly Father to bless them in their personal circumstances and help them fulfill their purpose.

“Please pour out specific blessings on these people,” he prayed. “Please restore to them what they cannot restore themselves; heal wounds they cannot heal; fix what has been irreparably broken; compensate them for any unfairness they experience; and permanently mend even shattered hearts. Please grant these blessings so that they can fulfill their missions in mortality.”

Elder Renlund also prayed about the central role of temples in pointing people to the Savior Jesus Christ, and about His Atonement and Gospel, and it is through Him that those blessings are made possible.

“We sense that He yearns for us to access His power so that He can forgive our sins and pardon us from the punishment that we would otherwise warrant,” Elder Renlund continued. “We recognize that He wants to transform us, to have us become perfected in Him, thus helping us be sanctified. We stand all amazed at the love He offers us. We stand amazed at the love Thou offers us. We are forever indebted to Him and to Thee.”

A Temple for Mindanao

President Russell M. Nelson announced the Davao Philippines Temple on October 7, 2018, during the Sunday afternoon session of the October 2018 general conference. For many Latter-day Saints in the region, the announcement was a long-awaited moment.

Members across Mindanao expressed gratitude and anticipation as the first temple on the island moved from announcement to construction and completion. Since the announcement, members in the temple district have supported preparations for the temple, including the groundbreaking, public open house, and dedication, with nearly 2,000 volunteers assisting in temple-related events.

During the public open house, about 30,000 visitors toured the temple from March 26 to April 10, 2026. Guests included national and local government leaders, interfaith representatives, community leaders, and families, including Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte.

History of the Church in Davao City

For decades, members in Mindanao traveled to Manila or Cebu City by plane or boat to participate in temple ordinances.

Missionary work in Davao City officially began on May 20, 1968, when missionaries Lorenzo Bott and Bruce Stone taught and baptized Cipriano Mumar, his wife, and eldest son, who became the first members of the Church in the city. From that beginning, the Church has continued to grow across Mindanao.

The two-story temple is approximately 1,714 square meters and stands on a 1.09-hectare site at the intersection of Ma-a Road and Anahaw Road in Barangay Ma-a, Davao City. The temple’s design includes motifs inspired by traditional Filipino piña embroidery, local flora, and geometric artisan patterns. Art-glass windows feature tropical flowers in shades of pink, purple, and green.

Members Reflect on the Dedication of Their Temple

For many Latter-day Saints who gathered for the dedication, the event was both historic and personal.

Jesus Biñas, a newly baptized member who attended the dedication, said, “When I came out of the waters of baptism, I accepted Christ. Today, being here in His dedicated house, I feel that He is accepting me too.”

For Jesus, the dedication came at an important time in his faith, which he described as a confirmation that he had chosen the right path.

Mica Angela Andres, a young single adult from Ma-a, Davao City, said she and her family had waited years for this moment.

“Being here today, I feel such peace, not just for myself, but for all of us,” she said.

She reflected on Elder Renlund’s invitation to consecrate not only the building but also one’s life to the Lord’s service.

“His message stayed with me,” she said. “That in dedicating this temple, we are also dedicating our time to serve the Lord and to rededicate ourselves to help and care for each other.”

Charlyn Ascensio, a member of the San Francisco Philippines Stake, said witnessing the dedication helped her feel one step closer to her goal of having her father baptized and her family sealed in the Davao Philippines Temple.

“Today I learned that we are worthy to enter the kingdom of God because we are all His children. Heavenly Father is doing everything He can so He can be closer to us,” she said.

A Milestone for the Philippines

The Davao Philippines Temple joins the Manila Philippines Temple, Cebu City Philippines Temple, Urdaneta Philippines Temple, and Alabang Philippines Temple as operating temples in the country.

For many years, temples came to the Philippines gradually. The Manila Philippines Temple was dedicated in 1984, followed by the Cebu City Philippines Temple 26 years later in 2010 and the Urdaneta Philippines Temple in 2024.

In 2026, the pace of temple growth has accelerated, with the Alabang Philippines Temple, Davao Philippines Temple, and Bacolod Philippines Temple all scheduled for dedication.

The Bacolod Philippines Temple is scheduled to be dedicated on May 31, 2026.

Church membership in the Philippines now exceeds 900,000, with Latter-day Saints worshipping in more than 1,300 congregations throughout the country.

Additional temples have been announced or are under construction in Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Laoag, Naga, San Jose del Monte, Santiago, Tacloban, and Tuguegarao.

Speaking previously about the Savior Jesus Christ’s blessings of temples for the Philippines, Elder Revillo said, “We are not the only ones who will be rejoicing; our ancestors who have passed on for a long time will join us in rejoicing as we open the temple. Once the temples operate, there will be rejoicing on both sides of the veil. That’s what really excites me.”