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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the open house and dedication dates for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple in April next year.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, the Church's highest governing body, will preside at the dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
It was announced that two sessions will be held at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM (Philippines Time) on April 28. Additional details, including local broadcast information, regarding the temple dedication will be announced at a future date.
The purpose of a dedication ceremony is to set aside the temple for the work of God. Most dedication ceremonies include a special prayer by the presiding authority asking God to bless the structure and grounds of the temple. A dedication ceremony generally also includes music and talks from Church leaders.
Moreover, a public open house will begin on Friday, March 15, 2023, and continue through Saturday, March 30, 2024, excluding Sundays. The open house will be available for both Latter-day Saints and friends of the Church from other faiths and beliefs.
The Urdaneta Temple was announced on October 2, 2010, by former Church President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018). The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on January 17, 2019, almost nine years later.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in his message during the groundbreaking ceremony, said: “This property, this city, this province, and the entire nation of the Philippines will never be the same as a result of the construction of this building.”
The Urdaneta Philippines Temple will be the third temple in operation in the country, joining the Manila Philippines Temple (1984) and the Cebu City Philippines Temple (2010).
There are 13 temples that are announced, under construction, or in operation in the Philippines: Alabang, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Davao, Iloilo, Laoag, Manila, Naga, Santiago, Tacloban City, Tuguegarao City, and Urdaneta.
More than 850,000 Latter-day Saints are in approximately 1,275 congregations in the Philippines. The preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ began in 1961 in the country where Church growth has been among the fastest in the world.