13-05-2025
Groundbreaking announced for Singapore's first LDS Temple
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — is getting ready to break ground on its first temple in the island nation of Singapore.
The Singapore Republic of Singapore Temple, as it will be known, was announced in the April 2021 General Conference by Prophet and President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson. The temple's groundbreaking ceremony will be held in June. The first counselor in the Church's Asia area presidency, Elder Kelly R. Johnson, will preside at the event.
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The temple will be located off the West Coast Highway and Pasir Panjang Road on the south side of the main island.
'From the beginning, Latter-day Saint communities in Singapore have represented diverse ethnic and national backgrounds,' the Church said in a press release Monday. 'Singapore has drawn this diverse community because it is a hub of Southeast Asian commerce, education and culture.'
According to the Church, Singapore is home to over 3,200 Latter-day Saints in six congregations.
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to by members as 'Houses of the Lord,' according to the Church's website. From the grounds outside to the practices inside, members of the Church hold the entire property of Temples as sacred.
'From the very beginning, there have been sacred places upon the earth where God has communed with His children. They were designated by God and hallowed by His presence as places where He would teach and bless His children,' the Church says on its site.
The Church teaches that throughout biblical history, the Tabernacle which was carried around was a '' The Church also points to several additional scriptures from the and , which mention temples on several occasions.
Inside the Temple, members of the Church seek to draw closer to God by making covenants and performing 'saving' ordinances for themselves or members of their family who have passed away. These temples are typically only open to members who have a .
Church members believe through the temple endowment ceremony, that they can 'be endowed power from on high,' which appears in Luke 24:49.
'Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God's priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power,' , said in a speech to members of the Church.
is one of many things that can happen inside of a Latter-day Saint temple. In the LDS church, members can also who have passed away and confirm them as members of the Church if they wish to accept them in the spirit world.
, can also be performed in the temple.
There are currently over 350 temples across the world that have been announced, are operational, or are presently under construction — over 180 of those have been announced by President Nelson.
The Church's first temple in 1833. The temple took three years to complete and was dedicated in 1836. According to the Church, Jesus Christ appeared to the first LDS Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and accepted the Kirtland Temple as His house.
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