From El Paso to Nigeria: Latter-day Saints say newly announced temples answer special prayers

Francis Nmeribe and his wife Ada Uche Kalu Nmeribe, former mission leaders of the Nigeria Enugu Mission, were watching general conference on Sunday afternoon from their home in Provo, Utah.
As President Russell M. Nelson started speaking, Nmeribe said he and his wife had an instinct to draw closer to listen.
“Yes, we wanted to hear the prophet,” said Nmeribe. “But, deep in our hopes, was (to) hear the announcement of new temples with Abuja Nigeria Temple as one of them.” When the couple was serving as mission leaders, Abuja was part of their area. He said they had an early impression the area needed a temple when they started serving.
When President Nelson announced the Abuja Nigeria Temple as one of the 17 new temples The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will build, Nmeribe said it was “an answer to the prayer of the saints in that part of Nigeria.”
“We both jumped, crashing into each other and shouted ‘Alleluyah,’” said Nmeribe of him and his wife Ada.
Temples are sacred spaces for Latter-day Saints where they make promises with God and learn more about God’s plan of happiness.
“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,” said President Nelson during his Sunday afternoon conference address announcing the temples.
Latter-day Saints in different parts of the world responded to the temple announcements with joy and gratitude, believing God answered their prayers.
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria and the forthcoming Abuja Nigeria Temple will be the country’s sixth temple. There are more than 230,000 Latter-day Saints across 810 congregations in the country.
Former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the country’s first temple in Aba in 2005.
Nnamdi Okonkwo is from Nigeria, but moved to the states and attended BYU-Hawaii in 1989. He said he along with other Nigerians have prayed and dreamed “for the day Nigerians would be free from the bondage of the hardships Nigerians have been under.”
He said it would take a miracle.
“I now firmly believe that that day of miracle has come,” said Okonkwo. “God is now among us, residing in his temples that are beginning to do the land.”
Okonkwo said he believes temples are places where when covenants are made, the windows of heaven are unleashed and God gives out blessings that cannot be impeded.
“I fully expect that the saints will become the means through which Nigeria as a whole will be liberated,” said Okonkwo.
Russell Stevenson, an author who has written about Latter-day Saints in Africa and spent more than a year in Nigeria, said the country is “immensely diverse country, with over 250 distinct language groups.” He said these identities are important to people in Nigeria.
“Set in the nation’s capital, the Abuja temple offers Nigeria’s many Latter-day Saint communities, regardless of whether they are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Efik, the opportunity to participate in rituals of binding and bonding — even with the memory of conflict fresh in their minds,” said Stevenson.
The temple gives them an opportunity to show oneness in Jesus Christ, said Stevenson. “This offers a lesson for all Latter-day Saints.”
Uganda Kampala Mission President Philip J. Mathemara said he believes the Kampala Uganda Temple, the nation’s first temple, will “bring peace, harmony, healing, and blessings to all his (God’s) children, strengthen the roots of faith in Uganda, enrich lives through revelation, healing and covenant-making.”
He said as the temple is built, he believes there will be “a new era of community, peace and joy.” It will be a beacon of hope and eternal promise for the people of Uganda and he said he is deeply humbled to watch as God unfolds his plan for his children in Africa.
“As a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, Uganda’s diverse landscape is now blessed with a symbol of God’s love and redemption,” said President Mathemara. “The Temple will stand as a refuge, calming the storms and fostering spiritual growth, peace and joy among the saints.”
The first temple in Uganda, the country has more than 22,000 Latter-day Saints in around 40 congregations. There has been a Latter-day Saint presence in Uganda since the 1960s and the first official congregation was established in the early 1990s.
“The people in and near Maputo have been prepared to have the blessings of the House of the Lord close to them,” said Mozambique Mission President David A. Valletta.
President Valletta explained current and future Latter-day Saints will be able to have increased access to Jesus Christ’s power through covenants made in temples.
“As the wonderful Latter-day Saints here open the spiritual doors available only in the Lord’s house, the blessings of heaven will be poured out on this great nation and people,” said President Valletta.
The Maputo Mozambique Temple will be the country’s second temple. The country’s first temple was announced in 2021 and is the Beira Mozambique Temple.
Maputo is the capital of Mozambique where over a million people live. There are nearly 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the country and missionary work officially began there in 1999.
“The announcement of this temple is so exciting to hear and our community will be blessed in many ways. Queen Creek, Arizona is a unique farming community that is growing fast. It has been amazing for my family to be a part of the growth of the town and also the growth of the Church,” said Melissa Bowcutt, a member of the church who has lived in Queen Creek for seven years. “This temple will be a wonderful addition to the community and bring joy and peace to those who live and visit here.”
There are almost 443,000 Latter-day Saints in Arizona who are part of around 925 congregations. The Queen Creek Arizona Temple will be the state’s eighth temple.
“This is an absolute answer to prayers,” said Timothy D. Jennings, El Paso Stake President. He explained that El Paso is a border town across from Ciudad Juárez, México, where there is a temple.
But many members cannot cross over to Mexico to attend the temple because they are active duty military or currently undocumented, he said. A temple in El Paso will make going to the temple accessible for these members.
“The El Paso community is full of people, mostly of Mexican heritage, who believe in the Savior Jesus Christ and who have strong family values,” said Jennings. “The temple will be a beacon to call all to the light of the Restored gospel. I foresee that the community will embrace the temple because of the shared values it represents.
Jennings said he cried tears of joy when he heard the announcement and is sure any place praying for a temple for years can relate.
The El Paso Texas Temple will be the state’s 10th temple, and the state is home to more than 385,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 750 congregations.
Huntsville Alabama Stake President Jeffrey Cazier expressed gratitude for President Nelson and his prophetic inspiration.
“We are full of joy and gratitude as we see evidence of the Lord hastening his work,” said President Cazier. “The temple will be such a blessing in making the covenants and ordinances available in the House of the Lord even more accessible to God’s children in this part of Alabama.”
There are more than 40,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ in Alabama. The Huntsville Alabama Temple will be the second temple in the state — the Birmingham Alabama Temple was dedicated on Sept. 3, 2000.
Milwaukee South Stake President Jeffrey A. Olsen and Milwaukee North Stake President Christopher K. Nussbaum said in an e-mail, “The announcement of a temple in the Milwaukee area, and the first in Wisconsin, was met with immediate and widespread expressions of joy and gratitude.”
“Members of the church in the area have lived, hoped and prayed for this day, and the close proximity to the House of the Lord will help us in our continuing efforts to gather to Christ,” wrote President Olsen and President Nussbaum.
The Milwaukee Wisconsin Temple will be the state’s first. The state is home to more than 28,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 65 congregations.
Price City Mayor Michael Kourianos said he has always wanted a temple in the area, but knew the will of God and listening to God was what mattered.
“I’m listening to Heavenly Father, making sure that we’re doing all we can to support the temple,” said Kourianos. He said he and his wife teach the temple preparation class in the Price YSA Ward and know how important the temple is to the youth.
Right now Kourianos said most members who attend the temple drive two and a half hours to go to the Manti Utah Temple in San Pete County, and having a temple closer will mean a lot, not just for Carbon County, but Emery County, too.
“It’s going to be our temple,” said Kourianos. “It’s not Price. It’s ours. It’s Carbon and Emery Counties that are going to support this temple. That’s how important it is.”
Diane Carlson, a member of a stake in Price, said when she heard the announcement about the Price Utah Temple, she wanted to jump up and down, but all she could do was cry. She has loved the Manti Utah Temple — it’s where she was married as well as her parents and her children.
“Having a temple in Castle Country will be such a blessing and it will be my new favorite temple,” said Carlson. “The Youth and YSA can draw strength as they look to the temple and so will I!”
The Price Utah Temple will be the first temple in Carbon County and the 31st temple in Utah that’s either been announced, in operation, under renovation or under construction.
Other temple locations announced by President Nelson include:
More than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints live in Mexico. The Juchitán Mexico Temple will be the country’s 26th temple.
El Salvador will receive a second temple when the Santa Ana El Salvador Temple is built. The country’s first temple, the San Salvador El Salvador Temple, was dedicated in August 2011.
There are nearly 130,000 Latter-day Saints in around 155 congregations in the country.
The Medellín Colombia will be the fourth temple in the country — the three other temples either in operation or announced are in Barranquilla, Bogotá and Cali.
Colombia is home to more than 215,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 260 congregations.
The Dominican Republic’s first temple was dedicated in 2000. The Santiago Dominican Republic will be the country’s second temple.
Nearly 150,000 Latter-day Saints live in the Dominican Republic.
Chile is home for more than 600,000 Latter-day Saints in over 570 congregations. The Puerto Montt will be the first temple in the region where the port city of Puerto Montt is located.
There are four other temples announced, in operation or under construction in Chile, which are located in Antofagasta, Concepción, Santiago West and Viña del Mar.
Ireland’s first temple will be the Dublin Ireland Temple. To attend the temple, Latter-day Saints in Ireland currently travel to England.
There are around 4,000 Latter-day Saints in the country in 13 congregations.
The Milan Italy Temple marks the second temple in the country. President Nelson along with the other members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles participated in dedicatory sessions for the historic Rome Italy Temple, which was dedicated in 2019.
More than 28,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 100 congregations live in Italy. The country’s first congregation of members of the Church of Jesus Christ was established in 1966.
The Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple will be the 10th temple in the state. More than 475,000 residents of the state are Latter-day Saints. There are more than 1,200 congregations across Idaho.
The Summit New Jersey Temple will be the first temple in the state. Around 35,000 Latter-day Saints live in New Jersey. Currently, those members who wish to go to the temple travel to Manhattan, New York and Philadelphia, where the closest temples are found.