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The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced groundbreaking dates in 2019 for two temples — Pocatello Idaho (March 16) and Guam (May 4).

Pocatello Idaho Temple
March 16, 2019

The temple will be located east of Satterfield Drive and Butte Street in Pocatello in a new subdivision known as Crestview Estates – Division 2. Attendance at this ceremony is by invitation only, with the general public invited to view the proceedings live from local meetinghouses.

The Pocatello Idaho Temple will be the Church’s sixth temple in the Gem State. The Church currently has 201 temples announced, under construction or operating worldwide.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.

Yigo Guam Temple
May 4, 2019

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, president of the Asia North Area for the Church, will preside at the event. Attendance at the site will be by invitation only. It is anticipated that the groundbreaking services will be transmitted via internet to local chapels within the proposed temple district. Additional details will be forthcoming.

An artist rendering of the temple was also made public Friday. The temple will be located at the corner of Marine Corp Drive and Melalak Drive in the village of Yigo on the north end of Guam.

This will be the first temple in Guam, an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States in Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The temple was first announced October 7, 2018, by Church President Russell M. Nelson.

Construction on the temple with an adjacent meetinghouse is expected to begin in 2019 and is anticipated to take about two years to complete.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the “house of the Lord,” the most sacred places on earth. Unlike meetinghouses, where Sabbath worship and weekly activities take place, temples are open throughout the week and closed on Sundays.