LAYTON — The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the groundbreaking dates for three new temples Thursday, including one in Utah.
The Richmond Virginia Temple groundbreaking will take place on Saturday, April 11; the Alabang Philippines Temple, on Saturday, May 2; and the Layton Utah Temple, on Saturday, May 30, according to a statement from the church.
The location of the three-story, 87,000-square-foot Layton temple was announced last July as an 11.8-acre site at the corner of Oak Hills Drive and Rosewood Lane.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, a General Authority Seventy and Utah area president, will preside at the Layton temple groundbreaking. Attendance is by invitation only and the event will be broadcast to stake centers in the temple district, according to the release.
The Layton Utah Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson in April 2018. It’s one of six temples announced or under construction in Utah (Orem, Saratoga Springs, Taylorsville, Tooele Valley and Washington County). There are currently 17 operating temples in Utah.
Elder Randall K. Bennett, a General Authority Seventy and president of the church’s North America Northeast Area, will preside at the Richmond Virginia Temple groundbreaking. This event is by invitation only but will be broadcast to stake centers in the area.
The Richmond Virginia Temple, also announced in April 2018 by President Nelson, will be built at 10915 Staples Mill Road in Glen Allen, Virginia, just outside Richmond next to a new 16,000-square-foot meetinghouse that is being built. When completed, the Richmond temple will serve members in Virginia, eastern West Virginia and northeast North Carolina. This will be Virginia’s first temple, according to newsroom.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will preside at the Alabang Philippines Temple groundbreaking on the first Saturday in May. This event is also by invitation only with the ceremony broadcast to meetinghouses in the area.
The Alabang Philippines Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson in April 2017. An artistic rendering of this temple has not yet been released.
There are seven temples announced or in operation in the Philippines.