The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally broke ground for the Tampa Florida, Vancouver Washington and Brazzaville Republic of the Congo temples this Saturday — marking the fifth time in church history that ground was broken for three temples on the same day.
The other four times this has occurred took place in 2024 with the Santiago West Chile, Londrina Brazil and Austin Texas temples; in 2019 with the Yigo Guam, Praia Cape Verde and San Juan Puerto Rico temples; and twice in 1999, first with the Oaxaca Mexico, Nashville Tennessee and Kona Hawaii temples, and then with the Veracruz Mexico, Adelaide Australia and Louisville Kentucky temples, according to a release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Below are some quick facts about the three temples where church leaders broke ground this weekend and what they said at each of their groundbreaking ceremonies.
Tampa Florida Temple
Planned as a single-story building of approximately 29,000 square feet, the Tampa Florida Temple is expected to become the church’s fourth operating temple in Florida — a state home to more than 176,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 280 congregations.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony held Saturday. There, he taught attendees “three specific reasons” why the church builds temples, and dedicated the 12-acre site — located at 9445 Camden Fields Parkway in Riverview, Florida — for the temple’s construction.
The three reasons, which Elder Andersen taught, the church builds temples are to increase faith in Jesus Christ, perform ordinances that last beyond mortality and provide a place of refuge and peace from the world’s difficulties.
“We live in a secular world, a world that, to some extent, is sliding down the slope of unrighteousness,” Elder Andersen said at the ceremony, according to a Church News report. “As much as we have faith in (the Lord), this (temple) will strengthen our faith and give us the courage to be who we should be.”
Following his message, Elder Anderson prayed for the land and future temple to be a “light and strength” to both Latter-day Saints and community members.
The Tampa Florida Temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson in April 2022 general conference and will soon join the state’s other operating temples in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tallahassee.
Vancouver Washington Temple
The Vancouver Washington Temple, which will help serve the more than 282,000 church members that call Washington home, is one of six temples that have either been announced or are currently in operation within the state. It is planned to be a multistory building of approximately 43,000 square feet and will be located on Southeast Bybee Road in Camas, Washington.
Elder Mark A. Bragg, a General Authority Seventy of the church, presided at the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony, testifying of the temple as a “monument of faith and hope in Jesus Christ.”
“A temple is truly the house of the Lord, a holy protection from the world where sacred ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living, and in behalf of our ancestors,” Elder Bragg said. He explained the Latter-day Saint belief in life after death and the potential to return to live with God.
In his subsequent dedicatory prayer, Elder Bragg dedicated the 15.11-acre site where the temple will be situated to be a place of peace and light, “where heaven will meet earth.”
The Vancouver Washington Temple was announced by President Nelson in October 2023 general conference.
Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple
To be a single-story temple of approximately 10,000 square feet, the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple will become the central African country’s first Latter-day Saint temple. It will stand on a 1.5-acre site located at Avenue de la Republique (T-Ville), ex rue de Lamothe 103 et 109, Bacongo, Brazzaville, and will serve roughly 14,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 40 congregations.
“The Republic of Congo will never be the same again,” said Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, president of the church’s Africa Central Area. Elder Mutombo presided over the historic groundbreaking, testifying to attendees of the “powers of heaven” that are manifested in temples through “sacred ordinances.”
“Something special happens when the house of the Lord is built in a place,” he taught. “The influence of the devil diminishes and the light of Christ is elevated.”
In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Mutombo pleaded for the land to be “holy and sacred” for the construction of the temple.
The Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple was announced by President Nelson in April 2022 general conference.
