Global Temple News: 2026 Announcements and Milestones

The year 2026 has witnessed an unprecedented wave of Latter-day Saint temple dedications across multiple continents. From Asia to Africa and North America, newly completed sacred structures are opening their doors to local congregations, shortening travel times and making temple worship far more accessible.

Early in the year, the Burley Idaho Temple was dedicated on January 11, followed closely by the Alabang Philippines Temple on January 18 and the Harare Zimbabwe Temple on March 1. The momentum continued into May, with the simultaneous dedications of the Davao Philippines Temple and the Lindon Utah Temple on May 3. Most recently, the Bacolod Philippines Temple is set to be dedicated on May 31, 2026, marking a major milestone for members in the Visayas region. This surge represents years of planning, construction, and dedication by local craftspeople and Church leaders.

In addition to completing existing projects, 2026 continues to bring new temple announcements. On May 14, 2026, during a special devotional in Otavalo, Ecuador, Elder Juan Pablo Villar of the South America Northwest Area Presidency officially announced plans to construct the Otavalo Ecuador Temple. This will be the third temple in Ecuador, following Guayaquil and Quito, marking a rapid expansion of the Church's presence in South America.

Furthermore, on May 26, 2026, the Church released official site locations for two highly anticipated temples in the United States. The Caldwell Idaho Temple will be built on a spacious 19.2-acre site at West Orchard and South Florida Avenues, housing a large 82,000-square-foot multistory structure. The Greenville South Carolina Temple will occupy an 8.8-acre site at Roper Mountain Road and Independence Boulevard, featuring an 18,850-square-foot design. Renderings for Greenville were published on May 27, giving members a first glimpse of the upcoming structure.

For temples still in the pipeline, groundbreakings mark the formal transition from planning to active construction. On April 18, 2026, local members and leaders gathered in northeastern Brazil for the groundbreaking of the Teresina Brazil Temple, celebrating the start of construction on the country's latest sacred edifice.

More construction starts are scheduled for early summer. On June 6, 2026, groundbreaking ceremonies will take place for both the Springfield Missouri Temple and the Missoula Montana Temple, bringing local communities together in celebration. Later in the summer, the Santos Brazil Temple is scheduled to break ground on August 1, 2026, continuing the intense temple building activity across South America.

At the heart of the Church’s temple network, the historic Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square are reaching crucial restoration milestones. The massive project—which includes complete structural stabilization, seismic upgrades, and extensive aesthetic restorations—is on track to conclude construction by the end of 2026.

Following the completion of construction, the Church has scheduled a historic, months-long public open house for the Salt Lake Temple. The open house will run from April 5, 2027, through October 1, 2027, offering a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the public to tour the inside of this iconic pioneer-era temple. Tour reservations are scheduled to open online on September 1, 2026. Ahead of the temple's completion, the brand-new Temple Square Visitors' Center officially opened to the public on May 18, 2026, welcoming visitors with new interactive exhibits and media detailing the history of the square and the temple's reconstruction.