Latter-day Saint Life

LDS Church Not Just Temple-Building, but Temple-Renovating

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It's exciting to see the Church grow as we not only build temples but maintain temples across the world, some as old as 140 years. 

With more than 150 temples worldwide, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been described as a temple-building church. And with the operations of those temples spanning 140 years, it also has become a temple-renovating church.

Currently, three of the 155 Mormon temples labeled as “in operation” are closed for extensive renovations — the Idaho Falls Idaho, Frankfurt Germany and Jordan River Utah temples. Two more — the Oakland California and Washington D.C. temples — were recently identified for upcoming renovation closures.

Of the LDS Church’s 20 oldest operating temples, 15 have had, are having or will have at least one series of extensive and lengthy renovations with a subsequent dedication or rededication. Take the 30 oldest operating temples, and that number increases to 23. Six temples have been rededicated not once but twice.

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The announcement of new temples — usually done during the church’s April or October general conferences — as well as the ensuing construction efforts, open houses and dedications prior to operation — have been well-documented over the years.

By comparison, renovations of LDS temples are not as systematic or conventional. Minor repairs, refurbishings and refreshings often are done during regularly scheduled maintenance closures at any temple. Those scheduled closures may be expanded from a couple of weeks to many weeks, several months or even a year or more.

Often, renovations deal with normal “wear and tear” and routine maintenance of a much-used building.

Lead image from the Deseret News
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