See pictures of temple progress in 2020 and reflect on other temple announcements from this year

What word would you use in relation to temples in the year 2020? There are a few possible words that might come to mind. 

For you, would that word be closed? Earlier this year, all temple doors closed. The First Presidency has since announced a phased reopening, and some temples will enter Phase 3 before the year ends. But, as Elder Dale G. Renlund recently said, “We should not anticipate that these phases of temple worship will be short-lived,” so temple worship will likely continue to be affected for several months.

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Would it be canceled? In February, the Durban South Africa Temple became the sole temple to be dedicated in the turbulent year. Dedications for the Rio De Janeiro Brazil, Winnipeg Manitoba, and the rededication of the Washington D.C. temples were all originally announced and then rescheduled. The last time only a single temple was dedicated in a given year was 2013, when then-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple.

Would it be change? In this year, the First Presidency announced adjustments to temple ceremonial clothing, changes to the endowment ceremony, and a new online system for temple prayer rolls. The Salt Lake Temple and the Columbus Ohio Temple also both began major renovations.

Would it be new? This year alone, 21 temples started construction. Saints also got the first look at several new temple renderings, which highlight how more temples will be without an angel Moroni statue.

Or would it be anticipation? These videos from Saints in Papua New Guinea and Bolivia as they discovered a temple would soon be built near them brought joy and hope during a turbulent time for temples. President Russell M. Nelson announced eight new temples in April general conference and six in the October general conference.

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No matter what word you would choose to describe this year, perhaps when we look back years from now, we won’t remember 2020 so much as the year so many temple doors closed, but maybe the year that enabled more temple doors to open around the world—and maybe with that, the year we appreciated those open doors more than ever before.

Here’s a look at recent updates of templesunder construction or renovation and other temples that have been announced. Renderings and construction updates are included where available. 

Note: Construction updates are mainly from the Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Facebook page, which, while not an official Church resource, curates photos and information about Latter-day Saint temples around the world.

Eight temples are currently undergoing major renovation. Here's a look at their progress. 

The following temples were announced in general conference sessions, but construction has not yet begun. Where available, a rendering is included after the temple name. 

April 2017

• Nairobi Kenya Temple

April 2018

• Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple

• Managua Nicaragua Temple

• Russia Temple

October 2018

• Lagos Nigeria Temple

• Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple

• Salvador Brazil Temple

April 2019

• Budapest Hungary Temple

• Neiafu Tonga Temple

• Pago Pago American Samoa Temple

• Tooele Valley Utah Temple

October 2019

• Bacolod Philippines Temple

• Freetown Sierra Leone Temple

• Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple

April 2020

• Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple

• Benin City Nigeria Temple

• Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple

• Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple

• Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple

• Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

• Syracuse Utah Temple

• Tallahassee Florida Temple

October 2020

• Greater Guatemala City Guatemala Temple

• Lindon Utah Temple (Location announcement)

• Port Vila Vanuatu Temple

• Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple

• Sao Paulo Brazil East Temple

• Tarawa Kiribati Temple

Images: Intellectual Reserve. Inc.