The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) will build its second temple in Samoa on the big island of Savai’i.
President Russell M. Nelson announced Savai’i among 20 new locations for temples to be constructed, for the church’s faithful worldwide, at the closing of the October 2023 General Conference on Sunday.
Spending more time in the temple builds faith and service, and worship in the temple will help one to “think celestial,” said President Nelson, underscoring the theme of his conference message.
In the temple, Latter-day Saints are “shown how to progress toward a celestial life,” he said. “There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life — even your most perplexing problems.”
The ordinances and covenants of the temple “are of eternal significance,” he added. “We continue to build more temples to make these sacred possibilities become a reality in each of your lives.”
President Nelson, 99, participated remotely in the October 2023 general conference, recuperating after a fall three weeks ago that injured the muscles in his lower back. He watched the sessions from home and prerecorded the temple announcements, and his Sunday afternoon session remarks.
The Savai’i temple is the second one to be built in Samoa. The Apia Samoa Temple at Pesega was dedicated in 1983 and rededicated in 2005 following renovations.
Meanwhile, the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple is under construction in Ottoville.
