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- President Russell M. Nelson announced 17 new temples for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Abuja's new temple, the sixth in Nigeria, symbolizes hope and spiritual liberation, according to Nnamdi Okonkwo, a Nigerian expatriate.
- In Uganda and Mozambique, local leaders expressed their belief that these sacred spaces will foster peace, harmony, and spiritual growth within their diverse communities.
SALT LAKE CITY — Francis Nmeribe and his wife Ada Uche Kalu Nmeribe, former mission leaders of the Nigeria Enugu Mission, were watching general conference on Sunday afternoon from their home in Provo.
As President Russell M. Nelson started speaking, Nmeribe said he and his wife had an instinct to draw closer to listen.
"Yes, we wanted to hear the prophet," said Nmeribe. "But, deep in our hopes, was (to) hear the announcement of new temples with Abuja Nigeria Temple as one of them." When the couple was serving as mission leaders, Abuja was part of their area. He said they had an early impression the area needed a temple when they started serving.
When President Nelson announced the Abuja Nigeria Temple as one of the 17 new temples The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will build, Nmeribe said it was "an answer to the prayer of the saints in that part of Nigeria."
"We both jumped, crashing into each other and shouted 'Alleluyah,'" said Francis Nmeribe.
Temples are sacred spaces for Latter-day Saints where they make promises with God and learn more about God's plan of happiness.
"Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find him in the temple. You will feel his mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of his gospel," said President Nelson during his Sunday afternoon conference address announcing the temples.
Latter-day Saints in different parts of the world responded to the temple announcements with joy and gratitude, believing God answered their prayers.
Abuja, Nigeria
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, and the forthcoming Abuja Nigeria Temple will be the country's sixth temple. There are more than 230,000 Latter-day Saints across 810 congregations in the country.
Former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the country's first temple in Aba in 2005.
Nnamdi Okonkwo is from Nigeria but moved to the states and attended BYU-Hawaii in 1989. He said he along with other Nigerians have prayed and dreamed "for the day Nigerians would be free from the bondage of the hardships Nigerians have been under."
He said it would take a miracle.
"I now firmly believe that that day of miracle has come," said Okonkwo. "God is now among us, residing in his temples that are beginning to dot the land."
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President Nelson announces 17 new Latter-day Saint temples, including 1 in Price
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 17 new temples Sunday to be built around the world, including one in Price, Utah.Okonkwo said he believes temples are places where when covenants are made, the windows of heaven are unleashed and God gives out blessings that cannot be impeded.
"I fully expect that the saints will become the means through which Nigeria as a whole will be liberated," said Okonkwo.
Russell Stevenson, an author who has written about Latter-day Saints in Africa and spent more than a year in Nigeria, said the country is an "immensely diverse country, with over 250 distinct language groups." He said these identities are important to people in Nigeria.
"Set in the nation's capital, the Abuja temple offers Nigeria's many Latter-day Saint communities, regardless of whether they are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Efik, the opportunity to participate in rituals of binding and bonding — even with the memory of conflict fresh in their minds," said Stevenson.
The temple gives them an opportunity to show oneness in Jesus Christ, said Stevenson. "This offers a lesson for all Latter-day Saints."
Kampala, Uganda
Uganda Kampala Mission President Philip J. Mathemara said he believes the Kampala Uganda Temple, the nation's first temple, will "bring peace, harmony, healing, and blessings to all his (God's) children, strengthen the roots of faith in Uganda, enrich lives through revelation, healing and covenant-making."
He said as the temple is built, he believes there will be "a new era of community, peace and joy." It will be a beacon of hope and eternal promise for the people of Uganda, and he said he is deeply humbled to watch as God unfolds his plan for his children in Africa.
"As a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, Uganda's diverse landscape is now blessed with a symbol of God's love and redemption," said President Mathemara. "The temple will stand as a refuge, calming the storms and fostering spiritual growth, peace and joy among the saints."
It will be the first temple in Uganda, which has more than 22,000 Latter-day Saints in around 40 congregations. There has been a Latter-day Saint presence in Uganda since the 1960s, and the first official congregation was established in the early 1990s.
Maputo, Mozambique
"The people in and near Maputo have been prepared to have the blessings of the House of the Lord close to them," said Mozambique Mission President David A. Valletta.
President Valletta explained current and future Latter-day Saints will be able to have increased access to Jesus Christ's power through covenants made in temples.
"As the wonderful Latter-day Saints here open the spiritual doors available only in the Lord's house, the blessings of heaven will be poured out on this great nation and people," said President Valletta.
The Maputo Mozambique Temple will be the country's second temple. The country's first temple was announced in 2021 and is the Beira Mozambique Temple.
Maputo is the capital of Mozambique where over a million people live. There are nearly 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the country, and missionary work officially began there in 1999.
