Ground Broken for Winnipeg Manitoba Temple

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined with government and community leaders from Manitoba and Ontario on Saturday, December 3, 2016, to break ground for the much-anticipated Winnipeg Manitoba Temple. This will be the ninth temple in Canada.

Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Temple Department presided at the ceremony. Speaking with media prior to the event, Elder Wilson said, “The temple helps us prepare to be better people, to choose good over evil, to be more kind, more loving, more like Jesus Christ.” He added, “This is a unique design. There is not another temple in the world that looks like this.”

Janice Lukes, city councillor for South Winnipeg, St. Norbert Ward, and Terry Duguid, member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, spoke at the service and participated in the turning of the soil at the temple site.

“The temple will definitely be an iconic building here in Winnipeg,” said Ms. Lukes. “Each faith community is a tremendous asset to the greater community.”

MP Duguid expressed appreciation for the Church’s community service efforts. “While attending your event on behalf of Winnipeg Harvest [an annual food drive supported by Church members],” he said, “I felt the spirit of your generosity.”

Belle Jarniewski, president of the Manitoba Multifaith Council, said the new temple will add a new dimension for the interfaith community. “It will be a place to reflect, to share the peacefulness of the grounds and reflect on the beauty of the building itself.”

Also attending and participating in the groundbreaking was Abe Peters of the Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, who thanked local Church leaders for inviting him to the groundbreaking service. He stated, “I now understand a bit better how important the temple is to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is where people can go to meditate and experience peace, harmony and love, which God provides so generously for all. Also, it is a special place for family to be bonded in Christ and to each other.”

The Winnipeg Manitoba Temple was announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson at the Church’s April 2011 general conference. Once construction of the new temple begins, it will take approximately two years to complete.

In Manitoba, there are 4,500 Mormons organized in 12 local congregations. These Church members currently travel between 12 and 14 hours round trip to Regina, Saskatchewan, or Minneapolis, Minnesota, to participate in temple worship, so this long-awaited event came as an early Christmas gift to them.

There are currently eight temples in Canada to serve the 194,000 Latter-day Saints. The other temples are located in Calgary, Cardston, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Regina, Toronto and Vancouver.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord,” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and God’s plan of salvation and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and others. Temple attendance emphasizes personal spiritual growth and strengthens Latter-day Saints’ commitment to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

There are currently 155 operating temples throughout the world with another 22 temples under construction or announced, and four are being renovated.