First 37 of Churchs temples start gradual return to normal operations

July 2024 · 6 minute read

Two years after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed all operating temples worldwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then followed with cautious, phased reopenings, the first 37 temples have moved to Phase 4, starting a gradual return to normal operations.

Since mid-March, temples in the United States have started this return — with ordinances available by appointment only, limited capacities, and ongoing local government requirements and pandemic restrictions.

The 37 temples currently in Phase 4 are comprised of five in Europe, seven in Brazil, 10 in Utah and 15 elsewhere in the United States. Of the 37, all but eight were moved from Phase 3 to their current status this week.

The 37 temples and the dates they started their return to normal operations are:

Information on the status of operation for each of these temples and all others can be found online via the individual temple’s page at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, where patrons can schedule appointments online.

In a March 15, 2022, letter to the Church’s general and local leaders, the First Presidency — President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring — announced that “temples throughout the world will gradually return to more normal operations, including the elimination of face masks and capacity restrictions.” 

The letter added that the return to normal operations for each temple will be based on local circumstances, with decisions by the temple presidency and area presidency, in consultation with the Church’s Temple Department.

A review of phased reopenings

For nearly two years, the Church has designated returning to limited operations by phased levels:

Read more: Temple reopening status tracker — through April 12

A gradual lifting

The phrase “Temple is returning to normal operations” is found atop the online page for temples moving out of Phase 3.

The return to normal operations is a gradual lifting of pandemic-related restrictions. Capacities still may be reduced, and all sessions may not be running. Also, patrons are to schedule online their participation in living and proxy ordinances by session; if they need assistance, they can call the temple to schedule an appointment.

Additional information states:

“Based on First Presidency direction, this temple is gradually lifting pandemic-related restrictions.

An area-by-area listing of the current status of each of the Church’s 170 dedicated temples is available on the Church News’ temple reopening status tracker. Clicking on a temple name in the temple status tracker takes the user to that temple’s information page at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org where ordinance work can be scheduled online.

Breakdown of current temple statuses

With the announced changes, the Church has — as of April 12 — the following breakdown of its 170 dedicated temples:

Timeline of closings, reopenings

On Feb. 21 and 22, 2020, four temples in the Church’s Asia and Asia North areas closed because of the developing COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of that month, 24 temples had closed.

By March 24, 2020, a month after the first closures, the number of pandemic-closed temples had reached 111. A day later, the First Presidency announced the closure of all operating temples worldwide.

Temples remained closed for six weeks, until the First Presidency announced “a carefully coordinated, cautious and phased reopening of temples” on May 7, 2020. Less than a week later, on May 11, a group of 17 temples became the first to open in Phase 1, offering limited living husband-and-wife sealings by appointment.

In a July 20, 2020 letter, the First Presidency announced both changes to the temple endowment ceremony and the start of reopened temples to move to Phase 2. Seven days later, on July 27, the first 12 temples being upgraded to Phase 2 began performing once again all living temple ordinances, by appointment.

On Dec. 7, 2020, the First Presidency identified four temples as the first to advance to Phase 3 of the Church’s four-phase reopening plan as early as Dec. 21, 2020. On that Dec. 21 date, the Taipei Taiwan Temple was the first to have all proxy ordinances joining living ordinances as being performed on a limited basis.

On March 15, 2021, the First Presidency announced the first 13 temples to move to Phase 2-B later that month. The new phase designation expanded the Phase 2 allowance for all living ordinances with proxy baptisms, with the temple baptistry open for small groups — particularly for members with limited-use recommends.

As of July 2021, all of the Church’s operating temples had reopened after the pandemic closures, although attendance remained limited because of pandemic precautions. On July 5, the Kyiv Ukraine Temple was the final temple to reopen.

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