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Show LDS announce new Jordan River Temple plans Citing tremendous growth in temple attendance along the Wasatch Front, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today announced plans to build a new temple in South Jordan to be called the Jordan River Temple. At the same time, the First Presidency announced that plans are being considered for the construction of additional new temples in outlying areas of the Church. The temple will be built on a 15-acre site in South Jordan in southwestern Salt Lake County, the First Presidency said. The new temple will be the seventh in Utah and the fourth along the Wasatch Front, Utah's most populous area. Church President Spencer W. Kimball explained that design work on the Jordan River Temple will begin immediately im-mediately under the direction of Church Architect Emil B. Fetzer. Construction will begin be-gin when plans are ready, probably during the latter part of 1978. It is anticipated that the new temple will have approximately approx-imately the same capacity as the Provo and Ogden temples which were dedicated and opened in early 1972. Emphasizing the increase of temple work in this decade. President Kimball said 33 per cent of all endowments performed since the Church was organized in 1830 have been performed in the past six years. Of the total of 53,337,080 endowments, 17,540,332 were performed from 1972 through 1977, the President said. Boundaries of the new temple tem-ple district will be established later. President Kimball said. There are 86 stakes and approximately 348,000 church members in Salt Lake County, and 47 stakes and approximately approxi-mately 151,000 members in Utah County. "We are gratified that attendance at the Salt Lake, Ogden and Provo temples reached all-time highs during 1977, and the trend is still upward," President Kimball said. He noted that temple work in the area served by the three temples has increased 293 per cent since 1971, when the Salt Lake Temple alone served members in the area. President Kimball noted that 1,901,608 endowments were performed in the Salt Lake, Provo and Ogden temples temp-les during 1977. This compares com-pares to 483,985 performed in the Salt Lake Temple during 1971, he said. Approximately one-half of the endowments performed in all of the temples now take place in these three temples. The Salt Lake Temple, however, how-ever, is still the most popular temple for performance of marriages, 6,301 couples having hav-ing been wed there during 1977. In addition, more proxy weddings for the deceased are performed in the Salt Lake Temple. "The new temple will be most welcome to faithful Church members in the southern south-ern part of Salt Lake Valley, many of whom have been going to Provo for their temple activities," President Kimball noted. He said the Provo and Ogden temples are now operating opera-ting at 25 above their normal nor-mal capacity. The overload reflects temple activity by members from the Salt Lake Temple District who perform-I perform-I ed 202,000 endowments in Ogden and Provo during 1977. "Until the Jordan River Temple is opened, we strongly strong-ly recommend that members living in the Salt Lake Temple District attend the Salt Lake Temple," President Kimball said. "This will ease the crowded conditions in Provo and Ogden temples and eliminate elim-inate considerable waiting and other inconvenience." Temples are not places of public worship, but -are reserved re-served for use of faithful Church members for sacred ordinances which serve to strengthen the home amd help the individual realize his or her importance and potential po-tential in the divine plan. These ordinances include: -Baptism by immersion of living proxies in behalf of those who died without valid baptism. -The endowment, a course of instruction about man's eternal journey before birth, through mortality, and after death. -Marriage, performed by priesthood authority to endure en-dure beyond death throughout through-out eternity. |