Two New Temples: Dedication in Mexico and Kansas
Apostles dedicated the 228th and 229th temples on Sunday, bringing the Church's active and planned count to 385.
By Jessica Abebe ·
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated two new temples on Sunday, Nov. 1, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and Wichita, Kansas. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles performed the dedication in Mexico, while Elder Patrick Kearon of the same body dedicated the temple in Kansas.
These structures are the 228th and 229th temples in the Church's history. With these openings, the organization reports a total of 385 temples that are either dedicated, under construction, or in the planning phase.
The San Luis Potosí temple sits on a 3.9-acre property. The building measures 9,300 square feet and serves a district comprising seven stakes across the Mexican states of San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, and Zacatecas. It is the 15th dedicated temple in Mexico. Elder Gary E. Stevenson is scheduled to dedicate the Torreón Mexico Temple on Nov. 22, which will become the 16th dedicated temple in the country.
In Wichita, the new facility is the first temple in the state of Kansas. The structure stands 97.5 feet tall and covers 9,950 square feet on a 6.4-acre site. It serves four stakes in central and western Kansas. Both temples held public open houses from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10, excluding Sundays.
Dorothy Lawrence attended the Wichita dedication. She and her late husband Roger Lawrence had served as temple workers in Oklahoma City. They had been married for 43 years, and he passed away before this temple was completed. Lawrence stated that the proximity of the new temple allows her to attend without the travel burden her daughter's students in Nigeria face.
Izaya Vimahi, a former football player from Hawaii, attended with his wife McKayla. The couple married nearly five years ago. Vimahi noted that the temple provides opportunities for members to perform ordinances for others who have passed away. He said the new location allows them to visit together more frequently.
Elder Renlund told the San Luis Potosí congregation that the temple offers spiritual blessings akin to the region's historical resources of silver and water. He described the building as a place where individuals make covenants and perform work for their ancestors.
