Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple
During his closing remarks at General Conference on October 1, 2023, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct a temple in Mongolia—a first for this country. Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. With a population of just 3.3 million, it is the world's most sparsely populated sovereign state. Mongolia is the world's largest landlocked country that does not border a closed sea, and much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to roughly half of the country's population.[1] It is known as the coldest capital city in the world.
- Uurtsaikh Nyamdeleg — a 28-year-old born in western Mongolia and raised in Ulaanbaatar — said members in Mongolia currently travel thousands of miles to faraway temples in Hong Kong or Korea to perform temple work.
- “There’s so many members ... that are willing to give up everything to just serve and do all the ordinances in the temple.” And with the new house of the Lord, she said, “now we don’t have to worry about the financing. We can just go there; it’s right there, in our own country.” . . .
- While she and other members wait for further news on temple construction, spiritual preparation will also take place. “During this announcement, I was like, ‘What should I do now? How can I prepare myself for when the temple is ready?’”[2]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has seen rapid growth in Mongolia since missionaries arrived in 1992. The first mission of the Church was established in 1995. The country has more than 12,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 25 congregations.[3]
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited Mongolia as part of a ministry tour to the Asia North Area in September 2023. He asked the Saints to prepare themselves for the House of the Lord, saying that someday soon a temple would be constructed in Mongolia.[4]
Location
The Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple is currently in the planning stages. No location has been announced.
