The relief and humanitarian efforts of the Church have helped bless the lives of millions around the world, regardless of faith, as it follows the example of its Living Head, Jesus Christ. Sadly, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still greatly misunderstood, and many myths and falsehoods still exist. We hope that this site will provide information to those who visit hoping to gain knowledge about Latter-day Saints (nicknamed "Mormons"), either on a given topic in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or simply about Latter-day Saints in general. Articles cover topics about such things as basic Latter-day Saint beliefs, Church doctrine, Church history and leadership, temple work, family life, Latter-day Saint literature, controversial topics, Church organizations, and humanitarian efforts.
On November 10, 2024, the 200th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be dedicated. In the October 2024 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson said, "My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.
"Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!"[3]
The Deseret Peak Utah Temple was originally announced as the Tooele Valley Utah Temple in April 2019 by Church President Russell M. Nelson. The temple’s name became the Deseret Peak Utah Temple on January 19, 2021.
Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Elder Brook P. Hales of the Quorum of the Seventy conducted the groundbreaking service and offered the dedicatory prayer.
This new house of the Lord is nearly 72,000 square feet and sits on a 15.5-acre site at 2400 North 400 West Tooele, Utah.
Utah, the Church’s world headquarters, is home to nearly 2.3 million Latter-day Saints, approximately two-thirds of the state’s population of 3.4 million people. The Deseret Peak Utah Temple is one of the Church of Jesus Christ’s 31 houses of the Lord dedicated, under construction or renovation, or announced in Utah.
The Kirtland Temple
A joint statement from the Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was released on March 5, 2024:
Today, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the responsibility and ownership for the Kirtland Temple, several historic buildings in Nauvoo, and various manuscripts and artifacts officially transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for an agreed-upon amount. Together, we share an interest in and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations.[4]
“We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents, and artifacts,” said Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.”[5]
Included in the transfer are original elements of the Kirtland Temple, including an oval window frame, front door keystone and frame, stone arch, windows, and pieces of original stucco and sandstone.[6]
The Kirtland Temple will remain an historic building. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reopened it on March 25, 2024, for public tours at no charge.
Matthew was sustained as a General AuthoritySeventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 4 April 2020, at age 53. He previously served as the sixth president of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, from June 2009 to June 2018, succeeding interim president Elizabeth Hitch. Following the transition from a state college to a university in the summer of 2008, he became the first president of the university.
Prior to joining UVU, Matthew was an associate professor in the political science department at BYU in Provo, Utah. In 1991, upon completion of his undergraduate work at BYU, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, he received the honor of being the valedictorian of BYU'’s political science department. He was also on the board of the National Organization for Marriage, which is a political organization which opposes same-sex marriage.
In 1992 he spent an academic year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a Raoul Wallenberg Scholar. He later studied early American political thought at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He received a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science from Duke University in 1997 and 2001, respectively. He also received an academic fellowship to study at Princeton University as a James Madison Fellow.
As a faculty member at BYU, his emphasis on applied learning concepts led to his selection as the institution's "Civically Engaged Scholar of the Year" by Utah Campus Compact. He is a member of the American Political Science Association and the American Historical Association. He also serves on boards, including the Deseret News Editorial Advisory Board, Utah Technology Council, and the Salt Lake Chamber. In 2011, Matthew received the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award through the Utah National Parks Council of BSA.
On 6 November 2017, Matthew announced that he would leave his position at UVU in June 2018 to serve as a mission president for the Church. He was assigned to serve in the Raleigh North Carolina Mission.
Matthew Scott Holland served as a full-time missionary in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission. In 1996, he married Paige Anita Bateman who is also a Utah Valley native, graduating from Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, before enrolling at BYU. The Hollands are the parents of four children. Matthew is currently serving at Church headquarters as an area assistant to the North America Southeast Area.
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MormonWiki is sponsored by the More Good Foundation. The wiki serves as a tool through which positive LDS content can be developed in a collaborative manner, in order to provide sound and true information about Mormons and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes nicknamed the "Mormon Church"). This website is not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but has been mounted by sincere adherents to the LDS Church and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no intent to cover controversial subjects except to explain the stance of Mormonism and the Church of Jesus Christ regarding these subjects. (Read more...)
