In the News
FOLLOW US
In the News
In the Almanac
In the News
In the Almanac
172nd temple dedicated
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple
The Yigo Guam Temple was dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on May 22, 2022.The Yigo temple, with an area of 6,861 square feet, is one of the smallest built by the Church of Jesus Christ. “But we do not have small temples,” Elder Bednar said at the ceremony. “A temple is a temple. ... The size and architecture of the temple are interesting, but the building is not the focus. What occurs inside the temple, as we worthily receive covenants and ordinances, is what the temple is about.”
Speaking to the Church News before the temple dedication, Barrigada Stake President Fredivic Nicerio said, “I believe in the promises made by prophets to the people of the isles of the sea.”
President Nicerio was referencing a verse from 2 Nephi 29:7, where the Lord tells Nephi, “I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; ... and I bring forth my word unto the children of men.”
“The temple is a blessing that is already helping people focus on what they need to do to be an eternal family,” President Nicerio continued.“It is a place to take refuge from the storm — whatever the storm is.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Heavenly Father, we pray that this holy temple will be a source of light and truth to all people from every nation, kindred and tongue. Please bless the people who visit this holy site with a curiosity about and an interest in the restored gospel of Thy Beloved Son. May the lives of all good men, women and children always be under Thine infinite protection.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Yigo Guam Temple here.
Timeline of the Yigo Guam Temple
October
07
2018
Announced
A temple for Yigo, Guam, was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson during October general conference on Oct. 7, 2018. It was one of 12 temple locations given in his address, the most he had announced in conference until April 2021.
May
04
2019
Groundbreaking
Ground was broken for the Yigo Guam Temple on May 4, 2019. Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, General Authority Seventy and president of the Asia North Area, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony.
May
04
2022
Open house
The general public was invited to tour the completed house of the Lord from May 4-14, 2022. Although Church members on the islands around Guam within the temple district weren’t able to attend the open house due to COVID-19 restrictions, informational panels showing the construction materials used for the temple and photos of the interior and exterior were sent to those islands so that the members could learn about the temple.
May
20
2022
Cultural celebration
Church members in Guam celebrated the temple in a local stake center on May 20, 2022. As part of the celebrations, adults, youth and children performed dance and musical numbers.
May
22
2022
Dedication
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Yigo Guam Temple on May 22, 2022. The Apostle was joined by Elder John A. McCune, second counselor in the Asia North Area presidency, and Elder Michael John U. Teh, a General Authority Seventy.
May
24
2023
Closed for typhoon damage
In May 2023, The Yigo temple closed for two months for cleanup after Typhoon Mawar struck the island. The temple did not sustain any structural damage, but flooding from the immense downpour saturated the carpets and some furniture inside the Yigo temple. Repairs were scheduled to continue until July 24, 2023.
July
27
2023
Temple reopened
The Yigo Guam Temple reopened on July 27, 2023, after repairing typhoon damage.
President Nelson announced a temple for Yigo, Guam, on Oct. 7, 2018. The groundbreaking for the temple took place less than a year later, on May 4, 2019. After its construction, visitors toured the completed house of the Lord from May 4-14, 2022.
Church members in Guam performed in a cultural celebration in honor of the temple on May 20, 2022, and the temple was dedicated two days later, on May 22, 2022.
The interior of the temple features two rooms that can function as instruction rooms or sealing rooms, depending on what is needed on a given day. A three-dimensional bas-relief panel depicting the oxen in the baptistry was designed specially for that room.
Church members in Guam performed in a cultural celebration in honor of the temple on May 20, 2022, and the temple was dedicated two days later, on May 22, 2022.
Architecture and Design of the Yigo Guam Temple
The 6,861-square-foot Yigo Guam Temple was built on 5.8 acres of land. The grounds are filled with hundreds of tropical trees, bushes and shrubs. Although the house of the Lord was designed to be simple and understated, it also draws upon local influences such as the ancient latte stone found across Guam that came from Guam’s Chamorro culture.The interior of the temple features two rooms that can function as instruction rooms or sealing rooms, depending on what is needed on a given day. A three-dimensional bas-relief panel depicting the oxen in the baptistry was designed specially for that room.
Interior Photos of the Yigo Guam Temple
Quick Facts
Announced
7 October 2018
Dedicated
22 May 2022
Dedicated by
Current President and Matron
Location
321 Chalan Pale Ramon Lagu, Rte 1
Yigo 96929
Guam
Appointments
View schedule and book online
(1) 671-969-0055
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Guam.
Fact #2
It was one of 12 temples announced in October 2018 general conference, almost double the previous general conference’s seven temples announced six months earlier.
Fact #3
Ground for the Yigo temple was broken on the same day as the groundbreakings for two other temples: the Praia Cabo Verde Temple and the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple.
Fact #4
The temple was built on a site that was already considered sacred by the local indigenous Chamorro culture before the temple was to be built there. Their ancestors had used the site as a hunting ground and accessed a nearby well for water during storms for generations.
Fact #5
Some members from the temple district weren’t able to attend the open house for the Yigo temple due to COVID-19 restrictions that inhibited members from neighboring islands to travel to Guam. In order to help these members learn about the temple, the Church hosted an “island open house,” sending informational panels about the temple to those islands, containing samples of the materials used in the temple’s construction and photos of the interior and exterior of the house of the Lord.
Fact #6
It was dedicated the same month as another temple — the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, dedicated May 8, 2022.
Fact #7
After the dedication of the Yigo temple, Bishop Rod Boss of the Barrigada Ward told the Church News, “Several families in my ward have been working hard since last year to have temple recommends. And to come in and to see the smiles on their faces as they came in as a family was a really sweet experience for me.”
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Guam.
Fact #2
It was one of 12 temples announced in October 2018 general conference, almost double the previous general conference’s seven temples announced six months earlier.
Fact #3
Ground for the Yigo temple was broken on the same day as the groundbreakings for two other temples: the Praia Cabo Verde Temple and the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple.
Fact #4
The temple was built on a site that was already considered sacred by the local indigenous Chamorro culture before the temple was to be built there. Their ancestors had used the site as a hunting ground and accessed a nearby well for water during storms for generations.
Fact #5
Some members from the temple district weren’t able to attend the open house for the Yigo temple due to COVID-19 restrictions that inhibited members from neighboring islands to travel to Guam. In order to help these members learn about the temple, the Church hosted an “island open house,” sending informational panels about the temple to those islands, containing samples of the materials used in the temple’s construction and photos of the interior and exterior of the house of the Lord.
Fact #6
It was dedicated the same month as another temple — the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, dedicated May 8, 2022.
Fact #7
After the dedication of the Yigo temple, Bishop Rod Boss of the Barrigada Ward told the Church News, “Several families in my ward have been working hard since last year to have temple recommends. And to come in and to see the smiles on their faces as they came in as a family was a really sweet experience for me.”