FILE - Bountiful Utah Temple (Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.)
SALT LAKE CITY — Many of the Latter-day Saint temples in Utah will begin the second phase of their reopening next week. The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on Monday that 17 more temples will begin Phase 2 opening and three temples will enter Phase 1 of their reopening.
All Latter-day Saint temples were closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and began a four-part phased reopening in early May.
“Temples continue to reopen in a cautious, careful way, in four phases. Temples in Phase 1 and Phase 2 are operating on a limited basis, and with key precautions in place for temple workers and patrons,” the church said on Monday.
“Today’s announcement includes many of the temples in Utah, though not all of them. As has been previously indicated, the reopening of each temple is considered based on local circumstances and governmental restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Temples in Utah are anticipated to be very busy, so priority will be given first to living persons who are to be sealed, next to missionaries currently serving in the field, and then to missionaries who are preparing to depart, based on their departure date,” they continued.
In Utah, the Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Logan, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Payson, Provo City Center, Provo and Vernal Temples will be entering phase 2 or reopening next Monday.
As part of the second phase, the church says that a temple may “Perform all temple ordinances for living individuals, with priority given for those who will be sealed. The next priority will be endowments for in-field missionaries (who left home prior to receiving their endowment), then followed by those departing for missionary service in the near future. These priorities will be addressed according to the capacity and scheduling ability of each temple.”
Church officials say that the number of temple patrons will be very limited, masks will be worn at all times and temperatures will be taken at the entrance. The church also said that social distancing will be maintained and sanitation will take place after every ceremony.
During the first phase of reopening, only living sealings were performed for members who had previously been endowed.
During the third phase, living ordinances will continue and proxy ordinances for ancestors will begin in a restricted manner.
With this announcement, the church says that by next Monday 130 temples will have entered Phase 1, and 29 will have started Phase 2.
The full list of temples that will be in Phase 2 of reopening is below.
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