See where the next 15 LDS temples will be built, including the first for the largest Muslim nation

President Russell M. Nelson closed the two-day General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday by announcing 15 new temples — including one in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

According to worldpopulationreview.com, almost 87% of Indonesians — about 231 million people — are Muslim. The first Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in Indonesia in 1970 and organized the first congregation a month later, according to the Utah-based church. There are now more than 7,500 Latter-day Saints in nearly 25 congregations in that country — about 0.0026% of people in that country.

The church also is building a temple in India, the world’s most populous Hindu nation. A groundbreaking was held in Bengaluru in December 2020.

None of the newly named temples will be built in Utah — the third General Conference in a row that Nelson has announced no additions to the list of 28 existing or planned temples in the Beehive State, where the global faith of 17 million members is headquartered.

Other than the announcement of the Jakarta Temple, all the new temples will be located in countries, territories and states where two or more Latter-day Saint temples are already located — Brazil, Canada, Germany, Guatemala, Peru, the Philippines and the United States. There are now Latter-day Saint temples operating, under renovation, under construction or announced in 74 countries or territories around the world.

The 15 new temples Nelson announced Sunday will be located in:

• Retalhuleu, Guatemala. (The sixth existing or planned temple in that country.)

• Iquitos, Peru. (The seventh in that country.)

• Teresina and Natal, Brazil (These will bring the nation’s total to 20.)

• Tuguegarao City and Iloilo, Philippines. (These will up the country’s total to 12.)

• Jakarta, Indonesia. (The nation’s first.)

• Hamburg, Germany. (The third in that country.)

• Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. (The 10th in Canada; the fourth in Alberta.)

• San Jose and Bakersfield, Calif. (The 11th and 12th temples for this state.)

• Springfield, Mo. (The third in that state.)

• Winchester, Va. (The second in that state.)

• Charlotte, N.C. (The second in that state.)

• Harrisburg, Pa. (The third in that state.)

“Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples. Each is his holy house,” Nelson said. “Making covenants and receiving essential ordinances in the temple, as well as seeking to draw closer to him there, will bless your life in ways no other kind of worship can. For this reason, we are doing all within our power to make the blessings of the temple more accessible to our members around the world.”

The number of existing or planned temples worldwide now numbers 315, according to the church. Since he took the church’s helm in January 2018, Nelson has announced 133 new temples, 42% of the total.

Independent researcher Matt Martinich, who tracks church movement at ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com, was right on at least two of his 10 “most likely” places to have a temple announced at the spring General Conference. He predicted Iquitos, Peru, and Charlotte, N.C. He also correctly predicted new temples in the Philippines and Brazil but didn’t hit on the exact cities.