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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in south Florida came together for the dedication of the church’s 143rd temple on Sunday.
Members of the LDS faith have waited 4½ years since the temple in Fort Lauderdale was announced.
“Having a temple announced in our area where we grew up as youth, it's been incredible,” one templegoer said. “Everything leading up to today’s dedication has been amazing, and I can’t put into words how blessed I feel.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the church's First Presidency led the dedication services Sunday morning, including the traditional cornerstone ceremony.
Saturday night, teenage church members celebrated the new temple through song and dance, reflective of the church's history in the region, with the theme "United by our Faith."
The new temple will serve Latter-day Saints from south Florida and the Bahamas.
The LDS Church's next temple dedication will be in Utah.
For the past three years, the Ogden Temple has been undergoing a major renovation, including a brand new exterior. Construction is in its final stages, and it will be formally dedicated in September.
Church leaders plan a monthlong open house in advance of the dedication, which will open the doors of the refurbished temple to the public.
The Ogden Utah Temple open house will begin Aug. 1 and run through early September, and the temple dedication is set for Sunday, Sept. 21.
