LDS Church to build Springfield temple

Courtesy Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announces the locations of 15 planned temples.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans for a temple in Springfield.

The LDS Church, which is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, selected Springfield among 15 sites for planned locations, according to a news release.

“Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples," LDS President Russell M. Nelson said in the release. "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 new slate of temples includes locations in Brazil, Germany and the Philippines. Some 130 new LDS temples have been announced since 2018.

The location and timeline for the Springfield temple was not disclosed in the release. The LDS Church also has temples in Kansas City and St. Louis, and Missouri is home to some 75,000 members of the church. Springfield has existing LDS churches but not a temple.