Yigo Guam Temple Wiki

Quick Facts

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Description

The Yigo Guam Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under construction in Yigo, Guam. The tiny island of Guam, a territory of the United States, sits in the western Pacific and boasts a population of 166,000 people.

History

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been in Guam since the 1940s. The first Church members on Guam probably came as members of the armed forces during World War II. Guam branches of from 50 to 300 servicemen began functioning in 1944, acting under the Far East Mission. In 1945, four groups were organized on the island. On one occasion, they dedicated the graves of fallen Church servicemen.

In 1951, fund-raising events by the members raised enough money to purchase land and two Quonset huts, which they used for a chapel and classrooms. The facilities were dedicated in 1953 and Guam became a dependent branch of the Oahu Hawaii Stake.

The first missionaries arrived in August 1957. As members increased, land for another meetinghouse was purchased. A new meetinghouse in Barrigada was dedicated 10 March 1970, and the Guam Branch became a ward Open houses were frequently held, but few joined the Church. In May 1976, the Guam Ward was divided. The first Chamorro couple to join, Don Calvo and his wife, Maria, were baptized in May 1977. The Agat Branch was created in 1978. And in 1979, Herbert J. Leddy, the first missionary of Chamorro lineage, was called to the Tennessee Nashville Mission.

The Micronesia Guam Mission was created on 1 April 1980. In June, the Guam District was created with four branches.

In 1989, selections of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ were translated into Chamorro, and in the same year, Herbert J. Leddy became the first Chamorro member to be called as district president. Membership in 1995 was 1,400. The first stake in Guam was organized on December 12, 2010, by Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Today there are 2,516 members, 4 wards, 1 mission, 1 stake, and 1 family history center in Guam.

Prior to the temple’s dedication, Members in Guam typically traveled to Manila Philippines to visit a temple.

Announcement

Render Released

Chapel Closure

On 24 February 24 2019, the Yigo chapel was permanently closed for demolition. Plans for a final Sunday service were canceled due to weather conditions created by Super Typhoon Wutip.

Demolition

With two weeks remaining before ground was formally broken for the Yigo Guam Temple, demolition crews arrived on site to carry out removal of the Chapel. By 29 April demolition of the Yigo meetinghouse had been completed, and the site was being cleared in preparation for the groundbreaking.

Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Yigo Guam Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Praia Cabo Verde Temple and San Juan Puerto Rico Temple.

Construction

Death on Site

On 7 November 2019, early in the day, a construction worker operating a tamper in a 4 foot deep trench where footings were to be poured, collapsed in what was an apparent heart attack. The worker, new to the site, had apparently called in sick the previous day.

Efforts at CPR were started immediately, and emergency services were contacted. The man was unresponsive when removed from the site.^[5]Satterfield, Rick, “News Stories,” https://churchofjesuschristtemples.ldschurchtemples.com/yigo-guam-temple/news/

Exterior walls

The exterior concrete walls for the temple appear to have been completed around 5 March of 2020.^[6]Satterfield, Rick, “News Stories,” https://churchofjesuschristtemples.ldschurchtemples.com/yigo-guam-temple/news/

Open House

Display boards — one for each island — included samples of different construction materials, with interior and exterior photos of the temples to add to the visual experience.

“The boards will be sent from Guam to be experienced during the virtual tour, giving those attending in the outer islands a feeling of connection to the temple,” the report said.

The islands of Palau, Saipan, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae will have their virtual open house events scheduled for either Friday, May 6, or Saturday, May 7, according to the respective island.^[7]Taylor, Scott. “See Inside the New Yigo Guam Temple and Learn of Its ‘Island Open House.’” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2022/5/2/23217938/inside-the-new-yigo-guam-temple-and-its-island-open-house.

Youth Devotional

A youth devotional was held the day before the dedication of the Yigo Guam Temple. Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, Susan, participated in a group discussion with youth from Guam, Palau, Saipan, Yap, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Kosrae. “Please always connect the Savior to the word ‘temple,'” said Elder Bednar. “Everything starts with Christ. Then come the covenants and ordinances, and the covenants and ordinances are received in the temple.”^[8]Jon Ryan Jensen, “How the Holy Ghost taught a powerful message to youth in Guam — that they are not alone,” Church News, 23 May 2022, https://www.thechurchnews.com/2022/5/23/23218258/yigo-guam-temple-youth-devotional-elder-bednar-holy-ghost-taught-a-powerful-message/. For those unable to come directly to the island, the Devotional was broadcast to other local islands.

Dedication

Elder Bednar also said, “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.”

The Yigo Guam Temple is one of the smallest built by the Church. Elder Bednar commented, “But we do not have small temples. A temple is a temple. The covenants and ordinances are exactly the same in every temple, regardless of size.”

Comparing past temple travel to the present, Lori Boss, a member of the Barrigada Ward who served on the local temple committee, said, “This may not seem like it makes a big difference to people who live far away from here. But to go all the way to Manila to get a visa is very different than it is to jump on an island hopper.” She added, “I think this will be a bonding moment — not only literally for families, but for the people.”

Elder Bednar further commented, “We hope the contrast between the Spirit we feel in the temple and commotion of the world is never diminished by frequent attendance. . . .In the temple, we experience a stillness that we may not have thought could exist in mortality. Over time, we learn that stillness can be in us in any circumstance inside or outside of the temple. What we can learn over time is that we are being changed — the Holy Ghost is helping us to become men and women of Christ. . . . The purpose of the gospel is to become like the Savior. We serve, we learn, we do what He did, and that transforms us.”

Barrigada Stake President Fredivic Nicerio said, “The temple is a blessing that is already helping people focus on what they need to do to be an eternal family. It is a place to take refuge from the storm — whatever the storm is.”

^[9]Jon Ryan Jensen, “Elder Bednar dedicates first temple in Guam, asking members to ‘connect Jesus Christ with the temple,'” Church News, 23 May 2022, https://www.thechurchnews.com/2022/5/23/23218266/elder-bednar-dedicates-first-temple-in-guam-asking-members-to-connect-jesus-christ-with-the-temple/.

Dedication Order

Typhoon Mawar

Closure

Typhoon Mawar hit the island of Guam on Wednesday, 24 May 2023. The typhoon was listed as a Category 4 typhoon when it made landfall. It was the strongest typhoon to hit the U.S. territory since 2002. Flooding saturated the carpets and some furniture inside the Yigo temple and at a nearby meetinghouse. The typhoon also damaged trees and other landscaping on the temple grounds. The temple did not sustain any structural damage. The typhoon also damaged trees and other landscaping on the temple grounds. The temple was closed for repairs until 27 July 2023.

The Yigo Guam Temple reopened on July 27, 2023, after repairing typhoon damage.^[10]“Yigo Guam Temple Reopens After Typhoon Damage.” news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org, 26 July 2023, news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/yigo-guam-temple-reopens-after-typhoon-damage-.

“Everyone was all set to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the temple when the storm moved in,” said Sister Cyndi Burtenshaw, who is serving as a Church communication missionary in the Micronesia Guam Asia North Area with her husband.

The Yigo chapel and classrooms on property adjacent to the temple were damaged by the flooding. Members, including youth and missionaries, came to help remove the water from the carpets and clean the floors and windows of the Yigo chapel. The carpets that could be removed were taken out of the classrooms and laid over chairs to dry.

Reopening

The Yigo Guam Temple reopened on July 27, 2023, after repairing typhoon damage.^[11]“Yigo Guam Temple Reopens After Typhoon Damage.” news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org, 26 July 2023, news-gu.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/yigo-guam-temple-reopens-after-typhoon-damage-.

Details

Location

Spire and Finial

Spire

The form of the temple features an end-tower over the front entry facing east. The tower is four sided, square, and covered in a dome topped by a finial. Zinc-coated metal roofing covers the dome.

Finial

The top of the dome is covered with a small box, designed to look similar to the tower below the dome. This feature is known as a lantern. It is topped with a black metal ornamental finial. The finial was placed atop the spire sometime between 13 November and 3 December of 2022.

Interior

Hard surfaces of tile and stone are used throughout the temple. Beautiful area rugs soften key spaces but can be removed easily for cleaning and will avoid the potential for moisture retention that would occur in fully carpeted spaces.

The temple houses a single instruction room and single sealing room, along with the baptistry and celestial room.

Entry

Baptistry

Initiatory

Instruction Rooms

Celestial Room

Sealing Room

Contractors

Architect

General Contractor

Other Contractors

Region

TEMPLES IN OCEANIA _{by country}

American Samoa	1	Pago Pago
Australia	6	Adelaide · Brisbane · Brisbane South · Melbourne · Perth · Sydney
Fiji	1	Suva
French Polynesia	2	Papeete · Uturoa
Guam	1	Yigo
Kiribati	1	Tarawa
New Zealand	3	Auckland · Hamilton · Wellington
Papua New Guinea	1	Port Moresby
Samoa	2	Apia · Savai’i
Tonga	2	Neiafu · Nuku’alofa
Vanuatu	1	Port Vila

Sources and Citations