Suva LDS Temple Opens Its Doors To The Public

The public will be invited to tour the recently renovated Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Suva which is the only LDS temple in Fiji. The announcement by the First Presidency of the Church revealed that the open house will be held from Monday, January 25 to Saturday, February 6, 2016, excluding Sunday, January 31. The Church’s temples are usually entered by Latter-day Saints in good standing, but during this brief period of time, the general public is invited to tour the building before it is officially rededicated.

Tours, consisting of a 10-minute video presentation followed by a 30-minute walking tour through the temple, will begin at the adjacent Fiji Service Centre. Vito Qaqa said, who is a local Church leader organising the open house, welcomed everyone to come and see the open house. “We look forward to sharing with visitors why Latter-day Saints consider temples our most sacred places of worship,” Mr Qaqa said.

A cultural celebration featuring music and dance by Latter-day Saint youths from around Fiji will be joined by their friends from other faiths at the ANZ Stadium at 3.00PM. The media and members of the public are invited to attend. The temple will be formally rededicated on Sunday, February 21. The Suva Fiji Temple was originally dedicated in June 2000 and was closed in October 2014 for renovation. The temple serves more than 35,000 Latter-day Saints in Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. The temple is located at 2-20 Lakeba Street, Samabula, Suva. The building stands nearly 20 metres high and is crowned with a gilded statue of the angel Moroni. The colors and design motifs of Fiji’s landscape.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from churches where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through baptism, marriage and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity. Source: LDS Church