Church Announces Faith’s 15 Leaders To Be Present During Multi-Day Rome Temple Dedication
Mar 8, 2019, 9:43 AM | Updated: Mar 9, 2019, 7:01 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday announced that the faith’s top leaders will all be attending the multi-day dedication of its temple in Rome.
President Russell M. Nelson will be dedicating the temple March 10.
“… The entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be together in Rome,” according to a media release from the Church. “This is believed to be the first time in Church history that all 15 leaders have gathered in one location outside the United States.”
Elder David A. Bednar, chairman of the Church’s Temple and Family History Department, noted that Rome is a location rich in biblical history, where ancient apostles preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“We have more than 16 million members and the Church is recognized and established in over 170 nations,” he said. So it’s only a matter of time before we have temples in most major cities in the world, but it is of particular significance to have a temple in Rome, the Eternal City.”
The dedicatory services will take place Sunday through Tuesday. Nelson will also lead a Saturday evening devotional for local youth.
The Rome Italy Temple will serve more than 23,000 members living in Italy and neighboring countries. There are currently 160 operating temples worldwide, with 14 of those being in Europe.
