SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it will be opening the Harare Zimbabwe Temple for public tours, and it held the dedication for the Alabang Philippines Temple.

On Monday, the Church announced that they will be holding public tours for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple starting on Jan. 22 and continuing through Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, excluding Sundays.

According to the Church, the Harare Zimbabwe temple was designed to honor its surrounding area. In the temple are stained-glass windows with floral motifs to the flame lily, which is Zimbabwe’s national flower. There are also floral designs throughout paintings and rug designs in the temple that include flora native to Harare.

Courtesy: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Originally announced in 2016 by President Thomas S. Monson, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple will be the first temple in Zimbabwe and will serve over 46,000 church members, many of whom have had to travel to Johannesburg to attend a temple.

The Harare Zimbabwe temple will be dedicated on March 1, 2026.

Alabang Philippines Temple

This week, the Church also dedicated the Alabang Philippines Temple, which is the fourth operating temple in the Philippines. Almost 900,000 Church members live in the Philippines and over 48,000 toured the temple during its open house.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostoles dedicated the temple on January 18, 2026, almost a decade after it was initially announced. During his dedication, he spoke about the love and dedication from the Filipino people.

“The joy that we experience as individuals and families can be deeper and richer because of what we learn in the temple,” he said.

Courtesy: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Bednar also spoke about the other temples throughout the Philippines currently operating, under construction or planned.

“As 10 additional temples are under construction or in planning here, it is clear the blessings of the temple are expanding across this remarkable nation,” Elder Bednar said. Two other temples, in Davao and Bacolod, are scheduled to be dedicated in May.

Notably, after they are dedicated, temples in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are only open to qualified members of the Church who carry temple recommends. However, other Church meetinghouses are open to the public.

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