The Church Newsroom announced that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the exterior rendering and key details of Indonesia’s First Temple. The Jakarta Indonesia Temple will be built at Synthesis Square on Jalan Gatot Subroto Kav. 64 No. 177A, located in the Menteng Dalam area of Tebet, South Jakarta.
The design calls for a three-story building totaling nearly 50,000 square feet. An accompanying ancillary building will include arrival facilities, a meetinghouse, and patron housing, creating a unified worship complex for members traveling from various regions of the archipelago. Indonesia’s Latter-day Saint community includes roughly 8,000 members who participate in about 25 congregations, and for them this project marks a historic step.
When the temple was announced in April 2023, President Russell M. Nelson emphasized the divine purpose behind temples, stating, “Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples. Each is His holy house.” His words offered guidance and hope for Latter-day Saints living in a nation where temple worship has long required international travel.
Temples differ from regular meetinghouses by providing sacred ordinances, opportunities for covenant making, and dedicated spaces for meditation and instruction. While chapels support weekly worship and gatherings, temples invite members to draw closer to God and deepen their discipleship through ordinances focused on eternal family relationships and personal spiritual growth.
The release of the rendering brings this vision into sharp focus for Indonesian Saints, allowing them to imagine the day when they will worship in the house of the Lord in their own homeland. No timeline details were included in the announcement.
A Growing Church in Indonesia
The significance of this moment becomes even clearer when placed within the broader history of the Church in Indonesia. According to the Liahona, the Church first entered the country in 1970, when a small group of missionaries arrived and began working with individuals interested in learning more about the gospel. In those early days, members gathered in small groups and often relied on occasional visits from mission leaders to supplement their worship and instruction.
Over time, the Church grew steadily as members shared their faith, formed families, and built strong relationships within their communities. Indonesia’s religious diversity and culture of hospitality shaped a uniquely warm and resilient Latter-day Saint community. Today, the Church includes two stakes and dozens of wards and branches across major cities such as Jakarta, Tangerang, Surabaya, and Medan.
The Liahona recounts personal stories that reflect the faith and devotion of Indonesian Saints. Brother Hendra Wintolo of Tangerang shared his family’s experience of traveling internationally to receive temple blessings. He explained that journeying to the Manila Philippines Temple to be sealed in 2010 was a defining spiritual moment for his family.
Speaking of the now-announced Jakarta Temple, Brother Wintolo said, “We have prayed for this blessing for many years,” expressing gratitude that future generations will be able to experience temple worship without crossing an ocean.
Stories like his illustrate the longing many Indonesian Saints have carried for decades. For them, Indonesia’s first temple is not merely a convenience—it is the fulfillment of years of prayer, sacrifice, and faith in the promises of God.
Groundbreaking Set for the João Pessoa Brazil Temple
Alongside developments in Indonesia, the Church Newsroom also announced that the João Pessoa Brazil Temple will move forward with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for January 24, 2026. The event will be presided over by Joni L. Koch, President of the Brazil Area.
The temple will stand on a 3.9-acre site at Rua Paulino Pinto and Avenida Ministro José Américo de Almeida in the coastal neighborhood of Cabo Branco. Brazil is home to more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints who meet in more than 2,000 congregations. With João Pessoa included, Brazil now has 24 temples operating (Belém, Brasília, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo), under construction, or announced (Belo Horizonte, Campo Grande, Florianópolis, Goiânia, João Pessoa, Londrina, Maceió, Natal, Ribeirão Prêto, Santos, São Paulo East, Teresina and Vitória).
Plans for the temple outline a three-story building of approximately 50,000 square feet, similar in size to the Jakarta Temple. Ancillary facilities will support members traveling from across northeastern Brazil, a region with a strong and growing Latter-day Saint presence.
When the temple was announced in 2023, President Russell M. Nelson noted the spiritual blessings that become more accessible when members can worship in the house of the Lord closer to home—a sentiment deeply felt by families throughout eastern Brazil.
Expanding Access to Sacred Worship
Together, the Jakarta rendering and the João Pessoa groundbreaking demonstrate the continued expansion of temple worship across continents. Each temple stands as a symbol of faith, growth, and the desire of members worldwide to participate in sacred ordinances central to their beliefs.
Indonesia’s first temple represents the arrival of a house of the Lord in a country where members have long shown devotion despite significant geographic barriers. For Brazil, the João Pessoa Temple reflects the strengthening of a well-established community, ensuring that temple blessings are available to more families in more regions.
Both temples will offer sacred spaces where members can learn, serve, and deepen their commitment to Jesus Christ. Their construction reflects not only the growth of the Church but also the faith of individuals and families whose lives will be shaped by the presence of a temple closer to home.
Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.
Temple Question: In all of the baptismal fonts, there is always one ox with one turned-up horn. Why is this? I haven’t found the answer anywhere.