Church Breaks Ground for Bengaluru India Temple

A small group of leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Bengaluru India Temple on the morning of December 2, 2020.   

“Today marks history for the Saints in India as we break the ground and prepare the soil for the construction of the holy temple in Bengaluru,” said President NithyaKumar Sunderraj, president of the Bengaluru India Stake (a group of congregations).

“This day would not have been possible were it not for your diligence and prayers,” said Elder Robert K. William, an Area Seventy who presided the event. He attributed the privilege of having a temple to Church members’ faith and testimony, the volunteer service of many missionaries and pioneers in India and the guidance of senior leaders who shaped the foundation of the Church in the country.

“With the beginning of the construction and the future dedication of the House of the Lord, this will become a hinge point for India and India will not be the same anymore,” he continued. “Much of the effort to make this happen lies upon our shoulders and the shoulders of our rising generation.”

President Sunderraj compared members of the Church to the building blocks of the temple. That each person, like each piece of the blocks and bricks, plays a significant role in the building of the temple.

“At times we may fall short like those blocks of bricks, yet everyone’s faith and testimony in the Savior Jesus Christ is key for the temple to be ready and operate in the coming years,” he said. “As we turn the soil today and make preparation for the construction, may we all in unity turn our hearts towards our Savior Jesus Christ and commit ourselves to prepare individually and as families to offer our service in the coming years.”

Sister Anne William echoed, “As the construction of our beautiful and sacred temple progress, simultaneously we can work towards working on our responsibilities as members of the Church to let God prevail in all our hearts, prepare our family, friends and neighbors to receive the blessings of the temple, devote some time to do our family history work so that the blessings of this temple can also reach those who have passed away.”

President Nelson has said that it is easier to build a temple than to build temple worthy people and in that spirit, Elder William suggested four ways to help Church members prepare spiritually and to become holier:

1. Love God and love your neighbor
2. Forgive and forget
3. Seek ye first the kingdom of God
4. Learn about the temple and qualify to obtain a temple recommend

In the dedicatory prayer, Elder William asked, “that this ground be hallowed and protected from all harm and danger…that the temple will be completed as scheduled.”

Among the many that he prayed for, he specifically asked for blessings upon members who have lost their loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other causes that they would be comforted during this time of distress.

“We pray that they will find peace and hope and that the ordinances of the temple will assure them of Thy plan for them and that the hope of eternal families may shine brighter in their lives,” Elder William prayed.

The nearly 40,000-square-foot temple will be constructed on a 1.62-acre site at 2-B, Garudachar Palya, Mahadevapura, Bengaluru. A two-level meetinghouse, administrative offices, a distribution center, and a patron housing facility will also be built on the site. When completed, the temple will serve close to 15,000 Latter-day Saints in India and many neighboring countries.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Each temple is considered a “house of the Lord” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.