SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Maine was quietly and locally announced over the weekend – a departure from the previous tradition of temple announcements during the bi-annual general conference.
The announcement was made by Elder Allen D. Haynie during a Christmas devotional at the Portland Maine Stake on Sunday, Dec. 14.
Haynie shared that the Church’s First Presidency – made up of President Dallin H. Oaks and his two counselors, Presidents Henry B. Eyring and D. Todd Christofferson – recently made the decision that new temple announcements would be made by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or a member of the Area Presidency.
“Such an announcement by a member of an Area Presidency has never occurred before,” Elder Haynie said. “Tonight will be the first.”
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The new temple will serve the Portland, Maine, area. Currently, the Boston Massachusetts Temple, completed in October 2000, is the closest temple to Portland, Maine, which is nearly two hours away.
The exact location and construction details of the new Portland Maine Temple were not immediately made, but are expected to be announced at a later date.
During the October 2025 general conference, President Oaks said the Church would be slowing down the announcement of new temples. He said there were already a large number of temples in the very early phases of planning and construction, later adding that announcements would be made in a different way.
Elder Haynie told the devotional, “President Oaks did not say there would be no further announcements of new temples, only that the timing and location of future announcements would be determined later.”
The Portland Maine Temple brings the total number of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples to 383, which are either operating, under construction, or recently announced worldwide.
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