At the end of the Women's Session during the 189th Annual General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans for the construction of 8 new temples around the world.
Among them was announced the construction of the CobanTemple in Guatemala.
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When the Coban Temple is built and dedicated, it will be the third temple in Guatemala and the ninth in Central America. There are currently two temples in operation in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango.
Coban head of the Department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, is one of the important cities, located in the central, mountainous and fertile region of the country.
In the last 40 years, Church membership in Guatemala has grown exponentially, and there are now more than 277,755 Church members in the country.
The other seven temples that were announced will be built in the following countries:
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Orem, Utah
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Bacolod, Philippines
- Taylorsville, Utah
- McAllen, Texas
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are the "House of the Lord," the holiest places on earth.
Temples differ from meetinghouses or chapels where everyone is welcome to attend Sunday worship services.
In the temple, the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.