Groundbreaking of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple
On April 8, 2023, Elder K. Brett Nattress — president of the Pacific Area — presided over the groundbreaking of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple. Port Vila is an Oceanian city on the island of Efate and within the country of Vanuatu. Efate is currently in the Suva Fiji Temple district, meaning members have to travel 1,072 kilometers (479 nautical miles) east to attend the temple.
Dignitaries were in attendance at the ceremony, such as Vanuatu President His Excellency Nikenike Vurobaravu and his wife, Rima Vurobaravu, as well as the Honourable Prime Minister Altoi Ismael Kalsakau and his wife, Ellene Kalsakau.
During his remarks to the congregation, Elder Nattress talked about Joseph Smith's First Vision and testified that Jesus Christ's priesthood authority has been restored. In his dedicatory prayer on the site, Elder Nattress prayed for the Saints in Vanuatu: "May the transcendent beauty of the temple become a place of peace and spiritual strength for the local residents and for all who will come and visit here.”
Timeline of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple
The Port Vila temple was announced Oct. 4, 2020, by President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on April 8, 2023, and presided over by Elder K. Brett Nattress, Pacific Area president.
Architecture and Design of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple
Plans for the Port Vila temple call for a one-story building of around 10,000 square feet. Renderings show a white exterior with brown windows around the edifice and a center spire above the entrance. Palm trees and purple flowers will adorn the base of the temple.
The temple will be built on a 1.62-acre site, next to the Blacksands meetinghouse in Port Vila. Near the temple will be built an ancillary building that will include a distribution center, an arrival center and patron housing.
Above the temple’s entrance are inscribed the phrases “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” and “THE HOUSE OF THE LORD” in English, one of Vanuatu’s three official languages (English, French and Bislama).
Groundbreaking Photos of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple
