See below for the promised analysis of new temples announced during the October 2022 General Conference. Given the large number of temples announced and my goal to provide a quality and in-depth analysis of each temple announcement, this analysis will be broken down into several parts. This post provides analysis of new temples that were announced in Asia and Africa. With the exception of the Busan Korea Temple, the temple announcements in these regions of the world have occurred in areas with steady or rapid growth within recent years.
Busan Korea Temple
As a returned missionary from Korea, this announcement was very exciting as Korean members have speculated and hoped for a second temple in Korea to be one day announced for the port city of Busan. The Busan Korea Temple will likely include 6-7 stakes and three districts in southern South Korea. Church growth in southern South Korea has been essentially stagnant for more than two decades, albeit no stakes have been discontinued in the area yet. However, several stakes have only four wards, so it is probable that stake consolidations will occur in the foreseeable future unless a reversal in the decline in the number of congregations occurs accompanied by an increase in the number of active members. The oldest stake in the likely temple district is the Busan Korea Stake (organized in 1979), whereas the most recently organized stake in the likely temple district is the Daejeon Korea Stake (organized in 1998). It is probable that the new temple in Busan will be a small temple, perhaps like the Fukuoka Japan Temple, given there are only likely to be six stakes assigned and the area has experienced stagnant growth for multiple consecutive decades. The Busan Korea Temple will be the Church's second temple in South Korea.
Naga Philippines Temple
The Naga Philippines Temple will be the Church's ninth temple in the Philippines following temples in Manila (dedicated in 1984), Cebu (dedicated in 2010), Urdaneta (announced in 2010), Alabang (announced in 2017), Cagayan de Oro (announced in 2018), Davao (announced in 2018), Bacolod City (announced in 2019), and Tacloban City (announced in 2021). The announcement of temples in Naga and Santiago constitutes the first time the Church has announced two temples in the Philippines on the same day. The new temple in Naga will likely include six stakes and six districts in southern Luzon and Masbate. The Church in southern Luzon has experienced a significant reversal in Church growth trends in the past few years from essentially stagnant congregational growth and no new stakes organized between 2001 and 2018 to the creation of two new stakes (from districts) and the regular creation of new wards and branches. The oldest stake in the likely new temple district is the Naga Philippines Stake - organized one day prior to the Legaspi Philippines Stake in 1985. A second mission was created in the region headquartered in Legaspi in 2013. Also, there are reports that a second stake will be created in Naga on November 6th, and two other stakes also appear likely to divide in the foreseeable future (Daet and Goa). It is unclear whether districts in the likely temple district are close to becoming stakes, but Ligao and Tabaco appear most likely based on the most recent information I have received. Most members in the likely temple district speak Bikolano, making the new temple the first temple to operate in a predominantly Bikolano-speaking area of the Philippines.
Santiago Philippines Temple
The Santiago Philippines Temple will be the Church's 10th temple in the Philippines, and the new temple will likely include 10 stakes and 10 districts in extreme northern Luzon - most of which are in the Cagayan Valley. Church growth has been slow, but steady, in this region of the Philippines during the past decade. Of the 10 stakes likely to be in the new temple district, four have been organized since 2011. None of the stakes in the area appear likely to divide within the near future, albeit some member districts appear close to becoming stakes. Santiago is one of only two cities in the Cagayan Valley with two stakes as all other cities in the region have only one stake if there is a stake present. The oldest stake in the region is the Tuguegarao Philippines North Stake which was created in 1989. Most members speak Ilokano in this area of the Philippines.
Eket Nigeria Temple
The Eket Nigeria Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Nigeria following temples in Aba (dedicated in 2005), Lagos (announced in 2018), and Benin City (announced in 2020). The new temple will likely include 14 stakes and one district in the Nigerian states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River - the same number of stakes that were assigned to the Aba Nigeria Temple when it was dedicated in 2005. The new temple's location in Eket is less than 10 miles from where the Church organized most of its first branches in Nigeria in small villages in 1979, such as Ikot Anang, Ikot Eyo, and Ukat Aran. Some local government areas (LGAs) in this area of Nigeria may be as high as 2-3% Latter-day Saint in the general population. Eket is the largest city in southern Akwa Ibom State, but there is only one stake headquartered in the city (albeit it is likely to divide soon as the stake has 10 wards and four branches). Rapid growth has occurred for the Church in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers. Of the 14 stakes likely to be assigned to the new temple district, eight were organized after 2014. The oldest stake in the likely temple district is the Eket Nigeria Stake, organized in 1996. Six of the 14 stakes in this area of Nigeria appear likely to divide in the near future. Thus, there may be as many as 20 stakes in the temple district by the time the temple is dedicated if the process for design, approval, and construction occur at a typical rate (within 3-5 years).
