SALT LAKE CITY-Tuesday, The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced groundbreaking for two temples yet to be constructed. These are to be the temples at Neifau Tonga and Pago Pago American Samoa.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Neifau Tonga Temple is slated for Saturday September 11. Presiding over this ceremony will be Elder ‘Inoke F. Kupu of the Quorum of Seventy.

This temple is to be constructed on the site of the Church-owned Saineha High School. This single-story structure will consist of 17,000 square feet.

This will be the country’s second temple, following the Nuku’Alofa Tonga Temple (dedicated, 1983; rededicated, 2007).

66,361 Tongans are members of the Church. This consists of 63.5 percent of the country’s population.

Church leaders will break ground for the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple Saturday October 9.

The event’s presiding Church leader will be predicated upon travel requirements related to covid-19.

This temple will be built on Ottoville Road on the site of the Pago Pago Samoa Central Stake Center in Tafuna, America Samoa.

This single-story structure will consist of 17,000 square feet.

The temple construction will also include housing for the temple president, matron and missionaries and distribution center.

This will be the first temple in American Samoa.

There are 16,490 Latter-day Saints in American Samoa or 29.8 percent of the total population.

Attendance at these ceremonies will be by invitation only.