The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday afternoon that it is closing all its temples until further notice.
In a letter from the church’s ruling body, the First Presidency, leaders wrote that the decision came from a desire to be “responsible global citizens” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is a temporary adjustment, and we look forward to the day when the temples will reopen,” church leaders said. “Please be assured of our sincere love and appreciation for your devotion and faith.”
The Mormon church announced in early March that its biannual conference, set for April, would be livestreamed to help “control this contagious illness.” The conference usually attracts about 100,000 people to the Mormon church’s headquarters in Salt Lake City.
The church has also recalled the majority of its overseas missionaries. Some Mormons drew criticism on Sunday for congregating in large groups at the Salt Lake City International Airport to welcome about 900 of these missionaries. Excited families did not abide by social distancing recommendations, hugging their loved ones when they emerged from their airport terminal.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, himself a Mormon, criticized the event as “irresponsible.”
“This is irresponsible,” Romney wrote Monday on Facebook. “Parents, please pick up your missionary from the airport alone and help them strictly follow self-quarantine procedures for their first 14 days at home. We need to work together to keep our communities safe.”
