The Yigo Guam Temple was the first temple built in the Micronesia islands (and in the territory of Guam).The first stake in Guam was organized on December 12, 2010, by Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Yigo Guam Temple was built on the site of an existing meetinghouse. The church building was demolished to make way for the temple and a replacement meetinghouse. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Yigo Guam Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreakings for the Praia Cape Verde Temple and the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple. The Yigo Guam Temple was among a pioneering group of temples designed to offer more flexibility in temple spaces. Near the dressing areas, small enclosures function as both confidential information booths and initiatory booths. Elder David A. Bednar further explained, “For example, the new temple in Guam has two rooms that can function as instruction rooms or sealing rooms, depending on what is needed on a given day. That flexibility allows for the right ordinances to be available at the right time for Church members.” On May 24, 2023, Typhoon Mawar wrought havoc on the island of Guam with destructive winds of 140 mph that took out power and water to most of the residents. The one-year-old Yigo Guam Temple shone like a beacon in the storm with its generator-powered lighting, but the sacred structure had flooded, saturating the carpets and some of the furniture. No structural damage was sustained, but the temple closed for two months for repairs. The typhoon also damaged the temple grounds.

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Photo Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Intellectual Reserve