The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the location of the Brussels Belgium Temple.The temple will be built within an existing building at Ave des Arts 52, Brussels, Belgium. Plans call for a multistory temple of approximately 25,500 square feet, a meetinghouse, and arrival facilities. This will be the city’s first temple.
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the temple during the Church’s general conference in April 2021. “Temples are a vital part of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. Ordinances [ceremonies] of the temple fill our lives with power and strength available in no other way. We thank God for those blessings,” the Prophet said as 20 new temples were announced, including the Belgium Brussels Temple.
Brussels is in the north central portion of Belgium, approximately 70 miles (110 km) from the Belgian coast and 100 miles (180 km) from Belgium’s southern tip.
Detailed design plans for the temple are still under development. Further information — including exterior renderings — will be made public later. A groundbreaking date will be announced in the future. Project leaders will work with city officials on plans and permits for the temple in preparation for future construction activities.
Brussels is a major international center and the European country’s capital. Nearly 7,000 Latter-day Saints in 12 congregations reside in Belgium. The Brussels Belgium Temple will be the Church’s first temple in the country. The preaching of the restored gospel began in Belgium when the first missionary arrived in 1888. Missionaries laboring in Switzerland and Germany were also sent to Belgium.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider temples to be houses of the Lord and the most sacred places of worship on the earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses or chapels. All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples, however, is for faithful members of the Church to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages that unite families forever.