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Church history sites closed

This includes the following locations:

Cove Fort Historic Site

Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial

Kanesville Tabernacle

Kirtland historic sites

Missouri historic sites

Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters

Nauvoo historic site and Carthage Jail

New York historic sites

Pennsylvania historic sites

San Diego Mormon Battalion Historic Site

St. George area historic sites

Mormon Handcart Historic Site in Wyoming

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Church spokesman Daniel Woodruff sent the following statement to media on Monday morning, March 30, 2020:

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses throughout the world, we recognize that additional missionaries will unfortunately contract the virus. A second case has been confirmed for a sister missionary in Australia who has been in self-isolation at home. We are concerned about any missionary who contracts the virus and will work to help them receive appropriate care. Gratefully, young missionaries are not generally considered to be at high risk of complications from the illness.

The possible time between exposure to the virus and showing symptoms makes it difficult to determine the exact source of exposure. This same difficulty is faced by people and public health professionals everywhere. However, in each case, we will follow established guidelines from public health agencies to notify anyone with whom the missionary might have come in contact and continue to encourage missionaries and those they live with to undergo strict self-isolation.

As we move forward, the Church will not provide public details about each individual case of COVID-19, but instead will rely on public health agencies and individuals to make the required notifications. We continue to pray for all people affected by this pandemic, and we plead with the Lord to provide relief and peace at this uncertain time.

Church spokesman Daniel Woodruff issued the following statement Friday evening, March 27, 2020:

Today, we learned that a young missionary serving in Mexico City has tested positive for COVID-19. The young man, who is from Guatemala, is being treated for his mild symptoms. He and his current companion are isolated away from others.

In accordance with established guidelines from public health agencies, notification is taking place for all those with whom the missionary had recent contact. This includes a previous companion who returned to California two days ago and is in self-isolation at home. At this point, that missionary is not showing any symptoms. Medical professionals are working with the missionary and his family to ensure they take all necessary precautions during the next few weeks.

The Church will continue to reinforce established self-isolation procedures for missionaries who are traveling, at home and in the field. We are monitoring rapidly changing world conditions and are making adjustments as warranted. We take very seriously the health and safety of missionaries and the well-being of those around them.

Missionaries are in the process of returning to their home nations. This applies to all areas except Europe and Europe East and Taiwan. In addition, U.S. citizens serving in Canada will remain in Canada, and Canadians serving in the U.S. will remain in the U.S.

(See a letter from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for more information.)

Young missionaries with health issues and senior missionaries in the following areas are in the process of being released from service:

• 88 missions throughout North America (as of March 21)
• 10 missions in the Europe East Area (as of March 21)
• 22 missions in the Europe Area (as of March 12)

Each missionary who returns home is asked to self-isolate for 14 days following instructions from the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All missionaries at the Church's 10 MTCs worldwide are in the process of traveling to their missions or returning home to self-isolate. All impacted missionaries and their families are receiving information regarding travel dates and other logistics, including details of their new assignments if they were originally planning to serve outside their home country. All missionaries scheduled to begin their training will be trained remotely through technology.

Prospective missionaries who are preparing to serve in certain countries or who come from those countries will either postpone their start date or receive a new temporary assignment. This update applies to the following locations:

• Japan (as of February 25)
• Korea (as of February 25)
• Cambodia (as of February 20)
• Singapore (as of February 20)
• Thailand (as of February 20)

All missionaries have been removed from the China Hong Kong Mission.

Missionaries who remain in regions where COVID-19 is of particular concern are taking precautions to stay healthy, including staying in their apartments as much as possible, avoiding personal interaction with other people and teaching through phone calls or other technology. Mission presidents are communicating with families to let them know of these precautions and keep them updated on local circumstances.

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter Wednesday, March 11, 2020, to Latter-day Saints everywhere. Their message details a notable restriction on large gatherings of Latter-day Saints. Beginning March 16, 2020, large gatherings will be postponed in Asia, Asia North, Europe, Europe East, the United States and Canada Areas.

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In a letter sent to members on March 11, Church leaders announced a significant change to the format of the April 2020 general conference. Sessions will be done virtually. Members will not gather at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City or at stake centers or meetinghouses in areas where COVID-19 is active.

Temple Worship (Updated March 25 at 7 p.m. MDT)

In a letter issued March 25, 2020, the First Presidency announced it will temporarily close all temples. Temple staff will contact all patrons with an existing appointment to confirm cancellation. When temples resume activity, patrons should contact the temple to reschedule their living ordinances. Members with additional questions are invited to visit with their bishop or stake president.

On March 13, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sent a letter to Church members around the world detailing temporary changes to temple worship worldwide. These adjustments will impact the scheduling and availability of living ordinances in many temples and will take effect March 16, 2020.

See the temple status FAQ for regular updates that explain several of the temporary adjustments to temple worship.

Most temples are operating with limited hours and performing living ordinances only. However, the following temples are temporarily closed due to COVID-19 restrictions (note that this list does not include temples that are closed for maintenance and scheduled to reopen with limited operations when completed):

• Aba Nigeria Temple
• Accra Ghana Temple
• Adelaide Australia Temple
• Albuquerque New Mexico Temple
• Apia Samoa Temple
• Arequipa Peru Temple
• Asunción Paraguay Temple
• Barranquilla Colombia Temple
• Baton Rouge Lousiana Temple
• Bern Switzerland Temple
• Bogota Colombia Temple
• Boise Idaho Temple
• Boston Massachusetts Temple
• Bountiful Utah Temple
• Brisbane Australia Temple
• Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
• Campinas Brazil Temple
• Caracas Venezuela Temple
• Cebu City Philippines Temple
• Chicago Illinois Temple
• Cochabamba Bolivia Temple
• Columbia River Washington Temple
• Columbia South Carolina Temple
• Columbus Ohio Temple
• Concepcion Chile Temple
• Copenhagen Denmark Temple
• Córdoba Argentina Temple
• Curitiba Brazil Temple
• Dallas Texas Temple
• Denver Colorado Temple
• Detroit Michigan Temple
• Durban South Africa Temple
• Fortaleza Brazil Temple
• Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
• Frankfurt Germany Temple
• Freiberg Germany Temple
• Fresno California Temple
• Fukuoka Japan Temple
• Guadalajara Mexico Temple
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple
• Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
• Halifax Nova Scotia Temple
• Hartford Connecticut Temple
• Helsinki Finland Temple
• Houston Texas Temple
• Indianapolis Indiana Temple
• Kansas City Missouri Temple
• Kinshasa DR Congo Temple
• Kona Hawaii Temple
• Kyiv Ukraine Temple
• Laie Hawaii Temple
• Las Vegas Nevada Temple
• Lima Peru Temple
• Lisbon Portugal Temple
• London England Temple
• Los Angeles California Temple
• Louisville Kentucky Temple
• Madrid Spain Temple
• Manaus Brazil Temple
• Manhattan New York Temple
• Manila Philippines Temple
• Medford Oregon Temple
• Meridian Idaho Temple
• Melbourne Australia Temple
• Memphis Tennessee Temple
• Mexico City Mexico Temple
• Montreal Quebec Temple
• Nashville Tennessee Temple
• Nauvoo Illinois Temple
• Newport Beach California Temple 
• Oakland California Temple
• Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple 
• Orlando Florida Temple
• Palmyra New York Temple
• Panama City Panama Temple
• Papeete Tahiti Temple
• Paris France Temple
• Perth Australia Temple
• Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple
• Porto Alegre Brazil Temple
• Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple
• Portland Oregon Temple
• Preston England Temple
• Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
• Recife Brazil Temple
• Redlands California Temple
• Regina Saskatchewan Temple
• Reno Nevada Temple
• Rexburg Idaho Temple
• Rome Italy Temple
• Sacramento California Temple
• San Antonio Texas Temple
• San Diego California Temple
• San Jose Costa Rica Temple
• San Salvador El Salvador Temple
• Santiago Chile Temple
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
• São Paulo Brazil Temple
• Sapporo Japan Temple
• Seattle Washington Temple
• Seoul Korea Temple
• Spokane Washington Temple
• St. Louis Missouri Temple
• Stockholm Sweden Temple
• Sydney Australia Temple
• Taipei Taiwan Temple
• Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple
• The Hague Netherlands Temple
• Toronto Ontario Temple
• Trujillo Peru Temple
• Tucson Arizona Temple
• Vancouver British Columbia Temple

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Updates on COVID-19 (coronavirus) as it relates to the Church and its membership are added to the body of this article as soon as new information becomes available under subheadings such as Missionary Work, Temple Worship and Worship Services.

UPDATED: March 11, 2020, 7:30 p.m. MDT

Recent concern regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) has generated much public attention and has caused significant change in travel, personal interactions and in guidelines prescribed by health officials for how to address the growing concern.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been carefully monitoring these developments and is taking steps in several areas to provide assistance, help missionaries be safe and effective, address concerns regarding member safety and plan for upcoming events. These steps are being taken to comply with best practices or direction provided by the public health organizations of various national governments.

General Conference

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter Wednesday March 11, 2020, to members of the Church worldwide. The Church leaders announced a significant change to the format of the April 2020 general conference.

Large Gatherings

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter Wednesday, March 11, 2020, to Latter-day Saints everywhere. Their message details a notable restriction on large gatherings of Latter-day Saints.

Missionary Training Centers

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter Wednesday, March 11, 2020, to Saints around the world. The senior leaders communicated a significant change to service in missionary training centers in Provo, Utah, and Preston, England.

CES Guidelines

The leadership of the Church Educational System has adopted temporary guidelines which will be effective March 16, 2020.

Missionary Work

All missionaries, regardless of where they are serving, have been reminded to follow basic preventative health practices to avoid illness. It is important to note that young missionaries are not generally considered to be at risk for serious complications from the coronavirus.

Missionaries who remain in those countries where COVID-19 is of particular concern will take precautions to stay healthy, including staying in their apartments as much as possible, avoiding personal interaction with other people and teaching through phone calls or other technology. Mission Presidents are communicating with families to let them know of these precautions and keep them updated on local circumstances.

The Church is taking steps to reduce the number of missionaries in areas where the virus is of particular concern. These steps will give mission presidents more flexibility to ensure missionaries are effective and safe and that there is adequate space to house missionaries if they are moved out of cities where there are greater concerns about infection.

These steps apply to the following missions:

• Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission
• Italy Milan Mission
• Japan Fukuoka Mission
• Japan Kobe Mission
• Japan Nagoya Mission
• Japan Sapporo Mission
• Japan Tokyo North Mission
• Japan Tokyo South Mission
• Korea Busan Mission
• Korea Seoul Mission
• Korea Seoul South Mission
• Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission
• Singapore Mission
• Thailand Bangkok Mission

Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand: All prospective missionaries preparing to serve in these missions or who come from those countries will either postpone their start date or receive a temporary assignment. Additionally, all missionaries serving in these missions who were nearing the end of their service have returned home early. All senior missionaries and any young missionaries with chronic health problems have also returned home or haven been temporarily reassigned to a mission in their home countries. Some senior missionaries will continue to support the mission remotely.

Japan: All missionaries preparing to serve in Japan will either postpone their start date or receive new temporary assignments.

Korea: All missionaries who are not native to Korea have left that country and returned home before departing for new temporary assignments in their home countries. This is in addition to those missionaries who were nearing the end of their service and those who had chronic health problems, who had already returned home early. All missionaries leaving the country had already been in self-isolation for some time and had avoided contact with others outside their apartments. Prospective missionaries preparing to serve in Korea or who come from that country will either postpone their start date or receive a temporary assignment.

Mongolia: All missionaries who are not native to Mongolia have been temporarily transferred from that country. Those who are nearing their scheduled release date have returned home early, while the rest have received new temporary assignments.

Each missionary who returns home will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days following instructions from the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Temple Worship

Several temples have been closed because of concern for the workers and patrons. A large number of temple workers and patrons are from an older demographic, which has a higher susceptibility to complications from the coronavirus. These closures are in accordance with the recommendations of local public health agencies. The following temples have been temporarily closed:

• Asunción Paraguay Temple
• Boston Massachusetts Temple
• Copenhagen Denmark Temple
• Fukuoka Japan Temple
• Lisbon Portugal Temple
• Louisville Kentucky Temple
• Manhattan New York Temple
• Rome Italy Temple
• Seoul Korea Temple
• Sapporo Japan Temple
• Seattle Washington Temple 
• Taipei Taiwan Temple
• Vancouver British Columbia Temple

(Previously closed for renovation)

• Hong Kong China Temple
• Tokyo Japan Temple

Worship Services

Under the direction of Area Presidencies, some regions have limited or temporarily suspended member gatherings, including Sunday worship. This has included shortened Sunday worship in some areas (sacrament meeting only) or canceling of worship services in others.

These changes are made at the direction of the Area Presidency, which considers the conditions in the area, guidance or restrictions given by government authorities, and the input of local priesthood leaders and the area medical advisor. The Area Presidency also counsels with their leaders in the Presidency of the Seventy and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

In circumstances where members are unable—for extended periods—to gather for worship, they learn, teach and partake of the sacrament as families, as authorized by local priesthood leaders.

Limiting or temporary suspension of worship services is occurring in the areas listed below. This list may not be comprehensive, as conditions around the world are rapidly changing. Members with questions are counseled to ask their local bishop or stake president for specific direction for their congregations. These locations include the following:

• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Korea
• Seattle, Washington area (Due to the Governor’s request that no large gatherings be held, no stake conferences or priesthood leadership councils will be held. Smaller gatherings, such as a sacrament meeting, are continuing in some areas. Members should follow the counsel of their local priesthood leaders.)
• Mongolia
• Germany
• Italy
• U.K. (One congregation is suspending services for several weeks while other U.K. congregations continue to meet as normal.)

As our members around the world meet and interact with one another, we ask them to be mindful of current circumstances and to be considerate of their health and that of others as they determine whether to participate in public gatherings, including at Church.

Preventative Measures

For all Church members, there is wisdom in taking steps to remain healthy during this cold and flu season. These precautions include*:

• Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water or clean them with an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick (this may include avoiding shaking hands or other customary greetings).
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Maintain at least three feet (one meter) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow public health agency recommendations for using a face mask.

*Based on recommendations from the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Local leaders should encourage members to follow these guidelines.

Church Workforce

Employees of the Church should follow the guidelines provided here and any other direction provided by their area presidency.

General Conference

In a recent announcement to all Church members, the First Presidency provided guidelines for participation in General Conference.

Providing Aid

Since its initial donation of medical masks, goggles and gowns to China, the Church has received numerous requests for similar assistance. Those requests are being evaluated and addressed as the Church is able to do so, although our ability to supply and deliver those products is limited by a global demand for such resources.

Summary

We are grateful for the many expressions of support and concern that have been shared. The Church will continue to follow developments closely and make any further adjustments as needed. We continue to pray for all those impacted by the virus.