Elder Gerrit W. Gong Dedicates New Nauvoo Temple Visitors' Center in Illinois

Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the new Nauvoo Temple Visitors' Center in Nauvoo, Illinois, on June 27, 2026, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints newsroom.

Nauvoo holds deep historical significance for the Church. Members of the faith settled there in the 1840s before being forced to leave and eventually migrate west to Utah. The original Nauvoo Temple was completed in 1846 and later destroyed. A rebuilt temple was dedicated in 2002.

The new visitors' center is intended to serve the growing number of tourists and members who travel to the site each year. Church officials said the facility includes exhibits on the history of the Nauvoo period and the broader story of the Restoration.

The dedication came during a busy week for the Church. President Dallin H. Oaks announced that the organization is on track to reach its highest-ever number of full-time missionaries, with 193 new mission leader couples from 26 countries attending the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders at the Provo Missionary Training Center from June 18 to 21.

The Church also fulfilled a goal to deliver food to all 50 U.S. states as part of the America250 commemoration, marking the nation's 250th anniversary of independence.