Bangkok Temple: A Treasured Blessing to Southeast Asian Saints

(For Non-Muslim Use Only)

Near the end of 2024, over 50 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in East Malaysia attended the Church’s Bangkok Thailand Temple, turning their dream of receiving temple blessings into a reality. The members came from the Sibu and Kota Kinabalu districts, located in the states of Sarawak and Sabah respectively.

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To members of the Church, the temple is considered the house of the Lord and provides the opportunity to participate in sacred ordinances (or ceremonies) that unite families forever and offer ancestors great blessings in the afterlife. Members research their family histories before going to the temple to perform the ordinances for their ancestors. These opportunities are only available in Church temples, making temple trips a momentous and meaningful endeavor for faithful Church members.

Several families from the Sibu membership arrived in Bangkok on September 25, 2024 and were accompanied by Mike Khimmy from the East Malaysia district presidency and his wife Lily. They served as interpreters and temple guides, having had prior temple experiences. The group also received a surprise visit from Kadin Stosich, a former full-time volunteer who served a mission in Sibu for nine months, and his wife Madison. Stosich played a role in introducing many Sibu residents to the faith so it was very special for the members to have both him and his wife also help as temple guides.

On September 27, 2024, church leaders Steven Girik and Clarence Sigau, presidents of the Sibu First and Sibu Second branches respectively, were sealed with their families: Steven with his wife Senah and their four children, and Clarence with his wife Florence and their 12-year-old daughter. This sealing enables them to enjoy their family relationship eternally, if they remain faithful. Lam Kiong, the Elders Quorum president of the Sibu Second branch was also sealed with his wife Wenya, which makes it possible for their marriage to last forever. 

At the end of October, 33 more Latter-day Saints from the Kota Kinabalu congregation took the journey from the Malaysian state of Sabah to the Bangkok Temple. This group included members visiting a temple for the first time and others who had not been able to go back to a temple in over 15 years. Gaadong Anak Sandong and his wife Norlia Rosman first went to the Manila Philippines Temple in 2009 but have not had the means to travel to a temple since. “Being able to finally return to the temple is a miracle for us,” said Sister Norlia, “We have been praying that someday soon we would be able to return to experience the peace and joy of the temple."

To help prepare new members for the temple, senior full-time missionaries Scott and Lois Sucher in Sarawak and Bradley and Marsha Douglas in Sabah assisted in the local Family Search Centers. They helped the members with genealogical research and to organize their ancestors’ names to undergo temple ordinances by proxy for them. With these efforts, the Sibu members were able to complete the ordinances on behalf of over 75 departed loved ones.

Lim Chun Kiong of Tawau, Sabah, recently completed a two-year full-time volunteer mission for the Church, during which he lost his father unexpectedly. He shared that the temple helped him and his mother to heal from this sudden grief. “My father passed away a few months ago while serving my mission…I completed my mission and was blessed to accompany my mom to Bangkok to be with her as she received her temple blessings…Mum and Dad were united and sealed together and then I was sealed to them,” Lim said with emotion.  His mother, Mince Lim, also expressed gratitude for the blessings of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the temple. She said she waited many years for the chance to attend the temple.

Alice Moses and her sister Wilna from Kota Kinabalu had the opportunity to perform temple work for their deceased parents and then be sealed to them for all eternity. “I felt the presence of my parents in all areas of the temple as my sister and I helped our parents receive their temple blessings,” she said. “This has been a very emotional time for us – one we will cherish through the eternities.” In total, the Kota Kinabalu members completed over 350 temple ordinances for their family members who have passed on.

The first temple constructed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was in Kirtland, Ohio in 1836. The Bangkok Thailand Temple was the 185^th temple to be dedicated since that time. To date, the Church has 202 operating temples, with 52 more currently under construction, and another 113 sites announced throughout the world. The Church established its presence in Malaysia in 1974 and Malaysian members are awaiting the completion of two other nearby temples; one in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the other in Singapore.