Two temples open for tours

Two temples, one in Panama and one in Idaho, are now complete and will have open houses beginning Friday, bringing the total number of operating temples worldwide to 128. The Panama City Panama Temple, which was announced in August 2002, will be open to the public for tours through July 26. No tickets are necessary, and people will be guided through on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tours will operate Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The temple will be closed on Sundays. There are more than 40,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout Panama, comprising eight stakes and six districts, according to LDS.org.  Some of the murals in the temple were painted by local artist Linda Christiansen, and stained glass is featured throughout. A cultural celebration on Aug. 9 will precede the temple dedication on Aug. 10. The Panama City Temple is the third temple in Central America. Three more Central American temples have

been announced, one in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; one in San Salvador, El

Salvador; and one in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.The Twin Falls Idaho Temple, which was announced at the morning session of the October 2004 general conference, will be open to the public for tours through Aug. 16. The temple will be open for tours Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will be open Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be closed Sundays. Tickets to the open house are free and are required. They can be obtained by contacting a bishop or stake president in the area. Local church leader Brent H. Nielson estimates 90,000 tickets have been requested. It is the fourth temple in Idaho and will serve some 42,000 Latter-day Saints throughout Southern Idaho. The temple features an original mural by Idaho artist Leon Parson. A cultural celebration on Aug. 23, will precede the dedication on Aug. 24.