https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/04 ... ds-temple/On April 5, during the final session of the faith’s General Conference, church President Russell M. Nelson stunned believers with the news that among its new temples would be one in China.
Nelson, who has long-standing ties to Shanghai, was careful in how he described the holy space to be established there.
“In Shanghai, a modest, multipurpose meeting place will provide a way for Chinese members to continue to participate in ordinances of the temple … for them and their ancestors,” Nelson told his global audience. It was prompted in part by the closure of the Hong Kong Temple for renovation.
He noted the church’s legal status in mainland China “remains unchanged” — it is not legally recognized — and it will not send missionaries to that country.
“In an initial phase of facility use, entry will be by appointment only,” he said. “The Shanghai Temple will not be a temple for tourists from other countries.”
However, it seems Mr Nelson hadn’t thought to check with the Chinese authorities...
And finally...Within days of Nelson’s remarks, though, the Shanghai Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau said twice on its website it knew nothing about a “Mormon temple” being built in the city of more than 24 million people.
In response to a question posed on Weibo (China’s Twitter), the bureau first wrote, “foreigners are not allowed to establish religious organizations or areas of religious activity within China’s borders” and “the news that the American Mormon Church announced that it is building a temple came only from the American side.”
Later, the Shanghai organization repeated the statement about foreigners, insisting it “knew nothing about [the American Mormon Church … building a so-called ‘temple’ in Shanghai].”
This second statement added, “wishful thinking, not based in reality,” according to an independent translation.
Oh dear...As of Tuesday afternoon, though, the Shanghai Temple is the only recently announced one not mentioned on the church’s official online tally of established or planned temples.
