Interior and exterior of a temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Photos

On an official visit, the Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed everyone and gave tours to media representatives at the Bangkok Temple of Thailand, the final house of the Lord in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opening its doors to the public. Together with other Church leaders and past and present Bangkok civic leaders, Gerrit W. Gong, the eleventh apostle of the quorum of twelve apostles, welcomed the participants of the temple's media day on Monday, August 28. The events began with a press conference and ended with a tour of the temple and interviews with the media.

"It's a beautiful building in an incredibly beautiful city, but it's not just a building," said Apostle Gong, who first visited Southeast Asia with his wife in 1980. "We offer God the best we can, and He gives us the best He can.

This is the place where heaven and earth come together. It allows us to connect with our ancestors, our families and create eternal families."

The media day on Monday kicks off a series of tours for special guests that will be held each day until the temple tours open to the public on Friday, Sept. 1, and continue through Saturday, Sept. 17, except Sundays. During the media day, the Church released interior and exterior photos of the Bangkok Thailand Temple and a video at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. When the Bangkok Temple of Thailand is consecrated this fall, it will be the 185th active temple of the Church worldwide.