Are LDS Temple Names Assigned Based on the Calendar Date?

LDS Perspective

No, the names of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not assigned based on the calendar date. Temple names are determined by geographic location—typically the city, region, or country where the temple is built. As shown in the official announcement of nine new temples in 1981, temples were named after cities such as Stockholm, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Seoul, Manila, Lima, Guatemala City, Dallas, and Chicago, with no reference to dates or times (see "Nine New Temples Announced," Ensign, May 1981). This pattern has been consistent from the earliest temples, such as the Kirtland Temple (Ohio) and Salt Lake Temple (Utah), to modern temples worldwide. The purpose of temple naming is to identify the sacred house of the Lord in a specific location where Latter-day Sain

Historical Perspective

Yes, LDS temple "new names" are assigned based on the calendar date. This practice, documented by primary sources and firsthand accounts, operates on a system where all individuals receiving their endowment on the same day—regardless of location or personal circumstances—are given the identical name. Historical evidence confirms this system was designed for administrative efficiency rather than individual inspiration. Firsthand accounts from the Ex-Mormon Foundation collection detail participants' realizations: "My new name was Moroni. But so was everyone else that entered the temple that day." Another account states, "I was completely ignorant to the fact that EVERYONE that day got the same name. I learned that later as I began listening in on other people 'at the vail' beside me." This