Michael Florencio Imanuelo, a young man from the Jakarta Indonesia Stake, said he always thought he would have to wait until his mission to attend the temple for the first time was fulfilled.
So when two stakes, one district, and two branches in Indonesia announced they would take youth on a joint trip to the Bangkok temple in Thailand in December 2025, “it felt like an early Christmas present,” Michael said.
Although construction of a temple in Jakarta was announced at general conference in April 2023, construction of the Jakarta Indonesia Temple has not yet begun, and Church members in Indonesia currently belong to the Bangkok Thailand Temple District.
Like Michael, many young people were excited about the opportunity to attend the temple.
Joshua Adson Kurniawan said, “When I learned that temples in Indonesia are still under construction, I felt this opportunity was extremely valuable.” “Hearing that announcement encouraged me to really prepare spiritually to participate in the temple trip with a respectful and prepared heart.”
On December 16, 55 young people and three accompanying couples traveled approximately 2,450 miles from Jakarta to Bangkok and spent three days on the temple grounds.
Storm of preparation
Besides the mental preparation, there was also a lot of logistical work to do before the trip began.
Leaders organizing the temple trip had just five weeks to book flights and hotels, gather permission from the youth’s parents, and ensure the youth had current passports and temple recommends.
The past five weeks have been a whirlwind of preparation, but miracles have made everything go smoothly, said Elder Juswan Tandiman, Area Seventy of the Church’s Asia Area.
Elder Tandiman said the experience taught him that “the future of the emerging generation really matters (to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ).”
participate in a sacred ritual
The group spent three days on the temple grounds (mainly in the temple annex), enjoying gospel study classes, a tour of the Bangkok Missionary Training Center, a family history workshop, and a devotional by Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, a General Authority Seventy and President of the Church’s Asia Area.
Elder Tandiman said the purpose of the trip was to give youth an opportunity to be baptized by proxy. The group was able to go on Wednesday evening, December 17th.
After spending time in the temple, the young man described the House of the Lord as a “spiritual home” and a “holy spiritual refuge.”
“I felt a deep sense of peace and serenity in the temple,” Joshua said. “The sacred environment allowed me to focus my mind and heart on Jesus Christ, my Savior and primary example of life.”
Participating in temple rituals also helped Saretta Putri Ashani gain a deeper understanding of Christ’s role as Savior.
“Seeing how rituals bridge the gap between this world and the next made me realize how truly universal the grace of Christ is,” she said. “I realized that God provides a way for all souls to be saved, showing us how personal and merciful God’s love is.”
The youth were baptized in three groups because this group was too large to be accommodated at once for temple baptism. While waiting their turn, youth recorded testimonies and added photos and stories to the FamilySearch Memories app.
Saletta said the temple trip strengthened her connection to her family’s history.
“Especially when I walked into the baptistery, I felt like my ancestors were standing next to the altar and smiling at me, showing their pride and joy that their names had been delivered there,” she said. “I started seeing a name on a piece of paper not just as data, but as a real person waiting for me.”
My way home has changed
The young people who took part in the temple trip said they will be different from this experience.
Filling out the mission paper was the biggest worry for Michael after returning home.
“I want to remain worthy to return to this land, so I’ve become more mindful of my daily actions,” Saletta said.
