Do you need to have a temple to have a distribution center?

Question

Gramps,

Is it only cities that have a temple to have a distribution centre for temple clothing? What about countries with a significant Latter-day Saint presence that have no announced temple? I’m talking about actual brick-and-mortar establishments rather than the Church website’s online store.

Samuel

Answer

Samuel,

The short answer is no, a city does not have to have a temple to have a physical Church distribution center. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates distribution stores in locations that do not have a temple, showing that the two are not necessarily connected.

The Church’s decisions about where to establish these stores appear to involve practical considerations, including the needs of local members and the logistics of supplying Church materials.

One example comes from Africa. The Church’s official Africa Central Area website lists physical distribution centers in places such as Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and Kampala, Uganda. These stores offer various Church materials, including temple garments, ceremonial temple clothing, and accessories. Neither country has a dedicated operating temple listed in the Church’s current temple directory.

You can view the Church’s distribution center information here:

These examples help answer the question directly. A country does not necessarily need an operating temple, or even an announced temple, to have a physical location where members can purchase temple clothing.

Of course, the existence of a distribution store in one country does not mean that every country with a similar membership population will receive one. The Church does not appear to publish a simple rule stating how many members a country must have before it qualifies for a distribution center.

There is also an important distinction between a temple and a distribution center. A temple is a sacred building where Church members participate in ordinances such as endowments and sealings. A distribution center is a retail location where members can purchase approved Church materials and products. The two facilities serve different purposes, even though temple clothing is sold through distribution services.

This distinction matters because members in countries without temples may still have a need for temple clothing. They might travel to a temple in another country to participate in temple ordinances, or they may have previously received their endowment while living somewhere else. Having a local distribution store can make purchasing clothing more convenient for those members.

The Church also has a worldwide distribution network. In June 2023, the Church announced the dedication of a new Global Distribution Services Center in Salt Lake City. The facility was designed to distribute Church materials and temple clothing to members around the world. The announcement noted that the facility ships to 180 countries.

You can read the Church’s announcement here:

That worldwide system helps explain how members can obtain temple clothing even when they live far from a temple or a physical distribution store. However, international shipping and local retail availability are two different things. A country can receive Church materials through the distribution network without necessarily having its own brick-and-mortar store.

So, why doesn’t the Church establish a physical distribution center in every country with a substantial Latter-day Saint presence?

There could be several practical considerations, including the number of members who would use the store, transportation and shipping costs, local demand for products, staffing, import regulations, and the availability of other ways to purchase Church materials. These are reasonable possibilities, but without a published Church policy identifying the specific criteria, we should not assume that any one of them explains a particular location.

It is also worth remembering that the Church’s temple program and its distribution services are separate operations. The announcement of a new temple does not automatically guarantee that a distribution center will open nearby. Likewise, the absence of an announced temple does not automatically prevent a distribution center from being established.

For members who live in countries without a local store, the best starting point is the Church’s online store.

Members can also contact their local area office or Church leaders to ask about purchasing options available in their country.

Whether another country receives a physical store is a separate question, and the Church has not publicly established a universal membership threshold or temple-related requirement for opening one. A significant Latter-day Saint presence may create a need for better access to temple clothing, but it does not guarantee that a brick-and-mortar distribution center will be established.

Gramps