The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that it will permanently close the cafeterias inside its temples in early 2022 to simplify temple operations.
The cafeterias are currently closed due to the pandemic and will not reopen. Patrons attending the temple may obtain food at food establishments close to the temple, if needed.
The Guayaquil Ecuador and Hamilton New Zealand Temples will require a longer transition period.
“We are grateful for the dedication of Church members and employees who have assisted in the operation of temple cafeterias for many years,” says an email sent on Friday to Latter-day Saints who live in the temple districts of the 24 temples with cafeterias. “And we are grateful for the faith of those who come to the temples to serve and participate in eternal ordinances for themselves and those on the other side of the veil.”
I used to volunteer in the Portland Oregon Temple cafeteria for a few months before I was recommended to be a veil worker and then an ordinance worker because I needed something to do on my Tuesdays off from my regular employment whilst my father was being an ordinance worker. Even after I became an ordinance worker, I at times was scheduled to be in the kitchen which was a lot of fun. Then, of course, COVID hit and closed the temple. When the open stages came around, the kitchen was still closed seeing as an almost-cramped space was likely to catch the corona virus with hardly much six-feet/two-meter social distance from one worker with another. Perfectly understandable if paid kitchen workers had to find food-related employment elsewhere, but the cafeteria was the temporal, earthly highlight after doing a good, spiritual, hard day’s work.