“Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that “great and dreadful day.
As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord. Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”
President Russell M Nelson, APRIL 2025
Meet our new Chicago Temple President!
President and Matron of the Chicago Temple
Richard James DeVries and Dyana Bridges DeVries, St Joseph Ward, Holland Michigan Stake, are called as president and matron of the Chicago Illinois Temple, beginning September 2025. President and Sister DeVries are area temple and family history consultants and temple workers. He is a former Area Seventy, mission president, stake president and bishop. He was born in St Joseph, Michigan, to John Dean Devries and Barbara Ann Reinking. Sister DeVries is a former mission president companion, stake Relief Society and Young Women presidency counselor, ward Young Women president and ward Relief Society presidency counselor. She was born in Logan, Utah, to Sherwood Elgin Bridges and Ann Marie Nielsen.
Serving with President and Sister Devries:
1st Councilor and Assistant to the Matron of the Chicago Temple
James Rudy Bourgeois and Marta Maxwell Bourgeois are members of the Gurnee First Ward, Buffalo Grove Illinois Stake, called to serve as 1st Councilor and Assistant to the Matron of the Chicago Illinois Temple. Brother Bourgeois currently serves as Gospel Doctrine teacher and Temple Sealer. He is a former Bishop, Branch President, High Councilor, Stake Young Men President, Stake Mission President Councilor, Temple Shift Coordinator. Sister Bourgeois currently serves as Stake Primary President and Temple Shift Coordinator. She is a former Relief Society President, Stake Young Women President, Seminary teacher, Stake Seminary Supervisor, Stake Public Communications Director, guest speaker at EFY and Youth Conferences, Stake Self-Reliance Instructor, and School Board President. They are parents of seven children and grandparents to 19 grandchildren.
2nd Councilor and Assistant to the Matron of the Chicago Temple
Richard Lloyd and Marti Munyan Thiel are members of the Appleton 2nd Ward, in the Appleton Wisconsin Stake, called to serve as 2 nd Counselor and Assistant to the Matron of the Chicago Illinois Temple. Brother and Sister Thiel currently serve as FSY Representatives for the Chicago and Milwaukee Coordinating Councils. Brother Thiel also serves as a Temple Sealer. He is a former Mission President Counselor, Bishop, High Counselor, Stake Young Men President, Volunteer Assistant Recorder, and Temple Shift Coordinator. Sister Thiel also serves as a Temple Assistant Shift Coordinator. She is a former Stake and Ward Young Women President, and Counselor in the Ward Relief Society, Young Women and Primary organizations, and Seminary and Institute Instructor. They have served as a senior missionary couple, in the Yekaterinburg, Russia and Lubbock, Texas missions. They have six children and 27 grandchildren.
Please welcome our new Chicago Temple Presidency by Sharing: Why is the Chicago Temple so meaningful to you or your family?
“I was in the Chicago temple yesterday and even after attending 45 years I am amazed that I continue to learn new things from and about Him. The Savior has so much to teach me, and I am grateful for His influence and patience as I strive to become more like him”
“I received my endowments in the Chicago Temple. I was sealed in the Chicago Temple. I am the mother of adopted children. They were sealed to me for time and all eternity in the Chicago Temple. No matter where I go, no matter where I live, this will always be my temple! The Chicago Temple is where I have gone to feel comfort and peace when life has been challenging, to learn of him when I have felt distant from him or when I was wise enough to recognize my lacking. I have always found my Savior, waiting with open arms, in the temple.”
Please scroll down to submit your response to welcome our new Temple Presidency and their wives!
Please welcome our new Chicago Temple Presidency by Sharing:
Why is the Chicago Temple so meaningful to you or your family?