Latter-day Saint leaders announce temple construction "slow-down"

What they're saying: "With the large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples," said Dallin H. Oaks, who served as Nelson's First Counselor in the First Presidency — effectively the second-in-command.

• Oaks is expected to become the next president after Nelson's funeral this week.

By the numbers: Nelson announced 200 new temples in less than eight years, more than doubling the total number built or in planning when he became president in 2018.

• Temples house important ceremonies, and the announcement of a new one typically generates excitement among members and publicity for the church in cities where they're built.

Yes, but: The massive projects have led to contentious zoning disputes in multiple states as the church invokes religious freedom protections to exceed standard size limits in some residential and rural neighborhoods.

The latest: Fifty-eight temples are under construction worldwide, with another 112 locations announced, per the church's website.