At the October 2009 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes inadvertently called the “Mormon Church”) it was announced that a Mormon temple would be built in Fortaleza Brazil.  There are 13 stakes near Fortaleza and several more in outlying areas. Members currently travel nearly 500 miles to attend the Recife Brazil Temple.  The Fortaleza Temple will be the seventh Mormon temple in Brazil, where there are nearly 1.2 million Latter-day Saints.

The Fortaleza Brazil Temple will be built in the coastal neighborhood of Dunas on a site located across from the esteemed FANOR, an institute of higher education.  The exact location is   Avenida Santos Dumont esq Rua Mal. Mascarenhas Morais, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

The design for the Fortaleza is a classical colonial design with two spires.  An accommodation Building, a meetinghouse, and maintenance buildings will also be constructed on the site.

The groundbreaking for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple took place on November 15, 2011, with Mormon Apostle Elder David A. Bednar presiding.

In October 2011 at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Prophet Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a second temple in Colombia.  The first is in Bogota.  The new temple will be in Barranquilla, Colombia, which is located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea.  Located on the delta of the Magdalena River, the city serves as a port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia.

The first LDS Missionaries arrived in Colombia in 1966.  Five years later, 27 congregations were established in 10 cities.  Today, Church membership is nearly nineteen times that of 20 years ago.  Colombia has 172,534 members of the Church in 272 congregations, and four missions.

LDS.org has a separate website for Colombia (in Spanish), which you can access by clicking here.

For information and Mormon news about the other temples that have just been announced visit the newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”)

On 13 December 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) announced that it will build a temple in Trujillo, Peru.  The temple will be located at Teodoro Valcárcel, Urbanización Primavera, Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru.  This location already has a stake center on the site.  The site is located near the prominent Campo Eterno cemetery, on the highway to Huanchaco.  This will be the second LDS temple in Peru.

Members in the Trujillo area must travel 9-10 hours to reach the existing temple in Lima.  Some days, the Lima Temple is so busy, that patrons patiently wait for hours before being able to enter.

Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy conducted groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Trujillo Peru Temple, on Saturday, September 17, 2011.  The second LDS temple in Peru (the Lima Peru Temple was dedicated in 1986), it will serve more than 88,000 LDS Church members in the area.

On 4 October 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) announced the construction of a new temple in Córdoba, Argentina.  The new temple will be located in Villa Belgrano next to the Church mission home, and will be Argentina’s second temple.

Members in the Córdoba area currently travel some 400 miles to participate in temple ordinances in the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, which serves 60 stakes and 30 districts throughout Argentina.

Membership of the Church in Argentina has grown steadily since the 1920’s.  The first members were European immigrants who requested missionaries.  There were  356, 000 Mormons in Argentina in 2006.

The Manaus Brazil Mormon Temple, now under construction, is located at Estrada da Ponta Negra, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, on the banks of the Negro River.  The temple was announced on 23 May 2007, and the groundbreaking took place on 20 June 2008.

The Manaus Brazil Mormon Temple will serve the Latter-day Saint membership in northern Brazil, and will be the sixth temple to be built in the country.  Four temples are located in the heavily populated south, and one is located on the east coast at Recife.  Manaus is in northwestern Brazil in the Amazon region.  There are over 1 million Latter-day Saints in Brazil.

An interesting fact about the temple is that it will have a port entry for those traveling to worship there by way of the river.  The Negro River joins the Amazon about 11 miles south of the temple location.

The public is invited to visit the temple during an open house from Friday, 18 May through Saturday, 2 June 2012, excluding Sundays. The temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, 10 June 2012, in three sessions. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all congregations of the Church in Brazil. In conjunction with the dedication of the temple, there will also be a cultural celebration featuring music and dance on Saturday, 9 June 2012. The cultural celebration will also be broadcast to all Brazilian congregations.

To attend a Mormon temple open house, patrons must obtain reservations and tickets, but there is no charge.

In 1982, President Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the Mormon Church, announced that there would be a Mormon Temple built in Ecuador. However, it took fourteen years to secure the necessary government authorizations, and the Temple was not completed and dedicated until 1999.
Ecuador is a land of faithful members; before the Temple in Ecuador was finished, the members would travel by bus to attend the Lima Peru Temple which would take three days one way, one to two days in the Temple, and then another three days on the bus back to their homes. Area representative Elder Jensen remarked that, “We just marvel at their faith. It almost makes you weep when you see the sacrifices they make in order to go to the Temple for their one time. Some will return during their lifetime, but not many.”1
Why would these Ecuadorians and others around the world make such a sacrifice to attend the Mormon Temple? Because truths are taught and ordinances are performed that bring knowledge of things eternal. Those who come to the temple make sacred promises of honesty, chastity, and service to God and to others. These commitments become anchors of stability in daily living and lead to God’s eternal blessings.
When the announcement was made for a Mormon Temple in Ecuador the members rejoiced. Now, they would be able to attend the Temple more often and at less expense.
The Ecuador Temple sits on a quiet peaceful section of northern Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Fertile volcanic soil and bounteous rain create a perfect setting for the landscape of this beautiful Temple, and it has been described by many as “the most beautiful building in Ecuador.”1
Before the Mormon Temple was dedicated, an open house was available to all in the community, including government officials. Over one hundred thousand members and nonmembers came to support the arrival of the Mormon Temple in their country.
After waiting seventeen years, faithful members of the Mormon Church would have done nearly anything to show their love of the Temple. For example, some walked six miles at night so they could arrive at the Temple by 5a.m. to begin their volunteer work of cleaning the Temple. That evening, they walked back to their homes.2
The Guayaquil, Ecuador Mormon Temple, was dedicated on 21, August 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. President Hinckley commented to those in attendance, “This is a day of history. This is a day to be remembered by [Mormons] for many years to come, when for the first time in all of Ecuadorian history a Temple will be dedicated to carry forward His eternal purposes. We are blessed, so richly blessed.”3
Gustavo Maruri, a longtime member of the Mormon Church shared his feelings about the Temple: “…I look up early in the morning and see the statue of the Angel Moroni standing way up there, the fulfillment of our faith, our work, [and] our efforts.”4

Physical Address:
CALLE 6TA Y AV. RODRIGO CHAVEZ GONZALEZ
PRINCIPADO DE LAS LOMAS
URDESA NORTE GUAYAQUIL
ECUADOR

Mailing address:
c/o Ecuador Service Center
POUCH
Ecuador
Phone:   (593) 4-288-9388

The Montevideo Uruguay Mormon Temple is the 103rd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).  It is situated on 1.59 acres at Bolonia 1722, Carrasco, Montevideo, Uruguay.  The temple is 10,700 square feet with two ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms.  The architectural style is classic modern with a single spire topped by a statue of the angel Moroni, and the temple is faced with asa branca granite.

The temple was announced on 2 November 1998, and the groundbreaking took place on 27 April 1999. The temple was dedicated on 18 March 2001 by Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley with 6,500 Latter-day Saints in attendance.

The temple building site was acquired by the Church during the 1960’s.  It also houses two mission headquarters, a distribution center and Church offices.  Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, served a mission to Uruguay as a young man.  He presided at the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony.  He said, “Where I once served as president of the Montevideo District, now I see many worthy families, many missionaries, many stakes in the blossoming of the work. I am grateful to the Lord for what was done; it is as leaven for the entire country. I pray that the Lord will be with you in your preparations to enjoy the blessings of the temple.”

The first branch, a small congregation of the Church, was organized in 1944, and since then the Church has experienced phenomenal growth. In 2001 the country of Uruguay had 73,000 members and a Mormon temple.

During the open house nearly 25,000 people visited the Montevideo Uruguay Temple. Many visitors of other faiths commented that, “They felt like they had left this world when they entered the temple, that they’d left their cares and worries behind. Others said it is the most beautiful building in the country.”

Physical Address:
Bolonia 1722
Carrasco
12500 Montevideo
URUGUAY
Uruguay

Mailing address:
c/o South America South Administration Office
POUCH
Uruguay
Phone:   (598) 2-604-2212

For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:

LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
LDS Temples – Mormon Temples – Salt Lake Temple
Teachings About Mormon Temples

(1) “News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2002, 74
(2) El Norte, 8 August 2000.
(3) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’” Church News 11 May 2002, 26 Jun. 2005
(4) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’”
(5) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’”

In 1850, Mormon missionaries from America arrived in Chile to begin preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Chilean people; however, their stay was not to last, due to the apparent language barrier. Ninety-five years would pass before two missionaries from Argentina would arrive to begin preaching again.

It was at this time that Brother and Sister Ricardo Garcia were the first to be baptized. Brother Garcia clearly remembers his baptism in 1956, “I knew that this was the true Church – mine was not just faith, but a conviction…because of the teachings on the Word of Wisdom and tithing, I thought it would be impossible for the [Mormon] Church to succeed here. …now there are hundreds and…thousands of people”.1 Twenty-seven years [1983] after Brother Garcia’s baptism, and at the dedication of the Santiago Chile Mormon Temple, there were 140,000 members of the Mormon Church in the country of Chile.

Three years prior to the dedication, the announcement to build the Santiago Chile Mormon Temple was made, by then President of the Mormon Church, Spencer W. Kimball. This would be the first Mormon temple built in a Spanish-speaking country and the second in South America.

Construction of this marvelous edifice took three years. And in 1983 the completed Santiago Mormon Temple was open to the public for viewing. Among those touring the temple was Brother Garcia. As Brother Garcia walked through the doors to tour the sacred temple, his eyes filled with tears of joy at seeing the temple presidency dressed in their white temple clothes. “…Now we have a temple!”2 Many faithful members came from distant cities to participate and rejoice over the building and dedication of this marvelous blessing in their midst.

With the rapid growth of the Mormon Church in the country of Chile, the temple was closed for extensive renovation and rededicated in 2006. President Gordon B. Hinckley presided over this dedication and remarked on those faithful members who have served faithfully in the temple. “…We thank thee for the faith and loyalty of they Saints…bless them…shield them from the darts of the adversary and fortify them…”1 The Chilean Temple serves more than 535,000 Mormon members (2006).

The unique features of this temple include, ‘hand-carved wainscoting in the waiting area, motifs of the copihue (Chile’s national flower), door handles and art-glass windows, a floor motif of inlaid Chilean marble and lapislazuli (native stone) in the baptistry and entryway.’ 3

Physical Address:
Pocuro #1940 Providencia
6641404 Santiago
CHILE
Chile

Mailing address:
c/o Chile Area Administration Office
POUCH
Chile
Phone:   (56) 2-340-5070

For more information on the Mormon Church or Mormon Temples, please see the following websites:

Mormon Church
Mormon Temples

Plans to build the Campinas, Brazil Mormon Temple were announced on April 3, 1997. More than 30 temples were announced on this day, and the Mormon Church leadership requested that members send in donations to help specifically with temple work. The Mormon members from the Campinas area responded quickly, sending in donation after donation. One of the most touching donations came from an eight-year-old boy who had worked tirelessly to earn $100.

This would be the fourth Mormon temple to be built in Brazil.

The first Mormon missionaries did not arrive in Brazil until the 1920’s. Most of the early converts in Brazil were German immigrants coming to Brazil after World War I. In 1931, the 80 members of the small branch near Sao Paulo built the first Mormon meetinghouse in Brazil. During World War II Mormon missionaries were removed from Brazil, but when missionaries returned after the war, Brazilian natives began joining the Church by the hundreds. The Mormon membership in Brazil is strong and continues to grow quickly. More than 117,000 members from 36 stakes in the area will use the Campinas temple. Brazil is home to more Mormons than any other country in the world except the United States and Mexico.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on May 1, 1998. They were presided over by James E. Faust, a member of the First Presidency. For President Faust, the event was even more inspiring because he had served as a Mormon missionary in Brazil in the 1940’s. The temple site is 6.18 acres. The site is on a hill overlooking the city of Campinas (a city of one million people), and can easily be seen from all around. The temple has a total area of 48,100 square feet, which includes four ordinance rooms and three sealing rooms. Hundreds of people came for the groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication. One of the members of the Seventy noted that there were more than 50 buses  filled with members who came for the special occasion.

The Mormon temple was open to the public April 20, 2002 through May 11, 2002. Tens of thousands of people were able to take a tour through the temple and learn more about its sacred importance.

Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Campinas, Brazil, temple on May 17, 2002. Four sessions were held, which allowed thousands to attend the dedication. Before the dedication President Hinckley met with a large group outside, and the final cornerstone was placed in the temple. The construction was then officially completed.

Mailing address:
Rua James Esdras Faust, 400
Notre Dame
Campinas – SP
13092-820
Brazil
Phone:   (55) 19-2102-5800

Other Links:

Manhattan Mormon Temple – New York City.com: Arts & Attractions
Temple: Information from Answers.com
Mormon Temple Ordinances – ReligionFacts.com

In 1975 at an area conference in Brazil, then President of the Mormon Church, Spencer W. Kimball, announced that a temple would be built in Sao Paulo. The members rejoiced and wept; but above all they were ready to sacrifice, work, and prepare for the Mormon temple in their midst.

Since part of the cost of the building of the temple is borne by the general membership of the Mormon Church, South American members were given an assignment to earn money towards the temple fund, in addition to paying tithes and offerings. Each ward or branch was assigned an amount of money to raise. ‘The members were given a dollar quota, not a peso quota, which meant that despite inflation of the peso, they paid a standard amount converted to the United States dollar. South American inflation [in 1974] ranged from forty percent in one country to 600 percent in another.’1 Many of the members did not have money to contribute to the temple fund.  Members offering their wedding rings, bracelets, gold medals, diamond rings, graduation rings and other objects of gold, silver, and precious stones.2 The principal amount was raised in Brazil to build the temple, and each ward that was assigned an amount of money, either met or surpassed the goal.

Twelve months after the announcement of the temple, construction began. Hundreds of members gathered to clear the site, which included removing brush, weeds, and banana trees. Sacrifice continued with eight hundred members donating their time to produce fifty thousand blocks of cast stone composed of quartz, marble chips, and white concrete for the exterior of the Temple.

The Sao Paulo Temple was the first Mormon Temple to be built in South America. At the time of temple’s dedication in November 1978, there were more than 242,000 members of the Church living there, with 54,000 in Brazil.

Twenty-five years after the opening of the Temple, a gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni was added to the temple during an extensive renovation project, after which President Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the Temple. “…We are so deeply grateful for this Thy Temple…how glorious is Thy work, how wondrous Thy ‘great plan of happiness’, as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Under this plan we lived with Thee in a pre-mortal state. Thou hast given us the opportunity of mortality where we may prove our faithfulness. Death is a part of this divine plan, not to be feared, but to be regarded as a forward step on our immortal journey to everlasting life again in Thy presence,”3 stated President Hinckley on the dedicatory prayer.

Physical Address:
AV. PROFESSOR FRANCISCO MORATO, 2390
CAXINGUI – SÂO PAULO – SP
CEP 05512-900
BRAZIL
Mailing address:
c/o Brazil Area Administration Office
POUCH
Brazil
Phone:   (55) 11-3723-7607

For more information on the Mormon Church and Temples please see the following websites:

Mormons Believe
Mormon Temples