Brasília Brazil Temple

On 2 April 2017, during the Sunday morning session of the 187th annual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then-Church president Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Brasília, Brazil. The single-story Brasília Brazil Temple of approximately 25,000 square feet, with numerous arches complementary to Brasília's famous architectural style, will be built on a six-acre site located in the northern section of the city near an arm of Paranoá Lake at SGA/Norte Quadra 612 – Lote "C". Patron housing and a new meetinghouse will also be built on the site. The sacred edifice will have a single attached central spire, two ordinance rooms (stationary), and two sealing rooms.

There are currently nine operating temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Brazil. Those temples are located in Belém, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Two temples are under construction in Salvador and Belo Horizonte. Eight more have been announced for a total of 20 temples in Brazil.

Brasília is Brazil's beautiful national capital, renowned for its unique city plan and architecture. More than 1.4 million members of the Church live in Brazil, more than any nation in the world other than the United States and Mexico. The Brasília Brazil Temple will bring the blessings of the temple closer to the thousands of members living in Brazil's vast interior. There are five stakes in the immediate Brasília area with five additional nearby stakes and more in the surrounding region.

Brasília was the fifth stop on President Russell M. Nelson’s five-country Latin American Ministry in August 2019. While in Brasília, he taught missionaries an effective way to talk about the Book of Mormon.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Brasília Brazil Temple Is Held

The groundbreaking for the Brasilia Brazil Temple was held on 26 September 2020, presided over by Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, president of the Brazil area of the Church of Jesus Christ. He was accompanied by Elder Joaquin E. Costa and Elder Joni L. Koch of the Brazil Area presidency. Attendance at the groundbreaking was limited to social distancing restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Damares Alves, Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights in Brazil at the event.

In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Parrella said, "Bless us so that we continue to strive to be good citizens who serve and bless our neighbors and to never forget the poor and needy."

Open House

Media and invited guests, including government dignitaries and community leaders, will be received for special tours at the Brasília Brazil Temple beginning today, August 1, 2023, through Friday, August 11. These guests will be hosted by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, together with local Church leaders. This will be followed by three weeks of a public open house. All are welcome to walk through this house of the Lord, enjoy its beauty and ask questions. The public open house will run from Saturday, August 12, through Saturday, September 2, excluding Sundays.

The Brasília Temple was designed and built to suit the unique style of mid–20th-century modernism so prevalent in Brasília. Many of the city’s buildings were created by architect Oscar Niemeyer, who used clean lines, expansive cantilevers and complex curves to evoke the subtle arched lines seen in sailboats. The Brasília Temple’s design blends with city architecture. Brasília’s urban plan was created in the shape of an airplane around Lake Paranoá. The temple sits atop what is known as the North Wing.

The Brasília Temple was designed and built to suit the unique style of mid-20th-century modernism so prevalent in Brasília. Many of the city’s buildings were created by architect Oscar Niemeyer, who used clean lines, expansive cantilevers and complex curves to evoke the subtle arched lines seen in sailboats. The Brasília Temple’s design blends with city architecture. Brasília’s urban plan was created in the shape of an airplane around Lake Paranoá. The temple sits atop what is known as the North Wing.

The front of the temple is contoured by reflecting pools with ceramic tiles in shades of blue and white, which complement the colored glass. They are strategically positioned to reflect the temple’s modern columns for approaching guests.

The outdoor area and gardens use drought-tolerant native species suitable for the local arid climate. The grounds have thousands of shrubs, perennials and over 200 trees, including shade trees, evergreens, flowering trees and palm trees. The fence surrounding the property is built of galvanized steel with a bronze paint finish. Interlocking concrete pavers are used in the parking lot, on the sidewalks and in smaller squares. Granite paving is used in the main square and in the temple entrance.

The interior floors are a combination of Paraná white marble (native to Brazil), tiles from porcelain and Bahia blue stone accents and borders. Carpets manufactured in Brazil in a customized palette of colors soften and enhance various rooms and runners. The plaster works and ceiling moldings are enriched with decorative painting with a simple line and gold leaf finish. Crystal chandeliers add elegance to the lighting in larger rooms, and decorations are used in many other main spaces. The baptismal font’s handrails are made of transparent glass, mounted on a metal frame with a gold matte finish. This same structure is covered with a polished wooden handrail. Light brown jequi tibá wood, native to Brazil, is used in carpentry, furniture and pews throughout the temple. Door locks have gold finish to match the paint and structure of the railings.

Three original works of art are featured in the Brasília Temple. They depict the flight of Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus to Egypt; Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, from the book of Ruth in the Holy Bible; and a Brazilian rural landscape. The last two are by Brazilian artists.

Dedication

Nearly three years to the day since ground was broken in what is known as Brasília’s North Wing, Elder Neil L. Andersen dedicated the new Brasília Brazil Temple on September 17, 2023. Recognizing the significance of the day in Church history with three temple dedications, Elder Andersen smiled and said, “It is a glorious day.” The Bentonville Arkansas Temple and the Moses Lake Washington Temple were also dedicated.

Elder Andersen was joined by his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen; Elder Mark D. Eddy, a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Brazil Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Annette Eddy; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Nancy Duncan; and Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Elaine Parrella.

Elder Andersen presided over the Brazil South Area for several years in the early 2000s. He has been involved in different ways with the temples in Campinas, São Paulo, and Curitiba.

He, and all who spoke in the dedicatory sessions, spoke in Portuguese without the aid of live interpretation.[1]

Picture Gallery of Brasília Brazil Temple

Brasília Brazil Temple
Exterior of the Brasília Brazil Temple with the inscription in gold of "Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord" in Portuguese
Spire of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Front door of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Interior of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Stained glass in the baptistry of the Brasília Brazil Temple
The baptistry of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Bride room of the Brasília Brazil Temple
The celestial room of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Celestial room chandelier of the Brasília Brazil Temple
A sealing room of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Exterior of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Exterior of the Brasília Brazil Temple
Brasília Brazil Temple