Guatemala City Guatemala Temple

Guatemala City Mormon Temple

The Guatemala City Guatemala Temple is the 32nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 1947 Mormon missionaries were sent to Guatemala to begin preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Seventy-five percent of the population is Catholic with Evangelical and other Protestant denominations present. Thus far, the Mormon missionaries have been quite successful in Guatemala; so much that in 1984 the membership of the Church had reached 40,000 and by 1998 it had quadrupled to 164,000. In just the last twenty years, Mormon membership in Latin America has exploded to 700,000 members strong. [1]

Because of this growth in the Mormon Church, the leaders announced the building of the new Guatemala City Guatemala Temple to be built in Guatemala City. This announcement was made on April 1, 1981, with the groundbreaking taking place on September 12, 1982 with Elder Richard G. Scott, an apostle for the Mormon Church, presiding.

The site for the Guatemala Temple is on a little more than one acre and set in a location referred to as 'Vista Hermosa,' which means 'beautiful view.' Faced with white Guatemalan marble and flanked by six elegant spires, the temple stands at the foot of rolling hills in southeastern Guatemala City. The interior of the temple has 11,500 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms, and is adorned with authentic Mayan articles. The temple serves over 190,000 members from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Current Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, then an apostle, dedicated the beautiful edifice on December 14, 1984 and stated that the temple was a blessing "for which many generations have prayed behind the veil [many] who have been taught the gospel [of Jesus Christ]... so they may continue with their journey to eternal life." [2]

Notes

1. "Mormon Conversions surge in Latin America", NBC News, July 13, 2004, Leonor Ayala
2. "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, 2002, p 91

See also

• Inside Mormon Temples
• Mormon Temples
• The Temple Endowment
• Mormon Undergarments
• LDS Weddings

External links

• Official LDS Guatemala City Guatemala Temple page
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple page
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple page
• Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
• Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
• Mormon Temples - Wikipedia
• Mormon Temples and Secrecy
• Mormons Open Temple Doors to Share Beliefs - USAToday
• Mormon Missionaries - BBC Religion & Ethics
• Prophet Joseph Smith - Lightplanet