Montevideo Uruguay Temple
The Montevideo Uruguay Temple is the 103rd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mormon apostle Elder Richard G. Scott was one of the first Mormon missionaries in Uruguay. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Mormon temple he said, "Forty-eight years ago, I stepped down from a boat in Montevideo and began a stage in my life that I have treasured." He noted the growth of LDS Church in the country saying, "You represent a much larger number of members… 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." [1]
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." [2]
After President Batlle, president of Uruguay, toured the temple he said that the temple was "a place where moral values are evident." [2]
President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Montevideo Uruguay Temple on 18 March 2001. More than 6,500 people attended the ceremony. In the dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley petitioned, “Dear Father, wilt Thou accept this temple as the gift of Thy sons and daughters. It has come through the faithful payment of tithing by Thy Saints across the world. May it grace this land. May the nation of Uruguay be blessed because of its presence on this soil. May it stand as a testimony to the world of the knowledge of Thy people concerning the eternal things of God.” [3]
The temple has a single spire topped by a statue of the angel Moroni and the exterior is asa branca granite. The Montevideo Uruguay Temple has a total of 10,700 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Notes
- Church News, 15 May 1999.
- “News of the Church,” Ensign, May 2001, 109
- "Dedicatory prayer: 'Here we will carry forward a great work,'" Church News 24 Mar. 2001, 25 Jun. 2005
See also
External links
- Official LDS Montevideo Uruguay Temple page
- Montevideo Uruguay Temple page
- Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
- Mormon Temples - Wikipedia
- History of Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
- Mormon Missionaries - BBC Religion & Ethics
- Joseph Smith - American Prophet
