The Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (formerly the Guatemala City Temple) is the 34th constructed and 32nd operating
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church). Located in
Guatemala City
Guatemala City ( es, Ciudad de Guatemala), known locally as Guatemala or Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nest ...
, capital city of
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, it was built with a modern six-spire design.
History
In 1956, while
Harold B. Lee
Harold Bingham Lee (March 28, 1899 – December 26, 1973) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the 11th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from July 1972 until his death in December 19 ...
(then a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...
) visited Guatemala City, he felt that it would be a center for
Lamanite
The Lamanites () are one of the four ancient peoples (along with the Jaredites, the Mulekites, and the Nephites) described as having settled in the ancient Americas in the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement. The Lamani ...
gatherings and predicted that a temple would be built there.
The LDS Church temple in Guatemala City was announced on April 1, 1981, and dedicated on December 14, 1984 by
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
. The temple was built on a plot, has 4 ordinance rooms and 3 sealing rooms, and has a total floor area of .
Carmen O'Donnal was the first matron of the temple and was also the first native of Guatemala to be baptized into the LDS Church. Clate W. Mask, Jr. was a former
temple president Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual ...
.
In 2011, a second temple in Guatemala, the
Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple, was dedicated by
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf (born 6 November 1940) is a German aviator, airline executive and religious leader. He is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
.
In 2020, the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was closed temporarily during the year in response to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
[Stack, Peggy Fletcher]
"All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus"
''The Salt Lake Tribune
''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871."
History
...
'', 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
See also
*
Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
*
Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
On December 27, 1832, two years after the organization of the Church of Christ, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, stated he received a revelation that called upon church members to restore the practice of temple worship. The Latter Day Saints ...
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guatemala
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guatemala refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Guatemala. The first convert in Guatemala was baptized in 1948. As of December 31, 2021, there we ...
References
External links
Guatemala City Guatemala Temple Official siteGuatemala City Guatemala Templeat ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
20th-century Latter Day Saint temples
Buildings and structures in Guatemala City
Religious buildings and structures in Guatemala
Temples (LDS Church) completed in 1984
Temples (LDS Church) in Latin America
Temples (LDS Church) in Guatemala
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
1984 establishments in Guatemala
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