The São Paulo Brazil Temple (formerly the São Paulo Temple) is the 19th constructed and 17th operating
temple of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Located in the
Brazilian city of
São Paulo, it was the first LDS temple built in
South America, and also the first temple to use the single story, single spire design. The spire is 101 feet (31 m) tall.
History
The intention to construct a temple in São Paulo was announced by the LDS Church on March 1, 1975, with construction beginning twelve months later. Hundreds of local church members gathered to clear the site, which included removing brush, weeds, and banana trees. Hundreds more members donated their time to produce fifty thousand blocks of cast stone composed of
quartz,
marble chips, and white concrete for the exterior of the temple. It was dedicated on October 30, 1978, by
church president Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day S ...
. The temple has two ordinance rooms and four sealing rooms, and has a total floor area of 59,246 square feet (5,504 m
2).
On August 20, 2003, a gold-leafed statue of the
angel Moroni
The Angel Moroni () is an angel whom Joseph Smith reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, buried in the hill Cumorah near Smith's ...
was added to the temple during an extensive renovation and enlargement project 25 years after its dedication. Church president
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 ...
rededicated the São Paulo Brazil Temple on February 22, 2004.
In 2020, the São Paulo Brazil Temple was closed temporarily during the year in response to the
coronavirus pandemic.
[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.
Presidents
Former
temple presidents include
Helio R. Camargo
Helio da Rocha Camargo (born 1 February 1926) is a Brazilian religious leader who served as the first Brazilian general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in ...
(1990–93); Athos M. Amorím (1993–96); and
Jairo Mazzagardi (2006–09).
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)
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (Portuguese: A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias) was established in Brazil in 1926 with the opening of the South American Mission. Missionary work was focused on small ...
References
External links
*
São Paulo Brazil Temple Official siteSão Paulo Brazil Temple
at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
20th-century Latter Day Saint temples
Religious buildings and structures in São Paulo
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1978
Temples (LDS Church) in Brazil
1978 establishments in Brazil
{{Brazil-religious-struct-stub