The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full report, CLICK HERE.
Construction is slated to begin for the Antofagasta Chile Temple following a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, November 27, 2020. Attendance at the groundbreaking was limited because of local COVID-19 restrictions.
“We should be grateful with our Father for having chosen Antofagasta as a place to be a light to the nations, for shining His divine light to the hearts of those who have their eye on rewards beyond what the world has to offer,” said Elder Juan Pablo Villar of the South America South Area Presidency, who presided at the event.
Elder Villar also thanked local government leaders who attended the ceremony including Nanto Espinoza, Antofagasta’s governor and Yamile Guzmán, the city’s interim mayor.
“From this day on and for several years, the construction of the temple will be carried out. This will require coordination and work to excavate, remove rocks and materials that are not needed, to prepare it so that it is ready for the foundation that will make it a firm and stable House of the Lord. That strength in its foundation will allow it to withstand quakes that are not unfamiliar to this geography,” said Elder Villar, as part of the groundbreaking’s dedicatory prayer.
“I invite us all to do the same within ourselves and ‘take out’ the things that are not needed from our lives, ‘remove’ the rocks that weaken our foundation and ‘prepare’ our spirits with firm foundations to support life’s trials and to stand tall in the face of the adversity,” he added.
To read the full report, CLICK HERE.