The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Cali Colombia Temple was held on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The event brought together leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, local authorities and community members, including Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali.
Elder Jorge T. Becerra, South America Northwest Area President, presided over the event and offered a dedicatory prayer on the site.
“On this day of dedication,” Elder Becerra prayed, “we ask Thee to help each of us to become renewed in our efforts to become true followers of Jesus Christ. Help us to live the gospel and more fully become converted to Thy Son.”
Mayor Alejandro Eder affirmed the city administration’s commitment to religious freedom and thanked the Church for blessing their city with a house of the Lord. “It will strengthen freedom of worship and religion in our city,” he said.
Elder Harold Truque, the Area Seventy who conducted the ceremony, reminded the attendees why sacred temples are built: “It is so that we can make agreements with our Heavenly Father.”
In his remarks, Elder Becerra also reflected on the symbolic meaning of “breaking ground.” This act both marks the beginning of construction and signifies a change in people’s hearts.
“In a way, we also ‘break’ our hearts,” he said. “The terrain of our hearts is changing.”
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