The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Two temples to be built in South America by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have marked groundbreaking milestones. Groundbreaking services were held for the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple on Saturday, June 22, 2024. A groundbreaking date was announced today for the Santiago West Chile Temple, as well as the site location for the Springfield Missouri Temple.
Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple
Ground has been broken for the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple. Elder Joni L. Koch, Brazil Area President, presided and offered the dedicatory prayer.
With a beautiful clear-blue skyline and newly graded dirt at the temple site as the setting, the ceremony took place with several hundred attendees. Local adult and youth Church members spoke.
“Our hearts are intertwined in love and harmony for this inspiring and significant ceremony,” said Elder Koch as he began the dedicatory prayer.
He offered words in reverence and expressed gratitude for Jesus Christ. “We give thanks for You having sent Your Son Jesus Christ to earth, whose Atonement, gospel, restored Church and covenants enable us to return to Your presence,” Elder Koch said.
Elder Koch also paid a heartfelt tribute to early Latter-day Saints in the area.
“We remember with appreciation those who were the first members of the Church in this region,” he said. “The example of these pioneers has been a moral and spiritual support for your kingdom to flourish from these few who stood firm so that thousands of Latter-day Saints could on this day — here in this part of the earth — enjoy this sublime moment.”
Elder Koch was born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. He later served a full-time mission in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission. He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in April 2017.
President Russell M. Nelson announced the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple in October 2022. The site location was released in November 2022. The artist’s rendering was released two years later, in January 2024.
Brazil has 23 temples in use, announced or under construction. Today, the country is home to nearly 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in more than 2,170 congregations.
Santiago West Chile Temple
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the date of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Santiago West Chile Temple; it will take place on August 17, 2024. Elder Alan R. Walker, second counselor in the South America South Area Presidency, will preside at the event.
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