Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple

Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
Map
Interactive map of Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
Number136
Dedication11 December 2011, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Site6.47 acres (2.62 ha)
Floor area21,085 ft2 (1,958.9 m2)
Height80 ft (24 m)
Official website • News & images
Church chronology
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San Salvador El Salvador Temple
Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple 		→
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Additional information
Announced17 December 2006, by Gordon B. Hinckley[1]
Groundbreaking14 March 2009, by Don R. Clarke
Open house11 — 26 November 2011
Current presidentYsrael Escobar López
Designed byNaylor Wentworth Lund Architects
LocationQuetzaltenango, Guatemala
Geographic coordinates14°50′41″N 91°32′23″W / 14.84472°N 91.53972°W / 14.84472; -91.53972
Exterior finishPrecast concrete panels from Mexico
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms2
NotesAnnounced by Gordon B. Hinckley at the groundbreaking of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple,[2] and dedicated by Dieter F. Uchtdorf.[3]
()

The Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. It is in the western part of the city, near the Parque Zoológico Minerva. The intent to build the temple was announced on December 16, 2006, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.[4][5] It is the second in Guatemala, the fifth in Central America, and the 136th temple in operation worldwide at the time of its dedication.[6]

It has a total floor area of 21,085 square feet (1,959 m²) and is on a 6.47-acre (2.6 ha) site.[5] The design has a single spire, with a gold-leafed angel Moroni statue on top, and has a precast concrete exterior fabricated in Mexico.[4]

History

On June 5, 1979, Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that Guatemala would one day have temples in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, and Cobán.[7] The first, the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple, was announced in 1981 and dedicated in 1984 by Gordon B. Hinckley.[8] The Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple was announced by Hinckley on December 16, 2006.[5]

Groundbreaking took place on March 14, 2009, with Don R. Clarke, president of the church's Central America Area, presiding. More than 700 guests, including local officials, were in attendance.[4] Jacobsen Construction served as the general contractor, with local architectural and project management collaborators.[9][10]

On October 1, 2010, the angel Moroni statue was placed on the spire.[5] Baer Welding of Utah supplied and installed custom stainless steel and bronze railings, including etched glass panels in the baptistry and bronze-capped site rails for the grounds.[9] An adjacent ancillary building was also fitted with balcony and handrail systems to accommodate visiting patrons.[9]

After construction was completed, a public open house was held from November 11 to November 26, 2011,[11] excluding Sundays, with over 126,000 visitors, including 16,500 on the final day.[5] Among the attendees were Guatemalan president Álvaro Colom, four cabinet ministers, and Jorge Barrientos, mayor of Quetzaltenango.[4]

On December 10, 2011, a cultural celebration with 2,400 youth from the temple district featured music and dance.[4] The temple was dedicated in three sessions on December 11, 2011, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf,[12] Second Counselor in the First Presidency.[6] It was the first temple he dedicated.[6] The services were broadcast nationwide to meetinghouses throughout Guatemala.[5] Other church leaders attending were Neil L. Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and four members of the Seventy: Larry W. Gibbons, Enrique R. Falabella, Carlos A. Amado, and James Martino.[13]

Design and architecture

The temple is on a 6.47-acre (2.6 ha) site on a knoll overlooking the Quetzaltenango Valley.[5] The landscaped grounds include walkways, trees, and a patron housing facility.[9] The structure is 80 feet (24.4 m) tall, with an exterior of precast concrete panels from Mexico[4] and a single spire that has a gold-leafed angel Moroni statue.[5]

The interior has Mayan-inspired motifs in stone, wood, and glasswork.[13] Paintings depict the volcanic landscapes of western Guatemala.[13] Custom railings with etched glass panels were installed in the baptistry, with additional stainless steel and bronze fixtures throughout the building.[9] Along with the baptistry, the temple also has two ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms. It has the same floor plan as the Snowflake Arizona and Winter Quarters Nebraska temples.[5]

Community impact

The temple has become a landmark in Quetzaltenango, situated near cultural and civic institutions such as the Parque Zoológico Minerva.[5] The open house drew more than 126,000 visitors, including government leaders.[4]

At the dedication, Uchtdorf described the temple as bringing eternal families to Guatemala, “as sacred as the temple of Solomon, the temple in Nauvoo, the temple in Salt Lake City, or as sacred as any of the temples in the world.”[13]

Members in western Guatemala had historically traveled long distances to attend temples in Mesa, Arizona (1927), Mexico City (1983), and Guatemala City (1984), before the Quetzaltenango temple’s completion in 2011.[5]

Temple presidents

The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each typically serving for a term of three years. The president and matron oversee the administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff.

The first president of the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple was Ysrael Escobar López, who served with his wife, Marta Isabel Escobar.[14] They were succeeded by Amílcar Raúl Robles Arango and Sandra Lisbet Fuentes Meza de Robles.[14]

Admittance

The public open house was held November 11–26, 2011, except Sundays.[4] Like all the church's temples, it is not used for Sunday worship services. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current temple recommend can enter for worship.[5]

See also

Temples in and near Guatemala ()
= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Temporarily Closed

References

  1. ^ Moore, Carrie A. (December 17, 2006), "Ground broken for LDS temple", Deseret Morning News, retrieved 2012-10-15
  2. ^ Moore, Carrie A. (December 17, 2006), "Ground broken for LDS temple", Deseret Morning News, retrieved 2012-10-15
  3. ^ Swensen, Jason (December 11, 2011), "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple: 'This temple will bring eternal families to this place and country'", Church News, retrieved 2012-10-15
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple". Church News. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple | ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org". Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  6. ^ a b c "Primer aniversario del templo de Quetzaltenango". noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  7. ^ Estrada, Sabina Mujica (2024-06-10). "45 años después, se cumple la profecía con la dedicación del Templo de Cobán, Guatemala". masfe.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  8. ^ Lyon, Julia. "Mormons break ground for new S. Jordan temple", The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 December 2006. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple". Baer Welding. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  10. ^ "Templo Quetzaltenango – ENVIRO" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  11. ^ "Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple", Church News, 20 May 2011. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  12. ^ Swensen, Jason (December 11, 2011), "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple: 'This temple will bring eternal families to this place and country'", Church News, retrieved 2012-10-15[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ a b c d Politics, Jason SwensenJason writes for the Deseret News’; education, the West team covering; Military, The; Stories, Faith-Based Sports (2011-12-11). "Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple: 'This temple will bring eternal families to this place and country'". Church News. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  14. ^ a b Walton, Por Valerie (2025-03-13). "De Quetzaltenango a Sapporo — nuevos presidentes y directoras de obreras llamados para 8 templos alrededor del mundo". Church News (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-09-05.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzaltenango_Guatemala_Temple