Open House Begins for Belém Brazil Temple

The Belém Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opens its doors to the media and the public this week.

The public open house runs from Saturday, October 22, 2022, through Saturday, November 5, 2022 (excluding Sundays). The temple’s dedication is scheduled for Sunday, November 20, 2022. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication. Dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all units in the Belém Brazil Temple district.

Former Church President Thomas S. Monson announced the Belém Brazil Temple in April 2016. Ground was broken for the temple in August 2019.

The Belém Brazil Temple will be the 174th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide and one of thirteen total temples in Brazil in operation, under construction or announced. The other temples in Brazil are found in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo and Vitória. 

The Belém Brazil Temple will serve tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints in northeastern Brazil who previously had to travel over 1,000 kilometers to the temple in Fortaleza. 

Brazil is home to nearly 1.5 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ — the third largest population of Latter-day Saints by country after the United States and Mexico. Members attend approximately 2,170 congregations in Brazil. 

Exterior Features 

This single-story temple is clad in Brazilian granite, a feature in common with many other houses of the Lord in Brazil. Its soft, white appearance is a striking contrast to the beautiful green surroundings. The stylized motif found in the stone combines geometric elements inspired by local Marajoara indigenous pottery with the Victoria amazonica, a native water lily known for its beauty.  

This water lily is also featured prominently in the art glass design. And the blue, green, yellow and pink color palette is a nod to the rainforest that covers much of the region. Brazilian landscape experts were consulted to identify which native species would best fit the design.  

The center spire draws from local styles in historic downtown Belém. At 89 feet tall, the spire soars above the freeway that passes alongside the temple site.  

Interior Features 

The flooring features a national porcelain tile with a travertine stone border, a Brazilian brown stone accent, Arezzo, and a Crema Marfil Spanish stone base. The floor’s geometric design patterns link it with the wood motif.  

A local craftsman shaped carpet carvings in the celestial and sealing rooms, and the entry rugs’ colors and patterns follow the design of the art glass.  

A medium brown native wood is used throughout the temple millwork and uses the same motif displayed on the exterior stone.  

Latter-day Saints consider temples the house of the Lord and the most sacred places of worship on earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.