#small temples

[templetuesday]

30 July 2019 - Aba Nigeria (ABA)

121st Temple in the Church

3rd Temple in Africa

1st Temple in Nigeria

Announcement:  2 April 2000 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  23 February 2002 by H. Bruce Stucki Public Open House:  18 June–2 July 2005 Dedication:  7 August 2005 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Aba Nigeria Temple was the 49th and final “small temple” to be completed. The furnishings in the temple were provided by Nigerian companies, as there was a ban on importing furniture into the country. The Aba Temple is part of a complex of buildings that also includes a stake center, offices and guest housing, a power generation building, and temple president’s residence. Sister Momoh, one of the volunteers during the Aba Nigeria Temple open house, was pregnant and went into labor on the bus en route to the temple site. The baby boy was born in the temple parking lot and was named “Temple”. Brother and Sister Momoh, along with their children, were among the first to be sealed in the new temple.

Sources: Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Newport Beach California

[templetuesday]

28 May 2019 - Asunción Paraguay (ASUNC)

112th Temple in the Church

13th Temple in South America

1st Temple in Paraguay

Announcement:  2 April 2000 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  3 February 2001 by Jay E. Jensen Public Open House:  4–11 May 2002 Dedication:  19 May 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley Public Open House:  12–19 October 2019 Rededication:  3 November 2019

The Asunción Paraguay Temple was built on the site of the first Church meetinghouse in Paraguay, which was built in 1964 and demolished prior to construction of the temple. President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the Asunción Temple during the April 2000 General Conference, which was the first time that General Conference had been broadcast via satellite, allowing members in Paraguay to see the prophet announce the temple live. Upon completion of the Asunción Paraguay Temple, every Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nation in South America had an operating temple. The  Asunción Paraguay Temple was closed for an extensive renovation from October 2017 to November 2019.

Sources: photos from churchofjesuschrist.org, facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Nauvoo Illinois

[templetuesday]

18 June 2019 - Brisbane Australia (BRISB)

115th Temple in the Church

10th Temple in Oceania

5th Temple in Australia

Announcement:  20 July 1998 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  26 May 2001 by Kenneth Johnson Public Open House:  10 May–7 June 2003 Dedication:  15 June 2003 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Brisbane Australia Temple was the first of the smaller temples to be announced for Australia, but was the last to be completed. This was due to concern by the community over several aspects of the temple site plan, such as the height of the temple and adjacent meetinghouse, and nighttime lighting of the temple. Once these concerns were resolved, the city approved the Church’s plans in February 2001, more than 2 1/2 years after the temple was originally announced. The Brisbane Temple was named Project of the Year by the Queensland Master Builders Association in June 2003, both overall and in the category of Community Service Facilities.

Sources: Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org, facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Redlands California

[templetuesday]

2 April 2019 - Winter Quarters Nebraska (WINTE)

104th Temple in the Church

52nd Temple in the United States

1st Temple in Nebraska

Announcement:  14 June 1999 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  28 November 1999 by Hugh W. Pinnock Public Open House:  30 March–14 April 2001 Dedication:  22 April 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple was the second of three temples currently in operation to be built in a site significant to Church history (The Palmyra New York Temple was the first, and the Nauvoo Illinois Temple was being rebuilt at the time the Winter Quarters Temple was dedicated). The dedication for the Winter Quarters Temple was broadcast to Church facilities throughout North America, not just within the temple district. Due to the topography of the temple site, the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is significantly larger than most of the other smaller temples, with nearly 16,000 square feet of interior space.

Sources: Photos 1-4 from churchofjesuschrist.org, photo 5 by Michael Provard from churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Guadalajara Mexico

[templetuesday]

26 March 2019 - Montevideo Uruguay (MNTVD)

103rd Temple in the Church

11th Temple in South America

1st Temple in Uruguay

Announcement:  2 November 1998 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  27 April 1999 by Richard G. Scott Public Open House:  28 February–10 March 2001 Dedication:  18 March 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Montevideo Uruguay Temple site has been owned by the Church since 1960 and also houses two mission homes, a distribution center, and regional Church offices.  The groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who had served in Uruguay as a missionary and as a district president. Temple construction began the day after the groundbreaking ceremony, but transportation and labor union strikes during construction delayed completion of the temple. Nevertheless, once the temple was completed, 25,000 people attended the open house, and over 7600 members attended the dedication services.

Sources: Photos 1-3 from churchofjesuschrist.org, Photo 4 by Martin Sancri from churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Winter Quarters Nebraska

[templetuesday]

30 April 2019 - Snowflake Arizona (SNOWF)

108th Temple in the Church

54th Temple in the United States

2nd Temple in Arizona

Announcement:  2 April 2000 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  23 September 2000 by Rex D. Pinegar Public Open House:  2–16 February 2002 Dedication:  3 March 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Snowflake Arizona Temple is a sister temple to the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple, which is also a two-story building due to being built into a hill. The rocks used in the water feature at the temple’s front entrance were excavated from the hill during construction. During a conference in February 1880, President Wilford Woodruff prophesied that a temple would one day be built in the Snowflake area. This prophecy was fulfilled just over 122 years later, when the Snowflake Arizona Temple was dedicated.

Sources: Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org, facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Lubbock Texas

[templetuesday]

16 April 2019 - Perth Australia (PERTH)

106th Temple in the Church

9th Temple in Oceania

4th Temple in Australia

Announcement:  11 June 1999 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  20 November 1999 by Kenneth Johnson Public Open House:  28 April–12 May 2001 Dedication:  20 May 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Perth Australia Temple received its statue of the angel Moroni on 21 September 2000, the 177th anniversary of Moroni’s first appearance to Joseph Smith. The first president of the Perth Temple, Donald W. Cummings, was serving as the Chairman of the Temple Organizing Committee when President Hinckley called him to serve as president of the new temple. President Cummings had previously served as president of the Sydney Australia Temple, making him one of only a few men to serve twice as a temple president.

Sources: Photos 1-4 from churchofjesuschrist.org, photos 5 and 6 by John R. Lewis from churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Columbia River Washington

[templetuesday]

9 April 2019 - Guadalajara Mexico (GUADA)

105th Temple in the Church

13th Temple in Latin America

11th Temple in Mexico

Announcement:  14 April 1999 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  12 June 1999 by Eran A. Call Public Open House:  14–21 April 2001 Dedication:  29 April 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Guadalajara Mexico Temple is located in the southwestern part of Guadalajara - the second-largest city in Mexico, with nearly four million residents. Mexico went from only having one operating temple prior to March 1999, to having eleven operating temples with the dedication of the Guadalajara Temple just over two years later. Nearly one-third of the thirty temples President Hinckley announced in 1998 were built in Mexico, and the Guadalajara Mexico Temple was dedicated on President and Sister Hinckley’s 64th wedding anniversary.

Sources: Photos 1-3 from churchofjesuschrist.org, Photo 4 by L. Alberto Fimbres from churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org and from the book Temples of the New Millennium by Chad S. Hawkins.

NEXT WEEK: Perth Australia