On a hill just west of this little town and overlooking this fertile valley, sits the first of the smaller Mormon temples to be completed outside of the United States. This Temple is an answer to the prayers of many faithful and deserving Latter-day Saints [Mormons] who with their ancestors, have sacrificed much through their hardships and have contributed greatly to the growth of the Mormon Church.

The history of the colonies in Northern Mexico is an important part of the Mormon Church history. Pioneers arrived there in the mid-1880’s and settled in the area. The people suffered many hardships during the Mexican revolutions of 1912 and 1914, but they continued in their faithfulness and Church service, which tradition has been handed down to their children and grandchildren.

Colonia Juarez is about two hundred miles southwest of El Paso, Texas. This small town consists of only one store, one hamburger restaurant, one school, and numerous farms.  One can only imagine the excitement it caused when Mormon leaders announced the building of a Mormon Temple in this small community. This was to be the center of activity for the next nine months for this small town of faithful Saints. Temple construction unified not only one small community but also the members of two different cultures as they worked together to build the Temple.

The Colonia Juarez Mormon Temple serves Mormons from the United States and Mexico. When the Temple was first announced, members in the United States were hesitant about traveling to Mexico. Well-established beliefs and dangerous conditions in Juarez had prevented many members from ever traveling south across the border. The Temple brought together members of the Mormon Church on both sides of the border, in spite of the differences in nations and cultures. El Paso members made weekly excursions to visit the Mormon Temple during construction. As members from the United States and Mexico became familiar with one another, friendships were formed. During the final stages of construction, Church members from both countries worked together on landscaping, cleaning both the interior and exteriors of the temple and washing windows.2 Many experienced cultures coming together and eternal friendships being formed.

Just as these two cultures came together, so it is in each of the Mormon Temples. All people are equal in the temple; upon entering, street clothes are exchanged for white clothing. Regardless of race, status, education, etc., the Mormon Temple is a place where all are God’s children and all have the opportunity to participate in the sacred ordinances there. It is a place where all can gain a better understanding of the purpose of life and the relationship we all share with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Physical Address:

CALLES CHIHUAHUA Y DÍAZ

31857 COLONIA JUÁREZ CHIH

MEXICO

Mailing address:

7025 Española

El Paso, Texas 79912

Mexico

Phone:   (52) 636-695-0144

To learn more about Mormon Temples, please visit the following websites:

Mormanity: Mormon Temples and “Secrecy”

Mormon Temple Ordinances – ReligionFacts.com

The Monterrey temple is the answer to many members’ prayers. “We’ve waited a long time for this,” said Sister Casanova, “Now we can come to the temple often to perform the saving ordinances that we have so long hoped for.”1

Saving ordinances performed in Mormon temples include baptism, priesthood ordination, endowments, and sealings.

Baptism is an essential ordinance in order to enter the gates of heaven. Many people have died without receiving this ordinance. Within temples members are baptized in behalf of those who have died. After which, the priesthood, which is the power of God, is given to men.

Endowments are performed for both the living and the dead. The endowment ceremony is a series of covenants made between God and each man or woman.

Sealings are performed binding families together forever. Marriages that are performed in Mormon temples last for not only this life but for eternity. Members covenant in proxy and are sealed as families for those who have died.

It took five years after the announcement of a temple in Monterrey before ground was finally broken, because of local resistance to the original site. Although the Church won the three-year legal suit, officials decided to relocate the temple site to appease local neighbors. “The new site is located in the Huajuco zone of Monterrey along the National Highway.” 2 Construction on the new Mormon temple began on 4 November 2000.

The temple is a classic modern with a single-spire design. It has two ordinance and two sealing rooms. It is about 16,500 square feet. The exterior is finished with white granite.

During the two-week open house about 40,000 people attended. Among the attendees were business, government, civic leaders, and officials from other religious faiths.

On 28 April 2002 President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Monterrey Mexico Temple. The temple was the 75th temple that President Hinckley has had the honor of dedicating himself.

During the dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley said, “We express our gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith to whom Thou didst reveal Thyself and Thine Only Begotten Son. We thank Thee for all of the gifts that have come through the restoration of the gospel including the keys of the Holy Priesthood, which will be exercised in this house.” 3 It is through the keys of the priesthood, which include the power to bind on heaven and earth, that families can be sealed together.

President Hinckley also expressed, “appreciation for the many missionaries who have labored in this great nation in teaching the eternal truths of Thy gospel. They have served with such devotion that today hundreds of thousands of Thy sons and daughters have entered the waters of baptism and have thereafter walked in faith before Thee.” 4 Mormon missionaries serve for eighteen to twenty-four months, at their own expense, all over the world, sharing a message of hope and faith in Christ.

Temples are sacred places, which is why only members who have been interviewed to determine their worthiness may enter a temple after it is dedicated. During the dedicatory prayer President Hinckley asked, “May all who enter this house recognize that they walk in a hallowed and sacred place… May Thy Spirit dwell here at all times and its presence be felt by all who labor here.” 5

Physical Address:

Avenida Eugenio Garza Sada

Esq. Privada Valle de la Estansuela

Colonia Valle Alto

64989 Monterrey, NL

Mexico

Mailing address:

c/o Mexico Area Administration Office

POUCH

Mexico

Phone:   (52) 818-104-0635

For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:

LDS (Mormon) Temple resources

LDS Temples – Mormon Temples – Salt Lake Temple

Teachings About Mormon Temples

(1) “News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2002, 74

(2) El Norte, 8 August 2000.(3) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’” Church News 11 May 2002, 26 Jun. 2005(4) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’”

(5) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘Open the windows of heaven,’”

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on January 16, 1999. Carl B. Pratt, a member of the Seventy and President of the Mexico South Area, presided over the dedication and ceremony. The site of the temple is 1.53 acres on the north end of the Yucatan Peninsula, near the Gulf of Mexico. The area is rich with history and the temple site is close to some of Mexico’s most famous archeological ruins, such as Uxmal and Chichen Itza.

The Mormon Church also has a rich history in the area. In 1875 at a General Conference of the Church, six missionaries were assigned to open a mission in Mexico. The assigned Mormon missionaries began traveling by land to Mexico and arrived on January 7, 1876. Missionary work started in El Paso del Norte and Chihuahua. In 1880 Mexico was blessed and dedicated so that the missionary work would go forward. Missionary work did progress in Northern Mexico at a great rate, but it was not until February 5, 1959, that the first missionaries arrived in Merida. The first Sunday service was held the next day with eight people in attendance who wanted to learn more about Mormon beliefs. On April 14, 1959, Raquel Pech was the first person to be baptized in Merida. By 1968 the first chapel was dedicated. This first chapel has since been torn down for the building of the temple. Today there are more than 13,000 members just in Merida and many more members throughout the area who will benefit from having a temple so close.

The Merida Mexico Mormon temple was open for tours to the public June 24 through July 1, 2000. Those who toured the 10,700 square foot temple were able to see the two ordinance rooms, the celestial room, two sealing rooms, the baptistry, and to learn more about Mormon beliefs.

Thomas S. Monson, then a member of the First Presidency of the Mormon Church, dedicated the temple for use on July 8, 2000. Four sessions of the dedication were held, which allowed more than 5,400 members to attend the services. The Merida, Mexico temple will serve 33,000 members in nine stakes and six districts in Mexico and Belize.

Physical Address:

CALLE 70 # 527, ESQ 65 Y 67

COLONIA CENTRO

97000 MÉRIDA YUC

MEXICO

Mailing address:c/o Mexico Area Administration Office

POUCH

Mexico

Phone:   (52) 999-928-1643

Other Links:

Manhattan Mormon Temple – New York City.com: Arts & Attractions

Temple: Information from Answers.com

Mormon Temple Ordinances – ReligionFacts.com

In April 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley, recognizing the need to bring temples to the people, announced that thirty-two smaller Mormon temples would be built around the world before the end of 2000. He said, ” As I have previously indicated, in recent months we have traveled far out among the membership of the Church… They love the Church. They love the gospel. They love the Lord and want to do His will… They make tremendous sacrifices to visit the temples. They need nearby temples—small, beautiful, serviceable temples.”1

The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Temple is one of these small temples, “a dream come true”2 for many members. Because of the mountainous terrain, travel in and out of the area is difficult, and previously members had to drive to Mexico City – a 20-hour drive. Now the more than 18,000 members in southern Mexico have a Mormon temple close by.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple, held on 20 March 1999, Elder Richard E. Turley of the Seventy said that, “the greatest gift we have received on this earth is the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. But another great gift from the Lord is to have the essential keys to do temple work, which is essential to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord, and to help us gain eternal life with our Heavenly Father.” 3

The Mormon temple sits on 1.56 acres next to a meetinghouse. The exterior is finished with white marble and features a single-spire design with a gold statue of the angel Moroni on top. Although only 10,700 square feet, President Hinckley has said, “Every ordinance which is given in the Salt Lake Temple, the largest in the Church, is also given in every other temple, including these smaller structures. The fact is that they are not so small. They are commodious, and they are beautiful. They represent the ultimate in our worship and the ultimate in blessings offered.” 4

President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico temple on 12 March 2000. More than 3,300 members attended the four dedicatory sessions.

During the dedicatory prayer President Faust blessed members of the Church saying, “Bless all who shall labor here that they may do so in the true spirit of the Master whom they serve. That which will occur here is all part of a divine plan of happiness which Thou hast outlined for Thy sons and daughters of all generations. The fullness of the priesthood will be exercised here. This will be a house of instruction, a house of covenants, a house of ordinances. May those who receive these ordinances remember them always and live worthy of the covenants they make with Thee, dear Father.” 5

Physical Address:
CARRETERA A CHICOASEN CHIAPAS
KM. 1,4, ESQ. PASEO DE LA ROSETA
FRACC SAN JOSÉ CHAPULTEPEC
29047 TUXTLA GUTÍERREZ CHIS
Mexico

Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 961-615-8287

(1) Gordon B. Hinckley, “New Temples to Provide ‘Crowning Blessings’ of the Gospel,” Ensign, May 1998, 87
(2) “News of the Church,” Ensign, May 2000, 107
(3) Church News, 27 March 1999.
(4) Gordon B. Hinckley, “Welcome to Conference,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 4
(5) “Tuxtla dedicatory prayer: ‘Bring new light and understanding,’” Church News 18 Mar. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005

During the groundbreaking ceremony, which 1,700 members attended, Elder Eran A. Call of the Seventy reminded members that the location for the temple was inspired and selected by the prophet of the church. Whenever the fullness of the gospel has been on the earth temples have existed. “They are sacred buildings dedicated to a sacred work.” He testified that temples “are evidence of Church members’ belief in life beyond the grave.” 2

Because of that belief members do temple work for those who are deceased. The Mormon Church teaches that certain ordinances are necessary to receive eternal life. Many of those ordinances can only be performed in Mormon temples. People who have died need to have baptisms, sealings, and endowment ordinances performed by proxy in their behalf.   The dead, who live on with the same desires and personalities they had on earth, can choose to accept or reject temple covenants.

Elder Call reminded members that the temple would be complete in about a year and said, “We want to be prepared and attend the temple, not just to have the temple as a monument.” 3 Members are required to fulfill certain moral and religious requirements to enter the temple and Elder Call challenged them all to be ready. Promising that as members prepared to go to the temple it would “bring [them] more faith, purity, cleanliness, integrity, love, and dedication to the callings they hold.” 4

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Ciudad Juárez temple on 26-27 February 2000. During the dedicatory prayer he asked God to bless the temple saying, “May it be a house of peace where those who serve may lay aside the cares of the world. May it be a house of love where those who labor may realize that the ordinances here administered, for both the living and the dead, assist in bringing to pass the great provisions of the Atonement of Thy Son. May it be a house of worship where Thy sons and daughters can commune with Thee.” 5

Many members find a LDS (Mormon) temple a good place to receive answers to their prayers and to commune with God. Even though members can receive answers at anytime, the peaceful and reverent atmosphere of the temple makes it conducive to perceiving the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Many members feel like President Benson, “When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways.” 6

Octavio Seanez Flores, president of the Ciudad Juárez La Cuesta Stake, sums it up best, “This land has a destiny, and that destiny is to have a house of the Lord where we can do His work and our work to gain salvation.” 7

Physical Address:
Calle Paraguay # 290
Esq. José Borunda, Col. Partido Romero
32177 Ciudad Juárez, CHIH
MEXICO

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 372155
El Paso, Texas 79937
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 656-611-5146

(1) News of the Church, Ensign, Apr. 1999, 74
(2) Church News, 23 January 1999
(3) Church News, 23 January 1999
(4) Church News, 23 January 1999
(5) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘A house of peace,’” Church News 4 Mar. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005
(6) Ensign, August 1985, page 8
(7) News of the Church, Ensign, Apr. 1999, 74

The Veracruz Mexico Mormon temple was announced on April 14, 1999. The Veracruz temple is the 93rd operating Mormon temple worldwide. Many members in the area rejoiced at learning that a temple would be so close, especially those who were among the first members in the area. These members had sacrificed greatly to travel to the Mesa Arizona temple to be sealed to their families.

The Mormon Church is very strong in Veracruz, even though it is young. The first Mormon missionaries didn’t arrive in Veracruz until 1955. Maria Romero was the first person to join the Church in Veracruz. She was so determined to be baptized that even though she was 87 years old, she waded out into the Jamapa River. The first meetinghouse was built in 1961. 674 people attended the dedication of the meetinghouse; only 379 were members. This shows how many were interested in learning more about the gospel. After the dedication of the meetinghouse the missionary work in the area grew rapidly.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication for the temple were held on May 29, 1999. The ceremony and dedication were presided over by Carl B. Pratt, a member of the Seventy. Around 600 people attended the ceremony and dedication. The temple site is 3.39 acres, which includes a meetinghouse.

The Mormon temple was open for tours to the public June 26th through July 1, 2000. Those who attended the open house were able to explore the 10,700 square foot building and learn more about Mormon beliefs. More than 10,000 people toured the temple.

Then member of the First Presidency, Thomas S. Monson, who would later become prophet, dedicated the Veracruz temple on July 9, 2000. Four sessions were held, and more than 5,000 members attended. During the dedicatory prayer, President Monson prayed, “bless this great nation of Mexico. Bless the officers of the government that they may be friendly to Thy people. We pray that Thy Saints may prosper in this good land, that they may be released from the shackles of poverty, that they may go forward with faith, with a crown of righteousness upon their heads, to do Thy will and build Thy kingdom.” The Veracruz temple serves nine stakes, two districts and two branches in the area.

Physical Address:
AVE EJÉRCITO MEXICANO ESQ MICHOACÁN
COLONIA LUIS ECHEVERRIA
94290 BOCA DEL RIO VER
MEXICO
Mexico

Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 229-922-9621

“News of the Church,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 74

During the groundbreaking ceremony Elder Eran A. Call of the Seventy remarked, “What a blessing it is that I was a mission president here just 29 years ago,” he said. “We had four little branches here then. Now there are eight stakes [a group of congregations]. This is a great time to have a temple in Guadalajara.”1

The new Mormon temple is small but completely functional. President Hinckley said, “Every ordinance which is given in the Salt Lake Temple, the largest in the Church, is also given in every other temple, including these smaller structures. The fact is that they are not so small. They are commodious, and they are beautiful. They represent the ultimate in our worship and the ultimate in blessings offered.” 2

It is part of President Hinckley’s dream to build small temples, because he realizes that the people, “need nearby temples—small, beautiful, serviceable temples.” 3

And as Elder Call read at the groundbreaking ceremony the building of temples is also fulfillment of President Lorenzo Snow’s prophesy that, “the time will come when there will be temples established over every portion of the land, and we will go into these temples and work for our kindred dead night and day, that the work of the Lord may be speedily accomplished, that Jesus may come and present the kingdom to His Father.” 4

Within Mormon temples members of the Church perform saving ordinances for themselves and for those who died without having a chance to perform the ordinances for themselves. These saving ordinances ensure that those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ will be able to walk through the gates of heaven and return to live with God and their families, being sealed for eternity.

The dedication of the Guadalajara temple filled church members with joy, and about 6,500 members attended the temple dedication. Graciela Garcia, a member of the Moctezuma Ward, said, “I can’t describe the emotion that filled us as … our beloved prophet blessed our homes, our country and its leaders, and our land.” 5

President Hinckley dedicated the Guadalajara temple on 29 April 2001. During the dedication prayer President Hinckley blessed the country, leaders, and people of Mexico saying, “We thank Thee for the progress of Thy work in this great nation of Mexico. Move it forward, dear Father. Touch the lives and hearts of great numbers of people who will hearken to the message of truth and come into the fold of Christ. Bring about the miracle of conversion among the great and good people of this land. May those who govern look upon Thy people with respect and with a desire to be helpful. Wilt Thou bless them and the nation for their friendliness to Thy work.” 6

Physical Address:
AV. PATRIA #879
FRACC. JARDINES TEPEYAC
45030 ZAPOPAN JAL
MEXICO

Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 333-125-1283/84/85

For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:

LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
LDS Temples – Mormon Temples – Salt Lake Temple
Teachings About Mormon Temples
(1) Church News, 26 June 1999
(2) Gordon B. Hinckley, “Welcome to Conference,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 4
(3) Gordon B. Hinckley, “New Temples to Provide ‘Crowning Blessings’ of the Gospel,” Ensign, May 1998, 87
(4) Church News, 26 June 1999
(5) News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2001, 74
(6) “Dedicatory prayer: ‘We pray for those who shall serve in this Thy house,’” Church News 5 May 2001, 25 Jun. 2005

Today members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Brigham Young “that the Salt Lake Temple would not be the only temple built, but there would be hundreds of temples on the earth.”1

The Church builds temples in order to administer the higher ordinances of God. “The ordinances of the house of God are for the salvation of the human family. We … hold the keys of salvation committed to the children of men from the heavens by the Lord Almighty; and inasmuch as there are those who hold these keys, it is important that they should be acted upon for the salvation of the human family.” 2

These keys were given to Joseph Smith, who in turn passed them to his apostles; they include the sealing power, which enables those with priesthood authority to bind families together for eternity. Endowment ceremonies are also performed in Mormon temples. According to Brigham Young the purpose of the endowment is “to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” 3 The endowment is a series of covenants made between God and men and women.

In 1949, Arwel L. Pierce, the president of the Mexican Mission, while visiting the area announced that the Church would flourish in Oaxaca; since that date Mormon missionaries have baptized 8,500 members in Oaxaca. The number of members in surrounding areas who will be served by the temple totals more than 28,000.

Because of faith and membership growth President Hinckley announced in 1999 that a temple would be built in Oaxaca. During the groundbreaking ceremony Elder Pratt encouraged members saying, “It is my prayer that we examine our lives, study the scriptures, that we may have family prayer, family home evenings, and keep the commandments.” 4 He encouraged members to get their lives in order so they may receive temple recommends, which are required to enter the temple after its dedication.

During the Mormon temple open house more than 10,000 people visited the new temple. Many visitors commented on the peaceful feeling found within the temple, saying, “One feels a peace there, a tranquility. It is heavenly!” 5 During the open house visitors realized that the Mormon Church is a Christian Church evident by all the pictures of Christ decorating the temple walls.

For the first time President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated a temple. The Oaxaca Mexico Temple was dedicated on 11 March 2000. More than 18,000 members attended the four dedicatory sessions.

During the dedicatory prayer President Faust said, speaking as a voice for the members, “We have longed for the day when a house of the Lord would be built nearer to us that we might come here often and worship Thee in spirit and in truth, and receive those ordinances, for both the living and the dead, which lead to immortality and eternal life through the great Atonement wrought by our Redeemer, Thy Beloved Son.” 6

Physical Address:
AV. UNIVERSIDAD #139
FRACC. REAL DE CANDIANI
68130 OAXACA OAX
MEXICO
Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 951-516-9588

For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:

LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
Teachings About Mormon Temples
USATODAY.com – Mormons open temple doors to share beliefs

(1) Church News, 20 March 199.
(2) Discourses of Brigham Young. 396–97.
(3) DBY, 416.
(4) Church News, 20 March 199.
(5) “News of the Church,” Ensign, May 2000, 107
(6) “Oaxaca dedicatory prayer: ‘May we come here frequently,’” Church News 18 Mar. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005

The announcement to build a Mormon Temple in Mexico came in April 1976 with the dedication taking place eight years later in 1983.

The plan to build the temple in the Republic of Mexico was not to be an easy one; insurmountable obstacles seemed to thwart the plans from every which way.

In 1976 foreign missionaries were not officially recognized in Mexico, and mandatory laws required all buildings to be open to the public. (Mormons believe that Mormon Temples are houses of the Lord, and only those who prove themselves worthy through an interview with their local bishop and stake president may enter the Temple.) Laws changed in ways which were encouraging for the Mormon Church, and the necessary building permits were approved in 1979.

Importing the necessary building materials and furnishings proved to be another obstacle. Only the finest of materials are used in the Mormon Temples, thus the Church leaders requested an exemption from the importation law, as well as importing the materials without tax. Church leaders fasted and prayed and presented their request to the proper government authorities. Amazingly, the requests were approved and signed. Government leaders commented that they ‘could not understand why they had changed their mind and sided with the Church.’2

Emil Fetzer was the architect assigned to draw up plans for the Mormon Temple in Mexico City. Of the four designs which were presented, one was of  Mayan-style architecture. As the First Presidency studied each of the proposed designs, they felt that the one with the Mayan influence was the one more suited to Mexico and its surroundings.

Since its dedication in 1983, the Mexico City Mormon Temple has proven to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. Faced with white cast stone and white marble chips, the temple is the fifth largest Mormon temple in the Church and the largest temple outside the United States.

Physical Address:
Avenida 510 #90
Col San Juan de Aragon
07950 Mexico, D.F.
MEXICO
Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 55-5003-3738

For more information on the Mormon Church or Mormon temples, please see the following websites:
Mormon Church
Mormon Temples

The Tampico area has seen rapid growth with the number of Mormons in the area going from one stake (a group of congregations) to four stakes in just twenty-five years. Tampico itself has a population of about 212,000 and is located on the Gulf of Mexico. There are over 18,000 members in the city.

The new temple will make the members’ journey to the temple much easier. Previously the Saints had to cross the Sierra Madre mountain range to reach the temple in Mexico City, a difficult endeavor. Now they will have their own Mormon temple.
Elder Call presided over the groundbreaking ceremony, which about 930 people attended on 28 November 1998. During the ceremony Elder Call said, “Having a temple near will open doors to growth, and as we attend we will receive blessings that we can’t even begin to comprehend or understand at this time. Men and women will grow in their strength and power so that Satan will have less power over them.”1
President Thomas S. Monson , of the first presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the dedicatory prayer for the Tampico Tamaulipas Mexico Temple on 20 May 2000. During the dedicatory prayer President Monson spoke of couples kneeling at sealing altars to establish eternal family relationships. The idea of eternal family relationships is one of the main reasons that Mormon temples are built. Mormons believe that marriages that are performed in temples have the potential to last forever. Marriages are performed both for the living, and by proxy for those who have died.

Only members who are “clean of body and mind and worthy to receive the blessings herein given,” 2 are allowed to enter the temple because of the sacred nature of the ordinances and covenants made within. Almost everything within the temple is symbolic. White is worn to symbolize purity, and the buildings, rooms, and ceremonies are all symbolic.

During the dedicatory prayer President Monson prayed “that there may emanate from this Thy house a spirit of love and peace, a spirit divine and holy, which will be felt in this great city.”3 Temples are places of peace and members carry that peace with them when they leave the temple.

Because of the peaceful nature of Mormon temples, they are places where members can receive direction from God. President Benson said, “When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways.” 4

President Monson ended the prayer with a plea for the Saints in the area saying, “Lift the burdens of poverty from the backs of Thy children and prosper them as they serve Thee in righteousness, walking in obedience to Thy commandments.”

Physical Address:
AV. EJERCITO MEXICANO #74 CON 3A, AVENIDA
COL. LOMAS DEL GALLO
89480 CIUDAD MADERO TAMPS
MEXICO
Mailing address:
c/o Mexico Area Administration Office
POUCH
Mexico
Phone:   (52) 833-216-9660

(1) “News of the Church,” Ensign, Mar. 1999, 75
(2) “Tampico dedicatory prayer: ‘Lift the burdens of poverty,’” Church News 27 May 2000, 25 Jun. 2005
(3) “Tampico dedicatory prayer: ‘Lift the burdens of poverty,’” Church News 27 May 2000, 25 Jun. 2005
(4) Ensign, August 1985, page 8