Belém Brazil Temple

On 3 April 2016, Thomas S. Monson, then-president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stood at the Conference Center pulpit for his opening remarks at the Sunday morning session of the 186th annual general conference. He began by saying, "Brothers and Sisters, before I begin my formal message today, I would like to announce four new temples, which in coming months and years will be built in the following locations." After naming the Quito Ecuador Temple and Harare Zimbabwe Temple, the Saints of Brazil rejoiced to hear the announcement of a temple to be built in Belém, Brazil.

Belém, the 11th most populous city in Brazil, is known as the gateway to the Amazon River. Anchoring a metropolitan area of over two million people, the city stands on the banks of the Pará River, approximately 60 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean in northern Brazil. Church membership in the city has grown substantially in recent years. There are five operating stakes and a total of seven stakes and two districts in the state of Pará. At the time of the announcement, the Saints in Belém attended the Recife Brazil Temple, which was serving over 80 stakes and districts throughout northeastern Brazil. Travel from Belém to Recife requires a two-and-a-half-hour flight or an exhausting 1,200-mile trip by land.

The Belém Brazil Temple is one of 20 temples in Brazil that are dedicated, under construction, or announced. It was announced on the 400th anniversary year of the founding of the city of Belém.

There are additional dedicated temples in Brazil: the São Paulo Brazil Temple, which was the first to be dedicated in South America, 44 years ago in 1978, and temples in Recife, Porto Alegre, Campinas, Curitiba, Manaus, Fortaleza, and Rio de Janeiro, which was dedicated on 8 May 2022.

Temples in Salvador, Brasilia (the country’s capital), and Belo Horizonte are also under construction. Others have been announced in Vitoria, São Paulo East, Santos, Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple, Maceió, Londrina Brazil Temple, Teresina Brazil Temple, and Natal Brazil Temple.

Exterior and Interior 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.

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.[1]

Temple Site

Belém sits at the mouth of the Amazon, just 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of the equator.

The Belém Brazil Temple is constructed in a central location in the Belém metropolitan area near the Val de Cans International Airport. The site is located on Avenida Centenário, Val de Caes, Belém, Pará Brazil across from Bosque Grão Pará, a major shopping mall.

Temple Rendering and Groundbreaking Ceremony

Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis, president of the Brazil Area for the Church, gathers with local Church and community leaders to signal the beginning of construction for the Belém Brazil Temple on Saturday, 17 August 2019.

On Saturday, 17 August 2019, the ground was broken for the Belém Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis, president of the Brazil Area, presided at the traditional ceremony. Hundreds of Church members and guests gathered to the site to participate in the historic services, including Church, civil, religious, and community leaders. Attendance at the temple site was by invitation only, but the proceedings were broadcast live via the internet to local meetinghouses within the proposed temple district.

Before pronouncing the dedicatory prayer on the temple site, Elder Aidukaitis said, "The building being constructed here is in honor of the Father and [His Son], Jesus Christ." During the prayer, he said, “May the members of the Church be inspired to find solutions to the problems and challenges that arise. May the neighbors feel the spirit of the work and may [they] be happy as they pass by and may the temple contribute to the beautification of this beautiful city. . . . May this work be a symbol of light and a representation of the love of Jesus Christ to all."

Open House and Dedication

The public open house for the Belém Brazil Temple was held from Saturday, 22 October 2022, to Saturday, 5 November 2022, excluding Sundays — 23 October and 30 October.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided at the dedication in three sessions held Sunday, 20 November 2022, at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. The dedicatory session was broadcast to units in the temple district. Elder Renlund was joined by his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund; Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy, and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy; Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Silvia Valenzuela; and Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella a General Authority Seventy and president of the Brazil Area, and his wife, Sister Elaine Parrella.

All three sessions were done completely in Portuguese.[2]

Elder Renlund also conducted the cornerstone ceremony and invited others among the leadership group and the temple presidency, matron and assistants to join him in placing mortar around the cornerstone. He also invited a handful of young children to participate.

About two hours later, Elder Quentin L. Cook dedicated the Quito Ecuador Temple. Dedicating two temples on the same day is rare.