Panama City Panama Temple
The Panama City Panama Temple is the 127th announced temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
During a conference held in December 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley told over 4,500 members of Panama that "the Church would find a way to build a Temple there if they faithfully paid their tithing and kept the other commandments," President Hinckley understood and expressed his concern that the cost of a temple would far exceed the members tithing contributions, but "promised them that the Lord would bless them through the exercise of their faith to obey the [tithing] law." [1]
That announcement to build the Panama City Panama Temple came in August 2002. This would be the first Latter-day Saint temple to be built in the country of Panama. As of March 2006, there were more than 39,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ in the country who, for many years, had sacrificed to attend the closest temple in Guatemala.
Hurricane Beta lingered over the coasts of Panama and Costa Rica the day before the groundbreaking scheduled for October 30, 2005. But, by the next day it had moved north leaving a beautiful sky enjoyed by those in attendance. After the groundbreaking, presided over by Elder Spencer V. Jones, the construction of the temple officially began.
The Panama City Panama Temple is located on a hill adjacent to a Church building and can visibly be seen by travelers from the canal and across the country. On the property of the temple, there are offices and housing that will accommodate the temple presidency, temple missionaries, and members attending the temple.
The public open house of the Panama City Panama Temple hosted nearly 33,000 visitors who toured the interior of the sacred edifice before its dedication.
The Panama City Panama Temple was dedicated in four dedicatory sessions on August 10, 2008, by President Thomas S. Monson. The sessions were broadcast to all stake centers in Panama.
Notes
- Church News, Sept. 2002
