Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
The Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple is the 55th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“It was here in northern Mexico that Thou didst reveal the idea and the plan of a smaller temple, complete in every necessary detail, but suited in size to the needs and circumstances of the Church membership in this area of Thy vineyard. That revelation came of a desire and a prayer to help Thy people of these colonies who have been true and loyal during the century and more that they have lived here. They are deserving of this sacred edifice in which to labor for themselves and their forebears,” said Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley in his dedicatory prayer for Mexico’s completed Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Temple. [1]
On a hill just west of the little town and overlooking a fertile valley, sits the first of the smaller Mormon temples to be completed outside of the United States. In fact, the Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple is the smallest temple the Mormon Church operates.
The history of the colonies in Northern Mexico is great and an important part of the Mormon Church's 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 has been handed down to their children and grandchildren.
Colonia Juarez is about two hundred miles southwest of El Paso, Texas. The small town consists of only one store, one hamburger restaurant, one school, and numerous farms. One can only imagine the excitement it brought 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 from two different cultures as they worked together to build the temple.
The Colonia Juarez 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 temple during its 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]
President Hinckley dedicated the Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple on 6 March 1999. The temple has a total of 6,800 square feet, one ordinance room, and one sealing room.
Notes
- “News of the Church,” Ensign, May 1999, 115
- "Audio Interview w/Richard and Bon Adell Skidmore," by Chad Hawkins, 2000
Temples in Mexico
- Cancún Mexico Temple
- Chihuahua Mexico Temple
- Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple
- Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
- Cuernavaca Mexico Temple
- Culiacan Mexico Temple
- Guadalajara Mexico Temple
- Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple
- Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple
- Merida Mexico Temple
- Mexico City Benemerito Mexico Temple
- Mexico City Mexico Temple
- Monterrey Mexico Temple
- Oaxaca Mexico Temple
- Pachuca Mexico Temple
- Puebla Mexico Temple
- Querétaro México Temple
- San Luis Potosi Mexico Temple
- Tampico Mexico Temple
- Tijuana México Temple
- Toluca Mexico Temple
- Torreón México Temple
- Tula Mexico Temple
- Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple
- Veracruz Mexico Temple
- Villahermosa Mexico Temple
See also
External links
- Official LDS Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple page
- Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple page
- Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple page
- Mormon Temple Worship - BBC Religion & Ethics
- Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
- Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
- Resources about the History and Symbolism of Mormon Temples
- Mormon Temples and Secrecy
- Mormon Missionaries - BBC Religion & Ethics
- Joseph Smith - American Prophet
- A video about the Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
