Campinas Brazil Temple

The Campinas Brazil Temple, in Campinas, São Paulo, is the 111th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Plans to build the Campinas Brazil Temple were announced on April 3, 1997. The Campinas Temple is the fourth to be built in Brazil.

The first Mormon missionaries did not arrive in Brazil until the 1920s. Most of the early converts in Brazil were German immigrants coming to Brazil after World War I. In 1931, the 80 members of the small branch near São Paulo built the first Mormon meetinghouse in Brazil. During World War II Mormon missionaries were removed from Brazil, but when missionaries returned after the war Brazilian natives began joining the Church by the hundreds. The Mormon membership in Brazil continues to grow quickly. The Campinas Temple serves more than 117,000 members from 36 stakes in the area. Brazil is home to more Mormons than any other country in the world except the United States and Mexico.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on May 1, 1998. It was presided over by James E. Faust a member of the First Presidency who had served as a Mormon missionary in Brazil in the 1940s. The temple site has 6.18 acres. The site is on a hill overlooking the 1 million-population city of Campinas, and can easily be seen from all around. The temple has a total area of 48,100 square feet, which includes four ordinance rooms and three sealing rooms. Hundreds of people came for the groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication.

The Mormon temple was open to the public April 20, 2002 through May 11, 2002. Tens of thousands of people were able to take a tour through the temple and learn more about its sacred importance. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Campinas Brazil Temple on May 17, 2002. Four sessions were held which allowed thousands to attend the dedication. Before the dedication President Hinckley met with a large group outside and the final cornerstone was placed in the temple. The construction was then officially completed.

ee also

* Temple (Mormonism)
* List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
* Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)

External links

* [http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-155-0,00.html Official LDS Campinas Brazil Temple page]
* [http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/campinas/ Campinas Brazil Temple page]
* [http://www.lds.org/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] - Official Site
* [http://www.mormon.org/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] - Visitors Site
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/worship/temple.shtml Mormon Temple Worship] - BBC Religion & Ethics
* [http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/temples/history.html History of Mormon Temples] - Lightplanet