Arequipa Peru Temple
167th dedicated temple in operation
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Services
NO clothing rental availableNO cafeteria food served
NO patron housing available
Distribution center nearby (Store Locator)
Announcement:
6 October 2012Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:
4 March 2017 by Carlos A. GodoyPublic Open House:
15–30 November 2019Dedication:
15 December 2019 by Ulisses Soares (written by Russell M. Nelson)Site:
7.91 acres | 3.2 hectaresArchitectural Features:
Single attached central tower with an angel Moroni statueOrdinance Rooms:
Two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and one baptistryTotal Floor Area:
26,969 square feet | 2,506 square metersAngel Moroni Raising
On November 30, 2018, it was a special day for the Saints of Arequipa and Southern Peru as the brilliant gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni was hoisted to stand atop the lantern that caps the cupola of the Arequipa Peru Temple. Hundreds of spectators gathered for the event and expressed their enthusiasm.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Arequipa Peru Temple was held on Saturday, March 4, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. Elder Carlos A. Godoy, president of the South America Northwest Area, presided at the services.
Construction Approval
The general contractor for the Arequipa Peru Temple was selected in March 2016. In January 2016, the temple site was rezoned, which allowed for the acquisition of building permits. The final piece of land needed for the temple site was acquired in the latter months of 2014.
Temple Site
The Arequipa Peru Temple site is located just three miles north of the city center near the entrance to the quiet village of Carmen Alto. The land stands on a bluff rising from the Chili River and surrounded by breathtaking pastures and mountain views including the prominent volcano Misti. Carmen Alto, which is easily accessible by public transportation, is popular with visitors and described as "heaven like."
Temple Announcement
On October 6, 2012, Peru's third temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the opening session of the 182nd Semiannual General Conference for the city of Arequipa in southern Peru. Seven stakes currently operate in the city with several additional stakes and districts in the surrounding region. The units that will be served by the Arequipa Peru Temple have not yet been announced.
Peru is home to approximately 29 million people including over a half million members of the Church organized into 101 stakes and 19 districts. Missionary work officially began in the country in 1956. Church members in Arequipa—Peru's second largest city—currently travel to the Lima Peru Temple, almost five hundred miles away, to attend temple services.1
Temple Facts
The Arequipa Peru Temple will be the third temple built in Peru, following the Lima Peru Temple (1986) and the Trujillo Peru Temple (2015).
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Arequipa Peru Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Church Announces New Temples in Arizona and Peru," 6 Oct. 2012.
