Smithfield Utah Temple
Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple
Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple
Exterior cladding and hardscaping underway; construction estimated to be completed in early to mid-2026
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Announcement:
4 April 2021Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:
17 June 2023 by Juan A. UcedaSite:
11.8 acres | 4.8 hectaresArchitectural Features:
Single attached central tower with a pyramid roofOrdinance Rooms:
Two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and one baptistryTotal Floor Area:
27,000 square feet | 2,508 square metersElevation:
2,740 feet | 835 metersGroundbreaking Ceremony
On Saturday, June 17, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple under the direction of Elder Juan A. Uceda of the Brazil Area presidency. He was accompanied by his wife, Maria Isabel, and Elder Luciano Sankar, an Area Seventy. Approximately 500 guests were in attendance including government officials. In his site dedicatory prayer, Elder Uceda implored the Father saying: "I ask Thee, dear Father, that this place and all who live within the boundaries of the temple district enjoy special protection. And may the light of the gospel shine throughout this region. We pray that no influence will stop or delay the building of the temple and that in due time it will be dedicated as the house of the Lord. May Thy spiritual power be strongly felt in this region."1
Temple Rendering
On September 23, 2021, an official exterior rendering of the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple was released.
Temple Site
The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple will be constructed on an 11.8-acre site on Rua Professor Jose Vieira de Mendonça in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 27,000 square feet.2
Temple Announcement
The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson at the 191st Annual General Conference on April 4, 2021. It will join the Belém Brazil Temple, Brasília Brazil Temple, Campinas Brazil Temple, Curitiba Brazil Temple, Fortaleza Brazil Temple, Manaus Brazil Temple, Porto Alegre Brazil Temple, Recife Brazil Temple, Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, São Paulo Brazil Temple, São Paulo Brazil East Temple, and Salvador Brazil Temple. There are more than 1.4 million members of the Church in more than 2,100 congregations in Brazil. Belo Horizonte is the sixth largest city and economic hub of the country. The first known Latter-day Saint to live in Brazil emigrated from Germany in 1913. In 1986, Brazil became the third country outside of the United States to have 50 stakes.3
Temple Facts
The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple will be the twelfth temple built in Brazil and the first built in Minas Gerais.
- "Ground Broken for Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 20 Jun. 2023.
- "Temple Site Locations Announced in Four Latin American Countries," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 23 Sept. 2021.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "At April 2021 Conference, Prophet Announces 20 More Temples to Be Constructed," 4 Apr. 2021.
