Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Open House and Dedication

The open house and dedication dates for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple has been announced. The open house will begin with a media day held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, followed by two days of private tours for invited guests. The public is invited to tour the temple from Saturday, June 13, through Saturday, June 27, 2026 (excluding Sundays). The dedication will be broadcast on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. with a rebroadcast at 2 p.m. to all units in the temple district.¹

Groundbreaking 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."²

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.³

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.⁴

Temple Facts

The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple will be the twelfth temple built in Brazil and the first built in Minas Gerais.

Temple Design

Exterior

The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple is a single-story concrete structure with a central tower positioned above the celestial room. The exterior is clad in Brazilian granite known as Branco Ceará, a stone also used on other temples throughout Brazil. The structure is made of precast concrete, with structural steel in the tower.

The pyramid-shaped central tower rises 19 meters high and is fully clad in Branco Ceará granite, creating a unified appearance with the rest of the building.

The exterior art glass design is inspired by traditional Portuguese tile patterns common in the state of Minas Gerais. The color palette includes white, yellow and multiple shades of blue. This art glass is featured throughout the facade, inside the baptistry and confirmation room and in some interior doors. It was designed and manufactured by Vitrais Ton Geuer, a Brazilian art glass studio based in Campinas, São Paulo.

The landscape design incorporates native and climate-adapted plant species selected for durability and ease of maintenance. The landscaping adds beauty, color and harmony to the site without distracting from the importance of the building. The landscape architect is Sergio Santana Planejamento e Desenho da Paisagem, based in São Paulo, Brazil.

The perimeter fence is constructed of galvanized steel painted dark gray. Walkways and hardscape areas use interlocking and precast concrete pavers, while plaza areas feature traditional Portuguese-style black-and-white stone paving.

Interior

The interior accent designs also draw inspiration from local Portuguese tile patterns, incorporating geometric and floral motifs to reflect regional cultural influences and create a reverent atmosphere. Decorative painting appears on friezes and ceilings, featuring circular mandala patterns from the same Portuguese tiles, giving a unified theme within and outside the temple. Finishes include gold leaf accents and coordinated blue, gold and beige tones. Ordinance and waiting areas feature plaster ceilings with decorative painted linework. The decorative painting was completed by Visual Point, with additional painting by Artbella and Calacina.

Flooring throughout the temple includes locally manufactured Portinari Calacata Real porcelain tile paired with Calacatta Michelangelo Supreme marble thresholds. Carpeted areas use products from Tecer Tapetes in various textures and colors. Instruction rooms feature decorative carpet tile in shades of blue with golden yellow details, manufactured by Milliken. Quarry tile is used in facilities areas, and epoxy flooring is used in mechanical spaces.

The interior art glass follows the same design language and pattern as the exterior art glass and is installed in select doors and interior locations. The glass panels are designed in white, yellow and various shades of blue. All art glass was manufactured by Vitrais Ton Geuer of Campinas, São Paulo.

Crystal chandeliers are installed in the celestial room, sealing rooms and bride’s room. Decorative pendants are used in other patron areas, such as the entry, waiting room, baptistry and instruction rooms. All decorative lighting and chandeliers were manufactured by Scatto Lampadário of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.

Millwork throughout the temple is crafted from native Brazilian tauari wood and is used for cabinetry, pews and architectural detailing. In ordinance spaces, the crown molding, some columns, and base elements are painted white. The celestial room features applied millwork columns. Millwork fabrication was completed by Móveis Reeps, Móveis e Decorações Visoma and Fenix Móveis Especiais, all based in Brazil.

The baptismal font railings consist of clear glass panels supported by a metal structure with a matte gold finish and a tauari wood handrail. The railings were fabricated by Latão Arte in São Paulo, Brazil.

The door hardware was designed specifically for the Belo Horizonte temple and is made of brass with a gold finish. Hardware was supplied by ASSA ABLOY BRASIL, with decorative hardware provided by MTA Ferragens.

Original artwork for the temple includes “Mary Teaching the Scriptures to Jesus” by Brazilian artist Clodoaldo Martins and “Sweet Above All That Is Sweet (Mais Doce Que Tudo Que É Doce)” by David Dibble. Both works were created specifically for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple and reflect spiritual themes with regional connections.