Description

History

The first members of the Church in Brazil were immigrants who had joined the Church in their native Germany before moving to Brazil. Missionaries arrived in 1928 but due to the prohibition on ordaining men of African descent to the Priesthood, they were instructed to only work with German people living in the southern part of the country. When the Brazilian government outlawed the use of non-Portuguese languages in public meetings in 1938, the mission switched from the German language mission to a Portuguese speaking one. One of the early missionaries in Brazil, serving in 1939, was James E. Faust.

The first stake in Brazil was organized by Spencer W. Kimball in 1966 in Sao Paulo. This was the first stake in all of South America.

In 1967, the policy on race and the priesthood was changed such that dark-skinned people were presumed eligible for the priesthood by default unless there was specific evidence of African descent.

In 1978, the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple was completed. The opening of the temple in Sao Paulo may have influenced the Church’s decision to reverse the ban on men of African descent from holding the priesthood due to difficulty in determining racial origins of many Brazilian church members.

The Church currently has over 1.3 million members spread throughout more than 2,000 congregations in the country. As of 1 January 2016, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 1,326,738 members in 256 stakes and 39 districts, 2,038 Congregations (1,593 wards and 445 branches), 34 missions, and six temples in Brazil. There are 13 stakes in the immediate vicinity of Fortaleza. Members currently travel nearly 500 miles to attend the Recife Brazil Temple, which serves over 80 stakes and districts in northern Brazil.

Announcement

Plans for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple were announced 3 October 2009, by Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during the Saturday morning session of the 179th Semiannual General Conference.^[1]”President Thomas S. Monson: ‘Welcome to Conference‘”, Deseret News, October 3, 2009, retrieved 2012-11-06.

President Monson said, “We desire that as many members as possible have the opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances.”^[2]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “Five New Temples Announced,” 3 Oct. 2009.

Groundbreaking

The Church held a groundbreaking ceremony for the temple site on November 15, 2011. Church leader David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the ceremony and assured those gathered that “this temple will be a source of hope, light and faith in God for all who come and walk here and in this field. This city will always be better and different because of the temple to be built here.”^[3] “Ground Broken for Fortaleza Brazil Temple,” Newsroom, Nov. 15, 2011. ^[4]Garcia, Nei; Weaver, Sarah Jane (November 19, 2011), “Work begins in Fortaleza, Brazil“, Church News, retrieved 2012-11-06

Stake presidencies, bishops, and their family members from 15 stakes in the Fortaleza region were invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at the temple site. During the days prior and following the groundbreaking, Elder Bednar presided and spoke at a variety of Church meetings including the Fortaleza Brazil Benfica Stake Conference, a missionary conference, and firesides for Young Single Adults and married couples.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, the original double-tower design was unveiled. After the groundbreaking, the city came forward to express the feeling that the original double-tower design of the temple was not inline with the look and feel for the city plan. All work on the temple was suspended and the Church redesigned the plan.

On May 16, 2014, the Mayor of Fortaleza, Roberto Claudio, met with Elder Jairo Mazzagardi, First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency; Elder Mozart Soares of the Seventy; and Alri Nogueira, a member of the Church and former Fortaleza councilman. The main topic of conversation was the temple. The mayor expressed his admiration for the Church and his pleasure with having a temple constructed in Fortaleza. He asked to be invited to tour the facility during construction and especially during the open house following its completion. At the conclusion of the visit, the mayor was presented with a Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square music CD and a family statue.^[5]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “Prefeito e líderes da Igreja de Jesus Cristo conversam sobre o futuro Templo em Fortaleza,” 28 May 2014, 25 Jun. 2014.

2014

In May 2014 the government granted approval for the temple’s redesigned plans, with permission to begin construction.

2016

May 29th – heavy equipment moved onto the site.
June 28th – Excavation for footings underway.
August (Late) – Foundations poured.
November 28th – Main Floor Walls in place

2017

January 3rd – Second Floor walls poured.
February 9th – Parapet walls poured.
March 22nd – framing for tower begun.

Open House

On January 10, 2019, the LDS Church announced plans for a public open house.^[6]”Brazil Temple Nearly Ready for Open House Visits: Fortaleza Brazil Temple”, Newsroom, LDS Church, 2019-01-10http://”Brazil Temple Nearly Ready for Open House Visits: Fortaleza Brazil Temple”, Newsroom, LDS Church, 2019-01-10 The open house for the Fortaleza Brazil Temple was held on 17 April 2019 through 18 May 2019. An open house was not conducted on the following Sundays: 28 April, 5 May, and 12 May 2019.

Youth Devotional

A devotional for the youth was held in the Church stake center adjacent to the temple on Saturday, 1 June 2019. The devotional was broadcast throughout the temple district. During the devotional, Elder Soares emphasized the purity of the House of the Lord and the importance of one being worthy to participate in temple ordinances, even as a youth and young adult. He repeatedly gestured and pointed toward the temple from the pulpit to underscore a fortress of strength to help withstand temptations, both before and after missions and marriage.

Dedication

The Fortaleza Brazil Temple was the first temple dedicated outside of the United States by an apostle native to that country.

Elder Ulisses Soares, the Brazilian-born member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated the Fortaleza Brazil Temple in three sessions on Sunday, 2 June 2019. Each session was broadcast to members of the Church throughout the temple district.^[7]”Elder Ulisses Soares Dedicates Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Temple is the 7th in the country, 164th worldwide“. Newsroom. LDS Church. 2 June 2019.

Elder Soares commented that he was grateful that the First Presidency assigned him to dedicate the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. he said, “They could have sent any other apostle, but they gave me the opportunity. It means a lot. It is my own country, my own language, and my own people. He continued, “It is something that touches my heart profoundly because I see the hand of the Lord blessing our country.”^[8]”Elder Ulisses Soares Dedicates Fortaleza Brazil Temple,” Newsroom, 2 June 2019

Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy; Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Temple Department; and members of the area presidency, Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis, president, Elder W. Mark Bassett, the first counselor, and Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, the second counselor, assisted Elder Soares with the traditional cornerstone ceremony.

The dedication in Fortaleza also made Church history — on several accounts. Elder Soares now becomes the first apostle from outside the United States to dedicate a temple in his home country. And he dedicated the Church’s seventh temple in Brazil — and 164th worldwide — in Portuguese, his native tongue. It is only the third time a temple dedicatory prayer has been offered in a non-English language, not needing to be translated for the predominant population of local Latter-day Saints. All three dedicatory sessions in Fortaleza were done completely in Portuguese — all talks, all hymns, all prayers as well as the dedicatory prayers and Hosanna Shout.

After the day’s third and final dedicatory session, Elder Soares said, “I felt like we were in heaven – I think the Lord gave us an opportunity to feel the spirit of the country and the spirit of the language.”

The Fortaleza Brazil Temple is the seventh temple in Brazil.

Details

Location

The 8.75-acre site is located at Avenida Santos Dumont Esq Rua Mal. Mascarenhas Morais, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, on a small rise, offering patrons and visitors a lovely view of the beautiful coastal city of Fortaleza below. In addition to the temple, the site also includes meticulously manicured temple grounds, where visitors are welcome to stroll and experience the peaceful atmosphere that permeates this place of worship.. he Fortaleza Brazil Temple stands in the beautiful coastal neighborhood of Dunas on a site located across from the esteemed FANOR, an institute of higher education.

Exterior

With Fortaleza as the capital of the state of Ceará, it is fitting that the temple’s exterior is covered with Branco Ceará granite quarried near the temple. The domed single spire rises over 100 feet high and is topped with the gilded statue of the ancient prophet Moroni.