Asunción Paraguay Temple Wiki

On 2 April 2000, an announcement was made that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was planning to build a temple in Paraguay. Although there were already eleven other dedicated temples in South America, the Asunción Paraguay Temple was the first temple to be built in Paraguay. For the more than 68,000 members that the Asunción Paraguay Temple would serve, the announcement was gladly received. ^[2] “Asunción Paraguay Temple,” Ensign, Aug. 2002,

A Groundbreaking and Site Dedication were held for the Asunción Paraguay Temple on 3 February 2001. Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy and president of the South America South Area, who presided over the groundbreaking ceremony said he felt impressed during the site dedicatory prayer to designate the block for the temple grounds, even -though all of the land had not yet been purchased. He said that the hand of Lord opened the path to buy the land needed to complete the temple grounds.

Elder Jensen offered the dedicatory prayer giving thanks that the people of this nation would soon receive the fullness of priesthood blessings and ordinances in their own country. He also gave thanks for those persons whose lives would be touched and forever changed by coming to a knowledge of the restored gospel because of the future temple. He expressed desire that the members would dutifully pay their tithes, thus enabling them to receive temple recommends.^[3]Pedro Servin Fabio, “Rains cool Paraguay temple groundbreaking,” Church News 17 Feb. 2001: 3.

An open house was held from May 4–11, 2002. This allowed Latter-day Saints and those not of the faith to see the inside of the temple and learn more about what takes place inside.

The open house for the Asunción Paraguay Temple generated wide interest from media representatives, civic leaders, and the general public. The week-long event brought 22,482 visitors with nearly 3,000 requesting more information about the Church. Among the invited VIP guests was the First Lady of Paraguay, Mrs. Susana Galli de Gonzalez Macchi, who expressed beautiful words of gratitude for the “magnificent” temple that was being inaugurated in Asunción.

The Asunción Paraguay Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley just two days after he presided over the dedication of the Campinas Brazil Temple. Local media outlets covered the event, featuring quotations from President Hinckley and other Church members who were interviewed.

On Sunday 19 May 2002 four dedicatory sessions were held, allowing all church members who wanted to attend an opportunity to be present. LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley gave the dedicatory prayer.

The day of the dedication was rainy. However, thousands of members from Paraguay and Argentina traveled to attend, and the local media covered the event.

Once the Asunción Paraguay Temple was dedicated in 2002, every Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nation in South America had an operating temple. This milestone was reached just 24 years after the dedication of the first temple in South America—the São Paulo Brazil Temple (1978)

On 10 April 2017 the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the closure of the Asunción Paraguay Temple for extensive renovations. The renovations will help maintain functionality, efficiency, and beauty. The temple will receive mechanical upgrades along with updates in finishes and furnishings. The Renovations are expected to be completed in 2019. Once the renovations are complete, a public open house and rededication services will be announced. While the temple is closed, Latter-day Saints will be able to attend neighboring temples.

The Asunción Paraguay Temple closed on October 29, 2017. Renovations are anticipated to be completed in 2019.^[5]”Four Mormon Temples Will Close for Renovation”, Newsroom, LDS Church, 2017-04-10, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/four-mormon-temples-closing-renovation-2017 .

On 21 May 2019 The Church announced the Open house and rededication of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple, in conjunction with the dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple.^[6]”Update on Two South America Temples,” Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 21 May 2019

The 7 day open house was scheduled for 12 October through 19 October, with the temple being closed on Sunday 13 October.^[7]”Update on Two South America Temples,” Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 21 May 2019^[8]Swensen, Jason. “Elder Christofferson  Rededicates Asuncion Paraguay Temple in Spanish — Here Are Highlights From the Event.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2019/11/3/23215628/paraguay-temple-south-america-elder-christofferson.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the Asunción Paraguay Temple rededication on 3 November 2019, being the first time he had rededicated a temple. The moment was punctuated by the fact that Elder Christofferson had served as a young missionary in part of the Asunción Paraguay Temple district.

Of the experience, he shared, “It’s hard to put into words the feelings that one has coming back to where he or she served a mission, and then seeing the Church’s development in the meantime — along with the promise of what’s yet to come.”

“The promise of what’s yet to come” is the story of the Paraguayan people. The Church had very small beginnings with many challenges in Paraguay, but the faithful Saints continued to see the blessings of their perseverance.

“We know what a special place this is,” said Sister Kathy Christofferson, wife of Elder Christofferson. “Everything in this building teaches how much the Lord loves His children. He wants to bless them as they make covenants to serve Him.”^[9]Swensen, Jason. “Elder Christofferson  Rededicates Asuncion Paraguay Temple in Spanish — Here Are Highlights From the Event.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2019/11/3/23215628/paraguay-temple-south-america-elder-christofferson.

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The Asunción Paraguay Temple is located near the center of Asunción in the Mariscal López neighborhood on the corner of Avenida España and Avenida Brasilia—a major city thoroughfare. Sharing the temple site is a meetinghouse, which was constructed as an addition to a former residential mansion and is known locally as Capilla Moroni. Across the street from the meetinghouse are Church offices, a distribution center, and a patron housing facility.

The Asunción Paraguay Temple was built on the site of the first Latter-day Saint meetinghouse built in Paraguay in 1964. The building was demolished to make room for the temple.

The temple grounds are filled with vivid green grass, tropical trees, and bright flowers.

The temple has a long, rectangular design with a single spire .

Decorative circles carved into the exterior walls are centered above trios of rectangular windows. A similar circle motif can also be seen in the fence surrounding the beautiful temple grounds.

Cladding

The Temple is covered with light gray Asa Branca Brazilian granite.

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The Asuncion Paraguay Temple has a single spire that is typical of the small temples built during President Hinckley’s tenure. The spire is inline with the main entrance, and consisting of 4 levels of progressively smaller and taller cubes.

A Copy of Karl Quilter’s 1982 7 foot fiberglass statue was placed upon the temple 17 October of 2001. The statue faces East by North.

Inside the temple are a baptistry and instruction rooms, as well as a celestial room. The temple also contains two sealing rooms, where marriages are performed.

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