Description

The Caracas Venezuela Temple is a majestic landmark that serves members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Venezuela and in Trinidad and Tobago. The Caracas Venezuela Temple serves about 85,000 members in sixteen stakes and eleven districts. Before, the closest temple to the Venezuelan saints was the Lima Peru Temple approximately 2,000 miles away.

History

In November of 1966 the beautiful land of Venezuela was dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Elder Marion G. Romney. Within weeks, four missionaries arrived in Venezuela. They arrived in a land Christopher Columbus had called the “Land of Grace,” and a land where the geography varies from rain forests to high mountain peaks to balmy beaches. ^[1]Alejandro Portal Campos, “News of the Church,” Ensign, Mar. 2000, 77

The cmissionaries found a people who were ready to accept the Gospel, such as the Manuel and Luisa Vargas family. When Manuel and Luisa were married in 1969, they wanted a lot of children but were concerned about the influences of the world. Six months later, when Luisa was pregnant with their first child, the missionaries knocked on their door to bring them the Gospel of Jesus Christ – within a few weeks they were baptized. When their son Luis was born, he became the first of a new generation of Venezuelans born and raised in the Mormon Church.

In less than eight years the Church membership in Venezuela had grown to nearly four thousand, and in the mid-1980’s, twenty years after the first missionaries arrived, the membership had reached nearly twenty-five thousand.

Announced

In 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to construct a temple in Venezuela. Immediately following that announcement, a search was conducted to find a suitable site on which to build. Several properties were considered over the next eighteen months but none was chosen. By 1997, no site had been found.

In April 1998, President Hinckley announced a plan to construct 30 small-design temples throughout the world. Suddenly new options opened up in Venezuela. The Church examined existing holdings in the country, and finally a decision was made to build the temple in the city of Caracas on land that the Church had owned since 1977. ^[2]”Choosing the Land”, by Flora Ruscitt

Although the Caracas Venezuela Temple was announced before this a 2 story variant of the principles in President Hinckley’s Small Temple design.

Unexpected obstacles occurred during the construction of the temple. When digging the foundation, excavators discovered an underground spring. Once the water was diverted, the excavation continued. However, the digging caused two major landslides. The first landslide did not cause any damage, but the second did. Eight tons of earth and materials were shifted in the slide. Duane Cheney, construction supervisor for the Church, stated that, “In all my experience as a builder, never have I had the problems that I have seen in temple construction … the adversary works with power and strength … Jesus Christ himself, directs this project and has helped us and will continue doing so.” ^[3]”The First 100 Temples”, by Chad Hawkins, 2001, p. 256

Groundbreaking

Elder Francisco J. Viñas of the Seventy and president of the South America North Area presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple on January 10, 1999 . In his speech, Elder Viñas said, “Let us establish an analogy; let us think of today as the groundbreaking for a change in our lives. And as all temples are built upon solid foundations, in a like manner, our lives need foundations that will sustain us and allow us to grow spiritually.”

Referring to the temple’s open house, he continued, “This will be a special occasion to invite our family, friends and neighbors, to come here and here to understand the significance of this house. But the open house requires preparation, and for this I am asking each of you to first prepare yourselves.” Elder Viñas also noted that the members would have the responsibility of the temple’s maintenance. “Do you imagine what a privilege it is to go to the House of the Lord and be able to prepare it so that others who come will find it clean?” he asked. He encouraged all those present and “able to enjoy this day, and whose hearts comprehended the things spoken of, to leave with the resolution to begin a change in their lives that will permit them to enter the temple, to have a life clean enough to bring into the House of the Lord.”^[4]Church News, 30 January 1999

Elder Robert J. Whetten, counselor in the area presidency, pointed out that the temple had come not only through the efforts of those in attendance but also through the efforts of many members and missionaries from the past. He asked the members “to first prepare our hearts by pardoning all those who have offended us. Next, we ought to increase our love?that attribute that distinguishes us as Latter-day Saints?beginning with our families, our wife or husband, our children and then to others who do not belong to the Church.” He requested members to increase their understanding of the meaning of the temple, especially the covenants and blessing of being able to participate in the saving ordinances ^[5]Church News, 30 January 1999

Open House

Before the dedication, the temple was open for visitors to tour from August 5 to 11, 2000. More than 27,000 people visited the temple during that time, and they were able to learn more about the purposes of Mormon temples.

Dedication

On August 20, 2000, President Hinckley dedicated the Caracas Venezuela Temple as a house of God. Approximately 6,000 Church members in Venezuela attended the dedication, and many traveled long distances to be there. One member named Carlos Ordeneta, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, traveled 10 hours with other members in order to be at the dedication. He said, “Having the prophet dedicate the temple in our country is something I will always remember.”1^[6] “‘A Milestone in Church History’: 100 Temples,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 109.

President Hinckley began the dedicatory prayer by dedicating the temple and its grounds. He then said, “We pray that it may ever be sacred to all who look upon it and to all who serve within its walls. May it be reverenced as Thy divine abode. May it be sanctified as Thy dwelling place.” He also blessed those who would enter the temple and then blessed the country of Venezuela, saying, “We pray for this great nation of Venezuela. … May its people be blessed and prospered.”2^[7] Caracas Venezuela Temple dedicatory prayer, in Church News, Aug. 26, 2000, . President Hinckley counseled the members never to let a day pass without holding a current temple recommend.

After the dedication, many members waited outside to see President Hinckley and other visiting authorities of the Church. As the prophet was driving away in his car, many members waved white handkerchiefs and sang the hymn “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” President Hinckley waved back as he passed them.

Dedication Order

The Caracas Venezuela Temple now stands as the Church’s first temple in Venezuela and the 96th operating temple worldwide. As Church members come to find peace within its walls, all visitors are also welcome to walk the peaceful temple grounds and enjoy the beauty of this edifice.

Presidents

Temple President	Years Served
José I. Rivero	2017–
Álvaro J. Pineda	2014–2017
Luis M. Petit	2010–2014
Teodoro Hoffmann	2007–2010
David C. Hoopes	2004–2007
R. Raymond Barnes	2002–2004
Mac R. Call	2000–2002

Details

Location

Exterior

Its exterior is made of granite

Cladding

Windows

Spire and Moroni

the building includes one grand spire with a statue of the angel Moroni on top — a prophet from the Book of Mormon. This angel, which is a distinguishing feature on most Mormon temples, holds a trumpet in his right hand, symbolizing the gospel spreading forth on the earth and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There have been various versions of this statue created for temple spires; the one on the Caracas Venezuela Temple was created by Karl A. Quilter in 1998 to accommodate the many new temples that were smaller than previous designs.

Symbolism

Inscription

Above the Caracas Venezuela Temple entrance, the phrases “Holiness to the Lord — the House of the Lord” are inscribed in Spanish: “Santidad al Señor — la Casa del Señor.” These words indicate that this building is sacred.

Interior

Within the temple are a baptistry, instruction rooms, sealing rooms (where marriages are performed) and a celestial room (which symbolizes heaven). Latter-day Saints renew their commitments to God and to each other in the temple, and they promise to live according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Temples are known for their exquisite architectural designs, and the Caracas Venezuela Temple is no exception.

With 15,332 square feet, the Caracas Venezuela Temple was based on a design that used less square footage than many early Mormon temples. These early temples were more expensive to build and maintain, making it impractical for the Church to build them in more remote areas of the world. Since temple worship is such an important part of Latter-day Saint religious life, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley wanted to think of some way to bring temples closer to these Church members. He was eventually inspired with a smaller design that was economical and that still contained all the essential rooms for worship.

Sources and Citations

External Links

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
• Wikipedia
• MormonWiki

Additional Articles

Sources/Citations