Fortaleza Brazil Temple Wiki

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.

Brazil Temples at Time of Announcement

Announced

• –

Under Construction

• Manaus Brazil [2008]

Dedicated

• Curitiba Brazil [2008]
• Campinas Brazil [2002]
• Porto Alegre Brazil [2000]
• Recife Brazil [2000]
• São Paulo Brazil [1978]

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.

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

Public tours of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple began on Saturday, April 27, and continued for three weeks through Saturday, May 18, 2019. Covered walkway structures were placed on the grounds to provide shade for guests who walked between the meetinghouse and the temple as part of their open house experience.

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 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.

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.

Cladding

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Water Course

Windows

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Spandrel panel