Dedication of the Mendoza Argentina Temple
In 1925, the early days of the Church in South America, Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated South America for the preaching of the restored gospel. He shared that the Church in South America would grow slowly at first but become increasingly stronger over time, like the growth from a small acorn into a mighty oak tree. The dedication of the Mendoza Argentina Temple served as a further testament to that prophecy.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, nearly 100 years after the beginnings of preaching the restored gospel in the continent, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Mendoza temple, the fourth house of the Lord in Argentina and the 197th worldwide.
Elder Rasband shared a principle about covenants that President Russell M. Nelson — then president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — taught in the April 2017 general conference: “We … increase the Savior’s power in our lives when we make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. Our covenants bind us to Him and give us godly power.” Elder Rasband added, “In the years ahead, we will need that power. We will need to be bold in our testimonies, not just in what we say but how we live.”
The Apostle was accompanied to Mendoza for the dedication by his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband; Elder Joaquin E. Costa, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America South Area, and his wife, Sister Renee Costa; and Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Temple Department.
Argentina reached membership of about 481,500 by the end of 2023, at the time making it the fourth-most members for a country in South America and the seventh-most worldwide. Elder Costa shared, “Looking into the next 100 years, the coming of temples will continue building generations of covenant-keeping Saints, helping our Heavenly Father gather Israel on both sides of the veil.” This became evident at the time of the Mendoza temple dedication, with the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple having been under construction since its April 2022 groundbreaking, and the Buenos Aires City Center and Rosario temples in planning and design.
“In the temple, we receive sacred ordinances and make sacred covenants, first for ourselves and then for our ancestors,” said Elder Rasband. “In the temple, we can receive revelation and gain greater understanding of the Lord’s plan of exaltation, and we can feel unified with our fellow Saints.”
Carlos and Nilda Agüero aided the transition of the Mendoza temple from the conclusion of its construction to the start of its sacred operations, serving as co-chairs for the committee overseeing the temple’s open house and dedication events. Nilda Agüero shared that “many hearts were touched as thousands visited during the open house — 40,495 people in a little more than two weeks, testifying that they felt an indescribable peace, that they felt the Lord’s presence in the celestial room and had seen ancestors who had passed on. All these testimonies were given by people who are not members of the Church that visited the temple. They wanted to stay longer, more than anything in the celestial room.”
Following the first dedicatory session, two 12-year-old young women from Mendoza, Ana Garcia and Paulina Silva, shared their similar experiences of feeling strong spiritual feelings. “I felt the Spirit during the Hosanna Shout, and I now understand it better,” Ana said. “And as we sang ‘The Spirit of God,’ I had chills for the feeling of the Spirit that I felt. I’m very emotional having a dedicated house of the Lord here.” Paulina shared: “In truth, I felt a lot of the Spirit. I didn’t think I would very much, but I felt it very strong, and it was beautiful.”
President Thomas Ingersoll of the Argentina Mendoza Mission and his wife, Sister Pamela Ingersoll, were also in attendance. They shared how much of an impact the temple had already made in the lives of the members as they returned to “take advantage of temple blessings.” President Ingersoll shared: “Our missionaries related countless stories about how those leaving the temple after their tour said they had never felt such peace anywhere else as they had in the celestial room. It has been a powerful spiritual experience not just for the people of Mendoza but also for our missionaries, many of whom have not had many experiences with a temple.”
Elder Alan R. Walker, a General Authority Seventy and counselor in the area presidency — and who, like Elder Costa, is a native of Argentina — shared how much of a blessing the Mendoza temple would be for the Latter-day Saints both in Mendoza as well as surrounding areas, “serving not just as a place of sacred worship but as a symbol of the enduring faith of the members, and of the strength of the Church in Mendoza. It will be a source of spiritual and cultural identity for the members in western Argentina, helping to deepen their connection to Jesus Christ and to His gospel.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We pray the people in the Mendoza temple district will be drawn to the gospel as the Spirit of the Lord attends the temple and settles over this land. ... We pray that those who attend the Mendoza Argentina house of the Lord will be lifted through their promises and covenants higher than the beautiful Andes Mountains.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Mendoza Argentina Temple here.
Timeline of the Mendoza Argentina Temple
The Mendoza Argentina Temple was announced on Oct. 7, 2018, by Church President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication for this house of the Lord were held on Dec. 17, 2020, and presided over by Elder Allen D. Haynie, first counselor in the South America South Area presidency.
After a public open house from Aug. 22 to Sept. 7, 2024, the Mendoza Argentina Temple was dedicated Sept. 22, 2024, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Mendoza Argentina Temple
The Mendoza Argentina Temple is a single-story building of 21,999 square feet. Clad with moleanos limestone from Portugal, the Mendoza temple features architecture inspired by other regional religious and historical architecture.
Design motifs of this house of the Lord are based on the jarilla, a native five-petal flower, geometric and diamond patterns, which are inspired by the local plaza’s tiles; and the acquias, the water aqueducts and channels distinct to the Mendoza region. Those designs are accentuated in the temple’s art glass windows.
The temple stands on a 15-acre site, which includes a meetinghouse, an arrival center and housing for temple leaders and out-of-area patrons. Gardens and a variety of trees, shrubs and perennial plants native to Argentina fill the grounds.
Interior Photos of the Mendoza Argentina Temple
