1983 Dedication of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
The Mexico City Mexico Temple was dedicated on Dec. 2, 1983, as the first Latter-day Saint temple in Mexico. It was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was serving as the second counselor in the First Presidency. This was his second time dedicating a temple in North America.
Before the dedication, Latter-day Saints had to travel to the Mesa Arizona Temple, located around 1,500 miles (around 2,400 kilometers) from Mexico City. More than 120,000 people attended the Mexico City temple's open house in November 1983, with some days seeing as many as 20,000 visitors. One visitor came back to the open house with 29 friends, and he asked permission to bring 100 more people.
The temple's open house and subsequent dedication spread awareness of the Church of Jesus Christ in Mexico. Five and a half years after the dedication, on July 25, 1989, Mexico became the first country outside the United States to have 100 stakes. More than 500,000 Latter-day Saints were estimated to live in the country at the time.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this temple be holy to all who enter it. May they do so with cleanliness and with purity of heart. May none ever defile it, and may all who look upon it see it as a place of holiness and as the expression of a thankful people to their Creator and to their Redeemer.”
Read the 1983 dedicatory prayer of the Mexico City Mexico Temple here.
2008 Rededication of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
After almost 25 years after its dedication, the Mexico City temple was rededicated on Nov. 16, 2008, and the dedicatory prayer was offered by Church President Thomas S. Monson. At the cultural celebration the night before, he sang a song in Spanish to those in attendance. He admitted afterward, “That is the first and only time I have sung a solo in a conference.”
Around 91,000 people toured the temple's open house, and missionaries collected more than 10,000 referrals from people wanting to learn more about the Church. Thousands of people participated in the rededication ceremony on Nov. 16, and many more saw the services via closed-circuit broadcasts to meetinghouses in Mexico, Canada and the United States. President Juan Becerra of the temple presidency said, "You can point to the temples as the reason why families are stronger here in Mexico."
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We plead with Thee to make us worthy to inherit the fulness of those blessings found only in Thy holy temples — even those blessings which grow out of a continuation of the family unit forever.”
Read the 2008 rededication prayer of the Mexico City Mexico Temple here.
2015 Rededication of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
The Mexico City temple was rededicated a second time for interior remodeling and exterior cleaning. The second rededication happened on Sept. 13, 2015, and the prayer was offered by President Henry B. Eyring, who was serving as the first counselor in the First Presidency. President Eyring's great-grandfather was one of the first Latter-day Saint missionaries in Mexico City.
Jorge A. Rojas and his wife, Marcela Rojas — from Monterrey, a city around 450 miles (around 720 kilometers) north of Mexico City — attended both the 2008 and 2015 rededication ceremonies. In an article about the 2015 rededication, Jorge said, "This temple has provided us with all we really need in life."
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Please protect us against temptation. Guard and fortify and strengthen all who come here against the forces of evil. Please strengthen the youth who are surrounded by temptations and evil. Give them the courage to stand firm for truth and righteousness. Bless them with a vision of their eternal purpose.”
Read the 2015 rededication prayer of the Mexico City Mexico Temple here.
Timeline of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
The Mexico City Mexico Temple was announced by Church leaders on April 3, 1976. Almost eight years later, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on Dec. 2, 1983.
The house of the Lord has been rededicated twice since then to perform renovations. Both closures lasted approximately 19 months. President Thomas S. Monson gave the first rededication prayer on Nov. 16, 2008, and President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, gave the second rededication prayer on Sept. 13, 2015.
Architecture and Design of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
The Mexico City temple covers an area of 35,551 square feet. It has a height of 151 feet, not including the statue of the angel Moroni, which adds an additional 15.5 feet.
The temple exterior is made of white cast stone and draws inspiration from ancient Mayan designs. This can be seen in the temple’s rectangular base, basket-weave design and levels that decrease in size as the house of the Lord increases in height. Marble for the temple was extracted from Spain and fabricated in China.
Inside the temple, elaborate millwork can be found in the carved columns and wood furniture. A Mesoamerican design can be seen throughout, such as in the carpet and art glass. New doors made of oak wood and cast bronze were installed in 2015.
The temple sits on a 1.82-acre site, with grass, palm trees and flowers of various colors adorning the temple grounds. In front of the temple is a rectangular reflecting pool near two staircases, one on each side, that lead up to the entrance. A distribution center and a visitors’ center are located near the temple.
Interior Photos of the Mexico City Mexico Temple
