Dedication of the Tijuana Mexico Temple
The Tijuana Mexico Temple — the northernmost Latter-day Saint temple in Latin America — has blessed the lives of the Saints in Tijuana and surrounding areas ever since it was dedicated.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple on Aug. 18, 2012, Dominga G. Sifuentes, who was baptized in 1964, explained how temples bring peace to the cities in which they’re built:
“I remember when the first chapel was built here. We had 30 members then. Now we have a temple. I've watched the Church grow and have seen many chapels constructed, but the temple brings a special air of peace and tranquility,” she said.
During the temple’s open house, Church member Rumalda Santoval Duran — from San Quintín, a city inside the temple district — spoke of the house of the Lord as a special blessing, saying, “This [temple] is a privilege for us. Before, we had to travel [far inland] to Hermosillo to attend the temple.”
Bill Hurd of Clovis, California, a full-time missionary in Tijuana 43 years prior, echoed the Mexican Saints’ gratitude for the temple at its dedication on Dec. 13, 2015:
“Seeing how we went from five little branches back then to this — a temple — is just overwhelming.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “As we approach Thee in prayer, O God our Eternal Father, we lift our voices in thanksgiving and love on this historic day to dedicate the Tijuana Mexico Temple unto Thee. Our hearts reach out to Thee in faith and prayer. This temple is an answer to the prayers of Thy faithful people and a fulfillment of Thy promises to them. We are jubilant, and our hearts are filled with praise to Thee. Thou hast honored Thy children in directing Thy Prophet to build Thy sacred house here in Tijuana, Mexico.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Tijuana Mexico Temple here.
Timeline of the Tijuana Mexico Temple
Church President Thomas S. Monson announced a temple for Tijuana, Mexico, during general conference Oct. 2, 2010. The groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by Elder Benjamín De Hoyos of the Seventy, first counselor in the Mexico Area Presidency, on Aug. 18, 2012.
More than 71,000 visitors toured the completed house of the Lord from Nov. 13-28, 2015, during its open house. Youth from the temple district paid homage to the house of the Lord in a cultural celebration on Dec. 12, 2015.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Tijuana Mexico Temple on Dec. 13, 2015.
Architecture and Design of the Tijuana Mexico Temple
The 33,367-square-foot Tijuana Mexico Temple was built on 9.4 acres of land. It was built with classic Mexican architecture design elements that are prominent in old Spanish mission-era Catholic chapels in Mexico. Also located on the grounds are administrative offices, a distribution center and other multiuse facilities.
The site also features fountains, palm trees and gardens filled with local flowers. Decorative elements inside the temple include art-glass windows, crystal chandeliers and original paintings and murals that depict local landscapes.
Interior Photos of the Tijuana Mexico Temple
