Taipei Taiwan Temple
Freiberg Germany Temple
Guatemala City Guatemala Temple
32nd dedicated temple in operation
© Mark Croshaw. All rights reserved.
Address
24 Avenida 2-20, Zona 15Vista Hermosa 1
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Guatemala
Telephone: (+502) 2329-8300
Services
NO visitors' center open to the publicArrival center available
Patron housing available
Distribution center on site (Store Locator)
Announcement:
1 April 1981Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:
12 September 1982 by Richard G. ScottPublic Open House:
27 November–10 December 1984Dedication:
14–16 December 1984 by Gordon B. HinckleySite:
1.4 acres | 0.6 hectaresExterior Finish:
Natural white Guatemalan marbleArchitectural Features:
Six detached spires with an angel Moroni statueOrdinance Rooms:
Four instruction rooms, three sealing rooms, and one baptistryTotal Floor Area:
11,610 square feet | 1,079 square metersHeight:
126 feet | 38.4 metersElevation:
5,148 feet | 1,569 metersTemple Locale
Overlooking the capital city of Guatemala, the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple stands on an elevated site in the neighborhood of Vista Hermosa on the eastern side of the city. A missionary training center and patron housing facility are also part of the temple complex. Six soaring spires surround the landmark building. The beautified ground are open to the public.
Temple History
The Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was the first temple built in Central America (and in Guatemala).
The Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was the third temple built in a Spanish-speaking country, following the Santiago Chile Temple (1983) and the Mexico City Mexico Temple (1983).
The Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was originally named the Guatemala City Temple.
John O'Donnal, an American who moved to Guatemala at age 24, traveled to Salt Lake City in 1946 and again in 1947 to plead with the president of the Church to send missionaries to Guatemala. Four elders arrived in December 1947, and the country was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel. O'Donnal later became the first president of the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
Sister Carmen O'Donnal—the first matron of the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple—was also the first native of Guatemala to be baptized into the Church.
Udine Falabella, who was the president of the first stake created in Guatemala, organized the first temple trip from the area to the Mesa Arizona Temple. Later, he became the fifth president of the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
During the two-week public open house of the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple, 24,206 people toured the edifice before its dedication. Volunteering at the temple were 179 missionaries, working in six-hour shifts. About 3,700 copies of the Book of Mormon were distributed, most of which had personally written testimonies inside by Guatemalan Saints.
Central American Saints traveled from near and far to attend the dedication of the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple. Participating nations included Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.
Civil War embroiled the nation of Guatemala at the time the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was dedicated. In recognition of this strife, President Gordon B. Hinckley prayed in his dedicatory prayer: "May there be peace in the land. May it be preserved from revolution and war." By 1996, a peace accord had been signed.
