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Monterrey
Mexico Temple Dedicated, Brings Total Number of Latter-day Saint
Temples in Mexico to 12
SALT LAKE CITY
— More than 125 years after missionaries of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints first rode into Mexico on horseback,
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated a temple in Monterrey,
Mexico — the Church's 110th operating temple worldwide.
Sunday, 28 April
2002, marked the dedication of the 12th Latter-day Saint temple
in Mexico — the country second only to the United States in
number of temples and number of Church members.
Latter-day Saints
in Mexico now total 920,000 — a far cry from 1875 when seven
missionaries began preaching there. In 1901 the Church opened its
Mexican mission in Mexico City. During the Mexican Revolution (1910-17),
the Church withdrew its missionaries, and the members who remained
conducted Church activities on their own.
The first temple
in Mexico, located in Mexico City, was dedicated by President Hinckley
on 2 December 1983. Sunday's dedication in Monterrey was his 75th
temple dedication.
President Hinckley
conducted four formal dedicatory sessions during the day, with the
traditional cornerstone ceremony taking place outside the temple
during the first session.
Plans for constructing
the Monterrey Mexico Temple were announced on 21 December 1995.
Church leaders conducted groundbreaking ceremonies on 4 November
2000. The temple will serve more than 90,900 members in 31 stakes
and districts (similar to dioceses).
Prior to the
dedicatory services, an open house was held, accommodating prominent
business, government and civic leaders as well as officials from
other religious faiths.
For the more
than 11 million Latter-day Saints in 162 countries and territories
around the world, temples are considered “houses of the Lord”
where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage,
baptism and other sacred ordinances that unite families for eternity.
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the hundreds of meetinghouses
or churches where members typically meet for Sunday worship services
and midweek social activities.
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© 2002Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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