Caracas Venezuela Temple

Dedication of the Caracas Venezuela Temple

The public open house for the Caracas Venezuela Temple left many visitors in tears. After a tour through the temple, one woman said, “What next? How can I be a part of this Church?”

Church President Gordon B. Hinckley both announced and dedicated the Caracas Venezuela Temple, with the initial temple announcement on Sept. 30, 1995, and the eventual dedication just under five years later, on Aug. 20, 2000.

Around 6,000 Saints from all throughout the country attended one of four dedicatory sessions.

Carlos Ordeneta, a Saint from Maracaibo, Venezuela, traveled 10 hours with a group of Church members to attend the ceremony. “Having the Prophet dedicate the temple in our country is something I will always remember,” said Ordeneta. “The temple is the best thing that has ever happened to Venezuela.”

Jorge Alberto Ruiz, president of the Caracas Venezuela Urdaneta Stake in 2000, told the Church News at the dedication ceremony that “The Venezuelan temple will leave our people spiritually refined. Our people are going to change. Venezuela is going to change.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Bless all who serve in this, Thy house. May the president and his counselors, the matron and her assistants, be granted strength and vitality to carry forward and direct the great work to be performed here. May the workers and all who contribute in any way to the solemnity and spirit of Thy house be blessed in their ministry. Touch the hearts of all who come as patrons, that they may recognize that they stand in holy places as they serve in Thine abode.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Caracas Venezuela Temple here.

Timeline of the Caracas Venezuela Temple

September

30

1995

Announced

Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced “the possibility of [a temple] in Venezuela” during October general conference on Sept. 30, 1995. Plans to build the temple in Caracas were announced in May 1998 by President Hinckley and his two counselors, Presidents Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust, via a letter sent to Latter-day Saint leaders in Venezuela.

January

10

1999

Groundbreaking

Ground was broken for the temple on Jan. 10, 1999. Elder Francisco J. Viñas, president of the South America North Area at the time, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony. He was joined by his counselors, Elder Robert J. Whetten and Elder Walter F. Gonzalez.

August

05

2000

Open house

The public was invited to tour the completed temple from Aug. 5-12, 2000. A total of 27,806 visitors attended the open house.

August

20

2000

Dedication

The Caracas Venezuela Temple was dedicated in four sessions by President Hinckley on Aug. 20, 2000. He was accompanied by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Robert J. Whetten, then the president of the South America North Area.

SEE ALL Timeline of the Caracas Venezuela Temple

A temple for Venezuela was announced by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on Sept. 30, 1995. The site in Caracas for the house of the Lord was announced via letters to Latter-day Saint leaders in Venezuela in May 1998.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the temple on Jan. 10, 1999, and nearly 28,000 visitors toured the completed edifice from Aug. 5-12, 2000. President Hinckley dedicated the Caracas Venezuela Temple on Aug. 20, 2000.

Architecture and Design of the Caracas Venezuela Temple

The 15,332-square-foot Caracas Venezuela Temple was built on 0.5 acres of land. Sharing the grounds with the two-storied temple is a building that houses a meetinghouse and Church offices.

The interior of the house of the Lord features two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms and a baptistry.