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When Peruvian Latter-day Saints received news in 1981 that a house of the Lord would be built in their country, they gladly sacrificed whatever it took to contribute. Some gave personal possessions, and others sold their furniture or appliances. Some members gave their gold wedding bands, and others even had gold fillings pried from their teeth and replaced with a less-costly substance.
Yet despite these offerings, “at the dedication sessions, members never mentioned their sacrifices, only their gratitude,” a 1986 Church News article reported.
The Lima Peru Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, in 11 sessions from Jan. 10 to Jan. 12, 1986. President Hinckley said at the dedication that he was so pleased to see the temple that “I couldn’t hold back the tears, and I haven’t been able to hold them back since. There stands now a house of the Lord in the nation of Peru. God be thanked for this glorious and happy day.”
The Prophet was joined at the ceremony by Elder James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Robert L. Simpson, a General Authority Seventy and managing director of the Church’s Temple Department. Members of the South America North Area presidency were also in attendance: Elders F. Burton Howard, Loren C. Dunn and Helio Camargo.
A total of 10,777 members from all over the country visited a dedicatory session. Some Peruvian Saints traveled up to 26 hours by bus to attend the ceremony.
Mario Perotti, a temple committee chairman in Peru, said about the dedication, “The conquistadors searched in the jungle for gold, but they found none. We now have a greater place to search. Here is our gold, here in the temple.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We are particularly mindful this day of the sons and daughters of Lehi. ... Surely father Lehi has wept with sorrow over his posterity. Surely he weeps today with gladness, for in this holy house there will be exercised the fullness of the priesthood to the blessing, not only of those of this and future generations, but also to the blessing of those of previous generations.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Lima Peru Temple here.
President Spencer W. Kimball, 12th President of the Church, announced a temple for Lima, Peru, on April 1, 1981, during a press conference on Temple Square. It was one of nine temples announced worldwide, making this — at the time — the largest number of temples announced at once.
Ground was broken for the temple on Sept. 11, 1982, with Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding over the ceremony. Around 3,500 people were in attendance for the ceremony, including a 200-voice choir.
The public was invited to tour this house of the Lord from Dec. 12 to Dec. 28, 1985. Approximately 24,500 visitors attended the temple throughout this time, a majority of them being nonmembers.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Lima Peru Temple in 11 sessions from Jan. 10-12, 1986. Elder James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was also at the event.
The Lima Peru Temple was announced April 1, 1981, by Church President Spencer W. Kimball. A groundbreaking ceremony was then held Sept. 11, 1982, presided over by Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
After an open house from Dec. 12 to 28, 1985, the Lima Peru Temple was dedicated from Jan. 10 to Jan. 12, 1986, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
This first house of the Lord in Peru has a floor area of around 9,600 square feet and sits on a site of 4.5 acres. A row of many back-to-back arches surround the temple, such as in the windows, the doors and impressions in the walls.
Six tall, white spires stand around the six-sided temple, with three at the front and three toward the back. The white exterior is made of granite, with a red roof peaked on top. A statue of the angel Moroni rises to 112 feet atop the tallest spire, in front of the building.
Inside the temple are four instruction rooms, three sealing rooms, the baptistry and the celestial room. Adjacent to the temple is a building with patron housing and a distribution center.
1 April 1981
10 January 1986
Avenida Javier Prado Este 6420
Urb. Santa Patricia
La Molina
Lima, Lima 12
Peru
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Peru. It was also the third temple built in South America.
A 1981 Church News article about the temple’s announcement pointed out these timeline statistics: “The first nine temples of the Church took 97 years to construct, the second nine 47 years. The third nine were announced within seven years, and the last nine in one news conference.”
It was dedicated only seven days before another South American house of the Lord, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, was dedicated. Both temples were dedicated in 11 sessions throughout three days.
The dedications of the Lima and Buenos Aires temples in January 1986 doubled the number of temples in South America, from two to four. The first two temples on the continent were the São Paulo Brazil and Santiago Chile temples.
When it was dedicated, the Lima temple had a district of 119,000 Saints in Peru and 45,000 in Bolivia.
Attendance at the temple tripled in its first two years of operation; the number of endowment sessions on weekdays increased from three to 11.
When the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple is dedicated, Lima will become the first city outside of the United States to have two operating temples.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Peru. It was also the third temple built in South America.
A 1981 Church News article about the temple’s announcement pointed out these timeline statistics: “The first nine temples of the Church took 97 years to construct, the second nine 47 years. The third nine were announced within seven years, and the last nine in one news conference.”
It was dedicated only seven days before another South American house of the Lord, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, was dedicated. Both temples were dedicated in 11 sessions throughout three days.
The dedications of the Lima and Buenos Aires temples in January 1986 doubled the number of temples in South America, from two to four. The first two temples on the continent were the São Paulo Brazil and Santiago Chile temples.
When it was dedicated, the Lima temple had a district of 119,000 Saints in Peru and 45,000 in Bolivia.
Attendance at the temple tripled in its first two years of operation; the number of endowment sessions on weekdays increased from three to 11.
When the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple is dedicated, Lima will become the first city outside of the United States to have two operating temples.