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On March 1, 1975, President Spencer W. Kimball — 12th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — spoke to Church members in São Paulo, Brazil, and announced that a temple would soon be built in their city. At the time of the announcement, few Brazilian Saints had been able to attend the temple, as the closest temple was located 4,700 miles away, in Washington, D.C.
Church members in Brazil and throughout South America contributed to the temple efforts, selling their gold and jewelry to donate money to the temple construction and giving their time to build the house of the Lord. Once it was constructed, one Brazilian member named Luiz Pires de Godoy distributed more than 1,000 tickets to the open house with the help of his wife.
After the open house, the São Paulo Brazil Temple was dedicated by President Kimball throughout 10 sessions during four days, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, 1978.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Today we dedicate this holy temple unto Thee, with all that pertains unto it, that it may be a house of prayer, a house of praise and of worship; that Thy glory may rest upon it; that Thy holy presence may be continually in it; that it may be the abode of Thy beloved Son, our Savior; that angels who stand before Thy face may be the hallowed messengers who shall visit it.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the São Paulo Brazil Temple here.
After a year and a half of renovations, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the São Paulo Brazil Temple on Feb. 22, 2004. He was joined by President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency. Church members from all over Brazil and surrounding South American countries attended the dedication, some of whom came by boats along the Amazon River to be at the rededication of the house of the Lord.
Later, a visitors’ center — which included interactive exhibits and a Christus statue — was dedicated on Jan. 21, 2019. This was the first visitors’ center built in South America.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Father, we are so deeply grateful for this, Thy temple. We thank Thee for the priesthood under which it will operate. We thank Thee for the dedicated servants who will labor here. We are grateful for the many faithful Saints who will come to this house as patrons. Bless each one, we humbly pray.”
Read the rededication prayer of the São Paulo Brazil Temple here.
A temple for São Paulo was announced on March 1, 1975, by Church President Spencer W. Kimball in an area conference in a downtown São Paulo convention center.
Elder James E. Faust — assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the São Paulo Brazil Temple on March 20, 1976.
The public was invited to tour the São Paulo Brazil Temple in September 1978. Members and returned missionaries served as tour hosts and distributed tickets to the open house.
The São Paulo Brazil Temple was dedicated by President Kimball from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, 1978. The house of the Lord was dedicated in 10 sessions over these four days.
The temple closed in August 2002, around three months after the dedication of the Campinas Brazil Temple, which is also in the state of São Paulo.
The public was invited to tour the São Paulo Brazil Temple during its four-week open house from Jan. 17 through Feb. 14, 2004. Approximately 99,000 visitors toured the temple, including government and religious leaders from the country, as well as Church members and nonmembers from other countries.
Around 60,000 members gathered for a cultural celebration on Feb. 21, 2004, in the Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo, in honor of the temple rededication. Despite pouring rain that soaked the entire stadium, 7,300 performers danced and sang in colorful costumes to celebrate the São Paulo Brazil Temple.
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the São Paulo Brazil Temple on Feb. 22, 2004. Joining him was President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, as well as Church members from all over Brazil and surrounding South American countries.
A visitors’ center was dedicated on the temple grounds on Jan. 21, 2019. It includes a replica of the Christus statue and interactive exhibits that teach about the gospel and the São Paulo Brazil Temple.
Church President Spencer W. Kimball announced a temple for São Paulo on March 1, 1975, to a large group of Church members in São Paulo. Just over a year later, the groundbreaking ceremony for the São Paulo Brazil Temple was presided over by Elder James E. Faust, assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Kimball dedicated the São Paulo temple in 10 sessions from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 1978. The temple was then closed for renovations in August 2002 until construction was completed, after which the public was invited to tour the finished building from Jan. 17 through Feb. 14, 2004.
It was then rededicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on Feb. 22, 2004. A visitors’ center was later added to the temple grounds, with its dedication taking place on Jan. 21, 2019.
The São Paulo Brazil Temple originally had an area of 51,279 square feet, but after renovations, it was enlarged to occupy an area of 55,000 square feet. The temple sits on 1.85 acres of land, and the exterior is made up from reinforced concrete faced with quartz and marble aggregates. The blocks of concrete were made by members of the Church in São Paulo from a mixture of small marble chips and white cement, followed by a silicone coating.
The interior of the temple contains a baptistry, two ordinance rooms and four sealing rooms. Furniture that was created in the factory of Walter Spat, first president of the first stake in Brazil, when the temple was originally constructed was refurbished during the renovation and remains in excellent condition because of the high quality of the original work.
1 March 1975
30 October 1978
22 February 2004
Avenida Professor Francisco Morato, 2390
Caxingui
São Paulo-SP
05512-300
Brazil
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(55) 11-3723-7600
Avenida Professor Francisco Morato, 2430
Caxingui
São Paulo-SP
05512-300
Brazil
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Brazil and the first in South America.
Church members from São Paulo volunteered to help with construction efforts, including building the neighboring meetinghouse and creating the 50,000 blocks of exterior stone used in the temple walls. This stone was similar to that used on the Provo Utah, Ogden Utah, Idaho Falls Idaho, Oakland California and Los Angeles California temples.
At the time of its dedication, the São Paulo temple was the first temple that could review and approve genealogical records and name submissions for temple work completely in-house without asking the Church headquarters in Salt Lake City for approval.
At the rededication open house for the temple, more than 6,000 families asked to have the missionaries visit them to elaborate on what they learned in the temple.
Shortly after the visitors’ center opened, the city opened a new transit station nearby, allowing easier access to the house of the Lord for temple patrons from the metropolitan area.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Brazil and the first in South America.
Church members from São Paulo volunteered to help with construction efforts, including building the neighboring meetinghouse and creating the 50,000 blocks of exterior stone used in the temple walls. This stone was similar to that used on the Provo Utah, Ogden Utah, Idaho Falls Idaho, Oakland California and Los Angeles California temples.
At the time of its dedication, the São Paulo temple was the first temple that could review and approve genealogical records and name submissions for temple work completely in-house without asking the Church headquarters in Salt Lake City for approval.
At the rededication open house for the temple, more than 6,000 families asked to have the missionaries visit them to elaborate on what they learned in the temple.
Shortly after the visitors’ center opened, the city opened a new transit station nearby, allowing easier access to the house of the Lord for temple patrons from the metropolitan area.
