Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple
| Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple | ||||
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Interactive map of Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple | ||||
| Number | 141 | |||
| Dedication | 17 March 2013, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf | |||
| Site | 13.6 acres (5.5 ha) | |||
| Floor area | 28,254 ft2 (2,624.9 m2) | |||
| Height | 135 ft (41 m) | |||
| Official website • News & images | ||||
| Church chronology | ||||
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| Additional information | ||||
| Announced | 9 June 2006, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Groundbreaking | 12 September 2009, by Don R. Clarke | |||
| Open house | 9 February – 2 March 2013 | |||
| Current president | Luis Ariel Merlo Pineda | |||
| Location | Comayagüela, Honduras | |||
| Geographic coordinates | 14°3′9.216″N 87°14′15.4716″W / 14.05256000°N 87.237631000°W | |||
| Exterior finish | Mountain gray granite from China | |||
| Baptistries | 1 | |||
| Ordinance rooms | 2 (two-stage progressive) | |||
| Sealing rooms | 2 | |||
| Notes | Ground was broken in a small ceremony on 12 September 2009 after a new site was selected. Previously ground had been broken on 9 June 2007 by Spencer V. Jones, excavation was halted because of opposition from Tegucigalpa city officials and citizens, who felt the temple would overshadow and block the view of the Catholic Our Lady of Suyapa Basilica on adjacent land. After negotiations failed to resolve the issue, the church announced on Wednesday, 28 January 2009, that out of respect for the city officials and citizens, the church would relocate the temple. | |||
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The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. It is the first temple constructed in the country and the sixth built in Central America. The temple was announced on June 9, 2006, by the First Presidency. A groundbreaking ceremony was initially held on June 9, 2007, at a site near the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, but due to civic concerns, construction was relocated, and a second groundbreaking occurred on September 12, 2009, near Toncontín International Airport. The temple was dedicated in three sessions on March 17, 2013, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency.
Designed by VCBO Architecture, the two-story building was designed using Mesoamerican influences and the exterior is gray granite. Its decorative elements include native orchid motifs and lattice patterns. The temple contains two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry, and is on a landscaped 13.6-acre site lined with palm trees. During the 2013 public open house, more than 100,000 visitors toured the temple, and a cultural celebration featuring 4,100 youth was held prior to the dedication.