Description

Bolivia opened its doors to the LDS Church in 1963. Less than forty years later there are over 110,000 members across the country.

History

The Church first gained a presence in Bolivia in the early 1960s, when an American Church member, employed in Bolivia, introduced the gospel to some Bolivians. The Church obtained legal recognition in 1964, and the first branch meeting had 19 members in attendance. By the time a temple came to Cochabamba in 2000, there were 118,000 Church members living in Bolivia.

Announcement

In 1995, the First Presidency announced that a temple would be built in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba. A temple for Recife Brazil was also announced at that time.^[1]“Temples announced for Bolivia, Brazil,” Church News, 21 January 1995. accessed 5 May 2017.

They were the first Temple announcements made since the calling of Gordon B. Hinckley as prophet and president of the Church on 12 March of that same year. ^[2]Jay M. Todd, “President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, April 1995, accessed 3 May 2017.

Groundbreaking

President Gordon B. Hinckley presided over the groundbreaking on 10 November 1996. 4,000 people gathered during one of the heaviest rainstorms the area had seen in ten years. He addressed the gathering, “My beloved and wet brothers and sisters”.^[3] “News of the Church: President Hinckley Visits South America, Florida, Washington, D.C.”, Ensign: 73, February 1997 He urged members to righteousness. “Get a temple recommend now,” he said. “Be worthy of a temple recommend now. If you are not worthy, get yourselves worthy. You won’t be able to go to the temple here for at least two years. But let that temple recommend be a reminder of that to which you look forward. And we will come and dedicate this sacred building. And it will bless your lives. We will then be able to have a temple in the nation of Bolivia. You will no longer have to go all the way to Lima, Peru. What a marvelous and wonderful thing that will be, my brothers and sisters. May God bless you, every one. Please know of our great love for you and of our prayers in your behalf. We will look forward to seeing you in about two years when this magnificent building will be dedicated as the House of the Lord”^[4]Church News, 23 November 1996.

In his prayer he said, “We thank Thee for this beautiful site, and that the temple will stand here where it can be seen by the people of this great city. It will stand as a memorial to the testimony we have in our hearts that life is eternal and everlasting.”^[5]John L. Hart, “Prophet Breaks Ground for New Temples,” Church News, Nov. 23, 1996, .

Open House

Before the temple was dedicated it was open to allow the public to tour the temple for one week, from 8-15 April 2000. Originally the temple open house had been scheduled for two weeks.^[6]“Dedication dates set for Reno Nevada and Cochabamba temples,” Church News, 25 March 2000. accessed 3 May 2017. However, civil unrest in the city of Cochabamba, due to an ill-fated attempt to privatize the municipal water supply, caused the first week was cancelled. LDS Church leaders were pleased when 65,570 people toured the temple, coming close to the goal of 75,000.^[7]“Facts and Figures: Cochobamba Bolivia Temple,” Church News, 13 May 2000. accessed 3 May 2017.

Because of the open house, over 2,200 people requested to be visited by the Mormon missionaries

Dedication

True to his word, President Hinckley returned to Bolivia and dedicated the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple in four sessions on April 30, 2000. In the dedicatory prayer, Hinckley recognized the founder of Bolivia, Simón Bolívar, who died the year the church was organized. ^[8]Gordon B. Hinckley “Dedicatory Prayer,” MormonTemples.org. accessed 3 May 2017 He also said: “Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving on this historic day when we meet to dedicate this Thy holy house in Bolivia. How thankful we are for it. It is the fulfillment of our dreams, our hopes, our prayers, our faith.”^[9]Gordon B. Hinckley “Dedicatory Prayer,” MormonTemples.org. accessed 3 May 2017

Dedication Order

The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple is the 82nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the first to be built in Bolivia

Presidents

TEMPLE PRESIDENT	YEARS SERVED
President Luis García	2016–
President Jay E. Jensen	2013–2016
President Lee W. Crayk	2010–2013
President Abel T. Gonzáles	2007–2010
President D. Evans Heywood	2004–2007
President Richard W. Hardy	2002–2004
President VerNon A. Bingham	2000–2002

Details

The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple is of modern design with clean lines and little in the way of exterior ornamentation.

Location

The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple stands in a mountain valley sheltered by the Andes.To the north, green hilltops provide lush background for the beautiful temple. A few miles to the southeast and easily visible from the grounds, South America’s largest statue of Christ — El Cristo de la Concordia (Christ of Peace) — looms atop another San Pedro hill. The statue surpasses the more famous Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue in Rio de Janeiro by just a few centimeters. Both are 33 meters tall to represent the 33 years Christ lived on the earth. Together, the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple and the El Cristo de la Concordia provide the city with two stunning beacons of inspiration and light. 

The grounds, beautifully landscaped with flowerbeds, palm trees and shrubs, serve to remind patrons of God’s beautiful creations.

Exterior

Built with a contemporary design, the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple’s structure includes a central spire surrounded by four smaller towers.

Cladding

The exterior is finished with a blend of hand-hewn granite and plaster. Hand-hewn granite and plaster cover the exterior walls while stained-glass windows, each rounded into an arch at the top, add to the temple’s modern symmetry and elegance.

Windows

Symbolism

Inscriptions

Cornerstone

Spires and Moroni

Spire

A statue of the Angel Moroni tops the primary tower at 116 feet high. 4 shorter towers , 2 on the front and 2 on the back, are attached at the edges of the main body of the temple. Each tower is topped with a very shallow leaded copper pyramid that is wider than it is tall.

Moroni

Sculptor	Karl Quilter
Version	1982
Placed
Faces	East by South  (100°)
Height
Feet	7
Meters	2.1

Interior

The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple has a total of 35,500 square feet (3,298.1 m²)*, two ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms. The temple is 148 feet wide, by 137 feet deep. The temple appears to use share a similar floor plan to the Albuquerque New Mexico and the Houston Texas Temples.

Temple	Sealing Rooms	Endowment Rooms	Floors	Width	Length	Square Feet	Footprint
Cochabamba	3	2	2	148	137	35,500	15,370
Albuquerque	3	2	2	145	134	34,245	15,350
Houston	3	2	2	145	136	33,970	16,160

*Depending on the Church News Article used for reference, the temple is between 33,000 and 35,500 square feet. Differences in articles like this are typically caused by what is considered part of the temple when measured (for example, mechanical mezzanines and other maintenance areas are sometimes, but not always, included in square footage accounting.)

Contractors and Individuals

Manager

Also Did

General Contractor

Contractor

Also Did

Additional Contractors

Manager

responsibility

Sources and Links

External links

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org(official)
• Newsroom. ChurchofJesusChrist. org (official)
• ChurchofJesusChristTemples.com
• TheChurchNews
• .com
• Wikipedia

Additional Articles

Sources/Citation