Arequipa Peru Temple

Dedication of the Arequipa Peru Temple

Arequipa, Peru, is known for its three towering volcanoes to the northeast: Chachani, Misti and Pichu Pichu. And starting in March 2017, another towering structure was raised up as an iconic addition to Arequipa’s beauty: a third house of the Lord in the South American country.

The Arequipa Peru Temple was dedicated by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Dec. 15, 2019. The edifice, able to be seen from many areas throughout the mountainous city, now stands as a beacon of hope in the Savior’s power and of comfort that families can be united throughout eternity.

Accompanying Elder Soares at the ceremony were Elder Enrique R. Falabella, president of the South America Northwest Area; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department; and Bishop Dean M. Davies, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.

In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Soares applauded the faithful generations of Saints who made this temple possible: “We are grateful for the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Peru — for their pioneering work and courage. We pray that many more may come to a knowledge of their Redeemer and His holy work.”

The temple, said Elder Soares, brings an increased responsibility for members of the Church in the region to live the commandments — a charge he has seen Peruvians to be capable of. “I could feel how encouraged they were to prepare for the temple by aligning their lives with the requirements of the Lord to participate in His ordinances,” he said.

Arequipan Latter-day Saints would previously travel around 14 hours by vehicle to visit the Lima Peru Temple. And now — said President Rolando Sandoval, a local stake president — “having the temple in Arequipa means having God’s house as our neighbor.”

Before 1978, South America had no Latter-day Saint temples. Following the Arequipa temple’s dedication just 41 years later, the continent had 21. The 2019 dedication, said one Arequipa resident, truly “opened windows of heaven in our country.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We thank Thee that this temple will allow sacred ordinances and covenants to be performed in this important part of the world. Those ordinances and covenants are of eternal significance. ... Please bless and protect those who enter these precincts. May they feel Thy peace and love here. May their thoughts and feelings be lifted unto Thee and to Thy Son with holy reverence for Thy eternal purposes.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Arequipa Peru Temple here.

The Arequipa Peru Temple was announced Oct. 6, 2012, by President Thomas S. Monson. The groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were then held March 4, 2017, with Elder Carlos A. Godoy presiding.

After an open house from Nov. 15 to Nov. 30, 2019, the Arequipa temple was dedicated Dec. 15, 2019, by Elder Ulisses Soares.

Architecture and Design of the Arequipa Peru Temple

The 26,969-square-foot Arequipa Peru Temple was built in the Baroque and Spanish Colonial building styles found in many of Arequipa’s historic structures. Its gray-white granite exterior was made to look like white sillar stone, a volcanic rock used in the architecture of many older buildings in the area.

Inside the house of the Lord can be seen a motif of the Flor de Texao Arequipa flower, such as in wood carvings, art-glass windows, stonework and metal fixtures. Flooring includes white- and cream-colored carpets, multicolored wool area rugs from China, and Perlantino marble tiling from Italy. Paintings inside the building depict the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Flowers, shrubs, grassy areas, walkways and trees native to the region fill the 7.91-acre site. Plants on the grounds include the cantuta buxifolia, Peru’s national flower; the queñua, a small Andean tree; and the achupaya, traditionally used in Incan handicrafts. A Spanish-style fountain near the entrance is of similar design to fountains seen in other historic plazas of Arequipa.

Interior Photos of the Arequipa Peru Temple