Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

Dedication of the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

In January 1995, the First Presidency — including President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor — announced plans for a temple in Cochabamba. He later presided over the 1996 groundbreaking and dedicated the finished house of the Lord on April 30, 2000.

Rene Cabrerrawas baptized in 1972, an era when the handful of members had begun the daunting task of building meetinghouses. He told the Church News at the dedication that “during the groundbreaking ceremony in 1996, [President Hinckley] said he would return in two years when the temple was finished. True, it has been a little more time than that, and some doubted, but this is a great blessing for us.”

A reported 9,084 Church members from Bolivia attended the dedication of this house of the Lord, the first in their country.

Due to social unrest, the public open house had to be shortened from two weeks down to one. The predicted number of visitors for the open house was around 50,000 over the two weeks. The actual number of visitors over the one-week open house totaled 65,570. The highest number of visitors in one day totaled approximately 20,000. There were 2,232 requests to meet with missionaries from the open house alone.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “In this sacred edifice, as well as in other temples, will be carried forward a work unequaled in all the earth in behalf of those of Thy children who have lived and passed on to immortality. How wondrous are Thy works. How great Thy plan, O God. It is all possible because of the gift of Thy Son, who gave His life in an atoning sacrifice in behalf of all who have walked or will yet walk the earth.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple here.

A temple was first announced for Cochabamba, Bolivia, by the First Presidency of the Church on Jan. 13, 1995. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 10, 1996, and presided over by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Once the house of the Lord was constructed, 65,570 visitors toured the completed edifice during its open house from April 18-22, 2000. The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was dedicated by President Hinckley on April 30, 2000.

Architecture and Design of the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

The 35,500-square-foot Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was built on 6.51 acres of land. Behind this house of the Lord, the Andes Mountains form a rich backdrop, and flower beds decorate the temple grounds.

The front facade of the structure features five tall, arched windows of art glass, and a multilevel tower on a square base stands above the building. Inside the temple are two instruction rooms, three sealing rooms and a chapel.