Latter-day Saint leaders from Salvador participate in the groundbreaking of the Salvador Brazil Temple on Saturday, August 7, 2021. Photo credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
SALVADOR, Brazil — Ground was broken on Saturday for the Salvador Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the Salvador Brazil Temple at the end of the October 2018 General Conference.
Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, President of the Brazil Area, presided over the ground-breaking ceremony, and Elder Joni L. Koch, First Counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, offered the dedicatory prayer.
There are 1.4 million Latter-day Saints currently living in Brazil, and there are 13 temples in the country that have either been announced, are under construction, or are currently in use.
Those temples which have already been dedicated and are in use are located in Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Sau Paulo.
There is a temple that has been completed and is in preparation for dedication in Rio de Janeiro.
A rendering of the Salvadore, Brazil, temple. Photo credit: Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temples differ from regular chapels and meetinghouses used by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Perhaps the largest difference is that anybody, regardless of their religion, can enter a meetinghouse for worship services. A Temple is considered a sacred place by members of the faith, and only members considered to be in good standing are allowed to enter.
According to the website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to be considered in good standing, a member must observe the basic principles of the faith and admit as such to their local church leaders at least as often as once every two years.