Mexico City, Mexico Temple

We didn't receive a letter today...just a few pictures of a trip to the temple.

Temple Facts

The México City México Temple was the first temple built in México.

The México City México Temple was the second temple built in a Spanish-speaking country, following the Santiago Chile Temple (1983). 

The México City México Temple is the largest temple outside of the United States.

The México City México Temple is one of five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. (The other four temples are the Los Angeles California Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, and Seattle Washington Temple.)

Even since endowments were first given in Spanish in 1945 in the Mesa Arizona Temple, faithful Mexican Saints looked forward with anticipation to the time when they might be blessed with a temple in their own country.

When Church architect Emil B. Fetzer received the assignment to design the México City México Temple, he turned to a book on Mayan architecture, which Heber Grant Taylor and his wife felt inspired to give him 18 years earlier from the library of his grandfather President Heber J. Grant.

An incredible 9,000 attended the one-hour groundbreaking ceremony of the México City México Temple. Elder Boyd K. Packer offered the prayer dedicating the site in Spanish.

During its 10-day open house, more than 110,000 visitors toured the México City México Temple including thousands of government, business, and civic leaders. Mission presidents estimated 2,900 requested visits as a direct result of the open house.

At the dedication of the México City México Temple, Elder Ezra Taft Benson received the distinct impression that God was not pleased with Church members' neglect of the Book of Mormon. Stressing the importance of the Book of Mormon would later become one of the hallmarks of his presidency.

Following its completion, the México City México Temple received an international award for artistic use of precast concrete.

The México City México Temple has received favorable attention from the school of architecture at the University of Mexico, becoming the subject of much study.

In March 2007, the México City México Temple was closed for a year-and-a-half renovation and remodeling project, which included seismic enhancements, replacement of the precast concrete exterior panels, refurbishment of the angel Moroni statue, revamping of the landscaping, and remodeling of the baptistry, main lobby, corridors, sealing rooms, and ordinance rooms.

By its 25th anniversary, the México City México Temple had dropped at least eight feet in elevation due to the rapid subsidence of Mexico's capital city.