Temple Dedicated in Guayaquil, Ecuador

In Guayaquil, Ecuador, President Gordon B. Hinckley recently dedicated the Church’s 58th operating temple and spoke at a regional conference. He was accompanied by President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder Francisco J. Viñas of the Seventy, President of the South America North Area; and Elder Walter F. González, an Area Authority Seventy serving as a counselor in the South America North Area Presidency.

“The temple is made with the finest material that we could obtain,” remarked President Hinckley during the Guayaquil regional conference, which was attended by nearly 22,000 members gathered in a large soccer stadium on 31 July. “You now have in your midst everything that this Church has to offer.” Referring to worship in the new temple, he said: “Prayers will be offered which cannot be offered under any other circumstance. Covenants will be made which cannot be made under any other circumstances. Blessings will be received which cannot be received under any other circumstances.”

About 108,000 people toured the temple during an open house held from 23 June to 5 July, and a total of about 11,700 members attended the eight dedication sessions held on 1–2 August. “I sense a great spirit of gratitude for this new temple,” remarked President Hinckley. “The Saints have waited a very, very long time.” He continued: “It has been a very interesting thing to see the descendants of Father Lehi in the congregations that have gathered in the temple. So very many of these people have the blood of Lehi in their veins, and it is just an intriguing thing to see their tremendous response and their tremendous interest. This is the great day of their redemption, and it is evident that they are a devoted and faithful and able people.”

After the dedication, President Faust commented: “Now we have all these beautiful, magnificent temples dedicated and under construction, which will be a marvelous blessing. We see it in the lives of the people. We saw people of faith, dedication, commitment, and experience as we conferred the sealing power upon these great brethren. We see the seeds of faith have fallen on fertile ground.”

Elder Nelson noted that since Ecuador’s first stake was created in 1978, the Church has grown to 32 stakes and is approaching 150,000 members in a nation of 10 million people. “The presence of a temple here and the establishment of a people worthy of entrance to the temple will make a great difference to the future of this country and for the nations round about,” he said. “It is really a very important hinge point in the history of this nation.”

Located on a prominent hill in northern Guayaquil, the larger-sized Guayaquil Ecuador Temple has 45,000 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms.