Honduras

Shortly after the Central American Mission, which included Honduras, was created in November 1952, Mission President Gordon M. Romney and Elder Spencer W. Kimball of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. While dining in a local hotel, the two were impressed by their waiter. “President Romney,” Kimball said, “there is your first elder in Honduras.” José Santos Ortega Flores, the waiter, was baptized in the Humuya River on March 21, 1953. Others were baptized that day, and José, in fulfillment of prophecy, was ordained the first elder in Honduras three years later. From that beginning, the gospel spread quickly beyond the capital and flourished in Honduras’ second-largest city, San Pedro Sula, where the first Honduran stake was created on April 10, 1977.

Through the years, Honduran members met adversity with faith and resilience, letting their “love abound unto all men” (see Doctrine and Covenants 112:11). Frequently hit by hurricanes and tropical storms, Honduran Saints have often joined with their communities in rebuilding and providing relief to those in need. In 1998, in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, members directed a large-scale effort to provide relief for members and nonmembers alike.

In the 1970s, Honduran Saints began making long journeys to the nearest temple—first in Arizona, then Mexico and Guatemala—to participate in sacred ordinances for themselves and their ancestors. After years of sacrifice, Honduran Saints rejoiced when, in March 2013, the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple was dedicated. On September 5, 2020, construction work on the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple commenced.