Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

*Cochabamba Bolivia Temple*
Cochabamba Bolivia Temple
Dedicated	30 April 2000 by ; Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	6.67 acres (2.7 hectares)
Floor area	33,302 sq ft (3,094 m2)
Preceded by	Reno Nevada Temple
Followed by	Tampico Mexico Temple
Official website • News & images
Additional information
Announced	13 January 1995
Groundbreaking	10 November 1996 by ; Gordon B. Hinckley
Open House	18-22 April 2000
Current President	Jay E. Jensen (2013)
Designed by	BSW and Church A&E Services
Location	Avenida Melchor Urquidi 1500; Alto Queru Queru; Cochabamba; Bolivia
Exterior finish	Blend of hand-hewn Comanche granite and plaster
Temple design	Classic modern, single-tower design reflecting the Bolivian culture
Ordinance rooms	2 (Movie, stationary sessions)
Sealing rooms	3
Clothing rental	Yes
Cafeteria	Full
Visitors' center	No

Coordinates: 17°21′49.24440″S 66°8′51.82799″W / 17.3636790000°S 66.1477299972°W / -17.3636790000; -66.1477299972 The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple is the 82nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Bolivia's first convert to the LDS Church was baptized in December 1964, a month after missionaries first arrived. Forty-four years later there were over 158,000 members across the country.^[1]

History[]

In 1995, the church announced that a temple would be built in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba. The next year, church president Gordon B. Hinckley presided over the groundbreaking. He addressed the 4,000 people gathered during one of the heaviest rainstorms the area had seen in ten years. He addressed the gathering, "My beloved and wet brothers and sisters".^[2]

Before the temple was dedicated it was open for one week to allow the public to tour the temple. Originally the temple open house had been scheduled for two weeks, but because of civil unrest in the city of Cochabamba, due to an ill-fated attempt to privatize the municipal water supply (Cochabamba protests of 2000), the first week was cancelled. LDS Church leaders were pleased when nearly 65,000 people toured the temple, coming close to the goal of 75,000. Because of the open house, over 2,200 people requested to be visited by the Mormon missionaries.

Hinckley dedicated the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple in four sessions on April 30, 2000. In the dedicatory prayer, Hinckley recognized the founder of Bolivia, Simón Bolívar, who died the year the church was organized.

The Cochabama Bolivia Temple is of classic modern design reflecting the Bolivian culture. The exterior is finished with a blend of hand-hewn granite and plaster. A statue of the angel Moroni tops the single tower. It has a total of 33,302 square feet (3,093.9 m²), two ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms.

In 2020, the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was temporarily closed temporarily during the year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.^[3]