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By David Schneider, Church News
Among the 34 new temples that President Russell M. Nelson announced this year are two locations in Brazi: Belo Horizonte, announced during the April general conference, and Vitória, announced last month.
They are expected to be the 13th and 14th temples in Brazil, joining seven that have been dedicated to date; the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, which will be dedicated on May 8, 2022, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; three that are under construction; and one that was announced earlier.
No groundbreaking dates have been made public for the three temples that are not yet under construction.
Building plans have been released for the Belo Horizonte Temple. It will be built on an 11.8-acre site on Rua Professor José Vieira de Mendonça. The structure will be a single story of about 27,000 square feet, or about the size of the Curitiba Brazil, Denver Colorado or Arequipa Peru Temples.
Brazil is home to about 1.4 million members of the Church, the third largest population of Latter-day Saints by country after the United States and Mexico. According to 2019 statistics, the most recent available on the Church’s Newsroom, Brazil has almost 300 stakes and more than 2,100 wards and branches.
The first temple in South America, in São Paulo, was dedicated in 1978 when the country had about 54,000 members, 15 stakes and four missions.
Belo Horizonte
- The city has a population of more than 2.5 million in a metropolitan area of about 6 million people. Belo Horizonte is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, after São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Salvador and Fortaleza, and the third-largest metro area after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
- Belo Horizonte is Brazil’s most prominent commercial city. It is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, which is the second most populous state in Brazil with more than 20 million people.
- It is in the southeastern part of Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean is about 275 miles away to the south and 320 miles to the east.
- There are 13 stakes in Minas Gerais. The first was organized in 1981.
- Belo Horizonte is currently in the Campinas Brazil Temple district, which comprises 84 stakes. Campinas is about 350 miles away.
Vitória
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Vitória, Brazil. Photo courtesy of stock.adobe.com.All rights reserved.- The city has a population of about 370,000 in a metropolitan area of about 1.9 million people.
- Vitória is the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, which has a population of nearly 4 million.
- It is in the southeastern part of Brazil on the Atlantic coast, about 320 miles east of Belo Horizonte and 330 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro.
- There are three stakes in Espírito Santo. The first, in Vitória, was organized in 1987.
- Vitória is currently in the Campinas Brazil Temple district, as are Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Campinas is about 625 miles from Vitória.
More About Temples Announced Around the World
- Learn about the 3 areas in Mexico where temples have been announced this year
- Recently announced temple plans in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
- Learn about Utah, Nevada cities with recently announced temples
- Learn about the European areas where new temples were announced earlier this year
- Learn about the African areas where new temples were announced during April general conference
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