The public is invited to tour the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Portugal. Church leaders announced the Lisbon Portugal Temple will be open for a free public open house from Saturday, August 17, 2019, to Saturday, August 31, 2019, excluding Sundays. A few weeks before the open house, the public can make reservations at templeopenhouse.lds.org.
The temple, which is in the northeastern section of the city near the modern parish of Parque das Nações, will be formally dedicated Sunday, September 15, 2019, in three sessions. A youth devotional will be held with senior Church leaders on Saturday, September 14, 2019.
Construction began on the almost 24,000-square-foot building on December 5, 2015, when Church and local community leaders participated in a traditional groundbreaking ceremony.
The temple will serve nearly 45,000 Latter-day Saints living in Portugal and in neighboring countries. Worldwide there are 201 temples operating, announced or under construction, including 12 in Europe.
Latter-day Saint temples differ from churches where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.
For more information about the purpose of temples and their importance to Latter-day Saints, please visit www.newsroom.org/topic/temples.