14-05-2025
Church of Jesus Christ begins 10-day public open house for Antofagasta Chile Temple
The public is now welcome to tour the Antofagasta Chile Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The open house begins Wednesday but it kicked off with a news conference on Monday, when the church released the first publicly available images from inside the temple.
Elder Craig C. Christensen of the South America South Area Presidency led tours for the media Monday with Elder Joaquín E. Costa, Elder Alan R. Walker and Elder Eduardo Gavarret, who are General Authority Seventies.
The public can visit the temple May 14-24, except on Sunday, May 18.
Elder Christensen, who also represented the church's Temple Department, served a mission in Chile 48 years ago, when 30,000 Latter-day Saints lived in the country.
Today, there are 600,000 church members.
'Temples are the house of the Lord, sacred places where we learn about God's plan, perform ordinances for ourselves and our ancestors, and feel a deep reverence,' Elder Christensen said. 'This temple represents the sacrifice of millions of members worldwide, and we are happy to share it with the community during this open house.'
President Russell M. Nelson announced the Antofagasta Chile Temple in April 2019.
'We regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the church,' he said. 'As we announce plans to construct a new temple, it becomes part of our sacred history.'
Construction began in November 2020.
The Antofagasta temple will be Chile's third temple, joining temples in Concepción and Santiago. Other temples announced or in planning and construction phases in Chile are Santiago West, Puerto Montt and Viña del Mar.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, June 15, 2025.
