Announcement of the Santiago West Chile Temple
President Russell M. Nelson, 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced the Santiago West Chile Temple on Oct. 3, 2021, during the Sunday afternoon session of October 2021 general conference.
To former Area Seventy M. Gonzalo Sepúlveda, the announcement of a second temple in Santiago, Chile, “in the midst of a fight against the [COVID-19] pandemic, comes from the heavens through our Prophet. It is a powerful injection of spirituality [in Santiago] that will bless the lives of its inhabitants on both sides of the veil,” said Sepúlveda, a Chilean Latter-day Saint.
At the time a second temple was announced for Santiago, these “lives” that would be blessed included more than 600,000 Latter-day Saints in over 500 congregations in this South American nation. The Santiago Metropolitan Region is home to approximately 7 million residents. The first branch of the Church in Chile was organized in 1956; the Chilean Mission was created in 1961 with 12 branches and 1,136 members. The first stake was organized in 1972.
Timeline of the Santiago West Chile Temple
The Santiago West Chile Temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson on Oct. 3, 2021. Ground was broken for the Santiago West temple on Aug. 17, 2024, with Elder Alan R. Walker, a General Authority Seventy and counselor in the South America South Area presidency, presiding.
Architecture and Design of the Santiago West Chile Temple
According to site plans released by the Church on Dec. 19, 2022, the Santiago West Chile Temple will be a single-story building of approximately 12,500 square feet. The edifice will be built in Comuna de Maipu — an extended urban area of Santiago, Chile.