Announced: Dec. 27, 1995.
Location: Avenida Eugenio Garza Sada, Esq. Privada Valle de la Estansuela Colonia Valle Alto, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64989, Mexico; phone: (52) 806-794-0774; no clothing rental.
Site: 8.2 acres on site shared with a stake center.
Exterior finish: White marble.
Temple design: Traditional.
Architect: Alvaro Inigo.
Project manager: William Treu.
Contractor: Okland Construction Co. Impulsa.
Rooms: Celestial room, two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, baptistry.
Total floor area: 16,017 square feet.
Dimensions: 98 feet by 188 feet.
District: 25 stakes and 7 districts in Monterrey area of northern central Mexico
Groundbreaking, site dedication: Nov. 4, 2000; by Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen.
Dedication: April 28, 2002, by President Gordon B. Hinckley; 4 sessions.
Dedicatory Prayer
Done by President Gordon B. Hinckley
Almighty God, to whom we look as the Ruler of the universe and as our Father in heaven, we come unto Thee in prayer on this historic Sabbath, this day of dedication.
We look with appreciation upon all who have gone before us in the establishment of Thy work and in the building of Thy kingdom. Our hearts go back to the great conflict in heaven when Satan and his plan were rejected, and Thy plan prevailed and was brought to pass through the Atonement of Thy Beloved Son, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for Him, and for all that He has done for us, Thy children.
We express our gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith to whom Thou didst reveal Thyself and Thine Only Begotten Son. We thank Thee for all of the gifts that have come through the restoration of the gospel including the keys of the Holy Priesthood which will be exercised in this house.
We express appreciation for the many missionaries who have labored in this great nation in teaching the eternal truths of Thy gospel. They have served with such devotion that today hundreds of thousands of Thy sons and daughters have entered the waters of baptism and have thereafter walked in faith before Thee.
We are grateful for the many temples which grace this land. Here Thy sons and daughters may come to carry forward Thy work in behalf of those of all generations, be they living or dead. Marvelous is the work which is going forward in these holy houses. And now to the many others that have been erected, we today add this beautiful edifice.
Acting in the divine authority of Thy Holy Priesthood which Thou hast bestowed upon us, and in the name of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we dedicate and consecrate unto Thee and unto Thy Beloved Son this, the Monterrey Mexico Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wilt Thou look with favor upon it. Wilt Thou sanctify it and hallow it and bless it as Thy holy house. May Thy Spirit dwell here at all times and its presence be felt by all who labor here.
Accept of this our offering unto Thee, we humbly ask. Let Thy blessings rest upon it at all times. May it ever be precious in Thy sight. Safeguard it from the elements and from the destructive hand of any who might design to damage it in any way.
We dedicate these beautiful grounds with their grass, their flowers, their shrubs, their trees. We dedicate the footings on which Thy house rests, the foundation, the walls, the steeple with its figure of Moroni.
We dedicate the baptistry, the areas where the initiatory ordinances are given, the endowment rooms, the beautiful celestial room, the sealing rooms, and every other facility in this Thy house. We pray that all these may serve Thy purposes in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. May all who enter this house recognize that they walk in a hallowed and sacred place. May nothing ever occur here which would be out of harmony with the purposes for which this house has been built.
We pray that all who look upon it may do so with a spirit of reverence and respect. It is a house where sacred covenants will be entered into which will bless the lives of all who undertake them. It is a place where promises will be made to serve Thee and Thine Only Begotten Son. It is a place where the fulness of the priesthood will be exercised with authority to reach beyond the veil of death.
We pray for the temple presidency and for the matron and her assistants. Grant unto them strength to do well the work which will rest upon them. Bless all who assist them in any way in administering the ordinances of Thy house. We pray for the patrons who will come here that they may be worthy in every respect. Bless the children who are baptized for those who have gone beyond. Bring into their hearts and minds a realization of the great work of salvation of which they are a part.
And as we dedicate this sacred temple, we also dedicate and consecrate the nearby stake center as a house of worship wherein Thy Saints may assemble to sing Thy praises, to lift their voices unto Thee in prayer, and to be instructed in Thy doctrine and Thy ways.
May the chapel ever be a place of holiness where Thy word is taught as it has come to us through revelation from on high, and where Thy Saints may gather to renew their covenants with Thee through partaking the emblems of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
May the classrooms be utilized in the teaching of Thy restored gospel. May the recreation hall and its appurtenances promote sociality and joyful entertainment. May every room and facility serve well the needs of the people.
May Thy watch care be over it to preserve it from harm or evil, from storm or tempest, from mobs, or vandals, or desecration of any kind; and may nothing of an unsavory character ever occur within its walls. May it be a place of refuge in seasons of distress from whatever the source.
Now, dear Father, we pray for this nation of Mexico. Bless its leaders that they may govern in righteousness. Bless its people that they may cultivate a spirit of peace, and that they may be prospered. We pray particularly for those of Thy kingdom who pay their tithes and offerings that Thou wilt open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon them. Lift from their shoulders the shackles of the past. Open their eyes to a vision of what they may become.
Now, as Thy sons and daughters, we look to Thee as our Father and our God. We love Thee and we love Thy Beloved Son. We pray that we may ever walk in those paths which Thou hast outlined before us.
We dedicate and consecrate ourselves to Thy service and pray that Thou wilt accept of our labors, all of which we humbly ask in the name of Thine Only Begotten, our Redeemer and Savior, even Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Patience rewarded in Monterrey
By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer
MONTERREY, Mexico — Monterrey's longtime Church members know something of patience.
For decades they had made annual trips aboard rented buses to distant temples in places such as Mesa, Ariz., and later to Mexico City. Those long trips were tolerated — the faithful members wanted desperately to claim their temple blessings and fulfill family history commitments. Yet few had the time or money to make more than that single temple trip a year.
Then they heard the happy news in 1995 that a temple was to built in their own mountain-fortified city. Yet once again they would have to exercise patience.
"The temple in Monterrey was the first to be announced in our country since the opening of the Mexico City Temple — and the 12th to be built and dedicated in Mexico," said Carlos Trevio, a longtime Church member and local historian.
Indeed, Brother Trevio and his fellow members from the Monterrey area have spent years watching temples being built and then dedicated in neighboring Mexican cities such as Tampico, Veracruz and Ciudad Juarez. Property for the temple in Monterrey was purchased in the city's Colonia del Valle sector. But there was aggressive opposition from the temple's would-be neighbors. After years of negotiations, the Colonia del Valle plans were scrapped and a new site purchased in an area of Monterrey surrounded by greenery and the city's dramatic mountain peaks.
"We've waited seven years for this temple, but what a blessing it is," said Leticia Villagrana de Becerra. "We will do anything the Lord asks of us. He will bless us for this."
Sister Medina and her daughters were among the thousands from Monterrey and surrounding communities who endured the region's stifling heat April 28 to receive counsel from President Gordon B. Hinckley and celebrate the long-awaited dedication of the Monterrey Mexico Temple.
Ironically, the attention that focused on the Church's struggles to build a holy edifice in Monterrey yielded some unexpected benefits. Local news agencies that documented the obstacles connected to the first site subsequently covered the construction and completion of the temple on its final site. Curious folks who knew nothing of the Church began asking questions. More than 40,000 people visited during the temple's open house to admire the building's marble exterior and impressive interior decor — then learned of eternal families and the restored gospel.
"Never before has the Church in Monterrey received so much attention," said Raul Salcedo, who directed the temple's public affairs duties. "The Lord has helped us proclaim the gospel. . . now people have had a chance to change their opinion about the Church."
Long lines of members from Monterrey and surrounding cities formed outside the temple to participate in one of the four dedicatory sessions. Many huddled under large umbrellas to find shelter from the sun. A team of young people, some with tanks of water strapped to their backs, dispensed water to the thirsty crowds. Still the members remained in good spirits. They had waited several years for this day — a little Monterrey heat apparently wouldn't undermine their happiness.
The faithful patience of the contemporary Monterrey members reflects the lives of their predecessors.
Douglas Hinckley recalls laboring in Monterrey while a young, full-time missionary in 1952. There were only two branches at the time, yet both were enriched "with very good people." Today there are 12 stakes in Monterrey. The growth over the past 50 years has surprised Brother Hinckley, who attended the April 28 dedication with his wife, Carol.
"It never entered my mind [while a missionary] that there would one day be a temple here," Brother Hinckley said.
The fellowshipping spirit of the Monterrey members has helped bring many into the Church, Brother Trevio added. He, himself, decided to study the gospel after wandering into a young adult dance at an LDS meetinghouse in the early 1950's. The strangers inside treated him like an old friend. Soon he was attending Sunday meetings and eventually accepted their challenge to be baptized.
Now Brother Trevio plans on immersing himself in temple work.
The new temple — which sits besides a new stake center that was dedicated on the same day — will bless more than the lives of local members, said Adriana Ibarra de Medina.
"Monterrey has changed because there is a temple here," Sister Medina said. "This is the most important day in the history of this city. People have changed the way they think about the Church."
Young Jose Ibarra was born in the Church. He appreciates its history in Monterrey and the diligence of his fellow members. He reveres the sacrifices of the past and anticipates a happy future for the Church amid the shadows of Monterrey's lush peaks.
"I'm especially thankful for the faith of the many Mexican people who have kept their covenants so we are able to have temples today."
Work on Monterrey temple moves forward
MONTERREY, Mexico — Progress on the Monterrey Mexico Temple continues as the block walls of the temple are near completion.
Ground for this, the 12th temple in Mexico, was broken on Nov. 4, 2000, with Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen of the Seventy, president of the Mexico North Area, presiding. The Monterrey temple was announced Dec. 21, 1995, and will be the last of those temples already announced for Mexico to be completed in an ambitious building program that has increased the number of temples in Mexico by nine. There are currently 10 operating temples in Mexico. Also under construction is the Guadalajara Mexico Temple, which is expected to be dedicated in 2001. When the Monterrey temple is completed, Mexico will have 12 temples.
According to William R. Treu, regional project manager, the foundation of the Monterrey temple is 100 percent complete, the exterior block walls 90 percent complete, and the interior below grade plumbing started. A stake center is being constructed on the same property. The contractor is Okland Construction Co. of Salt Lake City, working with Impulsa of Mexico City.
The temple is located near the famous Cerro de la Silla (Hill of the Seat) in the colony of Valle Alto in the southeast section of Monterrey. Like a number of other temples in Mexico, it will be faced with white marble from Torreon, Mexico.
