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CORDOBA, Argentina — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated a new temple in South America on Sunday.
The Cordoba Argentina Temple became the 145th LDS temple in the world and the first of five LDS temples scheduled to be dedicated before the end of 2015.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency led the services Sunday.
Located in the heart of Argentina, the Cordoba Temple is the second LDS temple in the country, which is home to 380,000 Latter-day Saints. The new temple will serve church members in the northwest part of Argentina who had previously been traveling hundreds of miles to Buenos Aires.
President Uchtdorf led the traditional cornerstone ceremony, signifying the completion of the temple, which was announced in 2008.
It was a homecoming for Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who served as a missionary in Argentina in the 1960s. He returned to the country as an apostle to join with Latter-day Saints in Argentina for Sunday’s service.
“Something beyond my fondest imaginations that we would be here dedicating a temple, some 50 years, more or less, from my mission service time,” Elder Christofferson said.
Church leaders believe the new temple will offer strength to Latter-day Saints in the country, especially future generations.
“I am very hopeful and confident that the youth of Argentina will do great, build the church and this nation in a wonderful way,” President Uchtdorf said.
The church’s next temple will be dedicated in three weeks in Payson, Utah. The public open house ends this Saturday with the dedication services set for Sunday, June 7.
The church has announced that the groundbreaking for the Cedar City Temple will take place Aug. 8.
