The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a new dedication and open house schedule for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple, nearly 21 months after releasing a similar schedule for events in 2020 only to have it postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a Friday, Nov. 5, letter to Church leaders in the Brazil Area, the First Presidency identified the following events and dates from March through May 2022:
- Media day — Monday, March 21
- Invited guests — Tuesday, March 22, through Friday, March 25
- Public open house – Saturday, March 26, through Saturday, April 16, except March 27, April 2-3 and April 10
- Youth devotional — Saturday, May 7
- Temple dedication — Sunday, May 8, three sessions at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication. Additional details about the temple dedication will be announced at a future date.
The dedicatory sessions and youth devotional will be broadcast to all units in the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple district.
On Feb. 12, 2020, the First Presidency announced open house and dedication dates for the Rio de Janeiro temple, with an open house running from mid-April through early May 2020, and a dedication on May 17.
Five weeks later, the Church announced the postponement of the 2020 Rio temple dedication due to COVID-19 conditions and restrictions, waiting until large gatherings could be deemed safe.
President Thomas S. Monson announced the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple during the April 2013 general conference.
The Rio de Janeiro temple will be the eighth completed temple in Brazil, with dedicated temples located in Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife and São Paulo. Other temples are under construction in Bélem, Brasília and Salvador, with others announced and in planning stages for Belo Horizonte, East São Paulo and Vitória.
Brazil is home to more than 1.4 million members, with 277 stakes, more than 2,100 congregations and 36 missions.
