Dedication of the Antofagasta Chile Temple
Just six months before the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the restored gospel in South America, Chilean Latter-day Saints celebrated a third house of the Lord in their country. The Antofagasta Chile Temple was dedicated June 15, 2025, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Claudio Acuña — who with Johana Acuña served as co-chairs of the open house committee — said their work at the May open house tied in strongly with the centennial. “This is not an end, but the beginning of another 100 years,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to link both feelings — we saw them reflected in the open house. People were amazed — they felt kindness, courtesy, love, respect, appreciation, because everyone greeted them, welcomed them, spoke of Christ.”
One of the visitors, Maria Rosalia Suniaga Rodriguez, wrote, “Here I discovered that family is forever.” She said all of the rooms were wonderful and brought her joy knowing she could help her ancestors. “In the celestial room you feel the love, peace, connection and protection of our Heavenly Father,” she said.
Elder Stevenson said that “this temple dedication serves as a testament of the patience, strength and devotion of the Saints who reside in this beautiful region of Chile.” The edifice is a place where, he said, all can learn of their Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness and make covenants with Him and with the Savior, Jesus Christ. “We are children of a loving Heavenly Father who desires that we return and live in His presence as an eternal family,” Elder Stevenson said.
He was accompanied at the dedicatory service by his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson. They were joined by Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Nancy Duncan; as well as Elder Eduardo Gavarret, General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the South America South Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Norma Gavarret.
Elder Stevenson said the Lord is inspiring His servants to build temples because first, the house of the Lord helps Heavenly Father’s children fulfill their divine potential. And second, temples are all about families. “Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you closer to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you closer to the temple,” he said. “It is in the temple that sacred ordinances take place, which bind or seal families together eternally.”
Elder Joaquin E. Costa, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America South Area, said the new house of the Lord is “a dream come true” for the members in Antofagasta. Many Church members in this part of Chile work in the copper mines, he said. Their schedules require them to be at work and away from home for long periods of time, often many days. Having a house of the Lord close by allows them to worship more frequently, even with tight schedules.
“All those that ‘enter upon the threshold of the Lord’s house’ (Doctrine and Covenants 109:13) will feel His power,” Elder Costa said. “The rising generation will have more power to make good choices and be inspired to be endowed and go forth to serve missions.” Elder Costa said as people worship in the house of the Lord, their hearts will be turned to their ancestors. “As we connect with our ancestors, we learn stories of resilience and self-reliance that inspire us to grow in faith to keep our covenants and stay in the covenant path.”
President David A. Reyes Torres, the president of the Antofagasta Chile La Portada Stake, said having a house of the Lord closer to home is “a testament to His mercy and a demonstration of the love of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and that He hears prayers.”
Daniela González Olivares of the Parque Japonés Ward said that “the temple stands as a beacon for all to see, pointing the way home. It is a source of spiritual power that will strengthen the Saints in all stages of life.”
Marco A. Vacaflores Suarez said the Lord has blessed his life through the temple. “To visit His house, to know that He is there, and to feel the peace and tranquility that only that place gives you, is incredible — I call it my spiritual battery recharge. And above all knowing that if we keep the covenants we make with Him, we will have the opportunity to return to His presence as eternal families. And that is the greatest gift He has given to all mankind.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Bless all other temple workers in their sacred roles, helping to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. Please bless each and every patron who will worship and serve here, with spiritual and temporal blessings, joy and knowledge from on high.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Antofagasta Chile Temple here.
Timeline of the Antofagasta Chile Temple
The Antofagasta Chile Temple was announced April 7, 2019, by Church President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication for this house of the Lord were held on Nov. 27, 2020, and presided over by Elder Juan Pablo Villar, second counselor in the South America South Area presidency.
After a public open house from May 14 to May 24, 2025, the Antofagasta Chile Temple was dedicated June 15, 2025, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Antofagasta Chile Temple
A two-story building of 26,163 square feet, with an exterior clad in Turkish limestone and a single tower over the front entrance, the Antofagasta Chile Temple is located on a 2-acre site at Avenida Las Palmeras and Calle Jaime Padrely in Antofagasta, just several short city blocks from the Pacific Ocean shoreline.
As such, the design motifs reflect the coastal environment and the seashore and include geometric patterns representing the sea. Colors include the blues and whites suggesting the desert sky of northern Chile, with the art glass also featuring rich blues and oranges.
Stone flooring includes Crema Marfil marble, with carpets accompanied by wool rugs featuring the designs and colors similar to those of the art glass. Gold leafing and blue-and-coral stencil work are found along the upper bays and ceilings, with millwork and doors made of African sapele wood.
Interior Photos of the Antofagasta Chile Temple
