Ground has been broken for the Cali Colombia Temple, the third house of the Lord for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South American country.
Elder Jorge T. Becerra, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America Northwest Area, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, March 1. He offered remarks to the congregation and a prayer to dedicate the site and construction process.
This will be the southernmost and westernmost Latter-day Saint temple in Colombia, one of four dedicated, under construction or announced. Information and photos of the invitation-only event were published Monday, March 3, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Elder Becerra explained that breaking ground for a house of the Lord symbolizes a change in people’s hearts, an essential process to draw closer to God.
“In a way, we also ‘break’ our hearts,” he said. “The ground of our hearts experiences a change.”
He referenced the parable of the sower, inviting attendees to remove weeds from their hearts and transform their habits. “Each one of us needs to change something in our lives so that the Lord can sow in our hearts, and thus achieve greater peace and happiness.”
In his dedicatory prayer on the site and construction process, Elder Becerra prayed: “We ask Thee to help each of us to become renewed in our efforts to become true followers of Jesus Christ. Help us to live the gospel and more fully become converted to Thy Son.”
Among the Latter-day Saints, civic leaders and community members in attendance was Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder, who spoke on the freedom of religion and the local impact this temple will have.
“The Church of Jesus Christ is a religion with an important presence in our region,” Eder said. “Thank you very much for making this investment. It will generate employment in our city during its construction and will generate beautification of the area in the La Flora neighborhood, a traditional neighborhood in the city of Cali. In addition, it will strengthen freedom of worship and religion in our city.”
Elder Harold Truque, an Area Seventy who conducted the meeting, explained the fundamental reason that sacred temples are built: “It’s so we can make covenants with our Heavenly Father.”
About the house of the Lord in Cali
President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Cali, Colombia, on April 4, 2021, during April 2021 general conference. It was one of 20 locations worldwide that he identified at the close of the Sunday afternoon session.
Planned as a single-story building of approximately 9,500 square feet, the Cali Colombia Temple will stand on a 3.14-acre site located along Avenida 4A Norte in the La Flora neighborhood of Cali, in the Valle del Cauca department.
The Cali temple will join the country’s two operating houses of the Lord, the Bogotá Colombia and Barranquilla Colombia temples, dedicated in 1999 and 2018, respectively. A fourth, the Medellín Colombia Temple, is currently in planning stages after being announced by President Nelson in October 2024 general conference.
Missionary work began in Colombia in 1966, with its first mission organized in 1971. Today, Colombia is home to more than 215,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 260 congregations.
