The Antofagasta Chile Temple is the latest of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ sacred houses of the Lord to open its doors to the media, invited guests and general public.
The temple’s public open-house period began Monday, May 12, in Antofagasta, the port city and regional capital in northern Chile, with a media day featuring a morning news conference and then a tour of the temple for participating media representatives.
Welcoming the media attendees were four General Authority Seventies — Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Temple Department, and the Church’s South America South Area presidency, which includes Elder Joaquin E. Costa and his two counselors, Elder Alan R. Walker and Elder Eduardo Gavarret.
“I have a very personal connection with Chile,” said Elder Christensen at the news conference. ”I arrived here as a missionary 48 years ago when there were only 30,000 members. Today, [there] are more than 600,000 in the country, with congregations throughout the territory.”
He continued: “Temples are the houses of the Lord, sacred places where we learn about God’s plan, perform ordinances for ourselves and our ancestors and feel a deep reverence. This temple represents the sacrifice of millions of members worldwide, and we are happy to share it with the community during this open house.”
In conjunction with Monday’s media day, the Church released interior and exterior photographs of the Antofagasta Chile Temple on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, as well as a video of the interior.
Before the Antofagasta temple’s June 15 dedication by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, invited guests will tour the house of the Lord following Monday’s media session and through Tuesday, May 13. A public open house will then run from Wednesday, May 14, to Saturday, May 24, excluding Sundays.
It will be one of four houses of the Lord to be dedicated in a span of five weeks, following the Nairobi Kenya Temple (to be dedicated on May 18), Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (May 25) and Syracuse Utah Temple (June 8).
The temple’s history
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a house of the Lord for Antofagasta, Chile, on April 7, 2019, during April 2019 general conference. It was one of eight temples announced at the conference.
Ground was broken Nov. 27, 2020, with Elder Juan Pablo Villar, a General Authority Seventy and then second counselor in the South America South Area presidency, presiding.
This will be Chile’s third dedicated house of the Lord and one of six total temples in the South American nation. Chile has two operating temples — in Santiago (dedicated in 1983) and Concepción (2018). Construction for the Santiago West Chile Temple started in 2024, and the Viña del Mar Chile Temple (announced in 2023) and Puerto Montt Chile Temple (2024) are in planning stages.
The Church’s first branch in Chile was established in 1956. The first temple in the country, the Santiago Chile Temple, was also the first temple in Spanish-speaking South America. Chile is now home to more than 613,000 Latter-day Saints in some 575 congregations.
Design and features
A two-story building of about 26,200 square feet with an exterior clad in Turkish limestone and a single tower over the front entrance, the new 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 wood 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.
Antofagasta Chile Temple
Address: Avenida Las Palmeras y Calle Jaime Padrely, Lote N° T, Manzana H, Localidad Aromos de la Florida, N° 42, Antofagasta, Chile
Announced: April 7, 2019, by President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church
Groundbreaking: Nov. 27, 2020, presided over by Elder Juan Pablo Villar, General Authority Seventy
To be dedicated: June 15, 2025, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Property size: 2 acres (0.81 hectares)
Building size: 26,163 square feet (2,430.62 square meters)
Building height: 116 feet (35.35 meters)
