BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Multifaceted fruits stemming from the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple already are being realized in one of Brazil’s largest metro areas and states — even before the Sunday, Aug. 16, dedication of the new house of the Lord by President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The temple was drawing substantial attention before, during and after its two-week open house in late June, resulting in the conversion of new members; reactivation of less-active members; tours by civil leaders, special guests and nearly 20,000 total visitors; staffing by some 2,150 Latter-day Saints; and preparations by Church members to attend and serve at the new house of the Lord once it is dedicated.
President Oaks will do that Sunday in a single 10 a.m. session, which will be rebroadcast to meetinghouses that afternoon throughout the new temple district. It will be his first international temple dedication and his first international ministry in the 10 months since he was set apart and announced as Prophet and President of the Church on Oct. 14, 2025.
One of Brazil’s largest cities and states
With a municipal population of 2.4 million and a metro population of 6 million, Belo Horizonte is Brazil’s third-largest metro area, trailing only São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It is the capital of Minas Gerais, an inland state in southeastern Brazil. It is the country’s fourth-largest state by area and second-largest in population with more than 20.5 million. Minas Gerais’ 853 municipalities make for the highest total among the 27 states in the South American nation.
The city’s mayor and state’s governor were among the more than 1,300 government officials, religious leaders, journalists and other special guests that visited the Belo Horizonte temple in the days leading up to the public open house that drew nearly 20,000, including more than 1,500 the first day.
“You can feel the joy in the people as the temple is ready to be dedicated,” said Elder Pierre Portes, the Area Seventy who leads the stake presidents composing the Belo Horizonte coordinating council. “The events surrounding the open house were very special and brought a sense of gratitude to all.”
Elder Portes said the temple already has had a tremendous impact in the neighboring area and with government and civic leaders who have recognized not only the beauty of the building but the good the Church has done for decades in the region.
“I personally feel the dedication of the temple will mark the beginning of a very important era of the Church in this region, providing the maturity and strength for the work to grow even more.”
An impressive spiritual impact
The open house made for an impressive spiritual impact, said President Adriano Fernandes and Sister Lú Fernandes, leaders of the Brazil Belo Horizonte Mission.
Said Sister Fernandes: “We had the privilege of receiving many important people, opinion leaders in the local society of Belo Horizonte and other neighboring municipalities, and 100% of them felt the Spirit of the Lord and how sacred and blessed the people of Minas Gerais will be with the dedication of the house of the Lord.”
President Fernandes added that the impact extended to missionary work in the Belo Horizonte area. “We have also observed an increase in sacrament meeting attendance and many desiring to be baptized and confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” he said. “We are still reaping the blessings of those who visited the Belo Horizonte temple, as many of those who were baptized have shared with their friends.”
The late President Russell M. Nelson’s emphasis on gathering Israel on both sides of the veil — in mortality as well as the spiritual world — has been evident, President Fernandes said. “As we help God’s sons and daughters be baptized and confirmed on this side of the veil, we are preparing for both sides of the veil to be united, for faithful converts will quickly go to the temple and perform the saving ordinations for their families on the other side of the veil.”
Added Sister Fernandes of the temple’s open-house period: “We witnessed the immense desire of the new converts to return to the temple to perform saving ordinances for their loved ones in an impressive way. The spirit of Elijah was definitely at work there during this process.”
Children in the celestial room
Rodrigo and Alessandra Myrrha, who have chaired the temple open house and dedication committee for the past eight months, highlighted the joy and devotion of the volunteers at the tours and open house. “They inspired many nonmembers to want to learn more about the Savior and His Church,” Rodrigo Myrrha said. “The sweet spirit was present throughout the entire open-house period. …
“I witnessed many testimonies from nonmembers and less-active members regarding the truthfulness and holiness of the house of the Lord,” he said, then listing several such moments.
“Two religious leaders told me they felt that this was truly the Lord’s dwelling place. A high-ranking government official told us that from the very first moment she encountered the temple, she felt the building was very special and powerful. A friend told me his legs were shaking with emotion, and he was speechless after a visit.”
Alessandra Myrrha spoke of an especially memorable moment when she led an open-house group of some 20 children from a branch about 15 kilometers west of central Belo Horizonte, pausing quietly and prayerfully to reflect in the temple’s celestial room. “They sat on two large sofas — unafraid of being close to one another — grew quietly and truly prayed,” she said. “Some struggled to keep their eyes closed, while others clasped their hands, crossed their arms or bowed their little heads.
“It was such a heavenly experience that I still feel moved when describing what it was like to see those children, symbolically in the presence of God. I prayed for each of them, shedding tears of deep gratitude for having been allowed to experience that unique moment — the celestial room filled with children.”
Calling it a moment of pure love and hope, she also thought of the children’s future. “May God perform the miracle of keeping these pure children of His on the path of faith so that they may one day use that very room when they make their own sacred covenants.”
‘Pioneer Night’
In addition to considering the future, the Myrrhas and their committee thought of the past — honoring the pioneer Latter-day Saints of the state of Minas Gerais who had worked and served so long and hard to keep the Church growing.
With proper approval, they organized a “Pioneer Night” on the last evening of the open house’s special-guest sessions. Local members — active and less-active — who had been baptized by 1980 were invited to tour the temple as well as former mission presidents and stake presidents who had served in the area.
“We estimated that around 150 [pioneer members] came, with an average of at least 50 years since their baptism,” said Alessandra Myrrha, getting choked up thinking how “a pure, determined faith” united longtime members over the decades.
“The spirit that evening was so wonderful, so sweet, so warm and friendly. I imagine the celestial kingdom to be something like that — a people perhaps a little too noisy but completely filled with love.”
About the Belo Horizonte temple
The Belo Horizonte temple is currently planned to be the Church’s 220th operating house of the Lord and the 12th in Brazil.
On April 4, 2021, President Nelson announced this temple for Belo Horizonte, Brazil. On June 17, 2023, Elder Juan A. Uceda — then a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Church’s Brazil Area presidency — presided over the temple’s groundbreaking.
