Today there are nearly 1.5 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico—more than any other country outside of the United States. With its 222 stakes, 32 missions, 13 temples, and a notable Church history, we celebrate Mexico’s beauty and culture with these fun facts and gorgeous photos of Mexico’s 13 operating Latter-day Saint temples and the 6 that have been announced.
Fun facts about the Latter-day Saint temples in Mexico
- The Mexico City Mexico Temple was the first temple built in the country and remains the largest temple outside of the United States.
- The Mexico City Mexico Temple is one of only five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. (The other four temples are the Los Angeles California Temple, the Washington D.C. Temple, the Jordan River Utah Temple, and the Seattle Washington Temple.)
- Historic Church architect Emil B. Fetzer studied Mayan architecture in designing the Mexico City Mexico Temple.
- By its 25th anniversary in 2008, the Mexico City Mexico Temple had dropped at least eight feet in elevation due to the rapid subsidence of Mexico’s capital city.
- The groundbreaking ceremonies for the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple and the Villahermosa Mexico Temple were held on the same day—January 9, 1999.
- The Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple was the first of the new generation of smaller temples, as introduced by President Gordon B. Hinckley, built outside of the United States. (In fact, the inspiration to build smaller temples came to President Hinckley on a trip to northern Mexico)
- The Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple is also the smallest temple in the Church with one ordinance room and one sealing room. The temple is just 6,800 square feet in size.
- Nearly five years passed between the announcement of the Monterrey Mexico Temple in December 1995 and its groundbreaking in November 2000.
- Before the dedication of the Tijuana Mexico Temple, Church members in Tijuana belonged to the San Diego California Temple district. And although the temple was located just 30 miles to the north, travel restrictions and long delays at the U.S.-Mexico border meant many members chose instead to make the 8- to 10-hour drive to the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple instead.
Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico
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The Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
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The Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple
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The Mexico City Mexico Temple
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The Mérida Mexico Temple
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The Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple
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The Guadalajara Mexico Temple
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The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple
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The Veracruz Mexico Temple
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The Villahermosa Mexico Temple
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The Monterrey Mexico Temple
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The Oaxaca Mexico Temple
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The Tijuana Mexico Temple
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The Tampico Mexico Temple
An artist’s rendering of the Tampico Mexico Temple.
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The Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
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Renderings of Temples in Mexico announced or under construction
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An artist’s rendering of the Torreón Mexico Temple.
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An artist’s rendering of the Querétaro Mexico Temple.
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An artist’s rendering of the Puebla Mexico Temple.
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An artist’s rendering of the Torreón Mexico Temple.
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Other temples in Mexico announced with no current renderings or groundbreaking date
- Culiacán Mexico Temple—announced in October 2021
- Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple—announced in April 2022
- San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple—announced in April 2022
Editor's note: The fun facts above appear as a courtesy of ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org.
