Elder Neil L. Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated the Praia Cabo Verde Temple on Sunday, June 19, 2022. The temple in the capital city of Praia, in the island of Santiago, is the first temple in the country and the 173rd temple in the world.
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Prior to the dedication, Elder Andersen conducted the symbolic ceremony of the cornerstone that signifies the construction is complete and the new temple is ready for dedication. Behind the cornerstone is historical documentation, artifacts and testimonies from members of the Church in Cabo Verde.
Reflecting on the importance of the temple for Cabo Verde, Elder Andersen mentioned that "in the records of heaven, this is one of the most important days for Cabo Verde in the whole history of the world". Joining Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, second counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency, Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Temple Department and Elder Roseveltt de Pina Teixeira, Area Seventy. They were accompanied by their spouses.
Plans to build the temple in Praia were announced by President Russell M. Nelson on October 7, 2018. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 4, 2019.
The temple’s exterior has a warm-toned color, with some ornamental details in Portuguese limestone. It is a discrete building, with simple lines consistent with most of the traditional religious buildings in Cabo Verde.
Prior to the dedication, the youth of the Church gathered on Saturday, June 18, 2022 to attend a devotional with Church leaders, held in the meetinghouse adjacent to the temple. Alciane Delgado, a young member of the Church in Cabo Verde, said that for her "the temple means a little bit of heaven that we can have here on earth, and there we can be closer to our Heavenly Father.”
During a three-week open house, more than ten thousand people toured the temple, including religious leaders, community leaders and residents living near the temple complex, as well as members of the Church. Among the dignitaries that visited the temple were the President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, José Maria Neves and the Prime-Minister, Ulisses de Correia e Silva.
Elder Teixeira said that "it was very important to have them (visit the temple). This means that the Church is a very important partner for the government of Cabo Verde, and that the Church has contributed to the development of the country, and making the people become better people", he concluded.
There are currently more than 16,000 members of the Church in 41 congregations in Cabo Verde, many of them second and third-generation Latter-day Saints. The first missionaries to enter Cabo Verde arrived in 1989.
Latter-day Saint temples differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man.
To read this article and watch the video in Portuguese, click here.