Rededication date set for LDS Church's Buenos Aires Temple

Following extensive remodeling and expansion, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be open for public tours prior to its rededication during three special sessions on Sunday, Sept. 9.

The temple open house will begin Saturday, Aug. 4, and continue through Saturday, Aug. 25, excluding Sundays. On Saturday, Sept. 8, the temple's rededication will be celebrated during a special cultural celebration featuring music and dance.

Once the temple is rededicated, it will no longer be available for public tours. As with all LDS temples, the dedicated building will be open only to LDS Church members who have been recommended by their local ecclesiastical leaders. Conversely, local LDS meetinghouses, where weekly worship services are held, are open to the public.

Located in the western suburb of Ciudad Evita, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple has been in operation since January 1986, when it was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson just two months after he was set apart as a counselor in the LDS Church's First Presidency. At the time it was one of 39 LDS temples in operation around the world, the fourth in South America and the first in Argentina.

Since then, another LDS temple, in Cordoba, has been built in Argentina. There are now a total of 20 temples in South America.

The renovation and expansion of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple has been under way since November 2009. With the additions, the temple will now feature three major wings extending from a central foyer.

There are also a Missionary Training Center and a patron housing facility on the same three-acre site as the temple.