Where It's Located
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple is being built at the intersection of Avenida Quinto Anillo and Santa Rosa (Avenida Radial 27) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
The Church announced the temple site on November 28, 2022. The property is located in the city's urban area and will provide convenient access for members throughout the Santa Cruz metropolitan area.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Bolivia's largest city and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department. Unlike Bolivia's high-altitude cities in the Andes, Santa Cruz sits in the country's warm, tropical lowlands.
Getting There
Travelers coming from outside Bolivia will generally fly into Viru Viru International Airport (VVI), the primary international airport serving Santa Cruz.
Because the temple is located within Santa Cruz de la Sierra, it should be relatively accessible from throughout the metropolitan area once construction is complete.
A visit to the temple could also be combined with exploring the city's historic center and the natural attractions of eastern Bolivia.
A Bit of History
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple was announced on October 4, 2020, by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2020 General Conference.
It will become the second temple in Bolivia, following the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple, which was dedicated in 2000.
The announcement was particularly significant for members in Santa Cruz because of the distance they have historically needed to travel to reach the temple in Cochabamba.
Members traveling from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba have faced a journey of approximately 10 hours by road. The new temple will dramatically reduce that travel burden.
The Church in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is one of the most important centers of Latter-day Saint activity in Bolivia.
At the time the temple was announced, Bolivia had more than 200,000 Latter-day Saints, organized into 33 stakes and eight districts. Ten stakes were located in Santa Cruz.
The concentration of members in the city made Santa Cruz a natural location for a second temple in the country.
The new temple will allow many members to participate in temple worship without having to organize a long-distance trip to Cochabamba.
Temple Site
The Church announced the temple's location on November 28, 2022.
Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 29,000 square feet (2,694 square meters).
The temple is designed with a single attached central tower, giving the building a recognizable temple silhouette while maintaining a relatively low profile.
Groundbreaking and Construction
The groundbreaking and site-dedication ceremony took place on June 8, 2024.
Elder Jorge F. Zeballos, President of the South America Northwest Area, presided over the ceremony.
Local civic and religious leaders also participated in the event, reflecting the importance of the project to the surrounding community.
Construction has progressed significantly since the groundbreaking.
The exterior of the temple has been completed, while landscaping and interior finishing work have been underway.
Current Status
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple is not yet operating, but construction is in its later stages.
Current milestones include:
- Announcement: October 4, 2020
- Site announced: November 28, 2022
- Rendering released: May 6, 2024
- Groundbreaking: June 8, 2024
- Exterior: Completed
- Interior: Finishing work underway
- Open house: Not announced
- Dedication: Not announced
The completion of the exterior is an important milestone because the project is now moving toward its final interior and landscaping work.
Design and Architecture
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple will contain approximately 29,000 square feet of floor space.
The building will be single story, with an attached central tower.
Its location at an elevation of approximately 1,321 feet (403 meters) is dramatically different from the high-altitude environments associated with much of Bolivia.
The temple's design provides a substantial presence while remaining relatively compact compared with some of the larger temples built around the world.
Inside the Temple
The completed temple is planned to contain:
- Two instruction rooms
- Two sealing rooms
- One baptistry
The two instruction rooms will allow the temple to accommodate more patrons than some of the smaller temples being constructed in other locations.
The baptistry will provide facilities for proxy baptisms and confirmations, while the sealing rooms will be used for Latter-day Saint sealing ordinances.
Bolivia's Second Temple
The Santa Cruz Temple will be Bolivia's second temple.
The country's first temple, the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple, was dedicated in 2000.
For many years, the Cochabamba Temple served members throughout Bolivia. However, the country's geography and the distance between major population centers made temple travel difficult for some members.
The Santa Cruz Temple represents an important expansion of temple access in the country.
Rather than requiring members in eastern Bolivia to travel across the country, they will eventually have a temple in their own city.
A Major Change for Santa Cruz Members
The approximately 10-hour road journey between Santa Cruz and Cochabamba illustrates why the new temple is so important.
Temple worship is intended to be a regular part of Latter-day Saint life, but long-distance travel can make frequent attendance difficult.
Having a temple in Santa Cruz will make it much easier for members in the city and surrounding areas to participate in temple worship.
It will also make temple trips more practical for families, youth groups, and members who previously faced significant travel expenses and time commitments.
Exploring Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz provides a very different experience from Bolivia's famous Andean destinations.
The city sits in the tropical lowlands and has a warm climate, lush vegetation, and a much flatter landscape than cities such as La Paz.
Visitors can explore the historic center around Plaza 24 de Septiembre, which is surrounded by historic buildings, restaurants, shops, and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santa Cruz.
Other attractions include:
- Biocentro Güembé
- Lomas de Arena Regional Park
- Amboró National Park
- Local markets
- Historic churches
- Traditional neighborhoods
A Different Side of Bolivia
One of the most interesting reasons to visit Santa Cruz is that it showcases a completely different side of Bolivia.
Many international travelers associate Bolivia primarily with the Andes, high-altitude cities, Lake Titicaca, and dramatic mountain scenery.
Santa Cruz is different.
Its tropical setting, warm climate, flat terrain, and distinct regional culture make it feel very different from western Bolivia.
A future temple trip could therefore provide an opportunity to experience both the religious history of the Church in Bolivia and the unique culture of the country's eastern lowlands.
Natural Attractions
Santa Cruz is also an excellent starting point for exploring eastern Bolivia.
Amboró National Park is one of the country's most biologically diverse protected areas, with forests, mountains, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife.
Lomas de Arena offers dramatic sand dunes and natural landscapes surprisingly close to the city.
Travelers who have more time can explore additional areas of Bolivia's tropical lowlands and surrounding wilderness.
Why the Santa Cruz Temple Matters
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple is significant because it will make temple worship substantially more accessible to one of the country's largest Latter-day Saint communities.
At the time of the announcement, 10 stakes were located in Santa Cruz, making the city a major center of Church activity.
The temple also demonstrates the continuing expansion of temples into areas where large numbers of Church members previously had to travel significant distances to attend.
A Temple Built for a Growing Community
The temple's relatively substantial size reflects the importance of Santa Cruz within the Church in Bolivia.
With approximately 29,000 square feet, two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry, the temple is designed to serve a significant regional population.
Its construction represents more than simply another building in Santa Cruz. For local Latter-day Saints, it will become a permanent place for worship, family history, ordinances, and service.
Planning a Future Temple Trip
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple is not yet open to the public.
Because construction and interior finishing work are still underway, there is currently no public open house.
The Church has not yet announced the open house or dedication dates.
Once the temple is completed, a public open house is expected to provide an opportunity for members of the public to tour the interior before the dedication.
After the temple is dedicated, interior access will be reserved for Latter-day Saints who meet the requirements for temple worship.
Final Thoughts
The Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple is an important addition to the growing network of Latter-day Saint temples throughout South America.
Announced on October 4, 2020, the temple site was announced in November 2022, and groundbreaking took place on June 8, 2024.
Construction has now reached an exciting stage, with the exterior completed and interior and landscaping work underway.
When finished, the approximately 29,000-square-foot temple will become Bolivia's second temple and will include two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry.
Most importantly, it will bring temple worship much closer to the Latter-day Saints of Santa Cruz. Members who have historically faced an approximately 10-hour journey to Cochabamba will eventually have a temple located directly in their own city.
The temple will also give visitors another reason to explore Santa Cruz, one of Bolivia's most fascinating and rapidly growing cities. A future trip could combine the new temple, Bolivian culture, tropical landscapes, historic Santa Cruz, and the natural attractions of eastern Bolivia.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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