Where It's Located
The São Paulo Brazil Temple is located at:
Av. Prof. Francisco Morato, 2390
Caxingui
05512-300 São Paulo–SP, Brazil
The temple is on the western side of São Paulo, one of the largest cities in the world. Its location near a Metro station makes it unusually accessible by public transportation for a major temple.
The temple grounds also include a visitors' center, accommodation center, stake center, and Brazil Area offices.
Getting There
International travelers will generally arrive at one of São Paulo's major airports, with São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) being the primary international gateway.
The temple's location within the city makes it possible to incorporate a temple visit into a broader São Paulo trip.
One particularly convenient feature is the nearby Metro station, which provides a public transportation option for temple patrons.
A Bit of History
The São Paulo Brazil Temple was announced on March 1, 1975, during a São Paulo Brazil Area Conference.
President Spencer W. Kimball made the announcement personally, telling the gathered members that a temple would be built in Brazil—and specifically in São Paulo.
The reaction was extraordinary. Elder L. Tom Perry later described the response as the greatest audience reaction he had ever seen.
The announcement was especially meaningful because it would become the first temple in both Brazil and South America.
Before the Temple
Before construction of the São Paulo Temple, Brazilian Latter-day Saints had to travel enormous distances to attend the temple.
The closest temple available to Brazilian members was the Washington D.C. Temple.
For members living in Brazil, traveling to the United States was an enormous financial and logistical undertaking.
The announcement of a temple in São Paulo therefore represented a dramatic change in temple access for the growing Brazilian Church.
Members Helped Build the Temple
One of the most remarkable aspects of the temple's history is the sacrifice made by Latter-day Saints throughout Latin America.
At the time, members were expected to raise one-third of the cost of a new temple.
Many members had very little financially, but they nevertheless contributed money and personal possessions toward the project.
One particularly memorable contribution came from an Argentine man who offered a gold dental bridge to missionaries as a donation for the temple.
The missionaries initially refused, joking that they could not take his teeth. But the man insisted that he wanted to make the sacrifice because of the blessings he believed would come from contributing to the temple.
Elder James E. Faust eventually purchased the gold from him and kept the dental bridge as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the Saints.
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking and site dedication took place on March 20, 1976, with Elder James E. Faust presiding.
Construction continued for the next several years as the Church prepared to open South America's first temple.
Dedication
The original São Paulo Temple was dedicated from October 30 through November 2, 1978, by President Spencer W. Kimball.
The dedication marked a major milestone for the Church throughout South America.
At the time the temple was completed, Brazil had only about 54,000 Latter-day Saints organized into 15 stakes.
The growth that followed was remarkable.
Over the next 12 years, 41 additional stakes were organized, and Church membership in Brazil grew to more than 300,000.
The Helvécio Martins Story
One of the most meaningful stories connected to the São Paulo Temple involves Helvécio Martins.
Martins was a respected Black businessman from Rio de Janeiro who helped coordinate public relations for the temple's construction.
At the time, Church policy prevented members of African descent from holding the priesthood or entering the temple.
Despite knowing that he might never personally enter the temple, Martins and his wife, Rudá, worked tirelessly to help advance its construction.
Just months before the temple's dedication, the 1978 revelation ended the priesthood restriction.
President Kimball later recalled being deeply moved when he saw Helvécio and Rudá Martins attending the temple dedication.
In 1990, Helvécio Martins was sustained as the Church's first Black General Authority.
His story is now an important part of the history of the São Paulo Temple and the Church in Brazil.
Architecture
The São Paulo Brazil Temple occupies approximately 1.85 acres and contains 59,246 square feet of floor space.
The exterior is made of reinforced concrete faced with cast stone containing quartz and marble aggregates, set in a special white-base cement.
The building features a single attached end spire topped by an Angel Moroni statue.
The temple stands approximately 101 feet tall and sits at an elevation of about 2,416 feet above sea level.
Inside the Temple
The temple contains:
- Two instruction rooms
- Four sealing rooms
- One baptistry
The temple's current configuration reflects the significant renovation and expansion completed in the early 2000s.
Major Renovation
The temple closed in August 2002 for an extensive renovation and expansion project.
Among the most noticeable changes was the addition of the Angel Moroni statue atop the temple's previously statueless spire.
The basement was also finished to provide additional space, and the temple's mechanical systems were upgraded.
Remarkably, much of the original furniture was restored rather than replaced.
Rededication
Following the renovation, the temple was opened to the public again from January 17 through February 14, 2004.
Approximately 99,000 people toured the refurbished temple during the 28-day open house.
The temple was then rededicated on February 22, 2004, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
By the time of the rededication, Church membership in Brazil had grown to more than 867,000.
A Temple That Helped Change the Church in Brazil
The growth surrounding the São Paulo Temple is one of the most remarkable aspects of its history.
The temple was announced when Brazil had only around 54,000 members.
By the time of its rededication in 2004, membership had surpassed 867,000.
The temple therefore stands as a physical reminder of the dramatic growth of the Church in Brazil over several decades.
The First Temple in South America
The São Paulo Brazil Temple holds a unique place in Latter-day Saint history.
It was:
- The first temple in Brazil
- The first temple in South America
- The temple that introduced permanent temple worship to an enormous continent
Today, South America has numerous temples, but the São Paulo Temple was the beginning of that temple network.
The Temple Grounds
The temple grounds are particularly attractive.
The property is beautifully landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, and a decorative water fountain.
The grounds also contain several important Church facilities, including the visitors' center, accommodation center, stake center, and Brazil Area offices.
The temple's location near a major shopping mall and Metro station also makes it unusually integrated into the surrounding urban environment.
Visitors' Center
A visitors' center opened on the temple grounds on January 20, 2019.
The facility was created by renovating and repurposing the former patron housing facility.
It now serves as a visitors' center, accommodation center, and office building for the Brazil Area.
This is particularly notable because it was the first temple visitors' center in South America.
Exploring São Paulo
A trip to the São Paulo Brazil Temple can easily become an exploration of one of the world's largest metropolitan areas.
São Paulo offers an enormous variety of attractions, including:
- Avenida Paulista
- Ibirapuera Park
- São Paulo Museum of Art
- Municipal Market
- Liberdade
- Sé Cathedral
- Historic downtown
- Brazilian restaurants and cafés
The city is also famous for its food scene and enormous cultural diversity.
Ibirapuera Park
Ibirapuera Park is one of the city's most famous green spaces.
It offers museums, walking paths, gardens, cultural venues, and plenty of room to escape the intensity of the surrounding city.
For travelers spending several days in São Paulo, it is an easy addition to a temple-centered itinerary.
Liberdade
São Paulo's Liberdade neighborhood is another particularly interesting destination.
The area is famous for its Japanese-Brazilian community and Asian restaurants, shops, markets, and cultural landmarks.
It offers a glimpse into one of the many immigrant communities that helped shape modern São Paulo.
A Remarkable Temple Story
Perhaps the most powerful part of the São Paulo Temple's story is not its architecture but the sacrifices made to build it.
Members across Latin America contributed money and possessions despite having very limited resources.
The temple represented something they had previously only been able to experience by traveling thousands of miles.
The gold dental bridge donated by the Argentine member is a striking example of how personally members invested in the project.
Planning a Temple Trip
The São Paulo Brazil Temple is an operating temple.
There is no public visitors' center separate from the temple grounds, but the temple grounds include the visitors' center that opened in 2019. The temple itself does not have patron housing available, although the site includes an accommodation center.
Anyone planning to participate in temple ordinances should check the current official temple schedule before traveling, since operating schedules can change.
Final Thoughts
The São Paulo Brazil Temple is far more than another temple in Brazil's growing network.
It was the first temple built in Brazil and the first temple in South America, making it one of the most historically significant temples outside the United States.
Announced on March 1, 1975, it broke ground on March 20, 1976, and was dedicated by President Spencer W. Kimball from October 30 through November 2, 1978.
Its story is also a story of sacrifice. Brazilian and Latin American Saints contributed money, possessions, and years of effort to make the temple possible. The gold dental bridge donated by an Argentine member remains one of the most memorable examples of that sacrifice.
The temple was later dramatically renovated and expanded, reopening to the public in 2004 before being rededicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on February 22, 2004. Nearly 99,000 people visited during the renovation-era open house.
Today, the 59,246-square-foot temple remains an important landmark in São Paulo, surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds and conveniently located near public transportation.
For Latter-day Saint travelers from the United States, a trip to the São Paulo Brazil Temple offers an opportunity to combine temple worship, Latter-day Saint history, Brazilian culture, incredible food, major museums, and the energy of one of the world's great cities.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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