Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for the Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple on Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Elder Patricio M. Giuffra, President of the Central America Area, accompanied by his wife, María, presided over the event. The ceremony marked the formal beginning of construction. 

Dedicated temples in Guatemala are in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Cobán. The Miraflores Guatemala City Temple is under construction, and the temple in Retalhuleu has been announced.

Elder Giuffra reminded Latter-day Saints and friends of the Church that houses of the Lord are built as places of refuge and worship. Through sacred ordinances performed there, “God’s children receive blessings for themselves as well as on behalf of those who have already left this life.”

In the dedicatory prayer, Elder Giuffra said, “We are grateful to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today, which allows us to receive all the ordinances necessary to someday return to Thy presence.”

Elder Giuffra then prayed for the people of the region.

“We ask that the influence of Thy Spirit, which emanates from this sacred place, may be felt by the neighbors, the broader community and all who pass by this place, that their hearts may be touched and that it may awaken in them the desire to know the reason why a sacred building is being constructed.”

Scarleth Monserrath De León López, a young Latter-day Saint, said her faith in Jesus Christ grows each time she attends the temple and steps away from the noise of the world to be in a place of peace, light and love because it is sacred.

“There I have felt that He is real, that He lives and that He knows us. Today, as we break ground [for this temple], we rejoice with past and present generations,” she said. “This temple where construction begins today will be a beacon of light for Huehuetenango and for the entire region.”

Wilmer Humberto Gutiérrez Galindo, an early pioneer of the Church of Jesus Christ in Huehuetenango, expressed gratitude for being part of the groundbreaking. “Today, having a temple in our city is a sacred privilege, a true act of God’s mercy toward us,” he said.

President Russell M. Nelson announced the construction of the Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple during the Church’s October 2022 general conference.

When construction is completed, the Church will announce dates for the open house, during which the public will be invited to tour the temple. The dedication date will be announced later.

There are nearly 300,000 members in Guatemala, and they meet in more than 430 congregations.

Latter-day Saints consider each temple a house of the Lord and the most sacred place of worship on earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.