Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
| Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 99 | |||
| Dedication | September 17, 2000, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Site | 6.42 acres (2.60 ha) | |||
| Floor area | 67,000 sq ft (6,200 m2) | |||
| Official website • News & images | ||||
| Church chronology | ||||
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| Additional information | ||||
| Announced | November 16, 1993, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Groundbreaking | August 18, 1996, by Richard G. Scott | |||
| Open house | August 26 – September 9, 2000 | |||
| Current president | Leonardo Caonabo Dominguez Joa | |||
| Designed by | Scott Partnership and Church A&E Services | |||
| Location | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |||
| Geographic coordinates | 18°27′59.64120″N 69°55′1.718399″W / 18.4665670000°N 69.91714399972°W | |||
| Exterior finish | Regina white granite | |||
| Temple design | Classic modern, single-spire design | |||
| Baptistries | 1 | |||
| Ordinance rooms | 2 (stationary) | |||
| Sealing rooms | 2 | |||
| Clothing rental | Yes | |||
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The Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple is the 99th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was the first temple to be built in the church's Caribbean area.
Santo Domingo is the Dominican Republic's capital city. Founded in 1496, it is the oldest European settlement existing in the New World. In 1978 the Dominican Republic was opened to Mormon missionaries. By 1986, membership had grown to eleven thousand and in 1998, LDS Church membership reached sixty thousand. Before the temple was built in the Dominican Republic, members of the church traveled to Peru, Guatemala, or the U.S. state of Florida to attend a temple.
The temple was announced on December 4, 1993. On August 18, 1996, Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve presided over the groundbreaking, marking the beginning of construction. When construction was completed, a public open house was held from August 26 to September 9, 2000, attracting nearly forty thousand people. Over ten thousand church members from the Dominican Republic and their neighbors from Haiti, Puerto Rico, and other islands witnessed the dedication of the temple on September 17, 2000 by LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley.
The Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple is located in the western part of the city. It is built on a rise that has kept it dry when other parts of the city were flooded. The site is adorned with trees and overlooks the Caribbean Sea. It has a total of 67,000 square feet (6,200 m2), four ordinance rooms, and four sealing rooms.