The doors of the new Quito Ecuador Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints open this week to the media and public.
The public open house runs Friday, October 14, through Saturday, October 29, excluding Sundays. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the temple’s dedication on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
The 175th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide, the Quito Ecuador Temple is the second temple in Ecuador, joining the Guayaquil temple, which was completed in 1999.
Located in Cumbayá, Quito, in one of the two most important valleys of the country’s capital, the mountainous scenery surrounding the 36,780-square-foot edifice is the perfect backdrop for a temple building that incorporates the rich architectural language of Quito and its people.
Elder Jorge Zeballos, Elder Jorge Becerra, and Elder Rafael Pino, General Authority Seventies, and members of the South America Northwest Area Presidency, accompanied by their wives and officials from the Church’s Communication Department, welcomed the media on October 11. Referring to the eternal reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ builds temples throughout the world, Elder Zeballos said, “We are honored to present a work with these characteristics and purpose.”
Exterior Features
The simplicity, symmetry, and subtle details of the exterior of the temple create a striking yet soft contrast with the natural surroundings. The simple tones of the exterior facade emphasize the solidity and presence of the temple. This is achieved by the color of the volcanic andesite stone, located at the base of the temple and in other hard surface areas around the temple. The structure of the temple consists of cast-in-situ concrete walls and floors. The exterior is clad in white Turkish limestone with decoratively carved stone panels above the windows.
The design and manufacture of the exterior artistic stained glass windows were carried out by the Vidrart offices, located in Ecuador. The patterns are abstract florals and the colors that appear are blue, dark green, light green, red, yellow, and white, all of which represent the tones of the flowers of Ecuador.
The fountain was designed by the RVC offices, located in Quito. The walls and fountain are covered in natural andesite stone, with an Ecuadorian floral pattern.
Interior Features
One of the most notable design elements that is repeated throughout the temple is the floral motif. This motif was inspired by the geranium, a very representative flower of the city of Quito. The geranium is found in outdoor gardens, local parks, and home balconies throughout Quito.
The large and small rugs were designed and made by Rugs International. The embroidered design on the rugs reflects the floral patterns found throughout the temple. Its importance comes from the floral richness of Ecuador, which transmits the air of Quito into the rooms.
The temple stands 320 feet tall and is topped by a golden statue of Moroni, a Book of Mormon prophet who is highly significant to Latter-day Saints for his role in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members gather for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered the houses of the Lord, where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ceremonies that bind families together for eternity.
In April 2016, Church President Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Quito, and construction began with a formal groundbreaking ceremony on May 11, 2019.
The website templodequito.org features open house hours, a map of the temple’s location, a virtual tour of the temple’s surroundings, and a video explaining the purpose of temples.
