Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico - Mormon Temple
It was here in northern Mexico that Thou didst reveal the idea and the plan of a smaller temple, complete in every necessary detail, but suited in size to the needs and circumstances of the Church membership in this area of Thy vineyard. That revelation came of a desire and a prayer to help Thy people of these colonies who have been true and loyal during the century and more that they have lived here. They are deserving of this sacred edifice in which to labor for themselves and their forebears,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley [Mormon Prophet] in his dedicatory prayer for Mexico’s completed Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Temple.1
On a hill just west of this little town and overlooking this fertile valley, sits the first of the smaller Mormon temples to be completed outside of the United States. This Temple is an answer to the prayers of many faithful and deserving Latter-day Saints [Mormons] who with their ancestors, have sacrificed much through their hardships and have contributed greatly to the growth of the Mormon Church.
The history of the colonies in Northern Mexico is great and an important part of the Mormon Church history. Pioneers arrived there in the mid-1880’s and settled in the area. The people suffered many hardships during the Mexican revolutions of 1912 and 1914, but they continued in their faithfulness and Church service, which has been handed down to their children and grandchildren.
Colonia Juarez is about two hundred miles southwest of El Paso, Texas. This small town consists of only one store, one hamburger restaurant, one school, and numerous farms. Only one can imagine the excitement it brought when Mormon leaders announced the building of a Mormon Temple in this small community. This was to be the center of activity for the next nine months for this small town of faithful Saints. Temple construction unified not only one small community but also the members from two different cultures as they worked together to build the Temple.
The Colonia Juarez Mormon Temple serves Mormons from the United States and Mexico. When the Temple was first announced members in the United States were hesitant about traveling to Mexico. Well-established beliefs and dangerous conditions in Juarez had prevented many members from ever traveling south across the border. The Temple brought together members of the Mormon Church on both sides of the border, in spite of the differences in nations and cultures. El Paso members made weekly excursions to visit the Mormon Temple during construction. As members from the United States and Mexico became familiar with one another, friendships were formed. During the final stages of construction, Church members from both countries worked together on landscaping, cleaning both the interior and exteriors of the temple and washing windows.2 Many witnessed cultures coming together and eternal friendships being formed.
Just as these two cultures came together, so it is in each of the Mormon Temples. All are equal; upon entering, the street clothes are exchanged for white clothing. Regardless of race, status, education, etc., the Mormon Temple is a place where all are God’s children and all have the opportunity to participate in the sacred ordinances there. It is a place where all can gain a better understanding of the purpose of life and the relationship we all share with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
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