Temple Announced for Monterrey, Mexico

The First Presidency has announced plans to build a temple in Monterrey, Mexico. To be located in northern Mexico, the new temple will be the country’s second and, along with the Mexico City Temple, will serve more than 700,000 members in Mexico. Approximately 200,000 of those members, living in 49 stakes and 20 mission districts, live in the Monterrey temple district.

Missionaries first arrived in the Monterrey area in 1920. The first branch was organized there in 1922 with 35 members. Church growth was initially slow; only four branches had been established by 1962. However, within 14 years, each of those four branches had become a stake. Today Monterrey is home to some 30,000 members living in nine stakes.

Members in the Monterrey area have been dedicated to attending the temple. In 1947 they began making annual trips to the Arizona Temple in Mesa. In 1983 the Mexico City Temple was dedicated, and members began attending there.

Currently, the Church has 47 operating temples worldwide, and 15 additional temples are in the planning and building stages. It is estimated that completion of the Monterrey Mexico Temple will take two years.