President Monson Dedicates Temple, Meets with Vice President in Brazil

During the week of the Curitiba Brazil Temple dedication, thousands of members gathered to hear from President Thomas S. Monson at different locations in southern and central Brazil.

Accompanied by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Charles Didier of the Seventy, President Monson dedicated the Curitiba temple in four sessions on Sunday, June 1, 2008.

The night before, thousands of members filled a soccer stadium for a cultural celebration attended by the prophet.

The Curitiba temple becomes the fifth temple in Brazil, where membership is approaching one million. More than 42,000 people visited the temple during its open house. Brazil’s sixth temple is planned for Manaus.

On Monday, June 2, President Monson flew to Brasilia, Brazil, to meet with Brazil’s vice president, Jose Alancar. Along with Elder Nelson and Elder Didier, President Monson presented Mr. Alancar with a small statue depicting a family and a framed copy of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49).

Afterward, Elder Nelson and his wife, Wendy, joined President Monson to address some 8,000 members for a multistake family home evening.