Uruguay Montevideo Temple
The Montevideo Uruguay Temple is the 103rd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Construction 
On November 2, 1998, the leaders of the LDS church announced the plans to build a temple in Uruguay. Following the public announcement, the church looked for the right plot of land. Richard G. Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was one of the first Mormon missionaries in Uruguay, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple and the ecclesiastical dedication of the temple grounds.

Dedication 
The first LDS Church branch was organized in 1944 and since then the church has experienced phenomenal growth. By 2001 Uruguay had 73,000 members and a temple. The LDS temple in Montevideo was dedicated for ecclesiastical use in 11 sessions on March 18, 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley. 7,600 members of the church and invited guests attended the dedication ceremony, which included the dedicatory prayer. Before the dedication, from February 28, 2001 thru March 10, 2001, the church held an open house for the public to tour the inside of the temple. More than 25,000 visitors toured the temple, among whom was Jorge Batlle, then President of Uruguay, and the prior president Luis Alberto Lacalle.

Characteristics 
The temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are built with the purpose of providing ordinances and sacred ceremonies for their members which are necessary for individual salvation and family exaltation. They are not used like other church meeting houses, and are reserved for use by worthy baptized members of the church, based on a recommend given to them by local authorities of the church.

The exterior walls of the Montevideo temple are made up of Brazilian Asa Branca granite the temple has a single spire topped by a statue of the angel Moroni and the exterior is asa branca granite. The Montevideo Uruguay Temple has a total of 10,700 square feet (990 m2), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.

The Montevideo Uruguay Temple was the first temple of the LDS Church to be dedicated in the 21st century.