In 1830 in New York, Joseph Smith decided to create the New Jerusalem in the heart of America and founded a religious movement. He declared that Divine Revelation had come down to him, and Jesus Christ had told him about his mission himself. After that, the construction of new temples began all around America. They got the name of the Churches of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormon Churches, from the holy book of prophets of pre-Columbian America.
The church in the surroundings of Lambaré was the 112th temple built on the American continent and the first on the territory of the Paraguay Republic. Its history began in 2000 at the church-wide conference where the former president of the Church of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, published a project of the Paraguayan temple construction. In 2001, the first stone was laid, and a year later the church opened its doors for visitors.
The Paraguayan Mormon Monastery is a spacious building with a total area of about 1000 sq.m. A splendid representative of the classical architectural style made of Brazilian Asa Branca granite consists of four rooms for holding sacraments and sacred ceremonies. The centerpiece is the marriage hall, as the family cult is the most important and honored by the church community members. Today, the Church of Latter-day Saints has 68 thousand members, while the total number of adherents of this religion in Paraguay reaches more than 150 thousand people. All missioners speak two languages – Spanish and Guarani, which means that the doors of the temple are open to all local citizens and representatives of Indian tribes.
The first Mormon Church of Paraguay attracts tourists not only with its history but also with its austere appearance unusual for religious buildings. In its interior decoration, it’s impossible to find odd details, nothing distracts from the main goal of its visitors – humble faith and sincere worship.