The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dates for the open house and dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple.
The public open house will run from December 1, 2022, to December 17, except for Sundays. The temple dedication on Sunday, January 15, 2023, will take place with three sessions: 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m.
A media day will precede the open house on November 28, 2022. Invited guests will tour the temple on November 29–30.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all congregations in the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple district. The San Juan Puerto Rico Temple will be the first house of the Lord in the territory. The current temple district for members living in Puerto Rico is the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple.
Latter-day Saint military servicemen began holding Church meetings in Guajataca, Puerto Rico, in 1947. In January 1964, the first missionaries arrived in Puerto Rico and the first Latter-day Saint was baptized in February. In 1970, the first meetinghouse opened and home seminary, a youth religious study program, began in Puerto Rico. Today, there are nearly 23,500 members of the Church in 38 congregations in Puerto Rico.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided extensive relief to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated much of the island in 2017. In addition to monetary assistance, the Church donated mobile medical outreach services, food and water supplies, hygiene and cleaning kits, batteries, bedding, mosquito nets, and roofing materials to those in need.