By JOE HOLLENBAUGH
hollenbaugh@newsroom.byu.edu
Mexico received two more temples last weekend as President James E. Faust of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple and the Oaxaca Mexico Temple.
The Oaxaca temple dedication on Saturday followed an open house attended by 11,000 people, Elder Marcos Ramos, a full-time LDS missionary in Oaxaca said.
'It was great. The people in Oaxaca are very excited,' Ramos said.
Ramos said all four dedicatory sessions were full. Speakers besides President Faust included Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder Carl V. Pratt of the Seventy.
'The missionaries in Oaxaca are very excited because the mission president said we can go to the temple four times during our missions,' Ramos said.
The Tuxtla Gutierrez temple dedication on Sunday, followed an open house attended by over 8,000 people, Clark Hirschi, Manager of International Area Relations for the LDS Church said.
Elder Norman Pluma, a full-time LDS missionary from Mexico City, attended the dedication.
'The spirit was strong. The testimony of President Faust was magnificent,' Pluma said.
Pluma said all four dedicatory sessions were full, totaling about 4,000 people in attendance. President Faust, Elder Scott, and Elder Pratt spoke.
Pluma said interest in the temple is strong in the community.
'We got about a thousand referrals. I think we will get a lot of baptisms,' Pluma said.
Hirschi attended open houses at both temples. He said the temples are among the most beautiful buildings in both communities. Both buildings are near main roads and are visible from several vantage points, he said.
He said he was most impressed by the temple interiors.
'These are truly beautiful temples. They are not cookie cutter temples. (temple designer) Bengt Erlandsson goes to the area and gets a feel for the local people, customs, and culture,' Hirschi said.
He said the interiors are unique because they present true Mexican decor, like pictures of Mexican scenery and hand woven rugs by indigenous people.
Oaxaca, capital of the state of Oaxaca, is a city of about 250,000 people in southern Mexico. The Oaxaca temple will serve over 20,000 people from seven stakes and one district.
Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of Chiapas state, is home to nearly 300,000 people in southeastern Mexico. The Tuxtla Gutierrez temple will serve about 20,000 people from five stakes and one district.