Nicaragua is getting its first Latter-day Saint Temple this year
The Managua Nicaragua Temple represents a historic milestone for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua, where the Church first began in the 1950s with small home meetings in Managua.
Did you hear the news about this Mormon temple in Central America? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua began quietly in the 1950s. A few Latter-day Saints moved to Managa and started holding meetings in their homes. They invited local people to come and little by little, the church began to grow. In 1954, Joseé Guzman and his daughter Nora Esparansza became some of the first Nicaraguans to be baptized.
Not long after, a branch was organized in Managua. As more people joined the church, additional branches were created, and by 1958, a district had been organized. But the Saints in Nicaragua would not have an easy path. On December 23rd, 1972, a devastating earthquake struck Monoga. Many church members lost their homes. Many also lost their jobs. But the saints did what Disciples of Christ have always done.
They helped each other. Members distributed more than 20 tons of relief supplies sent by the church, held meetings in their homes, and worked together to rebuild, find food, and move forward. Then things became even harder. In 1977, political conflict in Nicaragua turned violent. North American missionaries were falsely accused of anti-government activity and had to be evacuated.
Church meeting houses were confiscated. Some members fled the country, but the saints who remained kept meeting in their homes. In the middle of fear and instability, local members stepped up, accepted missionary callings, and kept the church alive. In March 1981, a stake was organized in Managa, a major sign that the church in Nicaragua had taken deep root. Later in the late 1980s, relations between the church and the government improved and confiscated meeting houses were returned.
In the years since, the church and the government have also worked together on humanitarian projects. And now, after decades of faith and sacrifice, Nicaragua is preparing for something the early saints there could only dream of, a temple. President Russell M. Nelson announced the Managua Nicaragua Temple in April 2018 and the dedication is scheduled for this year, October of 2026.
Today, there are 107,000 members, 109 congregations total, including wards and branches, and 12 stakes in Nicaragua. That is what faithfulness over generations can do. What started in living rooms grew through disaster, persecution, and uncertainty, and now stands on the edge of a temple dedication.
