In 1956, while Harold B. Lee (then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve) visited Guatemala City, he felt that it would be a center for Lamanite gatherings and predicted that a temple would be built there.
The LDS Church temple in Guatemala City was announced on April 1, 1981, and dedicated on December 14, 1984 by Gordon B. Hinckley. The temple was built on a 1.4-acre (5,700 m2) plot, has 4 ordinance rooms and 3 sealing rooms, and has a total floor area of 11,610 square feet (1,079 m2).
Carmen O'Donnal was the first matron of the temple and was also the first native of Guatemala to be baptized into the LDS Church.[1] Clate W. Mask, Jr. was a former temple president.