The plans to build a temple in Panama City were announced by the LDS Church on August 23, 2002.[3][4] Ground was broken and the site was dedicated on October 30, 2005, by Spencer V. Jones, a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy and the president of the church's Central AmericaArea.[5] On May 4, 2007, a statue of the angel Moroni was added to the temple's spire.[2]
The temple is adjacent to the LDS Church's Cárdenas Ward meetinghouse, close to the Panama Canal.[5] The Panama City Panama Temple serves Latter-day Saints in all of Panama. There are 39,000 Latter-day Saints in Panama in seven stakes and eight missiondistricts.[5]
The open house for the temple began on the July 11 and ended on July 26, 2008.[6][7] During the open house, the temple was open to everyone; however, since it has been dedicated only members of the church in good standing can enter.[8] The temple's dedication was held on August 10, 2008 in four sessions. Prior to the dedication, a cultural celebration was held including performances by Panamanian youth members of the church.[1][2]
