Construction begins on first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Hungary

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that construction began on the Budapest Hungary Temple began on Saturday.

This is the first temple in Hungary, even though the Church has had a presence in the country since 1885 when the first missionaries arrived. The commencement of construction on this temple is celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hungary.

Hungarian members of the Church previously had to travel to Germany to participate in temple ceremonies. The Budapest Temple will be the 16th temple in Europe, and it will serve members from 12 countries.

The Budapest Temple is set to be completed within three years. It is located in Harsánylejtő, Óbuda on a 24,000-square-meter parcel of land. The temple will be 1,600-square-meters, and a 1,000-square-meter patron house will also be built.

Argentine Rubén V. Alliaud attended the commencement ceremony on Saturday. He is the President of the Church’s Central Europe Area, and he oversees 37 countries, including Hungary.

This temple has been supported by the Óbuda municipality “from the very beginning,” Péter Borsos, a regional leader of the Church in Hungary, said. This support stands in contrast to some recent high-profile controversies surrounding temples in the United States, such as the legal battles surrounding the Cody Wyoming Temple and the Fairview Texas Temple.

“We hope the Temple will not only be a spiritual home for our community but also one of Budapest’s treasures, contributing to the cultural and spiritual enrichment of the local community,” Borsos continued.