1st week-Mexico City Temple

The CCM is an absolutely amazing place! The campus is absolutely breathtaking and is so open and clean. Since Christmas is coming up they have put up several Christmas trees in the common areas. They have a nativity in front of the cafeteria and they are currently planting and placing poinsettias all over the place.

The spirit here is amazing and you can feel the spirit and Heavenly Father’s love everywhere. We are only allowed to pray in Spanish here and some of our meetings are only in Spanish and the rest of the meetings are in Spanish and English combination. The natives at the CCM are the most amazing people you will ever meet. They are so nice and caring and always ready to help you learn Spanish.

We had the opportunity to go to the Mexico City Temple today (12/4/2013) and it is such a beautiful temple and it has an amazing Visitor’s Center. They were planting white and red poinsettias all over the temple grounds when we arrived.

The temple is huge (I believe it is the largest outside of the US) The spirit is so strong in that temple. I was very grateful that I could go into the temple this week. We had the opportunity to use the English language translators today but after 2 more times, we will listen in Spanish. I feel so blessed to go because the temple will be closed in January for at least a year and a half because the foundation is sinking.

The spirit of the CCM is so strong and I love being here. We have to practice teaching an “investigator” (member acting) in Spanish almost every weekday. The spirit here in Mexico is stronger than I’ve felt it anywhere else. 

Love, Elder Braden Dahl (written 12/4/2013)

Glossary of Terms (by Stacie Dahl (Mom)):

CCM – Centro de Capacitación Misional México which means Mexico Missionary Training Center (MTC)

Campus - The CCM Campus was originally a school owned and operated by the Church. The link above on "campus" shows a 360-degree virtual tour of the campus when it was a school campus. You can get a feel for the facilities where Braden is right now.

Mexico City Temple - In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth.

Mexico City Temple Facts:

1. The México City México Temple is the largest outside of the United States.

1. Only five temples feature an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. They are the Los Angeles California Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, Seattle Washington Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, and México City México Temple.