Richard G. Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was one of the first Mormon missionaries in Uruguay, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple.

During the open house nearly 25,000 people visited the Montevideo Uruguay Temple.

LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Montevideo Uruguay Temple on 18 March 2001 with more than 6,500 people in attendance.

The temple has a single spire topped by a statue of the angel Moroni and the exterior is asa branca granite.

In 2020, the Montevideo Uruguay Temple was closed temporarily during the year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.