Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple Wiki

President Thomas S. Monson Announced the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple During his remarks on the Saturday Morning Session of the 181st Semiannual General Conference on 1 October 2011. Plans were announced in conjunction with the announcements for the Barranquilla Colombia, Durban South Africa, and Star Valley Wyoming Temples. At the same time public announcement was made of the plans for the Paris France Temple, news of which had leaked previously that summer.^[1]Thomas S. Monson, “As We Meet Again”, LDS.org, 1 October 2011. Accessed 24 May 2017.

[INSERT] Temples at Time of Announcement

Announced

• –

Under Construction

• –

Dedicated

• –

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple was held on Friday, 12 February 2016. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided. 800 Members plus various local leaders were in attendance.[backref name=”construction’] Attendance at the ceremony was by invitation only, with the general public invited to view the proceedings live from local meetinghouses. 

During remarks to the Latter-day Saints and members of the community, Elder Andersen commented, “This holy house will also bless the country and the people who surround it, whether or not they are members of the Church. It will be a light upon a hill, and the glory of the Lord will be upon it.” He also paid tribute to the people of Africa and of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He stated, “They are a spiritual people. They trust in God and they pray to God. Our Heavenly Father loves His sons and daughters here and answers their prayers.”

The free public open house will begin on Tuesday, 12 March 2019, and continue through Saturday, 30 March 2019, except for the Sundays of March 17 and 24. Current information about reservations for the open house can be found at [lds.org/temples/open-houses lds.org/open-houses].

This temple, the country’s first, was dedicated on April 14, 2019 — Palm Sunday, a week before Easter. “You meet the people and you’re just amazed by how spiritual they are, how strong, how stoic and how absolutely devoted they are to the Savior and to the restored Church,” Elder Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said of the Congolese Saints.

Elder and Sister Renlund, as well as other participating leaders, gave their remarks in French. Elder Renlund also gave the dedicatory prayer in French. The DR Congo has the largest group of French-speaking Church members worldwide, accounting for 10% of all Saints in Africa at the time of the temple’s dedication.

Accompanying the Renlunds at the dedication were other seventies and their wives, including Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, a General Authority Seventy; and Elder Larry Y. Wilson, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department. Members of the Africa Southeast Area Presidency were also in attendance at the event: Elder S. Mark Palmer, Elder Joseph W. Sitati and Elder Joni L. Koch.

“Few Congolese Saints have been able to enjoy the blessings of the temple because of distance, cost and visa issues,” said Elder Renlund. “Most who have come to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, which is 2,100 miles away, have been aided by the General Temple Patron Assistance Fund.”

Elder Renlund continued, “The vast majority who have received their temple blessings have been unable to return.” But a house of the Lord in Kinshasa changed all of that, allowing Saints easier access to temple blessings and the ability to return more frequently.

“A temple in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will, undoubtedly, help heal these lands which have suffered terrible conflicts and tragedies for centuries,” said the Apostle.

The services were broadcast to all congregations of the Church in the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple District.

text

The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is being constructed next to the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake Center on land that was reserved for several years. An institute and seminary building also operates on the 10-acre property.^[2]Marianne Holman Prescott “Construction Begins for a New Temple in Africa,” Church News, 12 February 2016. Accessed 24 May 2017.

Site

Cladding

text

Water Course

Windows

text

Spandrel panel

text

text

text

text