Freetown Sierra Leone Temple

Freetown Sierra Leone Temple Wiki

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Quick Facts

ANNOUNCED
5 October 2019

ANNOUNCED BY
President Russell M. Nelson

GROUNDBREAKING
19 March 2022

GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Hugo E. Martinez

DEDICATED
TBA

DEDICATED BY
TBA

DEDICATION ORDER
#

LOCATION
Jui Road
Kossoh Town
Freetown
Sierra Leone

PHONE
#

Additional Facts

#1

#

#2

#

#3

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Description

There are more than 21,000 Latter-day Saints organized into six stakes and three districts in this West African nation. To participate in temple ordinances, Freetown members currently travel over 1,240 miles (2,000 km) to the Accra Ghana Temple. Saints in Liberia, where there are five stakes and one district in operation, will also be blessed by having a temple much closer to them

History

Announcement

Sierra Leone’s first temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson at the General Women’s Session of the 189th Semiannual General Conference.In a surprise move, he announced the new temples during general women’s session. [1]Nelson Russell, M. “Spiritual Treasures“. 189th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 5 October 2019, Web, [2]Toone, Trent (October 5, 2019). “8 new Latter-day Saint temples announced by President Nelson at women’s session“. Deseret News. Retrieved October 17, 2019. [3]Bennett, Craig (October 7, 2019). “Eight new temples announced in LDS Church semiannual conference“. KDXU News. Retrieved October 17, 2019. [4]Noyce, David (October 5, 2019). “Latter-day Saint temples coming to Orem and Taylorsville, upping Utah’s eventual total to 23“. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 17, 2019. [5]Walker, Sean (October 6, 2019). “5 takeaways from the 189th semiannual general conference“. KSL.com. Retrieved October 17, 2019.

ANNOUNCED ORDER
210

Date2019 10 05
ByRussell M. Nelson
RolePresident
ViaGeneral Conference

⮜Preceded by Budapest Hungary
Followed by Orem Utah⮞

Location Announcement

On 15 December 2021, the location of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple was announced as a 2.9-acre site on Jui Road located in the Kossoh Town region of Freetown. It will be visible to motorists traveling the Masiaka-Yonibana Highway.[6]“Groundbreaking Announced for a New Temple in West Africa.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 15 Dec. 2021, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-announced-for-a-new-temple-in-west-africa.

Render Released

On 15 December 2021, an official exterior rendering was released for the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple .[7]“See Renderings for the Provo and Smithfield Temples.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 24 Nov. 2021, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/provo-smithfield-utah-temple-exterior-rendering.

Render of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.

Groundbreaking Announcement

In conjunction with the Location announcement and render release, the Church announced a groundbreaking date for the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Elder Hugo E. Martinez, Africa West Area president, will preside at the event. Attendance at the site will be by invitation only.[8]“Groundbreaking Announced for a New Temple in West Africa.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 15 Dec. 2021, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-announced-for-a-new-temple-in-west-africa.

Groundbreaking

Elder Hugo E. Martinez, Africa West Area president, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony on March 19, 2022. In his remarks to those in attendance, Elder Martinez said, “Throughout history the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. The Church builds temples all over the world to increasingly make temple blessings more available to a greater number of Heavenly Father’s children.”

Speaking of the importance of religious freedom during the dedicatory prayer on the site, Elder Martinez prayed, “Many have embraced the restored gospel of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and look forward to the glorious day when they may attend the temple here in their homeland, to unite their family for eternity.”

He continued, “May all worthy members enter through [the temple’s] doors to serve others in the most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, that is, vicarious ordinances for their ancestors. May they feel Thy Spirit and find knowledge and direction to return to Thy presence as eternal families.”

GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
216

Date2022 03 19
ByQuentin L. Cook
RoleApostle
Attendees#

⮜Preceded by Bacolod Philippines
Followed by Bahía Blanca Argentina⮞

Also present at the ceremony were government and religious leaders, including Madam Nabeela Farida Tunis, minister of the country’s western region. Tunis came to the groundbreaking ceremony as a representative of the government of Sierra Leone. “I heartily congratulate this Church and its effort to bring a temple to our country,” she said. “God bless this Church. God bless all of us. God bless Sierra Leone.”

Accompanying Elder Martinez was his wife, Sister Nuria Alvarez de Martinez. Also in attendance was Elder Larry S. Kacher, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Africa West Area presidency; Elder Daniel Kabason, an Area Seventy; and their wives, Sister Pauline Kacher and Sister Millicent Kane Kabason, respectively.[9]“Temple Groundbreaking Held in Sierra Leone.” news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org, 19 Mar. 2022, news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-groundbreaking-in-sierra-leone.

Details

Location

A 2.9-acre site on Jui Road located in the Kossoh Town region of Freetown has been chosen as the location for the temple.

Location

Jui Road
Kossoh Town
Freetown
Sierra Leone

Latitude#
Longitude#

Phone

phone

Elevation

FeetMeters
18,0001,672

Site

AcresHectares
2.91.2

Interior

Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 18,000 square feet

Area18,000 f2 (1,672 m2)
Floors above grade1
Floors below Grade0
Baptistries1
Initiatories4*
Endowment Rooms2
Sealing Rooms2
*estimated

Region

TEMPLES IN AFRICA by country

Angola1Luanda
Cabo Verde1Praia
DRC4Kananga · Kinshasa · Lubumbashi · Mbuji-Mayi
Ghana3Accra · Cape Coast · Kumasi
Ivory Coast1Abidjan
Kenya1Nairobi
Liberia1Monrovia
Madagascar1Antananarivo
Mozambique1Beira · Maputo
Nigeria5Aba · Abuja · Benin City · Calabar · Eket · Lagos
ROC1Brazzaville
Sierra Leone1Freetown
South Africa3Cape Town · Durban · Johannesburg
Uganda1Kampala
United Arab Emirates1Dubai
Zimbabwe1Harare

Sources and Citations

References

References
↑1 Nelson Russell, M. “Spiritual Treasures“. 189th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 5 October 2019, Web,
↑2 Toone, Trent (October 5, 2019). “8 new Latter-day Saint temples announced by President Nelson at women’s session“. Deseret News. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
↑3 Bennett, Craig (October 7, 2019). “Eight new temples announced in LDS Church semiannual conference“. KDXU News. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
↑4 Noyce, David (October 5, 2019). “Latter-day Saint temples coming to Orem and Taylorsville, upping Utah’s eventual total to 23“. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
↑5 Walker, Sean (October 6, 2019). “5 takeaways from the 189th semiannual general conference“. KSL.com. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
↑6, ↑8 “Groundbreaking Announced for a New Temple in West Africa.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 15 Dec. 2021, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-announced-for-a-new-temple-in-west-africa.
↑7 “See Renderings for the Provo and Smithfield Temples.” newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 24 Nov. 2021, newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/provo-smithfield-utah-temple-exterior-rendering.
↑9 “Temple Groundbreaking Held in Sierra Leone.” news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org, 19 Mar. 2022, news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-groundbreaking-in-sierra-leone.