Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple


The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The intent to construct the temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson on 1 October 2011.

History

The temple was announced concurrently with the Barranquilla Colombia, Durban South Africa, Star Valley Wyoming, and Provo City Center temples. When announced, this increased the total number of temples worldwide to 166.
A groundbreaking ceremony, to signify the beginning of construction, took place on 12 February 2016, with Neil L. Andersen presiding. A public open house was held in March 2019. The lead negotiator for the temple, both with the government and with local subcontractors, was Norman Kamosi, a former Air Congo executive and member of the Congolese Parliament. Kamosi joined the LDS Church in Washington DC, after having fled there when Kabile came to power.
Following the public open house, the temple was dedicated on April 14, 2019 by Dale G. Renlund, with the dedicatory prayer given in French. and is the fourth operating temple in Africa.
The temple is a single-story building with a concrete and fill structure and a steel superstructure. Unlike most of the church's other temples, the building is not topped with a statue of the angel Moroni, although the building is designed to support one if added later. The temple is built on a 10-acre site that it shares with other existing buildings owned by the LDS Church, including a meetinghouse and an institute building, the latter also being used for seminary classes.
In 2020, like all the church's other temples, the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Additional reading