165th Temple in the Church

2nd Temple in the Caribbean

1st Temple in Haiti

Announcement:  5 April 2015 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  28 October 2017 by Walter F. González Public Open House:  8–17 August 2019 Dedication:  1 September 2019 by David A. Bednar

Prior to the completion of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, Church members had to travel across the border to the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple, nearly a day’s journey. The Port-au-Prince Temple made it much easier for Haitian members of the Church to attend the temple, especially after the 2010 earthquake, which destroyed many of the documents necessary to allow travel across the border. In addition to the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, the temple site also includes a temple president's residence and ancillary building which houses utility equipment and a Church distribution center.

Sources: Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org.

163rd Temple in the Church

4th Temple in Africa

1st Temple in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Announcement:  1 October 2011 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  12 February 2016 by Neil L. Andersen Public Open House:  12–30 March 2019 Dedication:  14 April 2019 by Dale G. Renlund

The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple currently does not have an angel Moroni statue on the steeple, but the steeple was designed to support the addition of one at a later time. Members of the Church in the region previously had to travel more than 2000 miles to attend the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. President Thomas S. Monson announced the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo temple only 15 years after the first stake was created in the country, and ground was broken during the 20th anniversary year of that first stake.

Sources: Photos 1-4 from churchofjesuschrist.org, photos 5-7 by Sean Donnelly from churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org.

156th Temple in the Church

12th Temple in Europe

1st Temple in France

Announcement:  1 October 2011 Construction Commencement:  24 August 2012 Public Open House:  22 April–13 May 2017 Dedication:  21 May 2017 by Henry B. Eyring

The Paris France Temple was the first temple constructed without towers or spires since the Mesa Arizona Temple in 1927 and the first temple designed without an angel Moroni statue (and without adding one later) since the Oakland California Temple in 1964. No formal groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Paris France Temple, making it one of only two temples for which no groundbreaking ceremony occurred (the other was the Tokyo Japan Temple). On 1 August 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball told French members of the Church that if "we clenched our fists and gritted our teeth, a temple will be available to the members here," and that Church membership in France would “double, even quadruple.” At the time President Kimball made these promises, there were 10,000 members of the Church in France. When the Paris Temple was dedicated, Church membership in France had grown to nearly 40,000.

Sources: Photos 1-5 from churchofjesuschrist.org, Photo 6 by Lionel Allorge from en.wikipedia.org. Facts and dates from churchofjesuschristtemples.org.

In celebration of Haiti’s Independence Day on 1 January, here’s a quick post featuring the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. Look for a full post featuring the Port-au-Prince Temple in the future!

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple on Sunday, 1 September 2019. The Port-au-Prince Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the April 2015 General Conference. This is the first temple to be built in Haiti and the second to be built in the Caribbean. There are now 165 operating temples in the Church.

Elder Dale G. Renlund dedicated the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple on Sunday, 14 April 2019. The Kinshasa Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the October 2011 General Conference. There are now 163 operating temples in the Church and 4 operating temples in Africa.

86th Temple in the Church

6th Temple in Canada

1st Temple in Québec

Announcement:  6 August 1998 Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  9 April 1999 by Gary J. Coleman Public Open House:  20–27 May 2000 Dedication:  4 June 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley Public Open House:  5–14 November 2015 Rededication:  22 November 2015 by Henry B. Eyring

The Montréal Québec Temple groundbreaking ceremony was held in the garage of a vacated auto dealership; the garage was later demolished to make way for the construction of the temple. For decades, English-speaking members of the Church in Québec had to travel 45 hours to the Cardston Alberta Temple, and French-speaking members of the Church had to travel to the Bern Switzerland Temple to attend sessions in French. Members in the temple district were later assigned to the Washington D.C. Temple, then to the Toronto Ontario Temple, before finally having a temple in Montréal. From 2 June 2014-22 November 2015, the temple was closed for extensive renovations to modernize the building and to eradicate a mold problem in the temple’s wood frame. Most of the wood framing was replaced with steel to prevent mold in the future.

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Abidjan Cȏte d’Ivoire Temple on Thursday, 8 November 2018. The temple was announced during the April 2015 General Conference and is one of ten temples announced or currently in operation in Africa.