The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced open house and dedication dates for the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple in Africa.
The free public open house will begin Tuesday, March 12, 2019, and continue through Saturday, March 30, 2019, except for the Sundays of March 17 and 24.
Dedicatory services will be held Sunday, April 14, 2019, and a youth devotional with Church leadership is planned for Saturday, April 13, 2019. It will be broadcast to all congregations of the Church in the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple District. Additional details regarding the temple dedication will be announced at a future date.
This will be the fourth operating temple in Africa. The three other temples currently operating are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; and Aba, Nigeria. The Durban South Africa Temple is under construction. Plans have been announced to build temples in Harare, Zimbabwe; Nairobi, Kenya; and the Abidjan Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire).
The Church currently has 189 temples either in operation, announced, under construction or being renovated around the world. The Kinshasa temple will be the 163rd operating temple.
Latter-day Saint temples differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man.