Groundbreaking of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple
Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone have had to travel by plane to reach the nearest temples in Accra, Ghana; or Aba, Nigeria. When a temple for Freetown, Sierra Leone, was announced in 2019, members shed tears of joy, Church Newsroom reported.
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.”
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.
Timeline of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple
On Oct. 5, 2019, the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson. Nearly two and a half years later, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 19, 2022, and presided over by Elder Hugo E. Martinez, president of the Africa West Area.
Architecture and Design of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple
The Freetown Sierra Leone Temple is being built on a 2.9-acre site as a single-story structure with a two-story ancillary building nearby. The ancillary building is expected to contain an arrival center, patron housing, presidency apartments, ordinance worker apartments and utility buildings. In total, the temple will be approximately 18,000 square feet.
The exterior will be cream-colored with a series of windows along the front, accompanied by a main archway to the front doors and a single spire above the middle of the structure. The grounds will hold various trees and shrubs and a parking lot that goes up to the front of the building.
Groundbreaking Photos of the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple
