The Accra Ghana Temple is the 117th operating

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church).

History

The building of the Accra Ghana Temple was announced on February 16, 1998. Years before the temple was announced, LDS Church president

Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...

had promised members in the area they would someday have a temple close by. When the temple was announced Hinckley also told those in attendance that the church had been trying to find a place to build a temple in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

for five years. The temple in

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

is the second of three temples built in Africa. The first

Mormon missionaries Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and commu ...

came to

in 1978. Many of the people present at the announcement of the temple had been some of the first converts in Ghana. A site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 16, 2001.

Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...

, a member of the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

, led the ceremony. The vice president of Ghana,

Aliu Mahama Alhaji Aliu Mahama (3 March 1946 – 16 November 2012) was a Ghanaian engineer and politician who was Vice-President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. A member of the New Patriotic Party, he was Ghana's first Muslim Vice-Preside ...

, as well as other officials, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony and a radio station and Ghana Television covered the event. The temple sits on on the main avenue that runs through the center of Accra. The exterior of the temple is made of Namibia Pearl Granite. The temple was open to the public from December 3rd through 20th, 2003. During the tour, people were able to see the craftsmanship utilized in the interior of the temple. All of the materials used in the building of the temple were from the area. Moldings in the temple were made of native makore wood, skilled men in the area handcrafted the furniture and the art-glass windows reflect the culture. The vice president of Ghana as well as many other officials took tours through the temple. Hinckley dedicated the Accra Ghana Temple on January 11, 2004. It has a total of , two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. There is a stake center and Missionary Training Center on the grounds. While all members of the church with a valid temple recommend are able to visit the temple, it primarily serves members in

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

, Ghana, the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

, and

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

. In 2020, like all the church's other temples, the Accra Ghana Temple was closed in response to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

.Stack, Peggy Fletcher
"All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus"
''

The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...

'', 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

References

External links

Official Accra Ghana Temple page

Accra Ghana Temple
at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org {{LDS-Africa, state=expanded Temples (LDS Church) completed in 2004 Buildings and structures in Accra Religious buildings and structures completed in 2003 Temples (LDS Church) in Africa The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana 2004 establishments in Ghana

History

See also

References

External links