[This post was originally withdrawn because we learned that “the Temple Department owns the rights and access to what is recorded on the temple grounds during groundbreaking, open house, and dedication.” We are reposting it because we have now received permission to share these experiences.]
While others took a short break from the heat and humidity, one man in the center takes dead aim with his heavy sledgehammer and finished the pounding in of the last tent stake for the “Welcome Tent” roof.
Over the next several weeks, we will trace the temple’s history from its announcement to the completion of the temple building. And from its completion as a sacred building to its dedication and use as a House of the Lord by the Latter-day Saints in this choice part of the world.
Those interested in a more details about the Church in the DR Congo and its new temple may consult or download an in-depth history that is posted at the Southeast Africa Area website:
- https://africasoutheast.lds.org/church-history-drc-kinshasa-temple?lang=eng-za (English)
- https://afriquedusudest.lds.org/histoire-de-l-eglise-rdc-temple-du-kinshasa?lang=fra-za (French)
Many of the video supplements in this series will complement and personalize the written history: early members will tell fascinating stories of the challenges and blessings of the coming of the Church to the country, some will talk about their roles in temple construction and operation, and others will describe how having a temple in Kinshasa will bless their lives.
In the current segment, we will get a glimpse of some of the preparations that have been made for the Kinshasa Temple Open House. In the last several weeks, the intensity of activities at the temple site has continued to increase. Neighbors, neighborhoods, and the country at large are beginning to experience the blessings of the temple.
Video Supplements for Part 1
Tony plays a song of welcome on an empty bottle (no words)
Gregg Johnson shares a memorable experience in decorating the temple (English only)
MAWISA-NKOKO Lisette: The temple gardener (French with English subtitles)
I wish my uncle was around to see this. He was the mission president in Congo beginning in 1991, the first in the country. I would love to hear his perspective. It’s a long way from when he and the other missionaries had to flee the country.
We knew and loved the Taggarts, as we were the only LDS family in Brazzaville while they served in that mission. We to are thrilled to see this remarkable growth in the Church in both of the Congos.
What wonderful information and videos! I can really feel the Spirit as I read and watch. The people of the DR Congo are beautiful people with a new beautiful temple.
I Read (and watched) with great interest your commentary on the new Temple, and related topics. I found it very well done, informative and easy to understand. You are to be commended on your contributions to the Church on many subjects. This particular presentation will be able to inform many people about this momentous occasion. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. May the Lord continue to inspire and direct you in His work.
Loraine Peterson, Caldwell, Idaho
Jeff’s amazing work will be a treasure in the future. I wonder if anyone has begun to collect all the photos taken by all the American Latter-day Saint missionaries in this remarkable part of the world. This has been done in New Zealand, and there is now a huge collection of something like forty thousand photographs of almost all the Maori members of the Church up to the beginning of WW II. And quite a few subsequently. And a huge effort has been made to identify those in those photos, which were almost never provided by the missionaries, and also where they were taken.
It is obvious that there is a very solid collection of historical materials already available. This pleases me greatly, since in the future this will be valuable for those who want to know about such matters.
Dear Louis,
Thanks for your interest. Generally media documentation of the preparations made for far-flung little temples is limited to short, factual summaries of what can be captured during a few big events when news outlets and Public Affairs are able to do their work. I hope this series can help to capture some of the wider context and feeling “on the ground.” I hope also that through additional videos of short stories told by the people themselves, news about the history of the Church and the temple can be given a more human-centric (rather than event-centric) face, allowing those who are interested to really get to know the unique and wonderful spirit of the people and the place, as you have done for the people of New Zealand for so many years.
The photo collection of the Saints in New Zealand sound like a remarkable and unique treasure. I hope to see it someday. With respect to the DR Congo, the Church has gone to great lengths to capture audio and written histories, including some photos, over the decades. Unfortunately, many of these materials are currently restricted, but some are beginning to appear. The new history posted on the Area Website mentioned above is one such initiative and I hope the momentum here (and in other places) will be able to continue.
When we served in the mission office in Kinshasa, as part of a Church History assignment, we captured video recordings of oral histories and photos of nearly every missionary who went home during the two years we were there, as well as some other histories, as time allowed. The missionaries had come from all over Africa, and they will eventually be catalogued and made part of the extensive collection at the Church History Library.
Thanks for your support!
Hello, Bradshaws! How wonderful that you were able to return to Kinshasa to be a part of this great occasion. We know that many of our Brazzaville friends are taking advantage of the temple’s opening across the river and are thrilled by it’s proximity. What a blessing this work is to the great people of the two Congos. Best wishes!
My husband and I lived and served in Brazzaville for several years. He has started a collection of photos from the early years of the Church there when it was part of the Kinshasa mission.