Quick Facts
ANNOUNCED
5 April 2015
ANNOUNCED BY
President Thomas S. Monson
GROUNDBREAKING
8 November 2018
GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Neil L. Andersen
DEDICATED
TBD
DEDICATED BY
TBD
DEDICATION ORDER
TBD
CURRENT PRESIDENT AND MATRON
TBD
LOCATION
1874 Boulevard de France
Abidjan
Additional Facts
#1
This will be the first Latter-day Saint temple built in the country of Ivory Coast and the seventh temple built on the continent of Africa.
#2
After Elder Andersen and other adults broke ground on this house of the Lord, a group of Primary children was invited to hold the ceremonial golden shovels and help break ground.
#3
On the same day the Abidjan temple was announced, Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke in general conference about pioneer couples who brought the gospel to Ivory Coast. Three years later, when Elder Andersen presided over the Abidjan temple’s groundbreaking, he talked again about the influence these couples had.
Description
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) is home to approximately 20 million people including more than 22,000 Church members. The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple will be the first in the country, where missionary work officially began in 1988. Church members in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s second most populous city, currently attend temple services in Accra, Ghana, which is a 12-hour drive.[1]”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015.
History
Over the past few years, Church membership growth in Côte d’Ivoire has been among the highest in the world. The number of members and congregations has multiplied in this West African nation where twelve stakes and thirteen districts operate. Eleven of the twelve stakes are headquartered in the greater Abidjan region. In 2012, three of the five stakes in Côte d’Ivoire were among the top 25 in the Church in the percentage of adults submitting family names for temple ordinances.
Announcement
On April 5, 2015, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of Ivory Coast’s first temple during the Sunday Morning Session of the 185th Annual General Conference. The temple was announced concurrently with the Port-au-Prince Haiti and Bangkok Thailand Temples.[2]”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015.
Location Announcement
Render Released
Groundbreaking Announcement
Groundbreaking for the Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Temple was announced on 4 October 2018. At the same time, the location of the Temple was announced as the open lawn next to the Cocody Cote d’Ivore Stake Center, and the official render for the temple was released.[3]”Groundbreaking Announced for Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 4 Oct. 2018 .
Groundbreaking
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Temple was held Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. Attendance at the services was by invitation only, but the general public was able to view the proceedings live at local meetinghouses. The groundbreaking was performed by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[4]”Groundbreaking Announced for Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 4 Oct. 2018, 8 Oct. 2018 During the program he said “Let this be an example for us in our own lives. Let us devote ourselves during these months of construction to better shaping our character and souls to be ready to enter the dedicated temple. Let us be better husbands and wives, better children; let us be more true to following the Savior. … Let us be honest in our tithes and offerings. Let us be kind and generous to those around us. Let us pray with humility and real intent.”[5]Taylor, Scott. “These Are the Highlights of the Ivory Coast Temple Groundbreaking.” Church News, 9 Aug. 2019.
Also attending and speaking were Daniel Kablan Duncan, the nation’s vice-president, and M. Mattias N’Gouan, major of Cocody.
Open House
Dedication
Dedication Order
Under Construction
Awaiting Groundbreaking
Undergoing Renovation
Construction Duration
| Span | Duration |
|---|---|
| Announced to Groundbreaking | 3 y, 7 m, 7 d |
| Groundbreaking to Dedication | |
| Announced to Dedication |
Presidents and Matrons
| Temple President | Temple Matron | Years Served |
|---|---|---|
| Rex Jay Allen | Nancy Ann Newey Allen |
Details
Plans and renderings of the Abidjan temple call for a one-story rectangular building. Above the front of the building is a central spire with a rectangular base. Shrubs, trees and red flowers grow around the temple grounds.
Location
The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple is on the site of the stake center for the Cocody Cote I’voire Stake in the commune of Cocody, known for its beautiful residential districts. The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple will be the sixth temple built in Africa and the first built in the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire).
| TEMPLES IN AFRICA | Cabo Verde | Praia |
| DRC | Kananga · Kinshasa · Lubumbashi | |
| Ghana | Accra · Kumasi | |
| Ivory Coast | Abidjan | |
| Kenya | Nairobi | |
| Liberia | Monrovia | |
| Madagascar | Antananarivo | |
| Mozambique | Beira | |
| Nigeria | Aba · Benin City · Eket · Lagos | |
| ROC | Brazzaville | |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown | |
| South Africa | Cape Town · Durban · Johannesburg | |
| Zimbabwe | Harare | |
Site
Also located on the site are a Stake Center, and a Distribution Center.
Exterior
Cladding
Windows
Symbolism
Inscriptions
The Inscription is on an inset panel above the entry doors. It is on the north face of the temple, facing North.
It is French text, engraved into the stucco exterior.
SAINTETÉ
ÀU SEIGNEUR
LA MAISON
DU SEIGNEUR
| Order: | Holiness > House |
| Location: | North Above Entrance, Below Spire |
| Language: | French |
| Type: | Engraved |
| Color: | None |
| Setting: | Stucco |
| Font: | Michelangelo |
| Glyph: | None |
| Church Name: | No |
| Temple Name: | No |
| Dates: | No |
Cornerstone
Spires and Finial
Spire
Finial
On 15 April 2021 an Angel Moroni statue was placed atop the spire of the Abidjan Côte d’IvoireTemple. The statue is a fiberglass replica of Karl Quilter’s 1982 7 foot statue. Unlike every other statue on a temple to date, the Abidjan Statue is silver rather than gold. Sources have indicated that the statue is leafed in Palladium, which is a little thicker than Gold leaf, and likely to last longer.[6]Interview with Private Source, Marvin Quist, 25 January 2022
Finial Type
| Sculptor: | Karl Quilter |
| Commissioned: | 1978 |
| Completed: | 1982 |
| Material: | Fiberglass |
| Height: | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Weight: | ~300 lbs (181.4 kg) |
| Currently On: | 101 temples |
Abidjan Temple Finial
| Finish: | Palladium Leaf |
| Placed: | 15 April 2021 |
| Faces:: | North |
Interior
Entry/Waiting Area
Baptistry
Initiatory Spaces
Instruction Rooms
Sealing Rooms
Celestial Rooms
Contractors and Individuals
Project Manager
General Contractor
Architect
Additional Articles
Sources
References
| ↑1 | ”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | ”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015. |
| ↑3 | ”Groundbreaking Announced for Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 4 Oct. 2018 . |
| ↑4 | ”Groundbreaking Announced for Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 4 Oct. 2018, 8 Oct. 2018 |
| ↑5 | Taylor, Scott. “These Are the Highlights of the Ivory Coast Temple Groundbreaking.” Church News, 9 Aug. 2019. |
| ↑6 | Interview with Private Source, Marvin Quist, 25 January 2022 |