US-Based Mormon Church to Build a Temple in Nairobi

US-Based Mormon Church to Build a Temple in Nairobi

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced it will break ground for a temple in Nairobi, Kenya to serve its growing followers in the region.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Nairobi temple is scheduled for September 11th, 2021 with officials at the US-based church indicating that attendance will be by invitation only.

A site location and exterior rendering for the Nairobi temple which will be East Africa and eight in the continent have yet to be released. The September 11th event in the Kenyan capital will be presided over by Elder Joseph W. Sitati, president of the Africa Central Area and native of Kenya.

The construction of a temple — a setting for key Mormon blessings allowed nowhere else — signifies the strong roots the Salt Lake City headquartered church has established in Kenya. About 540,000 Mormons live in Africa and 15,000 in Kenya, making for two stakes and 54 congregations in the country.

Mormon missionaries first arrived in Kenya in the 1980s but the religion was shunned as a cult and anti-Christian. The faith group has since gained acceptance and registered with the Kenyan government in 1993.

There are over 150 Mormon temples across the world, and the planned Nairobi temple is one of 30 more announced or under construction.

In 2018, Church President Russell M. Nelson came to Kenya as part of his global tour aimed at connecting with the faithful.
 

Comments

Guest777 (not verified)     Thu, 07/15/2021 @ 06:40pm

Mormon seeking more firewood for hell. Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses aggressive on evangelism despite zero chance of heaven. Mungu saidia

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Thu, 07/15/2021 @ 10:59pm

According to Wikipedia over the past two centuries, the relationship between black people and Mormonism includes both official and unofficial discrimination.
The black men were not allowed to hold any position in this church. The church's first president Joseph Smith and Brigham Young reasoned that black skin was the result of the curse of cain or the curse of Ham.
Mormonism has been for slavery in America and against civil rights.
In 1852 Smith's immediate successor Brigham Young announced that black men could not hold the priesthood. In the following decades, both black men and black women were barred from temple worship.
If this is the foundation of this church, why would it be allowed to establish itself where majority are blacks.
Who in their right mind would allow such a thing? Our gates are languished, that we know. We also know the prophecy.
Welcome to Kenya, God's country.
Our people are waking up to who they are and these foreign churches and languages will be the first to pack and go as the revival and restoration of God's children take place.

Bot Bowles (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 10:15am

In reply to by Anonymous UI (not verified)

Joseph Smith ordained African Americans to the priesthood. The reason Mormons fled Missouri was because they were opposed to slavery in a slave state and were persecuted for that.

Learn why the Restored Church of Jesus Christ contains ordinances and practices of the Christian church of the first Two Centuries: TinyURL.com/ChristianityVideo

mwororo (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 04:10pm

In reply to by Bot Bowles (not verified)

@Bot Bowls Joseph Smith's ordaining of African Americans to the Priesthood was too little too late. Think about the pain and sufferings of blacks under the bondage of slavery that the Mormon church sanctioned in America. A church that could careless about the pain and anguish, or feel mercy for fellow men. Blacks' plight under slavery was diabolical: blacks were auctioned like cattle, lynched, raped, castrated, flog-marched, mocked and taunted - their children sold into slavery, their children fed to alligators as baits, and many other manner of violence and torture. Your church of Mormon was against the civil right of the blacks in America. As blacks, poor children of God were going through hell under Jim Crow America, your immoral church was laughing at them. According to your church; black people were cursed children of Satan. And now, here you're, in Nairobi coming to bring your filthy, slimy and dirty religious doctrine among the Most High's children - who reside under the wings of Zion. Get lost!

Mundumugo (not verified)     Sun, 07/18/2021 @ 02:28pm

In reply to by Bot Bowles (not verified)

Were they now?
Shall we start with the "curse of Cain," Mormon doctrine states that God marked Cain with blackness and cursed him so he would forever be persecuted.
Are there teachings in the Book of Mormon that spoke of black skin as vile and evil and white skin as "pure and delightsome." The scriptures also implied God would darken the skin of people who fell out of his favor and lighten that of those who pleased him.
Before rewording of the book of Mormon, what was the punishment for the Lamanites (those you consider Native Americans ancestors). Both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were racists and pretending otherwise won't make it so. They may have been enlightened racists but they were still racists and their DNA remains in the faith to this days. You can look at a person and concede they are human but that doesn't mean you think of them as equal to you and that has been what Mormonism and white people have been about for centuries.

Imara Daima (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 03:22am

Th Mormon church should first get rid of the American terrorist organizations such as the KKK before they come to build a church in Kenya. Members of this group including the Neo-Nazis, have been terrorizing the American non-European citizens for a very long time.

I still don't understand why they have not been banned by the Congress! They have the audacity to challenge the CREATOR/GOD by refusing to accept that the gender and color differences that are visible to the naked human eye are not man-made. The diversity of people and other living and non-living objects in the entire universe were engineered, designed, and programmed by the CREATOR/GOD. These two terrorist organizations should not be allowed anywhere on planet earth. Why? They defy the CREATOR/GOD by refusing to accept DIVERSITY on earth.

SOLUTION: I ask all the American elected officials to ban these two terrorist organizations and many more others that defy the CREATOR/GOD. When? Before the end of this year.
Brother Russell M. Nelson (the president of the Mormon Church), please find a way to communicate directly to the US elected Members of the Congress to get rid of the American terrorist organizations before you build another church anywhere out of the USA. The American people will definitely benefit more for building more churches in the USA than the one you are thinking of building in Kenya.

Rick Satterfield (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 12:31pm

God bless you, brothers and sisters!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has learned from its doctrinal misinterpretations of the past to become ardent supports of every race, color, and nationality. Last month, the First Presidency of the Church and the leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced new educational and humanitarian initiatives from their ongoing discussions and collaboration.

The Book of Mormon states: "[Jesus Christ] inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." The extraordinary humanitarian efforts of the Church functions from a place of love for God's children. I love all my wonderful brothers and sisters in Kenya, for we are ALL the children of God.

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 06:27pm

In reply to by Rick Satterfield (not verified)

@Ricky Satterfield,
You are talking about "last month".
We are talking about 400 years of slavery and discrimination.
Our brothers and sisters in America are running away from these churches that have supported slavery. In Africa we are moving away from these foreign churches that have supported colonialism-and in supporting the same, they supported the raping, lynching, killing our forefathers, stealing our land, resources, destroying our cultures and languages.
Those churches established themselves exactly where our "shrines" were previously established. As our people awaken to who we are, those churches will be replaced by what is coming just as they replaced our "shrines" in the past.
History tells us where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Kenyans are moving towards the God of their forefathers, if that is where your church is moving towards- to our forefathers-Then welcome to Kenya!!

Mugaathe (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 09:17pm

In reply to by Rick Satterfield (not verified)

@Rick Satterfield, you're as confused as your cult Mormon organization. You say your book of Mormon states "Jesus Christ inviteth them all -------black and white ---". Are you saying your own church leadership including Joseph Smith could not follow your own teachings when you chased black people out of your devilish church? Your religion, the Caucasian Christianity pacified our people for imperialism and colonialism. You divided brother against brother. You stole our lands and our natural resources. You have never apologized and or paid reparations to repair your wickedness, violence, torture and cruelty that you perpetrated against our fore fathers. That Mormon church should be burned down to the ground the minute you you put it up. We are ready, able and willing to get justice for our people who you called savages as you finished them up. Go back to your country and take your Mormon bull-shit with you. We know our God and do not need your cult among our people.

Guest777 (not verified)     Sat, 07/17/2021 @ 12:51am

In reply to by Rick Satterfield (not verified)

Hey sir you are better off being a racist cult to continue sending a minimum number to hell. The devil loves no one so if your numbers stay low it's good news to humanity. You have a choice to defect and receive Christ and be free instead of following joseph Smith to eternity in the lake of fire. Shetani ashindwe

Mundumugo (not verified)     Sun, 07/18/2021 @ 01:23pm

In reply to by Rick Satterfield (not verified)

You are so full of it.
The Mormon church can't shed it racist roots, misogynistic roots etc by fiat. While it's true they've had convenient revelations, like America you can't shed what you've taught and absorbed over hundreds of years in a single month or even since 1978.
Do you still preach that a young man's penis is his factory?
Who chooses the leadership of the church and how white does it look?
How does the church manage and evade taxes using tax exempt status?
Will you ever admit it was wrong and apologize for considering black skin a sin until 1978?
How can you pretend to look forward without acknowledging and apologizing for your past - how very white of you?
Is this phrase " they shall be a white and a delightsome people,” a phrase taken from the Book of Mormon part of a revelation from God and if that is so and incorrect now, does that mean God was wrong then?
If he was wrong then won't he be wrong in the future and clearly quite fallible?
Makes him seem human, doesn't it?
If he was right then are the current interpretations wrong which calls into question the quality, veracity and trustworthiness of his prophets past present and future?
I could go on - I've tried engaging your "teenage elders" at my doorstep but they are just clueless and try to leave quickly. Come to think of it they no longer knock on my door.
I say to you GTFO.

Imara Daima (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 01:25pm

@ Pat Bowles:

Americans desperately need to acknowledge the GOD/CREATOR at the moment more than the people of Kenya. All your churches' energy should be focused on transforming the minds of the American people to accept that the human diversity that we see is not man-made.

Get rid of the KKK first in the USA, before you think of exporting your religion to the people of Kenya.

Maxiley (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 11:13pm

In reply to by Imara Daima (not verified)

Ndugu Imara Daima,You may recall that in one of my comments I had noted that church attendance in America,in fact in the whole so called first world has seriously dwindled.Some churches have been sold off and even converted into bars,and other social clubs. So branching out to africa,Kenya in this case is just to get a willing listner who could easily be converted to Mormonism.

Imara Daima (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 07:49pm

@ Brother Rick Satterfield: Currently, there are about 4,300 religions in the world. What makes you think we need to be members of your belief system that is based on the Son of Miriam?

There is another religious belief system that is based on the Son of Amina. The followers of the Son of Miriam and that of Amina do not tolerate, accept, acknowledge, or respect any other religion in the world except their own. They also believe that, if you do not belong to anyone of them, you are doomed and belong to "hell."

It is also unfortunate that the followers of these two intolerant religions were responsible for the African Slave Trade. My personal religious belief system is simply based on the strong belief in the CREATOR.

The CREATOR is neither male or female. Therefore, you cannot rationally use the pronoun "HE" to refer to the CREATOR. I suggest to the followers of these two intolerant global religions to acknowledge, respect, and accept the CREATOR as "The Invisible Power That is responsible and behind all the visible and invisible creations and diversity. When you believe in the CREATOR, there will be no need for gender or skin color intolerance and put-downs in the world. When sexism and colorism is practiced, it indirectly challenges the CREATOR and all the creations.

MjuAji (not verified)     Fri, 07/16/2021 @ 10:41pm

One will always expect members of mormons, a church that has been shrouded with all manner of contraversies, sceptism, confusing and racism to come fighting back. A white-skinned man, especially in America, even in this 21st century, always feel entitled to be supreme than black or red human beings. That will never change. Wherever and whenever I vacation in states like W. Virginia, North and South Dakota, Texas, parts of PA, whites unconfortsbly trail my movements every time I visit businesses owned by mormons faithfuls. Painful satirical words such "can I help you?" or "can I help you find what you want" are racist mormon tendencies that suspect all black people as potential thieves and muggers. Claims by mormons that they they have elevated black priests is just a gimmick and a fallacy to entice generations of former slaves to join their churches. Mormon church in Kenya has been shrouded in secrecy and suspicion, and their known Kenyan members have been associated with grisly human sacrifices. All this talk about self-made, self-adorned modern prophets is a sham, as the Lord God ordained and selectively appointed down-to-earth, humble, poor and faithfully people as His prophets. Modern day prophets, apostles, bishops etc are multi-billionares who scavenge from their followers to live exceptionary filthy-rich lives while their faithfuls wallow in abject poverty. Its only the Roman catholic which follows the faith of serving God's children by exhibiting what Jesus Christ akways taught His disciples. Mormons like Rick Satterfield or Bowles, who do not understand what slavery means to black can not be allowed to come to Kenya to extend their racist doctrines. One would wonder why their staunch members live in upscale Muthaiga, Lavington, Karen, Runda and orher no-go estates, where grisly human sacrifices through weird road accidents are prone. Just saying!!

Guest777 (not verified)     Sat, 07/17/2021 @ 12:55am

Unlike Christian Trinitarianism (one God existing in three Persons), Mormons believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. They also believe the Father and Son each have a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” but that the Holy Ghost “has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” According to Joseph Smith, when Adam was formed in the image of God, it was a physical image. God the Father was once a mortal who lived on an earth. He died, was resurrected, glorified, and grew into his deified status. (According to Joseph Smith, there is a “God above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”) God the Father is the literal father of all spirit-children, including Jesus and the Holy Ghost, whose divinity is derived from the parent-child relationship. Within Mormonism, Jesus is identified with the Yahweh of the Old Testament.

7. According to Mormonism, everything in the universe — including God —is ultimately governed by eternal transcendent laws and principles. In LDS teaching, all the Father’s children (including humans) possess the same potential to become gods (like the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost) since they are of the same species. Every human spirit once existed as a divine intelligence before becoming the spirit-children of the Father.

8. Prior to creation human spirits were literal children of heavenly parents. Although their spirits were created, the essential “intelligence” of these spirits is considered eternal, and without beginning. At a family council, God the Father told the spirit-children that according to his “plan of salvation” they would have to leave their heavenly home, take on human bodies, and be tested before they could progress to godhood. Satan rejected this plan and wanted to implement one that would have involved loss of moral agency. Jesus opposed Satan and offered an alternative plan in which he would take on human form and live a sinless life so that his spirit brothers and sisters could become gods. When his plan was not accepted, Lucifer is said to have rebelled and taken “the third part” of the hosts of heaven with him to the earth to serve as tempters.

9. Mormons believe in a universal salvation for everyone from death (this is what they refer to when they speak of “salvation by grace alone.”). But after the body is reunited with the spirit, humans go to different

Dan komen (not verified)     Tue, 07/20/2021 @ 05:32pm

Then you will see Africans acting like they own the Mormon church now. How about we go back to our traditional religions?!

john dodd (not verified)     Wed, 09/08/2021 @ 03:31am

Hello and good day. I have been to Kenya several times, mostly for volunteering,and mostly with an Orphanage in Mombasa. A dear friend, acquaintance, a member of LDS Church has charged me with setting up orphanages in Kenya.
Am in need of projects, especially schooling, orphanages already set up, and their principals, to advise me, as it is a lengthy task, with legalities, site, and a million other tasks.
Please forward this and give advice assistance, where you can.

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