That a new temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be built in Paris, France, was formally announced at the Mormon General Conference of October, 2011. However, since the French press got hold of the plan many months before, an informal announcement was made in July of 2011, while government approvals were still in progress. The temple is planned for the area of Le Chesnay. Le Chesnay is located in the western suburbs of Paris 16.7 km (10.4 mi) from the center (Wikipedia).

There are more than 36,000 Latter-day Saints in France, and they have attended the temple in other European countries, especially Germany and Switzerland.

The first LDS missionary to France was the apostle John Taylor, who later became prophet and president of the Church. He departed for Europe in 1849. The first congregation in France, consisting of six members, was organized in April 1850 in Boulogne-sur-Mer. By July 24, 1853, nine branches (small congregations) had been formed with 337 members. Two hundred eighty-nine of those members were from the Channel Islands.

The Church grew slowly in France until after World War II, when the LDS Church contributed to the reconstruction of Europe. At that time missionaries were once more sent into France, and membership began to increase. In 1955, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir made its historic tour of Europe, performing in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. (Later, the choir performed in Strasbourg in 1991 and in Marseille in 1998.) At the time of the Choir’s first performance, Church membership in the nation was only about 1,500. France’s first meetinghouse was completed in Nantes in 1962. By 1974, 29 French members were serving as missionaries for the Church.

In 1998 LDS prophet and president Gordon B. Hinckley visited France and predicted that a temple would someday be built there. He visited France again in 2004 and asked the Saints to be patient. Church members in France are organized into seven stakes (dioceses) that meet in 115 meetinghouses. Members come from every walk of life.

Updates

In France,  Le Parisien reported that the final hurdles were cleared for the construction of the Paris France Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“It’s now a done deal,” Le Parisien reported on November 9, 2011. “The city council has just given its green light by validating the building permit filed by La Foncie des Régions on behalf of the Mormon Church.” [1]

In February 2012 Voice of America reported controversy regarding the building of the Paris France Mormon Temple.  France is traditionally a Catholic country, but as in many countries in Western Europe, few attend church.  As a secularized country, France is wary of any religion, especially a religion as demanding of its followers as Mormonism.  The fact that only worthy Mormons can attend the temple also concerns some French people.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assures the French people that it is not extremist in any way, and that the gardens (open to the public) will be a blessing to local residents.  There is always an open house staged before a Mormon temple is dedicated for worship, and many LDS temples offer holiday programs for the public.

On October 2, 2010, at the commencement of the 180th general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a new temple in Lisbon Portugal.  This will be the first temple for Portugal.  Latter-day Saints in the country currently travel to the nearest temple in Madrid, Spain, a 400-mile drive.

Portugal currently has 6 stakes and 4 districts.  Local congregations are called wards.  They are under the administration of groups of wards, called stakes.  Congregations too small to be wards are called branches.  Groups of branches are organized into districts.

On 4 October 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it would build a temple in Rome, Italy.  The site ison nearly fifteen acres located at 376 Via di Settebagni.  This site is on the outskirts of the city in the picturesque countryside near a freeway exchange.

Originally, trenches were dug every 10 to 15 feet across the property, since construction could not continue if Roman ruins were discovered.  Latter-day Saints in the area held a special fast in the hope that the site (which the Church purchased in the 1990’s) would be free of antiquities.  No antiquities were discovered anywhere on the 15 acres, yet a Roman village was discovered just 100 yards beyond the property’s boundary.

The Rome Italy Temple will be the first temple in Italy and in the Mediterranean region. For years, Italian Saints have traveled the long distance to the Bern Switzerland Temple, which now serves more stakes and districts from Italy than from any other country.  The temple will be the twelfth built in Europe.

The first Mormon missionariesarrived in Italy in the 1850’s, including Lorenzo Snow, future prophet of the Church.  The early converts (slightly over 200) emigrated to the United States, and the mission was closed.  Attempts to obtain permission for missionaries to come again to Italy were rebuffed by the Italian government in 1900.  The Church was finally reestablished in 1951, and the Church has made a movie about the first convert, Vincenzo di Francesca, who found a charred Book of Mormon in a trash bin.  It was missing its cover and title page, so at first, he had no idea what he was reading.  Italians who had converted outside of Italy returned to the country.  In 1964, there were over 200 members in Italy.

Missionaries were again allowed to proselyte in Italy in 1965.  Today, there are about 23,000 members in the country.  The Church is hoping to gain government approval granted to the Catholic Church and others.  Signed by the prime minister in 2007, the “concordate” must still be approved by parliament.

Construction of the Temple Proceeds

Construction began in Rome for the new Latter-day Saint temple, when Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with Church and local community leaders, participated in the traditional groundbreaking ceremony for the temple on 23 October 2010.

“My heart is filled with gratitude,” said President Monson as he addressed the 500 guests in attendance. “Members throughout Italy, and the entire Mediterranean area, will be able to come here.”

*See this website dedicated solely to the Rome Italy Mormon Temple.

On the exterior of every Mormon Temple is engraved the words, “Holiness to the Lord.” Whenever one enters the Temple, he or she knows that it is a dedicated House of God. The Temple is a place of holiness and a place of peace apart from the world.
Mormon Temples are sacred structures in which eternal questions are answered. The Temples are houses of learning where truths are taught and ordinances are performed. These truths bring a knowledge of things eternal and motivate all that enter to live a more Christ-like life. The work that goes on in the Mormon Temple brings to light God’s eternal purposes with reference to man. For the most part, temple work is concerned with the family; with the sanctity and eternal nature of the marriage covenant and family relationships.
All are equal in the Mormon Temple; upon entering, street clothes are exchanged for white clothing.  When dressed in temple clothing, it is impossible to tell someone’s station in a worldly sense. Whether living or dead the sacred ordinances are available to all. Through living proxies who stand in behalf of the dead, the same ordinances are available to those who have passed from mortality. In the spirit world these individuals are then free to accept or reject those earthly ordinances performed for them, including baptism, marriage, and the sealing of family relationships. There is no coercion in the work of the Lord, but there must be opportunity.

In 1914 there were 200 Mormon missionaries in Germany. When World War I began, the missionaries had to leave, and in the midst of World War II they had to be evacuated. But, amidst war and turmoil, the Mormon members remained valiant and continued to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Beginning in 1968 Germany was visited by Church leaders. Each time the leaders would visit, they grieved over the fact the members could not enjoy the blessings of the Temple. But, they were promised once in 1968 and again in 1975, that ‘if they remained true and faithful to the commandments of God, that the blessings of the temple would be there’s.’1

After much prayer and fasting by members of the Mormon Church in Germany, the announcement of a Mormon Temple was announced in 1981. The proposal to build a temple in Friedrichsdorf, which is nine miles north of Frankfurt, brought intense opposition from local religious leaders. One minister warned the city council that the Mormon Church would ‘turn [the] town into a Mormon city…[and] they will attempt to win the citizenry over to their sect.’

Mormon leaders tried to clear up the misconceptions by providing information about the Church. Church representative Immo Luschin asked the councilmen to watch a film about the Mormons. They agreed, and all the misconceptions were clarified and public support for the Temple increased.

The Frankfurt Germany Mormon Temple is in the old Huguenot city of Friedrichsdorf; a mountainous community, which is free from the bustle of city life. It is, however, accessible to members of the Mormon Church, who come from Germany and parts of France and Austria. This Temple was dedicated on August 28, 1987, by then President Ezra Taft Benson. In the dedicatory prayer, President Benson declared, “…open the windows of heaven and shower down upon them every needful gift. Prosper them in their labors and magnify them for good before their associates. May the example of their lives lead others to seek thine everlasting truth”.2

Physical Address:
TALSTRASSE 10
61381 FRIEDRICHSDORF/TS
GERMANY
Germany

Mailing address:
c/o Europe Area Administration Office
POUCH
Germany
Phone:   (49) 6172-59000

For more information about Mormon Temples, please see the following websites:

Manhattan Mormon Temple New York City.com : Arts & Attractions …

Mormanity: Mormon Temples and “Secrecy”  

History of Mormon Temples

Mormon Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are special buildings dedicated to the Lord. Worthy church members may go to the Mormon temple to receive sacred ordinances and make covenants with God. Like baptism, these ordinances and covenants are necessary for the salvation of man. They must be performed in the temples of the Lord.
The Mormon temple is a house of learning. It is a place where all can gain a better understanding of the purpose of life and the relationship we all share with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
All the Mormon temple ordinances are performed by the power of the priesthood. Through this power, ordinances performed on earth are sealed, or bound, in heaven.1 Only in the temple can a family be sealed together eternally. Marriage in the temple joins a man and woman as husband and wife eternally, if they honor their covenants.
God wants all His children to return and live with Him. For those who died without hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He has provided a way through which all can either accept or reject the ordinances that have and will be done for them in the Mormon temple. All are taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ whether in this life or the next; all will have the opportunity!
The first Mormon missionary in Sweden was John E. Forsgren from Gavle, who had emigrated to the United States and joined the Mormon Church. He returned to Gavle in 1850 and baptized his brother Peter, the first convert in all of Scandinavia, and his sister Ericka. Word reached the government authorities about the Mormon conversion, and John was deported back to the United States. Other Mormon missionaries were sent, and the authorities continued to oppress the new members. One of the reasons that the Church was persecuted in Sweden, besides the fact that it drew people away from the state-supported Lutheran church, was that in the early days many Mormon members emigrated to the United States, specifically to Utah, so that they could enjoy participating in the Mormon temple, being near the prophet of the Church, and living in a society that shared their faith. Consequently, the Church did not grow in Sweden, and mass emigration continued until the 1950’s. When the Switzerland Temple was built, members were encouraged by the Church leaders to stay and build up the Mormon Church in their home countries.
In 1910 the proposal to ban Mormon missionaries was brought before the ‘riksdag’ and King Gustaf V. The proposal was defeated, and Mormon missionaries were permitted to preach the Gospel.
The announcement of the Stockholm Sweden Temple in 1981 received virtually no opposition. The city of Vasterhaninge was chosen by Mormon Church leaders in which to build the Mormon Temple. City officials welcomed the temple project, and later the city showed further support of the Mormon Temple by changing the name of the street on which the temple is located to Temple Drive. 2
The Mormon temple sits on a six-acre lot with its six spires rising above the pines in the nearby forest and where a cobblestone path leads to its doors.
On July 2, 1985, President Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon Prophet, dedicated the Stockholm Sweden Temple. The temple serves members of the Mormon Church from the countries of Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

Mailing address:
Tempelvägen 5
SE-137 41 Västerhaninge
SWEDEN
Phone:   (46) 8-500-655-00

1 Holy Bible, Matthew 16:19

Plans to build a Mormon temple in Freiberg, Germany, were announced on October 9, 1982. With the temple’s completion in 1985, it became the 33rd operating Mormon temple worldwide. The Freiberg temple was the only Mormon temple to be built in a Communist country. The German Democratic Republic government actually suggested the building of the temple for the Mormon members in the country, because the government wanted to reduce the amount of travel outside of its own country.

Mormon history in Germany goes back to 1840 when members of the Mormon Church began moving there. A small branch was set up in Darmstadt, but it was not until 1852 when the first Mormon missionaries arrived in Germany. They brought with them the Book of Mormon in German. In 1939 with the onset of World War II, missionaries were evacuated from Germany, and missionary work slowed. After the war, missionaries were only allowed to re-enter the Western part of Germany. It was not until March 1989 when Mormon missionaries were finally able to enter Eastern Germany; in November of the same year, the Berlin wall came down. Today there are 36,000 Mormon members in Germany, two temples—Frankfurt and Freiberg—and 14 stakes.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on April 23, 1983. Thomas S. Monson presided at the ceremony. The site of the temple is one acre. The Mormon temple was open to the public for tours June 3-15, 1985. Those who attended the tours of the 14,125 square foot temple were able to see the exterior and enjoy the beauty of the German influenced design of the temple with its gothic style arches, as well as the interior with its one ordinance room, two sealing rooms, baptistry, Celestial room, and other facilities. More than 90,000 people visited the temple during the open house.

The temple was dedicated for official use by Mormon members on June 29-30, 1985, by Gordon B. Hinckley. When the temple was dedicated, there were 29,9000 members in Germany. Renovations were called for, because when the temple was originally built, some of the best materials were not available, and the Church was not allowed to put a statue of the angel Moroni on the spire. The renovations of the temple almost doubled the square footage and added twelve oxen to support the baptismal font, a waiting room for those not able to enter the temple, a matron and bride’s room, as well as an office for the temple president. On December 20, 2001, an angel Moroni statue was placed on top of the temple. A second open house was held August 17-31 2001. After renovations, Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the Freiberg temple on September 7, 2002. The renovations were also needed because the temple, which before could only be used by Church members in the German Democratic Republic, is now open for use by members in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania.

Physical Address:
HAINICHENER STRASSE 64
09599 FREIBERG
GERMANY
Germany

Mailing address:
c/o Europe Area Administration Office
POUCH
Germany
Phone:   (49) 3731-35960

Other Links:

Temple: Information from Answers.com
Mormon Temple Ordinances – ReligionFacts.com

Search for Mormon Temples at Onlymormon.com/

In 1850, Mormon missionaries from America arrived in Chile to begin preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Chilean people; however, their stay was not to last, due to the apparent language barrier. Ninety-five years would pass before two missionaries from Argentina would arrive to begin preaching again.

It was at this time that Brother and Sister Ricardo Garcia were the first to be baptized. Brother Garcia clearly remembers his baptism in 1956, “I knew that this was the true Church – mine was not just faith, but a conviction…because of the teachings on the Word of Wisdom and tithing, I thought it would be impossible for the [Mormon] Church to succeed here. …now there are hundreds and…thousands of people”.1 Twenty-seven years [1983] after Brother Garcia’s baptism, and at the dedication of the Santiago Chile Mormon Temple, there were 140,000 members of the Mormon Church in the country of Chile.

Three years prior to the dedication, the announcement to build the Santiago Chile Mormon Temple was made, by then President of the Mormon Church, Spencer W. Kimball. This would be the first Mormon temple built in a Spanish-speaking country and the second in South America.

Construction of this marvelous edifice took three years. And in 1983 the completed Santiago Mormon Temple was open to the public for viewing. Among those touring the temple was Brother Garcia. As Brother Garcia walked through the doors to tour the sacred temple, his eyes filled with tears of joy at seeing the temple presidency dressed in their white temple clothes. “…Now we have a temple!”2 Many faithful members came from distant cities to participate and rejoice over the building and dedication of this marvelous blessing in their midst.

With the rapid growth of the Mormon Church in the country of Chile, the temple was closed for extensive renovation and rededicated in 2006. President Gordon B. Hinckley presided over this dedication and remarked on those faithful members who have served faithfully in the temple. “…We thank thee for the faith and loyalty of they Saints…bless them…shield them from the darts of the adversary and fortify them…”1 The Chilean Temple serves more than 535,000 Mormon members (2006).

The unique features of this temple include, ‘hand-carved wainscoting in the waiting area, motifs of the copihue (Chile’s national flower), door handles and art-glass windows, a floor motif of inlaid Chilean marble and lapislazuli (native stone) in the baptistry and entryway.’ 3

Physical Address:
Pocuro #1940 Providencia
6641404 Santiago
CHILE
Chile

Mailing address:
c/o Chile Area Administration Office
POUCH
Chile
Phone:   (56) 2-340-5070

For more information on the Mormon Church or Mormon Temples, please see the following websites:

Mormon Church
Mormon Temples

The decision to build a Mormon Temple in Helsinki, Finland was first announced in the April 2000 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the 124th operating temple for the Mormon Church and the third in the Nordic countries—Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark, being the other two.

Worthy members of the Church have been attending the Stockholm Sweden Temple to fulfill their obligations to the Lord and to bless their lives in attending the temple. Now, they are blessed to have a temple in their midst.

Church members attend the temple to learn more about the purpose of life and to strengthen their commitment to Jesus Christ. Christ’s teachings are reiterated through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances through which families can be united for eternity.

The site chosen for the new temple, and which was approved by the city, sits northwest of downtown Helsinki on 7.5 acres, in the city of Espoo, Finland. The angel Moroni statue, along with the gleaming copper 45-meter spire, and the building exterior of Finnish light gray granite will prove to be a brilliant landmark for the country of Finland. 1

Mormon Church Relations representative, Seija Linnanen, who interacted with the workers on the Temple, was quite impressed with the respect they showed in their language and attitude toward the Mormon Temple. They refrained from smoking as well as listening to the radio, which seemed to convey that they understood and felt that the temple grounds warranted reverence and respect.

The First Presidency of the Mormon Church announced a public open house for the Helsinki Temple beginning on September 23, 2006 and ending on October 7, 2006. Though Church membership numbered only 4,500 in this Lutheran nation after 59 years of proselyting, response to the public open house of the Helsinki Finland Temple was staggering. Of the 55,633 total visitors, 5,711 submitted comment cards and 2,713 requested a Book of Mormon delivered by missionaries (LDSChurchTemples.com).

At the time of its dedication, the Helsinki Finland Temple assumed a temple district that stretched over two continents and 12 time zones, including the Baltic states and the entire country of Russia.

The Helsinki Finland Temple was the last temple dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley before his passing on Sunday, January 27, 2008. He had dedicated or rededicated 98 of the 124 operating temples of the Church.

Mailing address:
Leppäsillantie 3
02620 Espoo
Finland
Phone:   (358) 9-849-3710

<!– Temple History=¹

The Mormon temple is a house of God; we are God’s family and we are His children. The temple is a constant reminder that God intends the family to be eternal. The Mormon temple is a place of learning. Here the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are reviewed and truths of the kingdom of God are taught. If those who enter the temple are in the right spirit and are attentive, the mind and spirit are enriched in gospel knowledge and wisdom. The Mormon temple is a place of peace wherein the cares and worries of the outside world can be put aside for a time.  Promises are made by temple patrons to obey the laws of God, and promises are made by the Lord to those who attend, conditioned upon faithfulness.

The gifts and blessings of the Mormon temple are offered to all who conform to the requirements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All who accept and live the gospel and keep themselves worthy may partake of them. Mormon temple work must be done first by each person for himself; then it may be done for those who have passed on. All who have lived will have the opportunity to either accept or reject the work that has been done for them in the Mormon temple.1

It was here in Preston, England that the Mormon Church first took root in the British Isles, with Mormon missionaries arriving in 1837. There were seven of them, led by Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde. They arrived in Liverpool, and within the first week fifty people were baptized; and after nine months of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nearly two thousand people were converted to the gospel. The success of these Mormon missionaries brought a flood of converts from Britain.
Many of those converts emigrated to the United States, taking with them their strengths and talents in hopes of helping the Mormon Church at such a critical time in history. This exodus, combined with two world wars and economic difficulties, kept many Mormon congregations in the British Isles small and struggling.
Before 1951, there were only 6,500 members in the United Kingdom. With the addition of more Mormon missionaries and the approach of teaching the Gospel by the Spirit, the Mormon Church saw 1,000 people baptized that year.2

Because of the history of the Church and the growth of membership in Preston, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that this would be the site for Britain’s second temple. The Mormon Temple is located in Chorley, Lancashire, England (a suburb of Preston), and is the centerpiece of a 15-acre complex that includes a stake center, a missionary training center, a family history facility, a distribution center, temple patron housing, temple missionary accommodations, and a grounds building. The temple itself, with its exterior of white granite and zinc roof, has been described as “reminiscent to the old churches built in this land many years ago.”3

The interior includes four ordinance rooms, four sealing rooms, celestial room, baptistry, marriage guest waiting room, and a reception room at the entrance to the temple.  Here, members of the temple’s presidency welcome groups of children and other visitors who do not have recommends to enter the building proper.

President Gordon B. Hinckley,  late Mormon Prophet, dedicated the Preston England Mormon Temple on June 7, 1998. “A [Mormon] temple is a unique structure: a monument to our convictions, belief and knowledge that life is eternal; that we go on living after death.”3

Mailing address:
Temple Way, Hartwood Green
Chorley
Lancashire PR6 7EQ
ENGLAND
United Kingdom
Phone:   (44) 1257-226-102

To learn more about the Mormon Temples please visit the following websites:

Mormanity: Mormon Temples and “Secrecy”
History of Mormon Temples

The building of a Mormon temple in The Hague, Netherlands, was announced on August 16, 1999. This is the first Mormon temple in the Netherlands and the 114th Mormon temple worldwide. The need for a temple in the area was obvious with more than 13,000 members in the proposed temple district. This temple serves members from the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of France.

Mormon missionary Elder Orson Hyde, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, first entered the Netherlands in 1841. He stayed for a little more than a week preaching the gospel, but he had really been sent to go to Jerusalem. It was not until twenty years later in 1861 when the first Mormon missionaries were officially sent to the Netherlands. On October 1, 1861, near the village Broek bij Akkerwoude, the first converts to the Mormon Church in the Netherlands were baptized. People from the Netherlands joined the Mormon Church by the thousands; most emigrated to the United States to be in Utah near Church headquarters, but the Church leadership has since asked members to stay in their own lands and build up the Church there. The Mormon Church has continued to steadily grow in the Netherlands. There are now three stakes and 7,800 members.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication was held on August 26, 2000. The site chosen for the temple is in a city park. Temple construction quickly began. Because the site bought by the Church is only slightly larger than the 14,500 square foot temple, a parking garage and Beehive Clothing store were built underneath the temple. This is something that is not found in any other Mormon temple. The Hague, Netherlands temple has two ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms.

An open house for the public was held August 17-31 2002. The open house allowed many to see the interior of the temple and learn more about the sacred place it has in the Mormon Church.

President of the Mormon Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, dedicated The Hague, Netherlands Mormon Temple for use on September 8, 2002. In the dedicatory prayer President Hinckley not only dedicated the temple for use, but also blessed the country and the people that they would be free and prosper. Of the dedication ceremony President Hinckley stated, “four sessions were held. What a touching and wonderful experience that was.”

Mailing address:
Osijlaan 2
2722 CV Zoetermeer
NETHERLANDS

Temple: Information from Answers.com
Mormon Temple Ordinances – ReligionFacts.com
Mormanity: Mormon Temples and “Secrecy”
History of Mormon Temples – Lightplanet.com

Phone:   (31) 79-343-5310