Africa-Press – Kenya. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormons Church, has announced plans to launch a new groundbreaking project in Nairobi.
The church, which has been considered controversial for many decades, revealed that it intended to erect two temples in Nairobi, Kenya and another in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.
An artistic impression of the upcoming church showed an expansive building expected to cost millions of shillings with a tall, tower-like structure protruding at its top.
“The groundbreaking ceremony for the Nairobi Kenya Temple will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2021.
“Elder Joseph W. Sitati, Africa Central Area president, will preside at the event. The location will be announced later,” read a statement from the Church.
The religious institution further noted that the event would be an invite-only function.
The upcoming temple will be the first of its kind constructed in Kenya and will seek to serve nearly 15,000 Latter-day Saint members attending more than 50 congregations.
The institution has over the years had to wean itself from accusations that its supporters worship the devil among other doctrines.
In March 2017, the church’s public affairs missionaries Michael Ford and his wife Charleen Ford had to defend the church during a function in Kenya after the rumours about devil worship became immutable.
They further argued that the institution, which was founded in 1820, has been subject to a lot of misconceptions over the years.
Worldwide, the church has over 15 million membership and 85,000 missionaries. Former US Presidential Aspirant Mitt Romney is among world leaders known to attend the church.
In Kenya, the devil-worshipping rumours began after the institution put up a multi-million shilling complex along the Eldoret-Iten Road.
