Dedication of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
The “miracle” of the Church in Ivory Coast, as Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his April 2015 general conference message, began with two couples: Philippe and Annelies Assard and Lucien and Agathe Affoué.
In 1980, native Ivorians Lucien and Agathe Affoué joined the Church in Lyon, France, while living there as students. The Assards met missionaries while Philippe, also a native Ivorian, was attending engineering school in Germany, and they were also baptized. Within a few years, both couples felt inspired to return to their homeland, where they met and started a Sunday school.
“I had total faith in the Lord because I had this dream that the gospel must be established in Ivory Coast,” Philippe Assard said in a 1999 Liahona article. “So in 1986 after praying and fasting with my wife, I decided to return to Ivory Coast to give what I had received, to improve the lot of my family and my people.”
Nearly four decades later, 84-year-old Philippe Assard, with tears brimming, expressed gratitude for the blessing of attending the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple dedication in 2025. “I’m very grateful,” Philippe Assard said. “The Lord has now given me everything. To see this temple and be here now, the Lord can now take me to the other side.” Added Annelies Assard: “It’s wonderful. This is the best day of my life.”
The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, the first in the country, was dedicated May 25, 2025, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The single dedicatory session was conducted in French, with speakers delivering messages in both French and English, with translations offered.
The session was broadcast to all units in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal — as well as two branches in the Gambia. At the time of dedication, the house of the Lord served members in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Western Sahara.
Elder Rasband was accompanied at the dedicatory services by his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband. They were joined by Elder Steven R. Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy and assistant director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Susan A. Bangerter; and Elder Alfred Kyungu, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Africa West Area, and his wife, Sister Lucie Kyungu.
“Ivory Coast — Côte d‘Ivoire — is a gathering oasis,” Elder Rasband said. “Of all the people I have been around in the world, they understand the gathering here.” He noted he was honored to dedicate this temple. “We’re jubilant, we’re excited, we’re thrilled. The people in this country and in this new temple district have long awaited their own temple.”
Over the years, many Ivorians have traveled over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) round trip on poor roads to the Accra Ghana Temple. The dedication of Abidjan temple is a “truly momentous occasion” and a “significant blessing, marking the growth and faith of members in west Africa,” said Elder Isaac K. Morrison, a General Authority Seventy who served as second counselor in the Africa West Area presidency.
“The Abidjan temple stands as a symbol of hope and the enduring promises of our Heavenly Father. Temples are sanctuaries of peace and learning, offering sacred ordinances that unite individuals and families eternally. This temple heralds a new era of covenant-keeping members in Côte d‘Ivoire,” he said.
Côte d‘Ivoire Abidjan East Mission President Pascal J. Budge explained the impact this temple has had on missionary work. During the open house, three missionary companionships brought 22 friends of the Church for a tour, he said. Four individuals in the group had already received the missionary lessons but were undecided about baptism. After exiting the temple, these individuals approached the missionaries and requested baptism.
Close to 17,000 people visited the temple during the open house, with the largest turnout — roughly 2,500, including some local officials and dignitaries — coming on the last day. Many were touched by the feelings of peace and warmth they felt in the temple, particularly the celestial room. Some asked if they could remain a little longer to offer prayers.
“We saw a lot of people who were not members of the Church bearing testimony of the Church,” said Marcel Guei, who with his wife, Rosine Guei, served as a temple open house coordinator. “The temple is a great blessing for the members here in Ivory Coast. And now the hearts of the members are here in the temple. It will become a gathering place and change the face of the country because the hand of the Lord will be on it.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this holy house be consecrated for the blessing of the Saints and the accomplishments of Thy purposes. May all who worship here become holy, as Thou art holy.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple here.
Timeline of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
The Abidjan temple was announced April 5, 2015, by President Thomas S. Monson. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on Nov. 8, 2018, and presided over by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
After a public open house from May 1 to May 17, 2025, the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple was dedicated May 25, 2025, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, on a 3.23-acre site, is a two-level concrete structure of about 17,360 square feet. A zinc-covered metal spire and the Angel Moroni statue atop — finished with palladium leaf to match the spire’s color — reach more than 85 feet from the ground. The temple’s color scheme is a calming combination of blues, greens and purples, with the touches of magenta accents said to represent the vibrancy of the Abidjan community.
The designs and motifs feature the patterns and designs of local Indigenous people, the local culture and the building’s mid-century modern style. They include simple geometric shapes in repeated patterns; clean, angular lines; and textures created by repeated vertical, angled lines in a style known as raking.
The flooring has stone sourced from Spain and Brazil as well as modular carpet tiles, walk-off tiles and nylon rugs, the last of which in the entry, celestial room, bride’s room and sealing rooms. The art-glass design features motifs based on local tribal designs, and the doors, doorframes and millwork are made of sapele mahogany native to Africa.
Interior Photos of the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
