The Harare Zimbabwe Temple is preparing to open its doors, marking a historic moment for Latter-day Saints in the region. According to a Church Newsroom release, the temple will first host a media day on January 19, 2026, followed by two days of invited guest tours.
A public open house will then run from January 22 through February 7 (excluding Sundays), offering visitors a chance to walk through and experience the temple’s sacred spaces. The temple will be dedicated on March 1, 2026, in a service led by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which will be broadcast to congregations within the temple district.
This announcement comes after nearly a decade of anticipation. The Harare Temple was first announced in April 2016 by then-President Thomas S. Monson, and a groundbreaking ceremony followed on December 12, 2020. For local members, these milestones have carried deep meaning, symbolizing a step toward greater access to temple worship without the need for arduous journeys.
Until now, many of Zimbabwe’s members have traveled by bus for nearly 24 hours to reach the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. The new temple in Harare will lift that burden. As Church Newsroom reported, the temple will allow ordinances and blessings to take place much closer to home, making sacred experiences more accessible for thousands of members.
The temple also represents the culmination of remarkable growth in Zimbabwe’s Church community. According to Church statistics, there are now more than 46,000 Latter-day Saints in the country, organized into 102 congregations, including 65 wards and 37 branches.
This community has grown steadily, especially since the 1980s and 1990s, when missionary work expanded and the Book of Mormon was translated into Shona. The first stake in Zimbabwe was organized in Harare in 1999, presided over by Edward Dube, who now serves in the Presidency of the Seventy.
These developments are particularly meaningful considering the challenges Zimbabwean Saints have faced in their history. Early missionary work in the 1920s made little headway due to restrictions that limited priesthood ordination.
But with the 1978 revelation extending priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy male members, the Church began to grow steadily across Zimbabwe. In the years since, congregations have flourished among both English- and Shona-speaking members, building a culture of faith, service, and resilience.
The upcoming open house will not only be significant for Church members but will also extend an invitation to the broader community. Open houses are designed to welcome neighbors, friends, and those of other faiths to learn about the temple’s purpose and see inside before it is formally dedicated.
For many visitors, this will be a rare opportunity to walk through rooms designed for sacred ordinances, family commitments, and personal reflection. It will also allow Zimbabweans of all backgrounds to glimpse how the temple reflects both global and local expressions of faith.
On dedication day, Elder Gong’s words will connect Zimbabwe’s Saints with the wider Church family. Though only those within the temple district will participate directly, the broadcast ensures that congregations across Zimbabwe and surrounding regions can join together in the moment. This unifying experience highlights how temples serve as spiritual anchors not just for individuals, but for entire communities.
The Harare Zimbabwe Temple’s completion comes at a time of continued Church growth throughout Africa. But for Zimbabwean members, it represents something even more personal: the ability to participate in temple worship without leaving their homeland. It marks a fulfillment of hope, a recognition of the sacrifices members have made, and a promise for future generations to have the blessings of the temple within reach.
As the doors open for tours in January and the dedication follows in March, Zimbabwe’s Saints will see years of waiting and faith rewarded. With more than 46,000 members across the country, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple will stand as a landmark of both faith and belonging—one that testifies to how far the Church has come in Zimbabwe and the spiritual journey still ahead.
Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.
Wow, our Dad, John Gilbert Kinnear was the first Rhodesian born citizen to convert to the Mormon church in 1952 at 22 years of age.It would be great if the church would acknowledge this. He would have been very happy to see and be at the temple. His story is also in the book No More Strangers.