Latter-day Saints from Ethiopia attend the temple for the first time

Members of the newly formed Addis Ababa Ethiopia District — two families and two single adults — attended the temple for their first time, in Accra, Ghana, the week of Dec. 7, 2009. The shorter distance from Ethiopia to Ghana rather than Johannesburg, South Africa, makes it easier for some members to attend the temple.

"Those who come from great distances, like Ethiopia, are thrilled with the temple experience," said Elder John Bingham, a public affairs missionary serving in the Africa West Area, in an e-mail to the Church News. "The beauty of the temple building, the sacredness of the ordinances, and in particular, the sacred promise of the sealing ordinance — to be a family forever — is overwhelming to them."

In order to attend the Accra Ghana Temple, the Ethiopian members spent six hours traveling the approximate 4,316 kilometers, or 2,686 miles, to the temple.

After visiting the Mormon temple, one of the young women in the group said, "You who have a temple in your country are lucky! We traveled [a long way] to get here. When we get married, we will come to this temple or maybe one in Ethiopia."