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Zimbabwe’s first temple has recently opened its doors for public tours, offering everyone an opportunity to experience the sacred space.
Brigham Young University-Idaho students from the region are reflecting on what it meant to grow up without a temple in their country and what it means now that one stands in their home city.
“The temple didn’t feel like a physical place at first,” said Ebenezer Rwanga, a BYUI student studying electrical engineering and finance, from Harare. “It felt like a story, a promise, or something from far away. It existed more in lessons, pictures, and testimonies than lived experiences.”
Lynn Murombwi, a biomedical science major from Harare, shared similar feelings growing up in a family that longed to attend the temple but faced significant obstacles.
At the time, the nearest temple was in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“It was definitely a challenge,” Murombwi said. “Every year we kept trying to go to the temple, and it just didn’t happen. We didn’t end up going until I was 12, just before I turned 13.”
A map shows the Church’s temples throughout the African continent. Temples and their statuses are as of January 21, 2022. Image credit: Aaron Thorup, courtesy of Church News.
In 2014, Murowmbi’s family and two other families, who also hadn’t visited the temple and had their families sealed, were sponsored a free trip to the Johannesburg temple by the church.
During the bus ride, one of the family members experienced trouble with their passport, and Murombwi’s brother and sister fell ill, turning what should have been a 20-hour journey into a 27-hour-long trip.
Even amid the unexpected delays and stress, Murombwi still remembers feeling much peace when she finally reached the temple grounds.
“I had seen pictures of the temple before, but it is so different seeing pictures of the outside compared to being inside and actually doing the stuff that you do in the temple,” said Murombwi.
The Harare, Zimbabwe temple was first announced in the 2016 April General Conference by President Thomas S. Monson.
“I remember we were sitting in our living room watching conference,” Murombwi said. “My parents jumped up and said, ‘Yes, finally!’”
Although Rwanga was not converted until after the temple announcement, he now better understands what the temple announcement meant to the members in Zimbabwe.
“When the temple was announced, it felt like God was saying, ‘I see you,’” said Rwanga.
Rwanga is visiting the Johannesburg Temple in South Africa to receive his endowments. Image credit: Ebenezer Rwanga
Rwanga explained that while most members of the church learn to love the temple by attending it, the people of Zimbabwe learned to love the temple by waiting for it.
“Their love grew through patience rather than proximity,” said Rwanga.
The temple announcement also carried deep meaning for members in Zimbabwe, where family relationships are central.
“Family really matters to us,” Murombwi said. “Any chance we can have to be together forever, we are going to take it.”
For Rwanga, receiving his endowment at the Johannesburg temple in South Africa during missionary training was exciting because it was his first time ever visiting a temple.
“I went to the temple twice in one week at the MTC,” Rwanga said. “After that, I didn’t get to go again during my mission. It felt far away, but through learning, it felt close in your heart.”
Murombwi described a powerful moment during her family sealing, in the Johannesburg temple, as well, that continues to shape how she views the temple today.
“The sealer told me to look into the mirror and asked what I saw,” Murombwi said. “I saw my family. I saw generations. I saw eternity. The word that came to my mind was exaltation.”
Now, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple stands just 30 minutes from Murombwi’s family home.
“My parents attended the media day and open house,” Murombwi said. “There were lines of people waiting to get in. I was honestly jealous.”
Murombwi’s parents in front of the Harare Temple on the media day. Image credit: Lynn Murombwi
Murombwi and Rwanga both believe that the temple’s presence will change daily life for members.
“If it is a 10-minute walk or a 30-minute drive, people won’t have to think twice,” Murombwi said. “More people will make the effort to go.”
According to the Church Newsroom, the Harare, Zimbabwe Temple will serve more than 46,000 Latter-day Saints in Zimbabwe and surrounding areas.
Murombwi explained that over the past decade, the number of stakes in Harare has grown from three to ten.
“That kind of growth in Africa is huge,” Murombwi said. “There is an excitement about the gospel there that I have not seen anywhere else.”
Rwanga shared a proverb from Zimbabwe that captures the sacred responsibility now facing members.
“A mountain is very holy to those who are far, but those who are close take it for granted,” Rwanga said.
For Rwanga and Murombwi, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple stands as more than a building; it is the fulfillment of faith through years of praying and waiting.
Emma Bloomfield is a communication student at BYU-Idaho with an emphasis in journalism and news. She is eager to cover community-focused stories, arts and culture, and events that highlight local voices. She can be reached at blo21003@byui.edu