Paris France Temple

Paris France will be the location of one of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s newest temples. The news was first broken by the French press in July 2011 while government approvals were still pending. The announcement was made formally the following October at the Mormon General Conference, a semi-annual worldwide broadcast. Construction is planned for grounds in Le Chesnay, located in Paris’ western suburbs.

France is home to more than 30,000 Latter-day Saints, who have previously had to travel to enjoy temple worship and work. Germany and Switzerland’s temples have serviced French Saints for years. Mormon missionary work in France began shortly after the Church’s organization. The apostle John Taylor, who later served as the prophet of the Church, began a lengthy European proselyting mission in 1849. France’s first six Latter-day Saints organized the country’s first congregation in April of 1850 in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Just over three years later, there were nine small congregations in France, totaling 337 church members. Many of France’s first members (289 of that 337) were from the Channel Islands.

Growth of the Church continued at a slow pace until World War II ended. The LDS Church’s contributions to European reconstruction after the war sparked interest from outsiders. Missionaries resumed the work in France and the Church’s growth rate increased. In 1955, the widely known Mormon Tabernacle Choir stopped to perform at the Parisian Palas de Chaillot during its historic European tour, at which time the country’s membership was roughly 1,500. The first meetinghouse for church members was finished and dedicated in 1962.

Former church president Gordon B. Hinckley visited France in 1998, prophesying that someday French members would enjoy a temple of their own. During a return visit in 2004, he asked members to exercise patience and faith. Now these members, who come from all walks of life, enjoy the exciting fulfillment of that promise.

Updates

In France, Le Parisien reported that the final hurdles were cleared for the construction of the Paris France Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"It's now a done deal," Le Parisien reported on November 9, 2011. "The city council has just given its green light by validating the building permit filed by La Foncie des Régions on behalf of the Mormon Church." [1]

In February 2012 Voice of America reported controversy regarding the building of the Paris France Mormon Temple. France is traditionally a Catholic country, but as in many countries in Western Europe, few attend church. As a secularized country, France is wary of any religion, especially a religion as demanding of its followers as Mormonism. The fact that only worthy Mormons can attend the temple also concerns some French people. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assures the French people that it is not extremist in any way, and that the gardens (open to the public) will be a blessing to local residents. There is always an open house staged before a Mormon temple is dedicated for worship, and many LDS temples offer holiday programs for the public.

Versailles Open House Answers Questions

On March 16, 2012, local authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored an open house to answer questions of local citizens about the LDS Church, Mormon beliefs, and Mormon temples, plus specific questions regarding the future Paris France Mormon Temple. The open house was also to share the history of the Church in France.

While only 124 people attended the open house, most of them were local leaders or journalists, who could publicize the event, thus spreading the information they received there. The open house was highly publicized, with announcements in local newspapers and posters in many local buildings such as cafes and bookstores. The mayor of Versailles pointed out that the relatively small attendance was a good sign. If people were vehemently opposed to the project, they would have attended to take a side in whatever controversy might be addressed. M. Gerard, who was in charge of arranging parking over the two-day affair, noted the change in attitude of those in attendance, who arrived looking dour and left smiling and in a genial mood.

TV, radio, and journalism representatives were all present and interviewed both Church leaders and visitors. All of their major reports were quite positive.

In addition to the Mayor of Versailles, Mr. Philip Brillaut (the Mayor of Le Chesnay) attended with an attending group of 12 people, who included city councilors and representatives of city administration. Their tour consisted of a visit to the family history center and watching a short video about temples. Mr. Brillaut expressed his feelings about his experience:

”This open house enabled me and the people who accompanied me, to provide answers to questions I asked myself and those subsequent to the petition. The model was essential to understanding urban planning. The team that received us was warm, respectful and accurate in all responses. The human[ity] remains the strongest in respect of each.”

Twenty percent of the visitors commented in the guest book, and all comments were positive.