The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)
Two new districts were organized in the DR Congo, each of which were created from a single mission branch and multiple new branches organized at the time the district was created.
Lukalaba DR Congo District was organized on May 31st from the Lukalaba Branch which was under the direct supervision of the DR Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission. Three new branches were organized at the time the new district was organized for a total of four branches in the district: Kasansa, Katoto, Lukalaba, and Monzo. A member group also operated within the district at the time the district was organized (Kakona). The first branch to be created in Lukalaba was organized in 2024.
The Maluku DR Congo District was organized on June 7th from the Maluku Branch which was under the direct supervision of the DR Congo Kinshasa South Mission. Two new branches were organized at the time the new district was organized for a total of three branches in the district: Magengenge, Maluku, and Monaco. The Maluku Branch was originally organized in 2023.
The organization of new districts from the division of a single branch into two or more additional congregations is incredibly difficult to predict, and it is unclear whether additional branches in the DR Congo are likely to become districts like Lukalaba and Maluku. However, additional districts appear likely to be organized in the immediate future in the DR Congo due to steady growth and multiple current branches that are not currently within the boundaries of a stake or district. Based on the number of current branches in these areas, possible locations include, these locations include Demba (2), Kalemie (2), Kamina (2), Kenge (2), Menkao (5), and Uvira (2).
Currently, there are 49 stakes and 13 districts in the DR Congo.
Ecuador
A new district was organized in Ecuador. The Orellana Ecuador District was organized on June 14th from mission branches in northeastern Ecuador. The new district includes the following seven branches: the El Coca, Lago Agrio, Loreto, Nueva Loja, Orellana, Sacha, and Shushufindi Branches. For more information about the historic creation of the first district in this region of Ecuador, click here, as this was explored in a recent monthly newsletter.
There are now 45 stakes and six districts in Ecuador.
Kenya
A new district was organized in Kenya. The Kwale Kenya District was organized on May 24th from a division of the Mombasa Kenya District (organized in 2015). The new district includes the following three branches (two of which have been organized since 2025) south of the Kilindini Port in Mombasa, namely the Likoni, Ujamaa, and Ukunda Branches. The realigned Mombasa Kenya District now has five branches.
There are now four stakes and 12 districts in Kenya.
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
A new district was organized in PNG. The Wewak PNG District was organized on May 18th from a division of the Sepik River PNG District (organized in 2012). Three new branches were organized in the Wewak area, bringing the total number of branches in the new district to four: White Bridge, Wewak 1st, Wewak 2nd, and Yawasoro. For more information about this development, click here to access a previous newsletter article.
There are now six stakes and nine districts in PNG.
Thailand
A new district was organized in Thailand for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Phitsanulok Thailand District was organized on August 30th from two branches in the Chiang Mai Thailand District (Kamphaeng Phet [organized in 2016] and Phitsanulok [organized in 1979]) and one newly organized mission branch (Nakhon Sawan). There are now three districts in the country, all of which are located in northern Thailand. There are also four stakes in Thailand.
Togo
A new district was organized in Togo, marking the first time a district has been created outside of the capital city of Lomé. The Tsévié Togo District was organized on June 14th, 2026, from the Lomé Togo Agoe Stake (organized in 2023) and several mission branches in the Benin Cotonou Mission (Note: The Togo Lomé Mission was organized the following month). The new district includes the following six branches: the Davie, Kpalime, Notse, Tabligbo, Tsévié, and Zomayi Branches.
There are now three stakes and one district in Togo.
Note: Since the most recent update on new stakes and districts organized, at least seven additional stakes have been created. These include the Justin Texas Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Kimberly Idaho East Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Pocatello Idaho Hawthorne Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Salt River Wyoming Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Eagle Mountain Utah Brandon Park Stake (August 30th, 2026), St Anthony Idaho Juniper Mountain Stake (August 30th, 2026), and Caldwell Idaho Lake Lowell Stake (September 13th, 2026). Due to the unusually large number of new stakes and districts organized in recent months, I will provide a future update on these newly created stakes.
95 comments:
And the Thailand Bangkok East Mission recently organized another new mission branch located in the western Pak Chong (District/Amphoe), in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, the rest of the province is covered by the Korat Ward, of the Ubon Thailand Stake.
Pak Chong Branch
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/wards/2307561
325 Sep 13, 2026 Pak Chong Branch Pak Chong, Thailand
Today the Temple Open House and dedication dates announced for Knoxville and Smithfield Temples and the groundbreaking set for La Paz Bolivia and Cincinnati Ohio Temples.
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/milestones-for-the-knoxville-smithfield-la-paz-and-cincinnati-temples
Stake Updates Week ending 09/13/2026 :
Johannesburg South Africa Central Stake (2337320)
Organized on 13 September 2026
- Alexandra Ward
- Johannesburg Ward
- Johannesburg YSA Ward
- Kensington Ward
- Randburg Ward
- Sandton Ward
Mission: South Africa Johannesburg Mission
Temple: Johannesburg South Africa Temple
Caldwell Idaho Lake Lowell Stake (2343177)
Organized on 13 September 2026
- Caldwell 5th Ward
- Caldwell 9th Ward
- Caldwell 10th Ward
- Caldwell 12th Ward
- Caldwell 13th Ward
- Caldwell 20th Ward
- Caldwell 2nd Ward
Mission: Idaho Boise Mission
Temple: Meridian Idaho Temple
I’d be curious to know more about YSA wards outside of the United States. I believe that they are only in English speaking countries like Canada, UK, New Zealand and South Africa (which I didn’t know before).
Are there international YSA wards that are not English speaking? I thought I read that Mexico City organized one, but I don’t believe there are any in the next largest countries by membership of Brazil, Peru, or the Philippines.
@Scooter Mexico City has one Politécnico YSA. Sweden used to have one in Stockholm, but not anymore. But yes, as far as I know the one in Mexico City is the only not Englisch speaking YSA ward I know of. Botswana also has a YSA ward (Gaborone West YSA Ward).
@Scooter. In Switzerland we do not have a YSA ward, but there is a YSA church service (I think every 2 or 3 months) somewhere in the country on Sunday afternoon. This services are often well attendend.
YSA wards and branches outside the United States and Canada
NORTH AMERICA
Mexico
- Politécnico YSA Ward (Spanish)
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
none
EUROPE
United Kingdom
- London YSA Ward (English)
- Manchester YSA Ward (English)
AFRICA
Gabarone
- Gabarone West YSA Ward (English)
South Africa
- Johannesburg YSA Ward (English)
ASIA
Japan
- Shibuya YSA Branch (Japanese)
Philippines
- Manila YSA Ward (Tagalog)
Singapore
- Singapore YSA Ward (English)
South Korea
- Seoul YSA Branch (Korean)
OCEANIA & PACIFIC ISLANDS
American Samoa
- Pavaiai YSA Ward (English)
Australia
- Sunshine Coast YSA Branch (English)
- Moreton Bay YAA Branch (English)
- River Terrace YSA Ward (English)
- Gold Coast YSA Branch (English)
- Carlingford YSA Ward (English)
- Badgerys Creek YSA Ward (English)
Kiribati
- Moroni YSA Ward (English)
New Zealand
- Auckland YSA 1st Ward (English)
- Auckland YSA 2nd Ward (English)
- Kirikiriroa YSA Ward (English)
Samoa
- Pesega YSA Ward (English)
Tonga
- Liahona YSA Ward (English)
It appears Politécnico YSA Ward (Spanish) is the only non-English YSA unit outside of US/Canada/East Asia. In addition the Politécnico YSA Ward (Spanish) is the only YSA unit in Latin America. I'm not sure but maybe it's a cultural thing as I'm not aware of any policy that forbids it.
Does anyone know when the Payson Utah Canyon Stake and the Wendover Utah District were created?
* 03-22-2026 Payson Utah Canyon Stake (515027)
03-25-1997 Payson Utah South
03-18-1997 Payson Utah Mount Loafer
10-18-1981 Payson Utah South
Listed as Stake #1297 in the Church Almanac
https://www.thechurchnews.com/2010/2/2/23268855/united-states-information-utah/
* 01-04-1998 Wendover Utah District
https://web.archive.org/web/20170721115841/http://ldschurchtemples.org/statistics/unit/wendover-utah-district/
The new Kenya Kisumu Mission recently organized a new Kisii Kenya District (2340887), unknown date.
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/2340887
And the South Africa Johannesburg Mission closed the Vaal South Africa District (2055023), originally organized November 22, 2015.
The 3 branches were merged into the realigned Johannesburg SA South Stake
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/2220059
There are also at least Tongan and Spanish YSA wards in Utah. Since YSA wards in general do not have youth and primary programs their usefulness in areas where you are baptizing many single parents may be limited.
Originally YSA units began as student units. The logistics of forming YSA units are complex. In some ways more complex now that policies pretty much aleays give people a choice of a YSA ward or a non-YSA ward.
What actually suprises me more is that the Church has not formed a YSA stake in Las Vegas.
In addition to the temple milestones over the weekend, our family had some of our own, including my sister and brother-in-law getting to go to the Montpelier Open House!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EW67G2Yqi/ I've just read that The Port Moresby Stake in Papua New Guinea is holding YSA sacrament meetings twice a month because they are planning a future YSA ward
Also for Australia there are the Eastern Heights YSA Branch and the Jells Park YSA Ward
You could probably get 2 YSA stakes in Vegas and maybe a Spanish Stake if they don't already have one. There could even be a YSA stake in Los Angeles and the Bay Area and maybe even Seattle
From what I understand, receiving any updates from the announced temples in Russia, China, Dubai, will be a longshot in the foreseeable future. However, does anyone have any intel on the announced temple locations of other temples that we haven't received word for in quite some time? Examples: Monrovia, Sierra Leone (announced October 2021) . Busan, South Korea (ann. October 2022). Chiclayo, Peru (ann. October 2022). Tula and Pachuca, Mexico (ann. October 2022).
*Liberia, not Sierra Leone
Beira Mozambique is April 2021, so 6 months older than Monrovia Liberia.
Dubai UAE may not be as unlikeky for us to learn more as we may think.
On the other hand Harare Zimbabee was dedicated in March and announced 2 years before Russia and any other currently undedicated temple.
Urdaneta Philippines waited longer than any currently announced temple has.
I do hope we can keep up the pace of announcing at least 1 new groundbreaking a week at least through the end of the year.
I got tickets for the Salt Lake Temple tour on July 24. I wonder if any of the ones released yesterday are still available.
I have no inside knowledge whatsoever. Russia, China, Dubai were all unique in their announcements and therefore received more press and conversation here. For other locations, there's been a backlog as the church has not been able to keep pace with Nelson's announcements, and it may simply be choosing to start with locations that offer the path of least resistance, even if the location was announced at a later date.
Russia, China, and Dubai has been talked about several times before. In summary:
Russia: President Nelson, as an apostle, was influential on getting the church established in Russia and therefore had a unique care for members in Russia. This is the only temple I'm aware of that couldn't be pinned down to a geographical urban area. It's only my speculation, but it appears there was not much talk concerning approval prior to the announcement, but maybe it was simply to give hope to the members that were about to endure religious persecution.. Shortly after, the government began significantly restricting religious freedom for faiths based outside the country. Ours still exist where some has ceased to exist in the country. Cracks in the system has been starting to emerge recently. It's too early to tell whether it will lead to improvements to freedom of religion let alone a temple approval.
China: President Nelson explained in detail how the Shanghai Temple was to operate differently than other temples and similar to how congregations were structured based on agreements years prior. Up until the year that it was announced, China had opened up slightly towards freedom of religion. However, starting about that time, further restrictions and crackdowns of religious freedom and I'm not sure how it's impacted the church.
UAE: From reports from the church and other media, I thought it was all figured out and would be built by now. It seemed from reports the church was going to start construction right after Expo 2020 was over in 2022. Media then went silent. I'm not sure what happened and I'll be lying if I tried to speculate. While it's illegal to proselyte, many non-Muslim religious organizations, including ours, have meetinghouses, temples, etc. as UAE law allows for some degree of religious freedom. Outside of open houses, the temple is only accessed by members. So, I really don't know what happened that caused the delay.
The Sumy Branch in Ukraine was just reported closed yesterday.
65 Sep 16, 2026 Sumy Branch Sumy, Ukraine
Probably due to the closeness to the frontlines of the conflict. And mass migration westward, is my best guess.
One reason might be that outside the Anglosphere it is more common to study at a university or college that you can easily reach from you home. Instad of staying far away at university dorms.
@David McFadden
There was massive flooding in Dubai just a couple of years ago, that probably impacted the development of new projects for a while.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_Arab_Emirates_floods
The Church announced today that a new record of 90,000 missionaries are now serving worldwide, as a direct result of the announced age change for sister missionaries from earlier this year. My thanks once again to you all.
The age change for sisters was announced in late 2025, not earlier this year, and took effect immediately. There are logistical reasons that the effect of the change was not fel until later. It is not the only factor involved in the surginf numbers of missionaroes though.
Elder Renlund attributed it in part to factors that have been in place for a while. Both changes in how the youth prograns function, addes focus on youth by bishops and changes in how the gospel is taight in homes.
Evidently 30,000 of the current full time missionaries are young sister missionaries.
I woyld also recommend watching President Oaks discourse on the constitution given at the National Cathedral on Wednesday. His call to seek legislative compromises in area where people disagree instead of jydicial victories is a wise call.
The 90k number, while historic and impressive, wasn’t the number that had me surprised. The fact that they are once again saying that there has been a >20% increase in converts baptisms in every area (with 17% for North America) in the first six months of 2026 means that we are going from 385k convert baptisms to >460k. That’s bonkers.
There is actually no mention of this pertaining to 2026, but convert baptisms are likely accelerating still, especially in parts of Africa and Asia. I have some doubts that the growth rates we have seen in convert baptisms lately can be maintained much longer at the global level, just because the potentially receptive population that can feasibly be reached by missionaries is quite small overall.
I believe the 2026 numbers referred to in the graphic are an error and are actually referring to the 2025 growth rates described by Elder Cook.
I still anticipate there to be an increase in baptisms as we saw in 2013-2015 with the “double cohort” of 18-year old elders and 19-year old sisters.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just celebrated 40 years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Church has 49 stakes in that country.
Syracuse Utah South Stake split into the Syracuse Utah Waterfront Stake. Each stake has 7 wards.
Syracuse Utah Legacy Park Stake
* Centennial Park Ward
* Center Ward
* Keller Crossing Ward
* Legacy Park Ward
* Maplewood Ward
* Syracuse 2nd Ward
* Syracuse 11th Ward
Syracuse Utah South Stake
* Syracuse 3rd Ward (moved)
* Bluff Ridge Ward
* Buffalo Ridge Ward (moved)
* Harmony Bluff Ward
* Sandridge Ward
* Walnut Grove Ward
* Whisper Wood Ward
Syracuse Utah Waterfront Stake
* Barber Acres Ward
* Jensen Park Ward
* Parkview Ward
* Silver Lakes Ward
* South Bluff Ward
* Spring Haven Ward
* Still Water Ward
I don't see why they would repeat the first six months again for 2025 when we already had the year-end numbers of 2025. Could be a typo, but they also still haven't taken it down. My guess is it is legit.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1649875403166334&set=pcb.1649829023170972
BYU-Pathway has just expanded yo South Sudan. About a month ago it expanded to Senegal.
Weekly Stake updates (09/20/2026) :
2 new stakes + 3 Stakes renamed.
Abeokuta Nigeria Obantoko Stake (2338750)
Organized on 20 September 2026
- Abiola-Way Ward
- Alabata Branch
- Apena Branch
- Apete Branch
- Camp Ward
- Kugba Ward
- Obantoko Ward
- Odeda Ward
Mission: Nigeria Ibadan Mission
Temple: Aba Nigeria Temple
Abeokuta Nigeria Ibara Stake reorganized as the Abeokuta Nigeria Oke-Ata Stake on 20 September 2026
Abeokuta Nigeria Stake reorganized as Abeokuta Nigeria Oke-Ilewo Stake on 20 September 2026
Gadsden Alabama Stake renamed the Coosa Valley Alabama Stake
Syracuse Utah Waterfront Stake (2330229)
Organized on 20 September 2026
- Barber Acres Ward
- Jensen Park Ward
- Parkview Ward
- Silver Lakes Ward
- South Bluff Ward
- Spring Haven Ward
- Still Water Ward
Mission: Utah Layton Mission
Temple: Syracuse Utah Temple
The Prague Czech Republic Stake just organized a 1st English language branch.
Praha 2nd Branch (English)
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/wards/2337940
338 Sep 22, 2026 Praha 2nd Branch (English)
A Newsroom update from yesterday contextualizes the recent Church growth developments.
It appears at least two new wards will be created in the Centerton Arkansas Stake according to the stake facebook page and my sources.
“Brothers and Sisters,
The Centerton Arkansas Stake Presidency invites all members of the Morningside, Centerton 1st, and Highlands wards to a special meeting on Sunday, September 27th at 5:00 p.m.
Following, the Centerton 2nd and Centerton 3rd wards are invited to attend a second special meeting at 6:30 p.m.
These meetings will be held at the Featherston Meetinghouse and will last approximately one hour.
As we prepare, we invite you to come with open hearts and minds and prayerfully seek to understand what Heavenly Father would have us do as we strive to exercise greater faith in Him.”
My thanks once again for your attention to this matter
The Zambia Lusaka Mission just organized a branch in Solwezi, in Northwestern Province.
341 Sep 22, 2026 Solwezi Branch Solwezi, Zambia
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/wards/2345439
Sparks Nevada West Stake reorganized as the Reno Nevada Red Hill Stake on 20 September 2026.
Sparks Nevada East Stake reorganized as the Sparks Nevada Pyramid Lake Stake on 20 September 2026.
Reno Nevada North Stake discontinued on 20 September 2026.
The Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake recently split to organize the new Dondo Mozambique Stake (2337223), unknown start date yet. Reported today on the Unit Tracker. As of this post the new stake has 4 wards.
49 Sep 24, 2026 Dondo Mozambique Stake
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/2337223
At the beginning of 2023, there were just 2 stakes in Beira. Now there are 7. Truly phenomenal growth. That's roughly 1 stake for every 100,000 people in the metro area. For an African metro, that's a relatively small number. Given that there must be at least 2,000 members per stake, Beira is now roughly 2% LDS, on-par with many metros in Latin America. For comparison, the much larger city of Maputo, Mozambique, with 2.7-3 million people, has 4 stakes, and the Kinshasa DRC metro area, with the most stakes in Africa, only has around 1 stake per 1,000,000 people.
The Salt Lake Granger West Stake was also discontinued this weekend, bringing the total to 16 discontinued stakes this year. 12/16 have been in Utah, with 9/12 of those being in Salt Lake County, and the other 3 in Carbon County. 60 stakes have thus far been organized this year, for +44 stakes overall.
The Malaga Spain Stake also organized a 3rd ward in Malaga, the 6th new ward organized in Spain this year (3 splits, 3 branch upgrades). The Unit Tracker site still hasn't picked it up yet, a possible flaw in their methodology (though they still may). I think technically the new ward is a reinstatement of the previously functioning Malaga 1st Ward.
Thanks, Caleb for the Granger / West Valley reshuffle. In the process as you said the old Salt Lake Granger West Stake (505463) is no longer on the Meetinghouse. And the Wards reassigned.
Granger West 3rd Ward (97195)
Granger West 7th Ward (2410)
Granger West 9th Ward (170127)
Granger West 1st Branch (Care Center) (1725777)
Granger West 5th Ward (Marshallese) (115207)
Granger West 10th Ward (Spanish) (174793)
And the neighboring stake, Salt Lake Hunter East Stake (509310) has been renamed West Valley Utah Lake Park Stake (509310). That received at least the Granger West 3rd Ward (97195) - > renamed Parkway Ward (97195).
The new Malawi Lilongwe Mission has had over 700 baptisms in the last three months since it was formed. One branch, the Four Ways Branch in the Kasungu Malawi District, had over 310 attending sacrament last week. The chapel there is a tent.
A third branch is going to be created in Roatán, according to a post on Facebook of the mission president of the mission San Pedro Sula East
The chaple being a tent in Malawi is part of what Elder Godoy spoke about with a lack of adequate buildings in the Africa South Area. That said, I also know where President Oaks was coming from in saying when he arrived in the Philippines there were top notch buildings but not well organized wards.
Focusing on leadership growth needs to be a priority. I do some days wonder if maybe bringimg back some sort of buildimg missionary program would be good.
I was just wartching a video by Elder Gilbert in connection with his visit to the Africa West Area. Hd said that it is anticipated the area will have 600,000 convert baptisms this year. I think the numbers he gave indicatd the aveage convert baptisms in the area over the last 5 years was about 25,000. The area will also have about 600,000 members at years end. So about 1 in 10 baptized in the last year.
The Ann Arbor and Grand Blanc Michigan Stakes are holding a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Grand Blanc Michigan Stake Center meetinghouse tomorrow 9/28/26.
I had them on my calender for both Stake Conferences this weekend 09/26-9/27. But it has been moved to 10/25, due to the Stake Center groundbreaking ceremony planned this weekend.
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/510114
https://www.facebook.com/A2Stake/
https://www.facebook.com/GrandBlancStakeofTheChurchofJesusChrist#
It use to be that local members would come up with funds and resources to build chapels. On the plus side, there was savings in construction costs. On the downside the buildings built then has more upkeep. I've seen roofs of older non-LDS churches collapse and/or have other problems because it was built by the congregation and not necessarily what we call professionals building it to current code. Now there's plenty of members that may go on a senior mission that was an engineer, carpenter, plumber, etc. that the church may have resources to do something similar but still build reliably (and train locals); so this idea could be a possibility.
There were lots ofxdrawbacks to local financing of buildings. It created a high burden on members in areas of quick church growth. Also the local funding rate for temples was evidently 30%. We would not have 2 planned temples for the Kasai Region of DR Congo under that system.
Today I learned here in the Detroit mission we have missionaroes assigned to serve in Haitian creole. One of the missionaries in my branch has that assignmdnt although not in this area. He had it in the Toledo Ward in Ohio and in the Dearborn Ward here in Michigab. Lima Ohio and Lansing Michigan also have Haitian-Creole speaking missionaries but those are beyond the Detroit mission.
The building missionary system taught those called the skills to work in construction and also involved calling people with existing skills to supervise them. Elder Renlund's father was a building missionary supervisor which is why he was partially raised in Sweden.
Funding is not the only limit to how fast The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can building chaples, temples or any other needed buildings. The other limits are getting thr proper approvals to build, and having the materials, mechanisms and trained workforce to build.
I'm not sure about Malawi, but in the US, it can typically take 1.5 years to build a chapel (after design is complete and ground is broken). Considering reports that Malawi had 700 converts over the last three months, it would be difficult for construction to keep up.
Somewhat related, but you reminded me that my dad was called on a building mission (back in the 70s) to the Northeastern States Mission. He served in at least Connecticut & Vermont (we have pictures of him visiting the Joseph Smith birthplace memorial).
He was a bricklayer and carpenter, as well as a mechanic.
I was just reading an account of my father-in-law and his family attending the dedication of their new chapel in Montpelier, Vermont in the 70's at the same time they created the Montpelier stake with Elder Packard in attendance. Maybe your father worked on that one. Before the new building, they met in a local Grange hall and would have to travel to the South Royalton chapel with its font at the Joseph Smith Memorial for any baptisms.
Scripture reading, education, and civic life Who are the main purposes of the synagogue in Jesus’ time. I wonder if our chapels will eventually become buildings of similar purposes, not only for the reunion of the members, But also to be put to good use for wise and good purposes for all of our brothers and sisters in the areas where those chapels are found. We do that a lot now with community outreach here in Ogden and other places in Utah, and anytime there’s disasters we open our meeting houses. But I wonder how much more is anticipated, or how much more we could put to better use our meeting houses that sit empty so much of the time? Certainly using our buildings for community outreach would be a part of spreading the gospel of Christ
Comparing the October 2025 Conference Temple Matrix with what's been announced:
- Maine would have been ranked #15. Many stated Augusta, however, this is close enough.
- Washington ranked #33 due to 3 predictions. Joella92 stated "Seattle Area", Searchthetruth stated "Longviews, Texas or Washington.", and I stated Arlington Washington on my "Top 20". The temple was announced in Marysville.
- Ecuador was ranked #9 but only two of the eleven predictions mentioned Otavalo or its vicinity (John Pack Lambert and Jonathon F.). Jonathon F. at the time had three predictions in Ecuador.
I can't remember who compiled and posted the temple matrix, but here's the link:
https://sites.google.com/view/templematrix
It appears at least some of President Nelson's announcements were done without consulting the local governments. Russia was announced without a city, without further detail, and about the time antiterrorism laws that restricted the church was introduced.
The Shanghai Temple had a detailed announcement from the pulpit which made me think that there was discussion with the local government. However, shortly after the announcement, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs denied there was any knowledge or discussion with the church concerning a temple and stated it was "wishful thinking and a fabrication by the Mormon Church in the United States" (see English translation of link below). The detailed announcement aligned with the church's agreement with the Peoples Republic of China's at the time concerning congregational meetings in China (Chinese nationals had to meet separately from international members).
On the bright side, the Mongolian temple, even though it hasn't started construction, seems to be progressing. Mongolia is visa-free for Russian citizens, and Chinese citizens would need an e-visa.
https://web.archive.org/web/20200929015519/https://mzzj.sh.gov.cn/hygq/20200411/630779280bae4e93a781c2bfe216bbe9.html
Two new wards were created in the Centerton Arkansas stake, with the Centerton 3rd getting a name change. The newly created Sienna Estates Ward measured out on Google is less than one square mile.
Growing up in Northern Virginia my dad told me that the Garrisonville Ward in the Stafford Virginia stake had the smallest ward boundaries east of Utah. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but for reference on small this is, the Garrisonville Ward is 4.6 sq miles in area.
Centerton Arkansas Stake: two new wards created. Osage Creek Ward and the Sienna Estates Ward.
Even with the new building that started receiving congregations a couple months ago all buildings have n the area host 4-5 wards. However there are 2 new meetinghouse sites under construction in Cave Springs and Pea Ridge that should open next year to alleviate congestion.
My thanks once again to your attention to this matter.
Hey David — thanks for jumping in and getting the conversation started. I usually post my Potential Temple Locations about 4–6 weeks before Conference weekend, but this year I waited to see if someone else would take the lead. I kept hoping Matt would post his October predictions by now, or that James Stokes and others would share their Top 20 lists or Matrix updates.
Now that we’re only seven days out from Conference Sunday, this feels like the right moment to open things up.
I’ve been watching the stake and district activity over the last few weeks, and it’s been a quieter September than usual — only a handful of reorganizations since mid‑month — but still enough movement globally that a few regions stand out. Even with the slower cadence this year, the pattern hasn’t changed: temples continue to follow stake density, travel‑time gaps, and long‑term administrative pressure.
For anyone who wants to compare, here are both Matt’s Potential Temples Map (last updated May 22, 2026) and James Stokes’ October 2026 Conference Predictions list:
Matt’s Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1W60CDwd4qDDMA3tW74z8g-2WxNw&ll=37.17542240000001%2C-113.29159379999999&z=8
James Stokes’ List:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10EPzdevnRAV_AGL1cZlNKtT0RqLr8aBBvdGySiHHJHk/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0
Matt and James — forgive me for posting these in your names.
I hope everyone here feels free to share their thoughts, ideas, or Top 20 lists as we head into this final week before Conference. It’s always interesting to see where our predictions overlap and where they diverge.
If any are curious to compare, again here is David M's Map link and Logan's Temple Map with his 200mi and 3hr driving from each constructed temple.
David M's Map :
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1G7hdBBWl07qNmfixCPEyCf7dAOKzzjw&ll=3.8040255578654794%2C56.52415087505652&z=2
Logan's Map with Distances :
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1F0XFGpLcQtvSGW49Z5SJIUFL6AL5N3o&ll=31.16321979259359%2C-94.95347210706811&z=5
And with today’s Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Grand Blanc Michigan Stake Center — almost exactly one year after the shooting and fire — it’s clear this moment carries a lot of meaning for both the stake and the wider community.
Here is the local CBS Detroit news coverage of the event, along with today’s Church News Podcast 314 featuring the Stake President:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/groundbreaking-planned-for-grand-blanc-church-s-new-building/vi-AA2d6DtC?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=6abac998b396425c8d26ee7c1726ba06&ei=13
https://www.thechurchnews.com/podcast/2026/09/28/episode-314-grand-blanc-michigan-stake-president-one-year-after-violent-attack/
As the Church continues to grow — even through adversity and trials — it’s encouraging to see moments like this, especially with the Chicago Metro area also experiencing significant growth as noted by one of our fellow bloggers.
Two new Temple Updates posted today in the Construction queue. The Cuernavaca Mexico Temple now has a Groundbreaking date scheduled. And the latest Otavalo Ecuador Temple now has a site announced.
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/cuernavaca-mexico-groundbreaking-otavalo-ecuador-site
I've been thinking that NW Arkansas has the smallest boundaries E of Utah inside the USA for quite some time.
I wonder if they'll add a Marshallese branch to round out the last spot. Should be the demand for it--Springdale has a ward, and a branch could draw from Centerton, Rogers, and Bentonville stakes and not touch the formal Springdale boundaries.
I noticed the Russia Moscow Virtual Branch was created recently. I don't know details or what a virtual branch is, but it seems under the current environment, it's what rural members in Russia need.
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/wards/2342847
Chris, feel free to share links to anything I've created that's already in the public domain anyways, No apologies necessary, in my view.
I should also like to reiterate that President Oaks' stated preferred method for announcing new temples is to have a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the area president announce the temple on location, and further, that that method will be used as long as he has any say in such decisions. I had hoped that we might have one other temple announced before this weekend's General Conference, but we're running out of time for that. A final version of my General Conference predictions (including the temple masterlist) will be posted on my blog at 10:00 PM MDT Thursday. Thank you.
You’re right, David — the “Virtual Branch” looks like the mission’s way of handling all the members who aren’t in a stake or district. Other missions call this a Dispersed Members Unit (DMU), so the naming here seems to be Russia‑specific, but the function is basically the same.
If you open the meetinghouse logged in, you will see the full extent of the Branch boundaries.
No new stakes organized this past weekend to report today.
Gary, The Church News posted on September 10th, and article about a London UK ward that serves as a Community Outreach Centre from Monday to Saturday, in Wembley.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2026/09/10/wembley-outreach-centre-community-service-meetinghouse/
I wonder if there are projects to build additional chapels within the boundaries of the Centerton stake. Pea Ridge is in the Rogers stake and Cave Spring is in the Bentonville stake. I look to the northwest and wondered if there are plans to build a chapel in Gravette.
Buena Vista Virginia wards are also small. The Buena Vista 1st is 2.75 sq miles with all but about 0.5 sq miles of that national forest. The Buena Vista 2nd is 1.5 sq miles and the Buena Vista 3rd is 1.25 sq miles. So they are all small just not as small as the new one in Arkansas. Of course some of YSA wards are tiny but I don't count them.
The Church should be doing this everywhere. It builds a good reputation for the Church in the area and I imagine is a strong missionary tool.
The church owns land about a mile west of the Seba building in Centerton. 13407 Noah Rd
I am curious how many guaranteed temples will be proposed this fall James.
At least 19 wards have been reported as created so far this past weekend, the highest weekend of the year to date. Several others will probably continue to be reported in the next few days. One interesting new ward is the first Pohnpeian speaking ward in the United States in North Carolina (only 30-45K people speak that language worldwide, most in Micronesia).
Additionally, of possible interest, all ward and stake boundaries have been formalized in the 5 stakes of Luputa and Mwene-Ditu, DR Congo. Previously, some of these boundaries were practically nonsensical. Good work, probably helped along by the new Mwene-Ditu Mission. Some of the new wards boundaries are about the size of Utah wards, at least in Luputa where the gospel has spread extensively. I expect 1-2 new stakes in the area in November, when both the Mwene-Ditu Stake (12 wards, 2 branches) and the Kabusanga Stake (12 wards) hold stake conference on the same weekend.
Excellent report! I would only add that I suspect that various parts of the world are denser than Utah wards, and thus I suspect that the percent LDS in, say, Luputa remains much lower than in Utah.
Of course, if, as I expect, active membership in Luputa keeps growing, we may see smaller wards still.
Yes, Luputa wards are surely denser than Utah wards. It's hard to get exact population estimates for Luputa, but World Population Review puts the population at 54,000. I personally think it is probably higher, but I also personally think there are countries (including the DR Congo) where no one actually knows how many people live there. A census hasn't been conducted there since 1984, everything is just estimates. Regardless, if we assume 8,000 members in the 3 large stakes in Luputa, a reasonable assumption I'd say, that would put Luputa at nearly 15% LDS. Obviously, there is a lot of estimations and guesswork in this brief analysis, so take it with a few grains of salt.
I imagen that a vritual branch meets online. (similar to a microsoft teams meeting). And not just for sacrament meeting but for classes as well. (I wonder how partaking of the sacrament works in a virual branch, specially if there is no pristhood holder nearby). A Dispersed Members Unit (DMU) just gathers all members far from other congrecations in an administrative unit. There might be diffent member groups under it that acually meet together. Most of the time the mission president is the branch preisent of a DMU.
Wow. I had no idea. Thank you very very much for doing the back of the napkin math.
Lincoln, if I may, I'd like to address the parts of your question that no one has answered yet.
I have no information whatsoever about Monrovia Libera's announced temple. I would suggest you watch this page for updates.
The temple for Busan has been renamed from the Busan South Korea Temple to now being just the Busan Korea Temple, which is stylistically consistent with the other temple in South Korea. You can keep an eye on this page for more official information whenever that is announced. And you can watch this page for official information whenever that is announced.
For Pachuca Mexico, my understanding is that a site location has been procured, and that official confirmation may just be a matter of time. I could see the Church potentially confirming information on that temple either by the end of this year or early next year. Keep an eye on this page for any updates on that temple.
For the Tula Mexico Temple, there has not been any suggestion of even a potential site location confirmation in the near term, so I think the Church may focus first on getting those temples with a site confirmed or rendering released to a groundbreaking ceremony and into the queue, with only an occasional deviation to focus on site location confirmations. Hope this answers your questions, and sorry for my delayed response.
@Zefu
That's a cool story about your father-in-law and his family.
I appreciate you sharing that. :)
It would be interesting if my dad had worked on that one in Montpelier.
Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a journal-keeper, so we mostly know about that portion of his life from photos and anecdotes.
While there has been quality convert growth throughout the world of late, there will continue to be an emphasis on Africa. Not just because of their receptivity to the gospel, but they also have demographics going in their favor. Countries like South Korea and Japan, as well as many European countries (and increasing the US and Central & South America) have birth rates so low that members having kids aren't anywhere close enough to replace those that are dying, especially since not all are retained throughout their lives. It is said that over the next 100 years the world population will stay flat, but that there will be a one billion increase in Africa, and a one billion decrease across the rest of the world.
I have no qualms with the financial war chest that the church has built for the coming decades. Africa doesn't have the financial sustainability to be able to finance their own chapels through the tithing they pay. A "corporation" would not be investing in Africa, as the growth there gives no financial return to the church. Many in Africa make due with less, but there are going to be a lot of chapels needing to be built in the coming years. Glad we're in a situation financially to provide liberally to further the growth of Africa without having to worry about the bottom line. Excited to see what awaits the continent.
I really appreciate these insights, Adam. Your point about Africa’s long‑term demographics and the Church’s ability to support growth there resonates strongly. It’s encouraging to see both the spiritual receptivity and the practical realities lining up in a way that allows the Church to invest generously without worrying about financial return. The next few decades in Africa truly feel like a remarkable chapter unfolding.
Here is the current temple status count per construction phase.
222 Operating (including those under renovation)
12 with scheduled dedication dates
53 Under construction
7 with scheduled groundbreakings
45 Announced (with site announcement)
45 Announced (without site announcement)
Interesting thoughts Adam, and I agree about Africa.
Demographic projections are difficult to forecast, and constantly changing. That being said, current populations projections for Africa actually have the continent going from 1.6 billion people now to around 3.8 billion in 2100. That's a 2.2 billion increase. Current population projections for the rest of the world are by 2100 a -200 million decrease in Asia (mostly driven by China/Japan/SE Asia, with Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Central Asian countries still driving growth), -70 million in South America, and -50 million in Europe. North America and Oceania are actually both expected to grow by 2100, both helped by immigration to the prosperous core countries (Canada and US, and Australia and New Zealand, respectively, and, in Oceania, still high fertility rates in the Island Nations). Again though, these population projections are constantly changing, and much of the world's fertility rates seem to be falling far faster than predicted. The crash in Latin America, East/Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe is especially drastic.
Also, it's hard to extrapolate LDS birthrates in any country, aside from certain states in the American West (and perhaps Polynesian Islands), because we simply don't constitute a large enough portion of the population. Are LDS people having less kids than before? Almost certainly. Are they having less than the replacement rates, particularly among active families? In my anecdotal experience, that doesn't seem to be the case.
David M. Thankyou for those numbers. That 45 with no location announced and 45 with no groundbreaking announced are numbers I would like to go down.
Do you know what the numbers were a year ago when President Nelson died.
Also what are the projected 2026 dedication and groundbreaking numbers? We are unlikely to sew additional dedications announced for 2026. Groundbreakings we might have a few more announced. There still might be more announced for November and we will see if any are done inDecember.
Are stakes ever organized on general conference weekend? I would guess not. Some areas do hold church meetings , but normallty a general authority is present for stake organizing and normally they are at general conference.
I was also wondering if any new area seventies will be called.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2026/10/01/new-area-seventy-named-sustained-leadership-session-october-2026-general-conference/
The Faisalabad Pakistan District, has district conference scheduled this weekend, Oct 3-4, 2026. The only Stake or District that i personally know from the Meetinghouse post globally that coincides with the General Conference.
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/2259303
Is this the first general conference that we haven’t received a temple announcement prediction from Matt?
This was posted a few days ago on another church site. So take it with a grain of salt. That in the Phoenix Arizona metro area. The 5 wards of the Glendale Arizona North Stake (514063), had been dissolved recently. But as of today, both the Church Database, and the Meetinghouse site, both show the Stake Active, and the callings filled. The post gave no reasons or proof of the dissolved stake.
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/514063
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