Updated Reaching the Nations Country Profile - Myanmar (Burma)

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Myanmar (Burma). The Church has achieved significant progress within the past 5-6 years with the introduction of young, proselytizing full-time missionaries to Yangon, the creation of a second branch in Yangon, completion and publication online of portions of the Burmese translation of the Book of Mormon, and significant increases in convert baptisms and local members who are serving full-time missions. However, total church membership is estimated at only about 250 as of year-end 2018. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:

Prospects appear favorable for continued Church growth in Yangon due to recent successes with steady numbers of new converts joining the Church, increasing numbers of active members, the creation of a second branch in Yangon, high member activity and convert retention rates, and the forthcoming translation of more Church materials into Burmese. Additional member groups or branches appear likely to be organized to improve accessibility to congregations and spark greater growth. Local members who complete full-time missionary service and return and remain in Myanmar thereafter present the greatest opportunities for expansion and growth. Branches in Yangon may be organized into a district once there is sufficient local leadership to staff both branch and district callings. The Church may organize member groups in additional cities, primarily in areas under control of the federal government. However, expansion of the Church into additional cities appears more likely once a separate mission is organized in Myanmar. Nevertheless, the Church will need to secure full government recognition and become more self-sufficient in its local leadership to better prepare for future opportunities for growth. Translation of Church materials into additional languages, such as Karen, appears needed. However, given trends in language translation efforts among minority languages, such prospects appear dim for the foreseeable future notwithstanding good opportunities for these materials to be utilized in missionary efforts.

New Branch in Myanmar (Burma)

Missionaries serving in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) report that the Church organized a second branch in Yangon last July. The North Dagon Branch now meets in a proselytism area that has been opened to proselytizing missionaries for more than two years. There appear to be at least 60 members in the new branch - essentially all of which are native members. Furthermore, there are now ten young, full-time missionaries assigned to serve in Myanmar under the supervision of the Thailand Bangkok Mission.

The Church assigned its first young, proselytizing missionaries to Yangon, Burma in February 2014 under the direction of the Thailand Bangkok Mission. The Church continues to classify its presence in the country as sensitive, but it appears that this classification may change in the near future. The translation of the Book of Mormon into Burmese is also underway. There are over 55 million people who live in Myanmar. Given its large population and improvements in religious freedom for Christian proselytism in government-controlled areas, prospects appear favorable for the creation of a mission headquartered in Yangon within the near future.

First Young Elder Missionaries Assigned to Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)

Missionaries in the Thailand Bangkok Mission report that the first young elders were assigned to Yangon, Burma to provide support to the Yangon Branch and teach member-referred and self-referred investigators.  The Church has had a presence in Burma for a couple decades and a branch has operated in Yangon but only senior missionary couples have served in the country on humanitarian assignment.  Only two young elders will serve in Yangon and they will not be permitted to openly proselyte due to government restrictions. 

The Church has had several recent encouraging missionary developments reaching Burmese worldwide such as the organization of a Karen-speaking branch in Salt Lake City, several missions in the United States baptizing sizable numbers of Burmese and Karen, and three members from Burma recently beginning full-time missions.  The Church has yet to translate the Book of Mormon into Burmese or Karen however.

Members Serving Full-time Missions from Burma (Myanmar)

Missionaries report that two members from Yangon, Burma have recently begun serving full-time missions. These new missionaries represent some of the first members to serve a mission from this country.  The Church has operated a branch in Yangon for many years and has had humanitarian senior missionary couples assigned to Yangon for over a decade.   Although the Church has not published official membership statistics for the country, there appear to be less than 200 members nationwide.

LDS Mission Outreach among Nepali-Bhutanese and Karen Refugees in Salt Lake City, Utah

At cumorah.com, we are writing a case study on recent LDS growth among Nepali-Bhutanese and Karen refugees in the Salt Lake City area. The Church opened its first Karen-speaking branch in 2009 to meet the needs of increasing numbers of Karen refugees joining the Church. The Karen are an ethnic minority group in eastern Burma who have been targetted by the current political regime in Burma, resulting in many fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring Thailand. Earlier this year, the Church opened its first Nepali-speaking branch in the United States in Salt Lake City to service an increasing number of Nepali-Bhutanese refugees joining the Church. These refugees are ethnic Nepalis who lived in Bhutan but have fled the country into refugee camps in neighboring Nepal and India and, like the Karen, are being accepted by the United States and resettled in many major cities such as Salt Lake City. We are looking for any current information on the language usage, convert retention, receptivity to LDS teachings and proselytism efforts, and humanitarian and development work relating to these two people groups. Please comment if you have additional information or insight.