New Stakes Created in Bolivia, Ecuador, Idaho, and Peru; District Discontinued in the Federated States of Micronesia

Bolivia
The Church organized a new stake in Santa Cruz on October 14th. The Santa Cruz Bolivia La Libertad Stake was organized from a division of the Santa Cruz Bolivia La Pampa Stake and the Santa Cruz Bolivia La Merced Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the La Cañada, La Libertad, Plan Tres Mil, and Primero de Mayo Wards. Based upon survey data from local members and returned missionaries obtained within the past 3-4 years, at least two of the wards had 140 or more active members. There are now 10 stakes in Santa Cruz - more than any other city in Bolivia. The Church has experienced steady stake growth in Santa Cruz since the first stake was organized in 1979 as additional stakes have been organized in 1981, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2017 (2), and 2018. Furthermore, the number of wards in Bolivia has also increased within the past 10 years from 165 in 2008 to 194 at present.

There are now 33 stakes and eight districts in Bolivia

Ecuador
The Santa Rosa Ecuador Stake was organized from the Santa Rosa Ecuador District on September 23rd. The district was originally organized in 1994 and has tried for many years to become a stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Huaquillas, Pasaje, Santa Rosa 1st, Santa Rosa 2nd, and Santa Rosa 3rd Wards, and the Arenillas and Piñas Branches.

There are now 41 stakes and eight districts in Ecuador. The Church has experienced steady stake growth in Ecuador due to increasing numbers of wards. For example, there were only 33 stakes and 10 districts in Ecuador in 2008.

Idaho
The Church organized a new stake in Rexburg at Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho) on September 30th. The Rexburg Idaho YSA 11th Stake was organized from the Rexburg Idaho YSA 1st Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 2nd Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 3rd Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 6th Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 7th Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 8th Stake, Rexburg Idaho YSA 9th Stake, and Rexburg Idaho YSA 10th Stake. The new stake includes the following 12 wards: the Rexburg YSA 11th, Rexburg YSA 16th, Rexburg YSA 28th, Rexburg YSA 35th, Rexburg YSA 49th,  Rexburg YSA 50th, Rexburg YSA 68th, Rexburg YSA 85th, Rexburg YSA 114th, Rexburg YSA 115th, Rexburg YSA 116th, and Rexburg YSA 117th Ward. There are now 11 YSA stakes and four student married stakes in Rexburg.

There are now 132 stakes in Idaho.

Perú
The Church organized a new stake in Lima, Peru on October 14th. The Lima Perú Mayorazgo Stake was organized from a division of the Lima Perú Santa Patricia Stake and the Lima Perú Vitarte Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Covima, Mayorazgo 1st, Mayorazgo 2nd, Portales, and Veintisiete de Abril Wards. The Lima Perú Mayorazgo Stake is the second stake in Lima to be organized in 2018. There are now 44 stakes in the Lima metropolitan area - more stakes than any other metropolitan area in the world outside of the United States.

There are now 104 stakes and 19 districts in Perú.

Federated States of Micronesia
The Yap Micronesia District was recently discontinued and the two branches that previously pertained to the district (Colonia and Thol) were reassigned to the Barrigada Guam Stake. Additionally, the Koror Branch on Palau was also reassigned to the Barrigada Guam Stake. Inclusion of these branches into a stake provides the opportunity for one or more branches to advance into wards if each branch meets the minimum criteria for a ward to function. The Yap Micronesia District was originally organized in 1989. There is now one stakes and two districts in the Federated States of Micronesia.

October 2018 New Temple Announcements - Analysis

As noted in my post earlier today, today's historic announcement of twelve new temples sets a new record for the most new temples ever announced on a single day. See below for analysis and background on the Church for each of these twelve locations. Most of these temples appear likely to be small temples given the lack of members in each of these locations. The motivation for the construction of most of these temples appears to be to improve accessibility to temples for members, particularly those who live far from the nearest temple. With these twelve new temples announced, there are now 201 temples in the Church that are announced, under construction, or in operation. Additionally, the Church has posted membership data for several countries that appears current as of October 1st, 2018. This information can be found in the Church's official news release regarding today's announcement.

Mendoza Argentina Temple
The Mendoza Argentina Temple will be the Church's fourth temple to be built in Argentina after the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple (dedicated in 1986), Cordoba Argentina Temple (dedicated in 2015), and the Salta Argentina Temple (announced in April 2018). The Church first established a presence in South America in Argentina in 1925. The Church experienced rapid membership growth during most years in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, followed by moderate membership growth in the 1990s and slow membership growth since the 2000s. Today, there are nearly 459,000 members, 14 missions, 77 stakes, 29 districts, and 756 official congregations (485 wards, 271 branches) in Argentina. Thus far in 2018, membership has increased by 1.48%. If this rate of membership growth is maintained for the remainder of 2018, church membership for the year will increase by 1.97% - the highest annual percentage membership growth reported by the Church in Argentina since 2014. For more Church statistical data for Argentina, click here.

The Church organized its first stake in Mendoza in 1972. The Argentina Mendoza Mission was organized in 1990. There are now four stakes in the Mendoza metropolitan area. The new temple will likely service eight stakes and two districts in Mendoza and San Juan Provinces. 

Salvador Brazil Temple
The Salvador Brazil Temple will be the Church's eleventh temple to be built in Brazil after the São Paulo Brazil Temple (dedicated in 1978), Recife Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), Campinas Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2002), Curitiba Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2008), Manaus Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2012), Fortaleza Brazil Temple (announced in 2009 and currently under construction), Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (announced in 2013 and currently under construction), Belém Brazil Temple (announced in 2016), and the Brasília Brazil Temple (announced in 2017). The Church first established a presence in Brazil in 1928. Slow membership growth occurred until the late 1950s, whereas rapid membership growth occurred most years between 1957 and the late 1990s. Slow-to-moderate membership growth has occurred since the early 2000s. Today there are 1.39 million members, 35 missions, 271 stakes, 38 districts, and 2,110 official congregations (1,689 wards, 421 branches) in Brazil. For more Church statistical data for Brazil, click here.

The Church created the Brazil Salvador Mission in 1990 and organized its first stake in Salvador in 1992. A second mission in Salvador was created in 1994. Today the Church operates four stakes in Salvador. The new temple will likely service 13 stakes and 4 districts in Bahia, Sergipe, and extreme western Pernambuco States.

Yuba City California Temple
The Yuba City California Temple will be the Church's eighth temple to be built in California after the Los Angeles California Temple (dedicated in 1956), Oakland California Temple (dedicated in 1964), San Diego California Temple (dedicated in 1993), Fresno California Temple (dedicated in 2000), Redlands California Temple (dedicated in 2003), Newport Beach California Temple (dedicated in 2005), and Sacramento California Temple (dedicated in 2006). The Church in California reported steady membership growth during the twentieth century until the late 1980s. For the past 30 years, the Church has experienced extremely slow or stagnant membership growth in state as membership has increased from 716,000 in 1989 to more than 760,000 in October 2018. During the past five years, membership has decreased by approximately 20,000 primarily due to members moving away from the state to other areas of the United States. For more Church statistical data for California, click here.

The announcement to build a temple in Yuba City came as a complete surprise to me. Yuba City is a one-hour drive from the Sacramento California Temple. Additionally, the new temple appears likely to only service five or six stakes from Redding on the north to Quincy on the east. The last time a new stake was organized in this area was in 1979. None of stakes in the area appear close to dividing to organize new stakes. The Church has reported slight decreases in the total number of wards and branches in this area within the past decade.

Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple
The Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple is the Church's first temple to be announced for Cambodia and the second temple to ever be announced for mainland Southeast Asia after the Bangkok Thailand Temple (announced in 2015). The Church organized its first branch in Cambodia in Phnom Penh in 1994 and created the Cambodia Phnom Pehn Mission in 1997. Rapid membership growth occurred until the mid-2000s followed by moderate or slow membership growth thereafter primarily due to mission leadership emphasis on strengthening local leadership in Phnom Penh and the establishment of stakes and additional districts. The first two stakes were organized on the same weekend in 2014. The Church reports an official ward or branch in seven cities. Prior to the announcement, Cambodia was the country with the seventh most members without a temple. Today there are more than 14,600 members, one mission, two stakes, four districts, and 29 official congregations (10 wards, 19 branches) in Cambodia. Thus far in 2018, membership has increased by 2.41%. If this rate of membership growth is maintained for the remainder of 2018, church membership for the year will increase by 3.22% - the second slowest annual percentage membership growth ever reported by the Church in Cambodia. For more Church statistical data for Cambodia, click here.

The announcement of the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple also came as a surprise to me since the Church recently announced the nearby Bangkok Thailand Temple (which has yet to begin construction). A recent rendering of the Bangkok Thailand Temple revealed that the planned design is for a temple among the largest temples ever built by the Church on the Afro-Eurasian landmass with 44,405 square feet of floor area. The new temple will likely include two stakes and six districts located in Cambodia and Vietnam. Cambodia is now the country with the most recent Church establishment that has had a temple announced.

Praia Cape Verde Temple
The Praia Cape Verde Temple will be the Church's first temple ever built in Cape Verde - an island archipelago nation off the West African coast near Senegal. The Church organized its first branch in Cape Verde in 1989 and created the Cape Verde Praia Mission in 2002. The Church reported rapid membership growth during the early and mid 1990s, moderate membership growth in the late 1990s, rapid membership growth in the early 2000s, slow membership growth in the mid and late 2000s, rapid membership growth in the early 2010s, and moderate membership growth in the mid-2010s. Prior to the announcement, Cape Verde was the country with the eighth most members without a temple. Today there are 14,700 members, one mission, three stakes, two districts, and 42 official congregations (24 wards, 18 branches). Thus far in 2018, membership has increased by 3.48%. If this rate of membership growth is maintained for the remainder of 2018, church membership for the year will increase by 4.6% - the slowest annual percentage membership growth rate since 2010. For more statistical data on the Church in Cape Verde, click here.

Cape Verde has stood as an outlier as rapid growth occurred during the early and mid 2010s primarily after a mission president focused on leadership development at a time when there were only 18 branches and no stakes in the country. Although growth has decelerated in the last few years, the Church has risen to prominence in the country and current membership constitutes 2.5% of the national population - the highest percentage of members of any country in Africa, Europe, or Asia. The new temple will likely service only the three stakes and two districts in Cape Verde although the two mission branches in Senegal may be assigned to the temple due to close geographical proximity. Isolated location appears to be the primary factor for the announcement of the new temple since the nearest planned temples to Cape Verde are located in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire and Lisbon, Portugal. 

Yigo Guam Temple
The Yigo Guam Temple is the Church's first temple to ever been announced for the region of Micronesia where the Church has experienced significant growth in the last 40 years. Although the Church reports only one stake on Guam with four wards (additional congregations assigned to the stake are located in the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and Yap), most neighboring countries report significantly more congregations. The Church numbers among the largest Christian denominations in several Micronesian nations that will likely be assigned to the new temple. The Church has maintained a presence in Guam since World War II and organized the Guam Micronesia Mission in 1980. The Church in Guam has experienced slow growth and currently reports approximately 2,500 members. The first and only stake on Guam was created in 2010. However, other nearby nations that appear likely to be assigned to the temple report significantly larger numbers of members. For example, at year-end 2017 the Church in the Federated States of Micronesia reported 6,217 members and 22 congregations, the Church in the Marshall Islands reported 6,970 members and 12 congregations, and the Church in Kiribati reported 19,690 members and 30 congregations. Altogether, the new temple will likely service members who live in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru where there is a combined total of 36,000 members. The new temple will likely include six stakes and four districts in the Micronesian sub-region of Oceania. The decision to build the new temple on Guam instead of other Micronesian nations with significantly more members appears attributed to Guam's international accessibility, comparatively large population in the region, and availability of land at a sufficiently high elevation above sea level.

Puebla Mexico Temple
The Puebla Mexico Temple will be the Church's fourteenth temple in Mexico after the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), and Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015). The Church has had a presence in Mexico since the 1870s although significant growth did not occur until the 1960s. Rapid membership growth occurred between 1960 and the late 1980s, followed by moderate or slow membership growth thereafter. Today the Church in Mexico reports 1.45 million members, 32 missions, 221 stakes, 45 districts, and 1,926 congregations (1,440 wards, 486 branches). The Church in Mexico has undergone a significant consolidation of smaller congregations and stakes to better utilize meetinghouse space, establish stronger leadership, and create congregations with more active members. As a result, the number of congregations has decreased by nearly 100 since early 2017. However, the Church in Puebla State has not experienced noticeable decline in the number of congregations. Instead, the Church in Puebla State has had one new stake organized and the establishment of several new wards and branches during this time.

The Church organized its first stake in Puebla in 1975. A mission was created in Puebla in 1988 followed by a second mission based in the city in 2012. The new temple will likely service 14 stakes and three districts in Puebla State. Puebla was previously one of the cities in the world with the most stakes without its own temple.

Auckland New Zealand Temple
The Auckland New Zealand Temple will be the Church's second temple in New Zealand after the Hamilton New Zealand Temple was dedicated in 1958. The Church has maintained a presence in New Zealand since 1854. Growth has primarily occurred among Pacific Islanders who live in the country, particularly the native Maori population. For example, half of self-identified Latter-day Saints on the 2006 census described their ethnicity as Maori. The Church in New Zealand has generally experienced slow growth throughout its history punctuated with brief periods of rapid or moderate growth. The Church in New Zealand currently reports more than 114,000 members, three missions, 30 stakes, two districts, and 226 official congregations (174 wards, 52 branches).

The Church organized its first stake in Auckland in 1958. There are now 13 stakes in the Auckland metropolitan area. The new temple will likely service 15 stakes in the Auckland area and in Northland. Auckland was previously one of the cities in the world with the most stakes without its own temple.

Lagos Nigeria Temple
The Lagos Nigeria Temple will be the Church's second temple in Nigeria after the Aba Nigeria Temple (dedicated in 2005). The Church in Nigeria has experienced moderate to rapid growth for its entire 40 year history since the first branch was created in 1978. The Church in Nigeria currently reports nearly 174,000 members, seven missions, 53 stakes, 16 districts, and 630 official congregations (378 wards, 252 branches). No other country had only one temple with as many stakes and congregations as Nigeria prior to today's announcement. Additionally, a total of 30 new stakes have been organized in Nigeria just within the past five years. There are another 10 or so stakes that appear likely to be organized within the immediate future. Thus far in 2018, membership has increased by 6.26%. If this rate of membership growth is maintained for the remainder of 2018, church membership for the year will increase by 8.35% - the highest annual percentage membership growth reported by the Church in Nigeria since 2015. For more statistical data on the Church in Nigeria, click here.

The Church has maintained a presence in Lagos since 1979. A mission was organized in Lagos in 1980 and the first stake in the city was created in 1997. Rapid growth has occurred in Lagos during the past 15 years as the number of stakes reached two in 2005, three in 2011, five in 2015, and six in 2018. The new temple will likely service 20 stakes and four districts in Nigeria, and one stake in Benin.

Davao Philippines Temple
The Davao Philippines Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in the Philippines after the Manila Philippines Temple (dedicated in 1984), Cebu City Philippines Temple (dedicated in 2010), Urdaneta Philippines Temple (announced in 2010), Greater Manila Philippines Temple (announced in 2017), and the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple (announced in April 2018). The Church began missionary efforts in the Philippines in 1961. The first mission in the country was created in 1967. Rapid membership growth occurred until the mid-1990s, followed by moderate or slow growth thereafter. Currently the Church in the Philippines reports more than 780,000 members, 22 missions, 104 stakes, 71 districts, and 1,227 official congregations (671 wards, 556 branches). Thus far in 2018, membership has increased by 1.91%. If this rate of membership growth is maintained for the remainder of 2018, church membership for the year will increase by 2.54% - approximately the annual membership growth rate for the Philippines since 2015. For more statistical data on the Church in the Philippines, click here.

The Church appeared to create its first branch in Davao in 1968. The Philippines Davao Mission was organized in 1977 and the first stake in the city was created in 1981. There are currently three stakes in Davao. The new temple will likely serve six stakes and eight districts in southern Mindanao. The decision to announce a temple for Davao was also unexpected given the announcement of a temple in Cagayan de Oro just six months earlier. As a result, this marks the first time in Church history that the Church has announced two temples for the same island within so short a period of time. Also, the Church has never had two announced temples located on the same island where no temples have been previously constructed.

San Juan Puerto Rico Temple
The San Juan Puerto Rico Temple will be the Church's first temple in Puerto Rico. The Church organized its first branch in this United States territory in 1955. The Puerto Rico San Juan Mission was created in 1979 and the first stake was created in 1980. Rapid membership growth occurred in the 1980s followed by slow membership growth in the 1990s, membership decline in the early 2000s, and slow or stagnant membership growth since the late 2000s. Today there are over 23,000 members, one mission, five stakes, and 40 official congregations (28 wards, 12 branches) in Puerto Rico. The new temple will likely include the five stakes on Puerto Rico as well as two districts in the Lesser Antilles. Puerto Rico was previously the country/territory with the second most members without a temple.

Washington County Utah Temple
The Washington County Utah Temple will be the 20th temple to be built in Utah after the St. George Utah Temple (dedicated in 1877), Logan Utah Temple (dedicated in 1884), Manti Utah Temple (dedicated in 1888), Salt Lake Temple (dedicated in 1893), Ogden Utah Temple (dedicated in 1972), Provo Utah Temple (dedicated in 1972), Jordan River Utah Temple (dedicated in 1981), Bountiful Utah Temple (dedicated in 1995), Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple (dedicated in 1996), Vernal Utah Temple (dedicated in 1997), Monticello Utah Temple (dedicated in 1998), Draper Utah Temple (dedicated in 2009), Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (dedicated in 2009), Brigham City Utah Temple (dedicated in 2012), Payson Utah Temple (dedicated in 2015), Cedar City Utah Temple (dedicated in 2017), Saratoga Springs Utah Temple (announced in 2017), and Layton Utah Temple (announced in April 2018). The new temple will be the second temple to be built in Washington County after the St. George Utah Temple - the oldest operating temple that remains in possession by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The precise name and location of the new temple remains unknown although likely locations for the new temple include Washington and Santa Clara. The Church has experienced rapid growth in the St. George metropolitan area for many years. Recently, the Church has added an average of one new stake per year in the St. George metropolitan area. There are 28 stakes within the greater St. George metropolitan area.

Twelve New Temples Announced - Largest Number of Temples Ever Announced in a Single Weekend

This afternoon, President Russell M. Nelson announced 12 new temples to be built in the following locations:

• Mendoza, Argentina 
• Salvador, Brazil 
• Yuba City, California 
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia 
• Praia, Cape Verde 
• Yigo, Guam 
• Puebla, Mexico 
• Auckland, New Zealand 
• Lagos, Nigeria 
• Davao, Philippines 
• San Juan, Puerto Rico 
• Washington County, Utah

With these announcements, there will now be 201 temples announced, under construction, or in operation. For more information, click here.

New Stakes Created in Idaho (2), Florida, and Utah

Florida
The Church organized a new stake today in South Florida. The Naples Florida Stake was organized from a division of the Fort Myers Florida Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Bahia (Spanish), Bonita Springs, Cypress, Naples, and Vanderbilt Beach Wards, and the Estero YSA, Hibiscus (Haitian-Creole), Immokalee, Liberte (Haitian-Creole), and McGregor Branches.

There are now 32 stakes in Florida.

Idaho
Two new stakes were organized in Idaho on September 16th.

The Middleton Idaho East Stake was organized from a division of the Middleton Idaho Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Middleton 2nd, Middleton 4th, Middleton 5th, Middleton 7th, Middleton 8th, Middleton 11th, and Black Canyon YSA Wards.

The Idaho Falls YSA Stake was organized from several stakes in the Idaho Falls area. Information on which congregations are assigned to the new stake remains unavailable although it appears that there are five wards and three branches assigned to the new YSA stake.

There are now 131 stakes in Idaho.

Utah
A new stake was created in Cache County, Utah on September 16th. The Logan Utah YSA 7th Stake was organized from a division of the Logan Utah YSA 3rd Stake, Logan Utah YSA 4th, and Logan Utah YSA 6th Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Logan YSA 19th, Logan YSA 25th, Logan YSA 30th, Logan YSA 32nd, Logan YSA 43rd, Logan YSA 46th, and Logan YSA 52nd.

There are now 595 stakes and one district in Utah.

New Stakes Created in Argentina, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Utah; Stakes Discontinued in Ghana (Downgraded to Distrct) and Mexico (Downgraded to District)

Argentina
The Church organized a new stake in Cordoba, Cordoba Province on September 2nd. The Córdoba Argentina Chacabuco Stake was organized from a division of the Córdoba Argentina North Stake (renamed Córdoba Argentina Patricio Stake), Córdoba Argentina Sierras Stake, and Córdoba Argentina West Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Alta Córdoba, Córdoba Chacabuco, Jesús María, and Nueve de Julio Wards, and the Los Boulevares and Parque Liceo Branches. Given the small number of wards in the new stake, it appears that one or both branches may advance into wards, or a new ward will be organized in the stake from a division of one of the four wards. The Church in Córdoba Province has organized six new branches in the past three years and some branches in the province have also advanced into wards during this time. The Church completed its second temple in Argentina, the Córdoba Argentina Temple, in 2015. There are now six stakes in the city of Córdoba, and eight stakes and one district in Córdoba Province.

There are now 77 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

Ecuador
The Church organized a new stake in the Guayaquil metropolitan area on August 19th. The Samborondón Ecuador Stake was organized from a division of the Duran Ecuador North Stake, Guayaquil Ecuador Las Orquideas, and the Guayaquil Ecuador Pascuales Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards: La Aurora, La Joya, Metrópolis, Pascuales, and Samborondón Wards. There are now 17 stakes in the Guayaquil metropolitan area.

There are now 40 stakes and 9 districts in Ecuador.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in Central Region. The Assin Foso Ghana South Stake was organized on September 9th from a division of the Assin Foso Ghana Stake and the Yamoransa Ghana Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and six branches: the Abakrampa, Assin Achiasi, Assin Foso 1st, Assin Foso 2nd, and Paramu Wards, and the Abura Dunkwa, Asebu, Assin Akrofuom, Assin Anynabrem, Assin Darmang, and Assin Edubiase Branches. The new stake is the Church's third new stake organized in Central Region since 2015. There are now six stakes and two districts in Central Region.

Additionally, the Winneba Ghana Stake was discontinued following its division to create the Swedru Ghana Stake last month. This marks the first time in Church history that a stake has been discontinued in Ghana, albeit it is more accurate to state that the Church created a new district and no stake was discontinued given the administrative changes to stakes/districts in the Swedru/Winneba area. The Winneba Ghana District has five branches.

There are now 24 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Haiti
The Church organized a new stake in Haiti on September 9th. The Les Palmes Haiti Stake was created from a division of the Carrefour Haiti Stake and three branches previously assigned directly to the Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission in the Jacmel area. The new stake includes the following three wards and three branches: the Leogane 2nd, Petit-Goave 1st, and Petit-Goave 2nd Wards, and the Jacmel, Meyer, and Tenier Branches. It appears information on which congregations assigned to the new stake, and which branches became wards, remains unavailable based upon information provided on the LDS meetinghouse locator site given there are currently only three wards reported in the new stake.

There are now five stakes and four districts in Haiti.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Ogun State, Nigeria on September 2nd. The Abeokuta Nigeria Ibara Stake was organized from a division of the Abeokuta Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Ibara, Ilewo-Orile, Lafenwa, Oke-Ata, Ope-Oluwa, and Rounda Wards, and the Ilaro, Obada-Oko, and Olomore Branches. The Church organized its first stake in Abeokuta in 2014. There are now two stakes in Ogun State - both of which are located in Abeokuta. There is also a district in Ogun State located in Ijebu-Ode which appears close to becoming a stake.

There are now 53 stakes and 16 districts in Nigeria.

The Philippines
Today the Church organized a new stake in the Philippines Cavite Mission. The Naic Philippines Stake was organized from the Naic Philippines District. Information on which of the eight branches have become wards in the new stake remains unavailable. With the organization of the new stake, the Philippines Cavite Mission becomes the first mission in the Philippines to be entirely covered by stakes.

There are now 105 stakes and 70 districts in the Philippines

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in the Vineyard area of Orem, Utah. The Vineyard Utah Grove Park Stake was organized from the Orem Utah Suncrest Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Suncrest 11th, Suncrest 12th, Suncrest 13th, Suncrest 14th, Suncrest 15th, and Suncrest 16th Wards.

There are now 594 stakes and one district in Utah.

Mexico
The Church discontinued the Los Mochis Mexico Stake and reorganized the former stake as a district (Guasave Mexico District). There are six branches in the district. This is the eighth stake to be discontinued in Mexico in 2018 due to a significant restructuring of administrative organizations and congregations in Mexico designed to better utilize meetinghouse space, strengthen local leadership, and establish congregations with larger numbers of active members.

There are now 221 stakes and 45 districts in Mexico.

Percent LDS by US State

See below for the percentage of church-reported membership as of year-end 2017 by state and the District of Columbia. Population figures were obtained from www.citypopulation.de. These population figures are census estimates as of July 2017.

1. Utah 67.39% 
2. Idaho 26.23% 
3. Wyoming 11.61% 
4. Nevada 6.13% 
5. Arizona 6.10% 
6. Hawaii 5.20% 
7. Montana 4.80% 
8. Alaska 4.53% 
9. Washington 3.90% 
10. Oregon 3.72% 
11. New Mexico 3.33% 
12. Colorado 2.70% 
13. California 1.94% 
14. North Dakota 1.49% 
15. Nebraska 1.30% 
16. Kansas 1.30% 
17. Texas 1.25% 
18. South Dakota 1.22% 
19. Oklahoma 1.22% 
20. Missouri 1.16% 
21. Virginia 1.13% 
22. Arkansas 1.04% 
23. West Virginia 0.93% 
24. Iowa 0.90% 
25. North Carolina 0.84% 
26. Maine 0.82% 
27. Georgia 0.82% 
28. South Carolina 0.81% 
29. Kentucky 0.79% 
30. Alabama 0.77% 
31. Tennessee 0.76% 
32. Florida 0.75% 
33. Vermont 0.74% 
34. Mississippi 0.73% 
35. Maryland 0.72% 
36. Indiana 0.67% 
37. New Hampshire 0.65% 
38. Louisiana 0.64% 
39. Minnesota 0.59% 
40. Delaware 0.57% 
41. Ohio 0.53% 
42. Wisconsin 0.46% 
43. Michigan 0.45% 
44. Illinois 0.45% 
45. Connecticut 0.44% 
46. New York 0.41% 
47. District of Columbia 0.41% 
48. Pennsylvania 0.40% 
49. Massachusetts 0.40% 
50. Rhode Island 0.39% 
51. New Jersey 0.37%

LDS Membership by US State in 2017, Percent LDS Membership Growth by US State in 2017

I have received recent inquires about the number of Latter-day Saints in each state in the United States. See below for a list of all states in the United States (plus the District of Columbia) ranked by church-reported membership for year-end 2017. Locations listed in bold do not have an LDS temple announced or in operation.

1. Utah - 2,090,401 
2. California - 767,252 
3. Idaho - 450,347 
4. Arizona -  428,069 
5. Texas - 353,317 
6. Washington - 288,515 
7. Nevada - 183,638 
8. Florida - 156,724 
9. Oregon - 153,955 
10. Colorado - 151,433 
11. Virginia - 95,379 
12. North Carolina -  86,132 
13. Georgia -  85,363 
14. New York - 82,361 
15. Hawaii -  74,278 
16. Missouri - 71,212 
17. New Mexico -  69,627 
18. Wyoming - 67,275 
19. Ohio - 61,966 
20. Illinois - 57,111 
21. Pennsylvania - 51,765 
22. Tennessee - 51,050 
23. Montana - 50,420 
24. Oklahoma - 47,852 
25. Indiana - 44,876 
26. Michigan - 44,849 
27. Maryland - 43,721 
28. South Carolina - 40,608 
29. Kansas - 37,780 
30. Alabama - 37,487 
31. Kentucky - 35,125 
32. New Jersey - 33,726 
33. Alaska - 33,492 
34. Minnesota - 33,012 
35. Arkansas - 31,254 
36. Louisiana - 29,787 
37. Iowa - 28,160 
38. Massachusetts -  27,576 
39. Wisconsin -  26,753 
40. Nebraska - 24,945 
41. Mississippi - 21,725 
42. West Virginia - 16,933 
43. Connecticut - 15,870 
44. North Dakota - 11,244 
45. Maine - 10,947 
46. South Dakota - 10,626 
47. New Hampshire - 8,771 
48. Delaware - 5,527 
49. Vermont -  4,625 
50. Rhode Island - 4,177 
51. District of Columbia - 2,848 

See below for a list of states and the District of Columbia ranked in order by membership growth rate for the year 2017. The 10 states with the most members in this list are indicated in italics:

1.  District of Columbia +3.26% 
2. Rhode Island +2.63% 
3. Delaware +2.35% 
4. Tennessee +2.04% 
5. Arkansas +1.82% 
6. Vermont +1.69% 
7. South Dakota +1.68% 
8. Texas +1.49% 
9. North Carolina +1.45% 
10. Wisconsin +1.37% 
11. Massachusetts +1.37% 
12. Idaho +1.29% 
13. Utah +1.19% 
14. New Hampshire +1.19% 
15. Arizona +1.18% 
16. Missouri +1.17% 
17. Florida +1.16% 
18. Georgia +1.12% 
19. Oklahoma +1.06% 
20. South Carolina +0.97% 
21. Minnesota +0.90% 
22. Ohio +0.77% 
23. New York +0.76% 
24. New Jersey +0.74% 
25. Nebraska +0.73% 
26. Alabama +0.67% 
27. Nevada +0.56% 
28. Montana +0.55% 
29. Kentucky +0.49% 
30. Hawaii +0.47% 
31. Indiana +0.46% 
32. Maryland +0.43% 
33. Michigan +0.42% 
34. Kansas +0.39% 
35. Washington +0.38% 
36. Connecticut +0.23% 
37. Pennsylvania +0.19% 
38. Virginia +0.19% 
39. New Mexico +0.01% 
40. Oregon +0.01% 
41. Iowa +0.01%
42.  Illinois +0.00% 
43. North Dakota -0.11% 
44. Maine -0.28% 
45. West Virginia -0.28% 
46. Colorado -0.30% 
47. Wyoming -0.34% 
48. Louisiana -0.49% 
49. California -0.55% 
50. Mississippi -0.57% 
51. Alaska -0.94%

New Stakes Created in the Philippines (2), Ghana, South Carolina, and Spain; District Reinstated in Argentina

Philippines
Two new stakes have been recently created in the Philippines.

The San Antonio Philippines Stake was organized from the San Antonio Philippines District on August 5th. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Cabangan, Castillejos, San Felipe, and San Marcelino Wards, and the San Antonio and San Narciso Zambales Branches. It is likely that the San Antonio and San Narciso Zambales Branches have also advanced into wards but that the official directory has not yet been updated this information. All six congregations in the new stakes are designated as Ilokano speaking. The original San Antonio Philippines District was organized as a district in 1993. There are now three stakes in the Philippines Olongapo Mission located in Balanga (organized in 1991), Olongapo (organized in 2017), and San Antonio (organized in 2018). Furthermore, local members indicate that the Dinalupihan Philippines District may become a stake in the near future.

The Tolosa Philippines Stake was organized from the Tolosa Philippines District on August 12th. Information on which branches have advanced into wards is currently unavailable. There were 10 branches in the district prior to its organization as a stake.

There are now 104 stakes and 71 districts in the Philippines.

Ghana
A new stake was organized on August 12th.

The Swedru Ghana Stake was organized from a division of the Winneba Ghana Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Oboden 1st, Swedru 1st, Swedru 2nd, and Swedru 3rd Wards, and the Aboso, Asikuma, Breman Brakwa, Odoben 2nd, Swedru 4th, and Swedru 5th branches. It is likely that one or more of the branches in the new stake were upgraded to wards or will be upgraded into wards within the immediate future since there are only four wards in the new stake. Furthermore, the Winneba Ghana Stake currently has only four wards and one branch. It is likely that the Winneba Ghana Stake had the Ansaful 2nd Branch advanced into a ward, or that additional wards have been or will soon be organized.

There are now 24 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

South Carolina
A new stake was organized on August 19th. The Fort Mill South Carolina Stake was organized from stakes in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Information on which wards have been assigned to the new stake remains unavailable, but members report that the stake was organized from a division of the Charlotte North Carolina South Stake and the Gastonia North Carolina Stake. This marks the first time in 15 years since a new stake was organized in South Carolina when the Greenville South Carolina East Stake was organized.

There are now seven stakes in South Carolina.

Spain
A new stake was organized on August 12th.

The A Coruña Spain Stake was organized from the Santiago Spain District and the León Spain District. The new stake includes the following congregations: the El Ferrol, Gijón, La Coruña, Oviedo, Vigo 1st, and Vigo 2nd Wards, and the León, Lugo, Orense, Ponferrada, and Santiago de Compostela Branches. The new stake is the Church's first stake to ever be organized in Gacilia - an autonomous region in northwestern Spain that traditionally speaks the Galician language. Two branches were discontinued in the process of the new stake being organized - namely the Avilés and Benavente Branches in the former León Spain District.

There are now 15 stakes and 2 districts in Spain.

Argentina
A district was reinstated in Argentina on July 15th.

The Reconquista Argentina District was organized from a division of the Rio Parana Argentina District (renamed the Goya Argentina District). The reinstated district includes the following three branches: Reconquista 1st, Reconquista 2nd, and Vera Branches. The district was likely re-divided to reinstate the Reconquista Argentina District because there are no foreseeable prospects for the area to become a stake within the foreseeable future.

There are now 76 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (2), Nigeria (2), Oklahoma, and Peru; Stake Discontinued in Venezuela

DR Congo
Two new stakes were organized in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Both new stakes were organized in Kinshasa on June 24th.

The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Mpasa Stake was organized from a division of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Kimbanseke Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Bibwa, Makanza, Mikonga 1st, Mikonga 2nd, Mpasa 1st, Mpasa 2nd, and Mpasa 3rd Wards. The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo N'Djili Stake was organized from a division of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Masina Stake and the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Mokali Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Debonhomme, Fer Bois, Kingasani 1st, Kingasani 4th, N'Djili 1st, and N'Djili 2nd Wards, and the Mokali and Nsanga Branches.

The first stake in Kinshasa was organized in 1996 - 10 years after the first branch was organized in the city. There are now 10 stakes in the Kinshasa metropolitan area as stakes have been organized in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012 (2), 2016, and 2018 (2). Currently, Kinshasa ranks as the metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass with the third most stakes after Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (12 stakes) and Accra, Ghana (11 stakes). At least one more new stake in Kinshasa appears like to be organized this year as the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Ngaliema Stake currently has 11 wards and 1 branch. Furthermore, the Church's construction on the new temple in Kinshasa - Central Africa's first LDS temple - is nearing completion. The new temple president was also recently announced in the LDS Church News.

There are now 19 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo. 

Nigeria
Two new stakes have been organized in Nigeria.

The Lagos Nigeria Ojodu Stake was organized on June 24th from a division of the Lagos Nigeria Agege Stake and the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch wards: the Akute, Ibafo, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Itamaga, Ketu, Ojodu, and Omole Wards, and the Imota Branch. There are now six stakes in the Lagos metropolitan area.

The Port Harcourt Nigeria Choba Stake was organized on July 8th. The new stake was organized from a division of the Port Harcourt Nigeria North Stake and the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Choba 1st, Choba 2nd, Emohua, Omoku, and Ogbogoro Wards, and the Rumuji Branch. There are now six stakes in Port Harcourt.

There are now 52 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria. As many as 15 new stakes may be organized in Nigeria within the next 2-3 years. There are many stakes with a large number of wards and branches (e.g. Aba North, Abeokuta, Abuja, Benin City, Ibadan, Ikot Ekpene, Owerri, Ukat Aran, Umuahia, Warri) as well as several districts (e.g. Akampka, Ijebu-Ode, Mbaise, Ogwashi-Uku) that appear close to becoming stakes. Stake growth in Nigeria has been among the most rapid in the world during the past decade. For example, the number of stakes in Nigeria has increased from 22 to 52 in the last five years.

Oklahoma
The Church organized a new stake in the Oklahoma City area on June 17th. The Edmond Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Stake and the Stillwater Oklahoma Stake. The new stake includes the following nine wards and one branch: the Cushing, Edmond 1st, Edmond 2nd, Edmond 3rd, Edmond 4th, Edmond 5th, Oklahoma City YSA, Shawnee, and Village Wards, and the McLoud Branch (Correctional Facility). The new stake is the Church's first new stake to be organized in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area since 1982.

There are now nine stakes in Oklahoma.

Peru
The Church created its 43rd stake in the Lima metropolitan area on July 1st. The Lima Perú Torre Blanca was organized in northern Lima from a division of Lima Perú Santa Isabel Stake. The following five wards are assigned to the new stake: the El Progreso, Industrial, Los Angeles, Nueva America, and Torre Blanca Wards. Several new wards have recently been organized in Lima, reversing a trend of stagnant congregational growth in the city that has persisted for several years. Local members report that many wards have as many as 250-300 people attending church before they are divided to organize additional congregations. There are now 43 stakes in Lima.

There are now 103 stakes and 19 districts in Peru.

Venezuela
The Church recently discontinued the San Cristóbal Venezuela. Retained congregations in the former stake were reassigned to the San Cristóbal Venezuela Pirineos Stake or the Venezuela Maracaibo Mission. This marks the first time in the Church's history in Venezuela when a stake has been discontinued. Political and economic crisis has been the primary cause for this decline in growth as many Venezuelan Latter-day Saints have sought to leave Venezuela in search of a better standard of living. Twelve wards or branches have been discontinued in 2018 thus far and 49 wards or branches have been discontinued since the Church reached its all-time high for the number of congregations in Venezuela back in 2011. Additional stakes appear like to be discontinued in the near future, especially in the Caracas area.

There are now 33 stakes and 5 districts in Venezuela.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Georgia, Guatemala, and the Philippines; New District in Armenia; Stake Discontinued in Germany; Districts Discontinued in Brazil, Germany, and Ukraine

Brazil
A new stake was organized in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil on May 20th. The Santa Cruz do Sul Brazil Stake was organized from the Rio Grande do Sul Brazil District (originally organized in 1994) and Cachoeira do Sul Brazil District, and portions of the São Leopoldo Brazil Stake. Information on which congregations are assigned to the new stake is currently unavailable although it may be as many as 10 congregations. The Cachoeira do Sul Brazil District was organized in 1986 and included four branches before it was consolidated with the newly organized Santa Cruz do Sul Brazil Stake.

There are now 25 stakes and 6 districts in Rio Grande do Sul State, and 270 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Georgia
A new stake was organized in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Coal Mountain Georgia Stake was organized from the Sugar Hill Georgia Stake and the Roswell Georgia Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Coal Mountain, Dahlonega, Fowler Park, Laurel Springs, Pilgrim Mill, and Sharon Springs Wards, and the Blairsville and Murphy Branches. There are now 10 stakes in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

There are now 17 stakes in Georgia.

Guatemala
A new stake was organized in western Guatemala. The Sololá Guatemala Stake was organized from the Sololá Guatemala District. Most of the seven branches in the former district, which was organized in 1979, appear to have become wards although information on which branches became wards remains unavailable. The new stake is located within the homelands of the Kaqchikel people. There are now four stakes located within the Kaqchikel homelands.

There are now 49 stakes and 14 districts in Guatemala.

Philippines
A new stake was organized in Mindanao, Philippines. The San Francisco Philippines Stake was organized from the Trento Philippines District (organized in 1999). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Prosperidad, San Francisco, Santa Josefa, Trento, and Veruela Wards, and the Rosario Branch. The new stake marks the first time in over two decades since a district has become a stake in Mindanao. There are now 12 stakes and 17 districts in Mindanao.

There are now 102 stakes and 73 districts in the Philippines.

Armenia
A new district was organized in northern Armenia on April 15th. The Vanadzor Armenia District was organized from a division of the Yerevan Armenia District. The new district includes three branches: Alaverdi (member group recently organized as a branch), Gyumri, and Vanadzor. Additionally, a member group may also continue to operate in Margahovit. The decision to divide the Yerevan Armenia District, which used to be stake from 2013-2016, suggests that the mission may be exploring opportunities for leadership development and outreach expansion in northern Armenia, and/or there are no realistic prospects for the Yerevan Armenia District to become a stake again in the foreseeable future. There are now two districts in Armenia.

Germany
One stake and two districts were discontinued in northern Germany during May 2018. The Neumünster Germany Stake (organized in 1981) was discontinued and consolidated with the Hamburg Germany Stake, marking the first time in LDS history that the Church has ever discontinued a German-speaking stake. Additionally, the only two districts in Germany, the Oldenburg Germany District and the Neubrandenburg Germany District, were discontinued. Retained branches in the former Oldenburg Germany District were reassigned to the Hamburg Germany Stake and the Hannover Germany Stake, whereas retained branches in the Neubrandenburg Germany District were reassigned to the Berlin Germany Stake. Emphasis on reducing the amount of members needed to fill leadership positions in order to free resources and reduce member burnout appeared primarily responsible for the changes. For example, most of the branches involved in the changes reported less than 20 active members for two or three decades. More information on the changes can be found here (NOTE: article is in German).

There are now 14 stakes in Germany.

Ukraine
The Church discontinued the Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine District (originally organized in 1999, discontinued in 2011, reinstated in 2016) and reassigned its branches to the Kharkov Ukraine District. It appears that the change may have been made in preparation to create a second stake in Ukraine.

There are now four districts and one stake in Ukraine.

Seven New Temples Announced - Analysis

Earlier today, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson announced seven new temples in Salta, Argentina; Bengaluru, India; Managua Nicaragua; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Layton, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; and a major city yet to be determined in Russia.

Salta Argentina Temple
The Salta Argentina Temple will be the third temple to be built in Argentina as temples have been previously constructed in Buenos Aires (1986) and Cordoba (2015). The new temple will likely service Latter-day Saints who live in Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán Provices where there are seven stakes and four districts. Slow growth has occurred in northern Argentina as the last new stake to be created in the region was organized in 1995 (Salta West). The Church in Argentina currently reports approximately 450,000 members, 1 missionary training center, 14 missions, 76 stakes, 28 districts, and 760 congregations (485 wards, 275 branches). Northern Argentina is currently assigned to the Argentina Cordoba Temple District. Access more statistical information on the Church in Argentina here.

Bengaluru India Temple
The Bengaluru India Temple will be the first temple in South Asia. The new temple will likely service members who live in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan - countries located within the two Indian missions headquartered in Bengaluru and New Delhi. There are four stakes, seven districts, 64 congregations (21 wards, 43 branches), and approximately 20,000 members who live within these six countries. The Church in India has particularly experienced significant progress with the organization of its first four stakes since 2012 in Hyderabad (2012), Bengaluru (2015), Rajahmundry (2016), and New Delhi (2017). The creation of these stakes has appeared pivotal for the temple announcement in Bengaluru. President Oaks noted during his visit to Hyderabad in 2012 to create the first stake in the country that the creation of each new stake marks a step closer towards the possibility of a temple announcement for a particular country or area. The Church in Pakistan is also close to creating its first stake in the country from the Lahore Pakistan District where four of the five branches appear large enough to become wards. The primary factor that has limited growth in Pakistan in recent years, albeit many branches report steady numbers of new converts, has been few Pakistani members serving full-time missions as only Pakistani natives are permitted to serve in Pakistan. The Church in Sri Lanka experienced rapid growth in the mid-2000s followed by stagnant growth for a decade until full-time missionaries returned in the past couple years. The Church in Bangladesh and Nepal remains extremely small with only one branch in each nation and no young, full-time missionaries assigned. Given differences in culture with the remainder of the Asian area and the enormous size of the population, prospects appear favorable for the creation of a South Asia Area. Currently South Asia is administered by the China Hong Kong Temple. Access more statistical data on the Church in India here.

Managua Nicaragua Temple
Nicaragua was previously the country with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple prior to the announcement of the Managua Nicaragua Temple. President Nelson publicly proposed a temple for Managua in 2013 when he visited members in Managua. The Church currently reports nearly 100,000 members in this country where the Church experiences its most rapid membership growth rates in Latin America at approximately 4% per year. Nicaragua is the last Spanish-speaking country in Central American and South America to have a temple announced. Cuba is the last Spanish-speaking country in the Americas without a temple announced, under construction, or in operation. Nicaragua is currently serviced by the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple, which was dedicated in 2013. Currently there are 12 stakes, 4 districts, 2 missions, and 112 congregations (73 wards, 39 branches) in Nicaragua. Access more LDS statistical data on the Church in Nicaragua here.

Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple
The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple is the Church's fifth temple to be announced in the Philippines after temples in Manila (1984), Cebu City (2010), Urdaneta (announced in 2010), and Greater Manila Philippines [to be built in Muntinlupa] (announced in 2017). Cagayan de Oro will be the first temple to be built on the island of Mindanao where there are 12 stakes, 17 districts, 3 missions, and possibly as many as 100,000 Latter-day Saints. The Church in Mindanao has reported slow growth for many years primarily due to concerns with political instability with Muslim insurgents and the assignment of only native Filipino members to serve missions for at least the past 15 years. Nevertheless, the number of active members per congregation has appeared to significantly increase during this time and several cities have opened to missionaries for the first time. Currently members in Mindanao are assigned to the Cebu City Philippines Temple District.

There are approximately 750,000 members, 101 stakes, 74 districts, 1,220 congregations (646 wards, 574 branches), 21 missions (soon to be 22 missions in July), and one missionary training center in the Philippines. Access more statistical data on the Church in the Philippines here.

Layton Utah Temple
The Layton Utah Temple brings the total number of temples in Utah to 19. The new temple will likely include 35-40 stakes in Layton and communities between Bountiful and Ogden. The Church in Utah reports 2.1 million members, 593 stakes, 1 district, 5,123 congregations (4,799 wards, 324 branches), 11 missions, and one missionary training center. Access more statistical data on the Church in Utah here.

Richmond Virginia Temple
With nearly 100,000 Latter-day Saints, Virginia was previously the state in the United States with the most members without a temple prior to today's announcement of the Richmond Virginia Temple. Currently members in Richmond travel to the Washington DC Temple to participate in temple ordinances. The new temple will likely service 11 stakes in southern and central Virginia. There are currently 23 stakes, 3 missions, and 199 congregations (172 wards, 29 branches) in Virginia. Access more statistical data on the Church in Virginia here.

Russia Temple
The Church announced its first temple in Russia although the exact major city where the new temple will be built has not yet been determined. Russia was previously the country with the third most members without a temple (fourth if Puerto Rico is considered). Similar to recent developments in India, the Church in Russia has reported good progress with the advancement of districts into stakes during the 2010s as the Church's first three stakes in the country were organized in Moscow (2011), St Petersburg (2012), and Saratov (2015). Moscow and Saratov are the most likely cities where the Church will build the new temple as both of these cities have a stake and are more centrally located in regards to the geographic distribution of LDS membership in the country. The Church has reported slow membership growth for more than a decade and many branches have closed in order to create larger ones if there is more than one branch in a single city. Furthermore, the Church in Russia refers to full-time missionaries as "volunteers" since open proselytism by the Church was recently prohibited by the government. The number of missions used to total eight from 1999-2011 and after this summer there will be only five missions in Russia. There are currently more than 23,000 members, 3 stakes, 9 districts, 6 missions, and 98 congregations (17 wards, 81 branches) in Russia. Access more statistical data on the Church in Russia here.

Seven New Temples

This afternoon President Nelson announced seven new temples to be built in the following locations:

• Bengaluru, India
• Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
• Layton, Utah
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Richmond, Virginia
• Russia (major city to be determined)
• Salta, Argentina

Analysis regarding this announcement to follow. More information available at: https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-temples-april-2018-general-conference.

President Nelson's April 2018 Worldwide Tour: Analysis

The Church announced on March 23rd that President Nelson, Elder Holland, and their spouses will undertake an 11-day international tour that circumscribes the globe from April 10th-23rd. The itinerary for the trip is as follows:

• London, England (April 12th)
• Jerusalem, Israel (April 14th)
• Nairobi, Kenya (April 16th)
• Harare, Zimbabwe (April 17th)
• Bengaluru, India (April 19th)
• Bangkok, Thailand (April 20th)
• Hong Kong, China (April 21st)
• Laie/Honolulu, Hawaii (April 22nd)

I provided some observations about President Nelson's first trip as President of the Church in a recent article published by The Salt Lake Tribune. However, I also want to provide some additional analysis:

First, all but two of the eight cities on the list have temples in operation or that are announced. Three of these cities - Bangkok, Harare, and Nairobi - are located in countries where no temple currently operates but where a temple is announced. An artistic rendering for the Bangkok Thailand Temple was recently released to reveal a stunning 44,000 square foot edifice that has even surprised local Thai members given its size for a country that has only four stakes, two districts, and 21,000 members. The temple appears very large even considering it will likely serve an additional 28,000 members in other Southeast Asian countries. Reports I have received from members in Kenya and Zimbabwe suggest that these temples in these locations may begin construction in the near future. It is possible that the Church may hold temple groundbreaking ceremonies in one or more of these locations as part of the international tour. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem appears more symbolic than functional since there are less than 300 members in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and essentially stagnant growth has occurred for many years. However, it is interesting to note that a temple once functioned in Jerusalem during Old Testament and New Testament times. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem will be the first in 22 years for a President of the Church since President Hinckley visited Israel in 1996.

Second, an announcement of a temple for India may be likely during this weekend's General Conference or during President Nelson and Elder Holland's visit to India. The Church in India has steadily grown during the past 15 years as membership has increased from 3,428 to 13,141 and the number of congregations has increased from 21 to 44. The Church organized its first stake in India in Hyderabad in 2012 and today has four stakes and three districts. There are also more than 4,000 members and three districts in Pakistan. Currently members in South Asia travel to the Hong Kong China Temple to participate in temple ordinances. However, a future temple in India appears more likely once there is a city with at least three stakes in order to adequate meet temple ordinance worker needs. Currently there are no cities in India with more than one stake.

Third, President Nelson and Elder Holland's trip to Hong Kong may provide opportunities for leadership training and meetings with People's Republic of China (PRC) members albeit such meetings would only be permitted if they were to occur in Hong Kong given prohibitions regarding association with PRC members and foreigners in mainland China. The Church in China has grown significantly since the first branches were organized in Beijing and Shanghai for PRC members in 2004. Most have joined the Church abroad or through family connections within the confides of the law. Today there are branches and member groups in many, if not most, of the 127 cities in mainland China inhabited by one million or more inhabitants. President Nelson also possesses special ties to China and previously studied Mandarin Chinese after feeling prompted to do so at President Spencer W. Kimball's request that members of the Church learn more about the Chinese people in 1979 (click here for more information).

Fourth, President Nelson and Elder Holland's worldwide tour does not include countries with the most Latter-day Saints in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania, nor does it include countries where the Church has reported the most rapid growth during the past 5-10 years. However, the tour does include the two most populous countries - China and India. Thus, emphasis on reaching the world's two most populous nations, in addition to temple building, may be an important theme that emerges from the tour.

New Stakes Created in Nigeria (2), Australia, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Utah; New Districts Created in Haiti and Nigeria; District Discontinued in Venezuela

Nigeria
The Church organized two new stakes in Benin City on February 18th. The Benin City Nigeria Sokponba Stake was organized from a division of the Benin City Nigeria Ikpokpan Stake and the Benin City Nigeria Oregbeni Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Ekae, Evbuoriaria, Igun 2nd, Sokponba, Ugbekun, and Upper Sokponba Wards, and the Erediauwa and Idogbo Branches. The Benin City Nigeria Uzebu Stake was organized from a division of the Benin City Nigeria Ihogbe Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Egbon Estate, Evbuotubu, Ogbe, Oliha, Ugboikhoko, and Uzebu 1st Wards, and the Agho, Oguola, and Upper Owina Branches. There are now eight stakes in Benin City - more than any other city in Nigeria.

The Church organized a new district in Ondo State on March 18th. The Akure Nigeria Stake includes the following five branches: Ado-Ekiti, Akure 1st, Akure 2nd, Akure 3rd, and Akure 4th Branches. The Church originally created its first branch in Akure in 1998 and its first district in Akure in 2003, but discontinued the district in 2009. There were originally two branches in Akure and two branches in Ondo, but the district closed in 2009 after one branch each closed in Akure and Ondo. Rapid congregational growth has occurred in these two cities during the past several years. In Akure, three new branches were organized in 2015 (1) and 2017 (2), whereas in Ondo the number of branches increased from one in 2013 to three in 2014 and six in 2017. The Ado-Ekiti Branch was created in 2016.

There are now 48 stakes and 16 districts in Nigeria.

Australia
The Church organized a new stake in Queensland on March 4th. The Brisbane Australia Beenleigh Stake was organized from a division of the Brisbane Australia Logan Stake, Coomera Australia Stake, and the Eight Mile Plains Australia Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Beenleigh, Loganholme, Park Ridge 1st, Regents Park, and Windaroo Wards, and the Waterford West Branch (Samoan). There are now 12 stakes in the greater Brisbane metropolitan area.

There are now 41 stakes and 8 districts in Australia.

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Parana State on February 25th. The São José dos Pinhais Brazil Jardim Ipê Stake was organized from a division of the São José dos Pinhais Brazil Stake and the Pinhais Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Afonso Pena, Jardim Ipê, Parque da Fonte, and Piraquara Wards, and the Borda do Campo and Guarituba Branches. There are now 13 stakes in the Curitiba metropolitan area, and 22 stakes and 2 districts in Parana State.

There are now 269 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Perú
The Church organized a new stake in Junin, Perú on January 28th. The Huancayo Perú El Valle Stake was organized from a division of the Huancayo Perú Stake and the Mantaro Perú Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Chilca, El Tambo, La Libertad, Peñaloza, and San Carlos Wards. There are now three stakes in the Huancayo metropolitan area.

There are now 102 stakes and 19 districts in Perú.

South Africa
The Church organized a new stake in the Johannesburg area on February 11th. The Springs South Africa Stake was organized from a division of the Benoni South Africa Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Boksburg, Kwa Thema, Selcourt, Springs, and Tsakane Wards, and the Secunda Branch. There are now nine stakes and one district in the Johannesburg metropolitan area.

There are now 17 stakes and 9 districts in South Africa.

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in Bluffdale, Utah on February 25th. The Bluffdale Utah Independence Stake was organized from a division of the Bluffdale Utah South Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Independence 1st, Independence 2nd, Independence 3rd, Independence 4th, and Independence 5th Wards.

There are now 593 stakes and 1 district in Utah.

Haiti
The Church organized a new district in northern Haiti on March 11th. The Cap-Haïtien Haiti District was organized from a division of the Gonaïves Haiti District. The new district includes the following four branches: the Cap-Haïtien, Fort Liberte, Limbe, and Vertieres Branches. Of the four branches in the new district, three of the branches have been organized since 2011, whereas the original Cap-Haïtien Branch was created in 1982.

There are now four stakes and four districts in Haiti.

Venezuela
The Church recently discontinued the Los Llanos Venezuela District. Headquartered in Acarigua/Araure, the district was originally organized in 1991 and had three branches when it was discontinued: Acarigua, Araure, and San Carlos. Two of the branches, Acarigua and Araure, were reassigned to the Barquisimeto Venezuela Stake, whereas the San Carlos Branch directly reports to the Venezuela Valencia Mission.

There are now 34 stakes and 5 districts in Venezuela.

Eight Missions in the United States to Close This Summer: Analysis

The Church reported on February 1st that it will discontinue eight missions within the United States as of July 2018: These missions include:

• California Modesto (organized 2015)
• California San Fernando (organized 1994)
• Illinois Chicago West (organized 2013)
• Mississippi Jackson (organized 1979)
• New York New York South (organized 1839 - New York New York North organized 1993)
• Ohio Cleveland (organized in 1977)
• Utah Logan (organized 2015)
• Washington Federal Way (organized 2013)

As a result of these mission consolidations, the number of missions headquartered within the United States (excluding US territories) will decrease from 125 to 117 - a 6.4% decrease. The average population serviced per LDS mission will slightly increase from 2.6 million people per LDS mission to 2.8 million people per LDS mission.

There are several important points to consider in regards to why the Church has decided to close these missions.

First, the number of missions in the United States will continue to be higher than the number of missions in the United States when the minimum age for missionary service was lowered. More specifically, the Church reported 103 missions in October 2012, whereas the Church will report 117 missions in July 2018 after mission consolidations go into effect. The Church organized 17 new missions in the United States in 2013 to help accommodate tens of thousands or more missionaries serving due to the reduced age for missionary service. In 2016, the Church reached an all-time high for the number of missions in the United States of 125 after five new missions were created. Thus, although the Church's resources allocated to formal proselytism in the United States will be reduced in comparison to the past five years, these resources will nevertheless be higher than what was previously allocated to the United States prior to the mission age change. The United States will continue to be the country with the most LDS missions - three times as many LDS missions as the next country with the most missions (Brazil).

Second, the consolidation of missions in the United States is not primarily attributed to the closure of missions initially created to accommodate "the surge" in the number of missionaries serving. This supports church statements (see footnote #7) that the creation of these new missions was done in anticipation of missionary numbers after the double-cohort of missionaries ended. Only four of the eight missions to be discontinued this July were organized after the lowering of the minimum age for missionary service, namely the California Modesto Mission, the Illinois Chicago West Mission, Utah Logan Mission, and the Washington Federal Way Mission. To contrast, there will be 18 missions created since 2013 that will continue to operate in the United States after these mission consolidations occur this July. These missions include:

• Arizona Gilbert
• Arizona Scottsdale
• California Bakersfield
• California Irvine
• California Rancho Cucamonga
• Colorado Fort Collins 
• Georgia Macon 
• Idaho Idaho Falls 
• Idaho Nampa 
• Kansas Wichita 
• Ohio Cincinnati 
• Oregon Salem 
• Utah Orem
• Utah Salt Lake City East 
• Virginia Chesapeake 
• Washington Vancouver
• Washington Yakima
• Wyoming Mormon Trail

Third, the eight United States missions to be discontinued this summer are distributed across the United States and are not primarily concentrated in a specific geographic region. Four missions will closed in the eastern United States, and four missions will closed in the western United States. Missions to be closed range from locations where there is a high percentage of Latter-day Saints, such as the Utah Logan Mission, to locations where there is a small percentage of Latter-day Saints such as the Illinois Chicago West Mission and the New York New York South Mission. This finding suggests that the closure of these eight missions was largely affected by fewer missionaries assigned to serve in the United States as a whole.

Fourth, many missions scheduled to close this summer have reported few convert baptisms compared to other missions in the United States. The Mississippi Jackson Mission has operated for nearly 40 years but LDS membership in Mississippi has increased from approximately 9,000 in the early 1980s to nearly 22,000 as of year-end 2016. As a result, the percentage of Latter-day Saints in the state population has only barely increased during the past 30 years. The number of official congregations in Mississippi has increased from 46 to 52 between 1987 and 2017. Other missions such as the Ohio Cleveland Mission and the New York New York South Mission have also reported comparatively few convert baptisms.

Mission Consolidations/Creations - 46 Missions to be Affected

I have received a report that 46 missions will be affected by mission consolidations and the creation of new missions this July.

At most recent report, the following missions will be discontinued this July:

• Australia Sydney (two missions to be consolidated into one)
• Bulgaria Sofia (to be combined with the Central Eurasian Mission)
• Mississippi Jackson (to be combined with Louisiana Baton Rouge and Texas Dallas)
• New York New York (two missions to be consolidated into one)
• Ohio Cleveland (to be combined with three surrounding missions)
• Russia Samara (to be combined with Russia Rostov-Na-Donu)
• Ukraine L'viv (to be combined with Ukraine Kyiv)
• Washington Federal Way (to be combined with surrounding missions)

The consolidation of these missions has appeared needed for many years due to historically low numbers of convert baptisms, and often few missionaries assigned to these missions and other nearby missions. For example, missions in Bulgaria and L'viv have had few missionaries assigned for many years and report extremely few convert baptisms. Also, it appears that many of the missions created to accommodate "the surge" of missionaries serving in the mid-2010s due to the lowering of the age of full-time missionary service may be consolidated - especially in the United States. These missions primarily created in 2013 represented a quick-fix to accommodate tens of thousands of more missionaries serving, most of which were from the United States, within a short period of time. As the Church in the United States has the greatest infrastructure to accommodate such a rapid and temporary increase in the number of full-time missionaries, it is unsurprising that these mission consolidations have occurred now that the double-cohort of missionaries has passed. Moreover, the decision to close these missions will likely indicate a shift in resource allocation from less productive areas of the world (e.g. North America, Europe, industrialized nations in Asia and Oceania) to more productive ones (e.g. Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, industrializing nations in Asia).

At most recent report, I have received reports of the following missions to be created this July:

• Philippines Cabanatuan
• Utah Layton
• Zimbabwe Harare

If you have any information about new mission creations or mission consolidations, please comment.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, Ghana, and Nigeria; New District Created in The Bahamas

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in Queen Creek, Arizona on January 14th. The Queen Creek Arizona Ocotillo Stake was organized from a division of the Queen Creek Arizona East Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Castlegate 1st, Castlegate 2nd, Castlegate 3rd, Creekside, Laredo Ranch, and Morningside Wards.

There are now 115 stakes in Arizona

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in Ghana on January 21st. The Accra Ghana Masina Stake was organized from a division of the Accra Ghana Adenta Stake and the Accra Ghana Ofankor Stake. Approximately 2,500 people attended the stake conference for the Accra Ghana Adenta Stake when the announcement of the new stake was made. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Achimota, Agbogba, Ashaley Botwe, Kwabenya, Madina 1st, and Madina 2nd Wards, and the Haatso and Legon Branches. Moreover, the Church reported 78,295 members in Ghana as of January 15th, 2018 - approximately 7.9% more members than at year-end 2016 and a more rapid rate of annual membership growth compared to 2016.

There are now 11 stakes in the Accra metropolitan area, and 23 stakes and nine districts in Ghana.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Edo State on January 14th. The Ekpoma Nigeria Stake was organized from the Ekpoma Nigeria District. Local members indicate that the new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Avbiosi, Ekpoma, Iruekpen 1st, Iruekpen 2nd, Iruekpen 3rd, Ozalla 1st, Ozalla 2nd, and Ozalla 3rd Wards, and the Uhonmora Branch. The new stake is the Church's first stake to be primarily located in rural communities outside of southeastern Nigeria. Rapid growth has occurred in the villages of Ozalla and Iruekpen as the first branches were organized in these villages in 2004 and 2005, respectively. It is likely that there are no other stakes in Nigeria that have as small of a population within their geographical boundaries as the Ekpoma Nigeria Stake. The growth of the Church in the Ekpoma area provides a good illustration of the impressive growth that can rapidly occur in rural communities which are almost entirely unreached by the Church throughout the world. See below for a map of congregations in the new stake. It is likely that Ozalla and Iruekpen may report the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints of any villages in Nigeria given three wards operate in each village despite the small size of these villages.

There are now 46 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.


The Bahamas
The Church has reestablished a district headquartered in The Bahamas. The Nassau Caribbean District includes four branches that previously reported directly to the Jamaica Kingston Mission, namely the Grand Bahama, Grand Cayman, New Providence, and Providenciales Branches. Two of the branches are located in The Bahamas, whereas one branch operates in the Cayman Islands and one branch operates in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Church had previously operated a district in The Bahamas between 2002 and 2009 called the New Providence Bahamas District although this former district only serviced branches in The Bahamas. Prior to the creation of the new district, The Bahamas were the country that had the second most members on church records without a stake or district headquartered within its geographical boundaries.

New Stakes Created in El Salvador Ghana, Nigeria, and Utah; New Districts Created in South Africa and Zimbabwe

El Salvador
The Church organized a new stake in western El Salvador on December 10th. The Santa Ana El Salvador Los Pinos Stake was organized from a division of the Santa Ana El Salvador Molino Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the El Centro, Los Pinos, Metapan, Río Zarco, and Santa Ana Norte Wards, and the Tecana and Texistepeque Branches. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake to be organized in the city of Santa Ana.

There are now 22 stakes in El Salvador.

Ghana
The Church created a new stake in central Ghana on December 10th. The Asamankese Ghana Stake was organized from the Asamankese Ghana District. Information on which of the 10 retained branches have become wards remains unavailable. Asamankese is the Church's third new stake organized in the interior region between Accra and Kumasi in 2017. Prior to 2017, only districts operated in this region of Ghana. Furthermore, the Asamankese Ghana District was previously the Church's oldest district in Ghana as it was originally organized in 1987.

There are now 21 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria on December 10th in Cross River State. The Calabar Nigeria North Stake was likely organized from a division of the Calabar Nigeria Stake. Information on which congregations have been assigned to the new stake remains unavailable. The Church organized the new stake only two years after the original Calabar Nigeria Stake divided to create the Calabar Nigeria South Stake in 2015. Furthermore, the Church in the Nigeria Calabar Mission has experienced unprecedented stake growth during the past three years as the number of stakes in the mission increased from six to 13. As a result, the mission appears very likely to divide in the immediate future.

There are now 45 stakes and 16 districts in Nigeria. Currently, the Church in Nigeria ties with the Church in the United Kingdom as the country with the tenth most stakes.

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in American Fork on December 10th. The American Fork Utah South Stake was organized from a division of the America Fork Utah Stake and the American Fork Utah West Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the American Fork 10th, American Fork 16th, American Fork 35th (Spanish), Harbor 1st, Harbor 2nd, Harbor 3rd, Pacific Drive 1st, and Pacific Drive 2nd Wards.

There are now 592 stakes and one districts in Utah.

South Africa
The Church in South Africa organized a new district on December 10th. The Mbombela South Africa District was organized from two mission branches in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission: the KaNyamazane and Nelspruit Branches. The new district is the Church's third new district created in South Africa in 2017, and is the third new district in South Africa organized with only two branches since 2016. It has been very unusual for the Church to organize districts with only two branches. Information from full-time missionaries indicates plans in at least one of these districts to create member groups to help spur greater growth. It is likely that additional branches will be organized in the new Mbombela South Africa District, as well as other recently organized districts.

There are now 16 stakes and nine districts in South Africa.

Zimbabwe
The Church organized a new district in Zimbabwe for the first time since 2012. The Kadoma Zimbabwe District was organized from four mission branches in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission, namely the Chegutu, Kadoma 1st, Kadoma 2nd, and the Kaguvi Branches. The original Kadoma Branch was organized in 1990, whereas the Chegutu Branch and the Kadoma 2nd Branch were created in 2015. The Kaguvi Branch is located in Chegutu and was organized two weeks before the new district was created.

There are now seven stakes and three districts in Zimbabwe.

New Stakes Created in Bolivia (2), Tonga (2), Brazil, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, El Salvador, Nevada, Paraguay, Sierra Leone; Stake Discontinued in Colorado

Bolivia
The Church organized two new stakes in Bolivia on November 12th in the city of Cochabamba.

The Cochabamba Bolivia Aeropuerto Stake was organized from the Cochabamba Bolivia Cobija Stake (renamed the Cochabamba Bolivia Sarco Stake) and the Cochabamba Bolivia Jaihuayco Stake (renamed the Cochabamba Bolivia Alalay Stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cobija, Jaihuayco, La Chimba, Lindo, and Villa México Wards.

The Cochabamba Bolivia Blanco Galindo Stake was organized from the Cochabamba Bolivia Quillacollo Stake (renamed the Cochabamba Bolivia Los Alamos Stake) and the Cochabamba Bolivia Cobija Stake (renamed the Cochabamba Bolivia Sarco Stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Colcapirhua, Ingavi, Jardin, La Floresta, and Los Alamos Wards.

There are now seven stakes in Cochabamba, and 32 stakes and eight districts in Bolivia.

Tonga
The Church organized two new stakes in Tonga.

The Nuku'alofa Tonga Capital Stake was organized on November 19th from a division of the Nuku'alofa Tonga Harbour Stake and the Nuku'alofa Tonga North Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kolomotu'a, Longolongo, Nuku'alofa 5th, Nuku'alofa 7th, and Nuku'alofa 14th Wards.

The Neiafu Vava'u Tonga Central Stake was organized on November 26th from a division of the Neiafu Vava'u Tonga Stake, Neiafu Vava'u Tonga North Stake, and the Neiafu Vava'u Tonga West Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Feletoa, Leimatu'a 1st, Leimatu'a 2nd, Mataika, Neiafu 3rd, and Neiafu 5th Wards, and the Houma Branch.

There are now 21 stakes and two districts in Tonga.

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Parana State, Brazil on November 26th. The Foz do Iguaçu Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Cascavel Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cataratas, Foz do Iguaçu, Itaipu, Portal de Foz, and Porto Meira Wards, and the Medianeira Branch.

There are now 21 stakes and two districts in Parana State. There are now 268 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Costa Rica
The Church organized its eighth stake in the San Jose metropolitan area on November 19th. The Heredia Costa Rica Belén Stake was organized from a division of the Alajuela Costa Rica Stake and the Heredia Costa Rica Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Belén, El Tejar, Flores, La Ribera, and Ojo de Agua Wards, and the Santa Barbara Branch.

There are now 10 stakes and two districts in Costa Rica.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new stake in Abidjan on December 3rd. The Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon Centre Stake was organized from a division of the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake and the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake. It is unclear what wards are assigned to the new stake. There were 25 wards in the two original stakes prior to the creation of the new stake. The Church has experienced rapid growth in the Yopougon sector of Abidjan as new stakes have been organized in this area of the city in 1997, 2010, 2014, and 2015. Furthermore, the 20th anniversary of the creation of the first stake in Abidjan was recently held.

There are now 12 stakes in the Abidjan metropolitan area. There are more stakes in the Abidjan metropolitan area than in any other metropolitan area on the continental landmass of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

El Salvador
A new stake was created in western El Salvador on November 19th. The Ahuachapán El Salvador El Espino Stake was organized from a division of the Ahuachapán El Salvador Stake and the Atiquizaya El Salvador Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Campestre, El Arco, El Espino, Las Brisas, Las Rosas, and Suncuan Wards.

There are now 21 stakes in El Salvador.

Nevada
The Church organized a new stake in Las Vegas on December 3rd. The Las Vegas Nevada Desert Foothills Stake was organized from a division of the Las Vegas Nevada Meadows Stake and the Las Vegas Nevada Redrock Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Amber Hills, Carl, Cimarron, Hillpointe, Paseos, and Pueblo Wards.

There are now 27 stakes in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. There are now 42 stakes in Nevada.

Paraguay
The Church organized a new stake in Paraguay on November 19th. The Limpio Paraguay Stake was organized from the Mariano Roque Alonso Paraguay District and the Luque Paraguay Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and four branches: the Huguito, Juan de Salazar, Limpio, Mariano Roque Alonso, Piquete Cue, and Salado Wards, and the Benjamin Aceval, Emboscada, Remansito, and Villa Hayes Branches.

There are now 11 stakes and nine districts in Paraguay.

Sierra Leone
The Church organized a new stake in Freetown on December 3rd. The Freetown Sierra Leone East Stake was created from a division of the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake, marking the first time the Church in Sierra Leone has organized a new stake from the division of a previously operating stake. Organized as the Church's 3,000th stake and the first stake in Sierra Leone back in December 2012, the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake had 11 wards and three branches prior to the division of the stake. Information on which congregations are assigned to the new stake remains unavailable. Never has the Church ever grown in a country from one stake to five stakes as quickly as in Sierra Leone. Four of the five stakes in the country were organized in 2017. Additional new stakes in Sierra Leone appear likely to be organized in the new future based upon missionary reports.

There are now five stakes and four districts in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Freetown Mission appears highly likely to divide in the immediate future to create a second mission in the country with headquarters likely in Bo. Also, there has been a net increase of 335 stakes worldwide within the past five years since the creation of the original Freetown Sierra Leone Stake.

Colorado
The Church recently discontinued the Golden Colorado Stake. With only four wards, the stake was combined with the former Lakewood Colorado Stake (renamed the Front Range Colorado Stake). The Church has discontinued multiple wards within the Golden, Colorado area over the past 15 years primarily due to members moving away from the area. Furthermore, the Golden Colorado Stake was recently reduced in size with the reassignment of the Buena Vista Branch to the Alamosa Colorado Stake, the Granby Branch to the newly created Craig Colorado Stake, and the Frisco Ward and Vail Ward to the Rifle Colorado Stake. This marks the first time in LDS history that a stake has ever been discontinued in Colorado. It appears likely that one more stake may be discontinued in the Denver area within the foreseeable future due to members moving away from older areas of the city.

There are now 35 stakes in Colorado.

New Stakes Created in Sierra Leone (2), Arizona, India, Kentucky, and Montana

Sierra Leone
Last Sunday, the Church in Sierra Leone organized its first two stakes in the second most populous city of Bo. The Bo Sierra Leone North Stake was created from the Bo Sierra Leone North District, and the Bo Sierra Leone West Stake was created from the Bo Sierra Leone West District. The two stakes were created in a combined stake conference that was attended by 1,945 people. Local members in the Bo Sierra Leone North Stake report that all seven branches in the district became wards when the stake was organized. Thus, the new stake contains the following seven wards:  Batiama, Bo, Gbonda Town, Kortugbuma, Nduvuibu, Njaie Town, and Yemo Town. Information which of the seven branches in the Bo Sierra Leone West District became wards in the new stake remains unavailable. 

The Church in Bo has experienced some of the most rapid LDS growth ever reported in the worldwide Church. The Bo Sierra Leone District originally serviced all branches in the city of Bo until the district divided to create the Bo Sierra Leone East District in 2014. The two Bo districts divided to create a third district, the Bo Sierra Leone North District, in late November 2016. Four of the seven congregations in the Bo Sierra Leone North Stake have been organized since 2015, whereas four of the seven congregations in the Bo Sierra Leone West Stake have been organized since 2014, and two of the five branches in the Bo Sierra Leone East District have been organized since 2015. The Bo Sierra Leone North Stake was created less than one year after the original Bo Sierra Leone North District was organized. Never in the history of the Church has a district so quickly been organized into a stake. To make this feat even more impressive, one of the districts that the Bo Sierra Leone North District was created from also became a stake at the same time. The Bo Sierra Leone North Stake is also the first predominantly Mende-speaking stake in the Church. Of the seven wards in the new stake, five wards are designated as Mende speaking. No LDS materials have appeared to have been translated into Mende.

There are now four stakes and four districts in Sierra Leone.

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in Gilbert, Arizona on November 12th. The Gilbert Arizona Superstition Springs Stake was organized from a division of the Mesa Arizona Boulder Creek Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Elliot Groves, Highland Groves, Highland Ranch, Highland, Meadows, Monterey Park, Redfield, and Towne Meadows Wards.

There are now 114 stakes in Arizona.

India
The Church organized its first predominantly Hindi-speaking stake in the worldwide Church on November 12th. The New Delhi India Stake was organized from the New Delhi India District. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Dwarka, New Delhi 1st, New Delhi 2nd, New Delhi 3rd, and New Delhi 4th Wards, and the Noida and Pitampura Branches. The new stake is the Church's first stake to be organized in northern India and within the boundaries of the India New Delhi Mission.

There are now four stakes and three districts in India. The Church has previous organized stakes in India in Hyderabad (2012), Bengaluru (2015), and Rajahmundry (2016).

Kentucky
The Church organized a new stake in Kentucky on November 5th. The Elizabethtown Kentucky Stake was organized from a division of the New Albany Indiana Stake, Crestwood Kentucky Stake, and Louisville Kentucky Stake. The new stake includes the following five ward and five branches: the Brandenburg, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Radcliff, and Sulphur Well Wards, and the Bardstown, Campbellsville, Lebanon, Leitchfield, and Shepherdsville Branches.

There are now eight stakes in Kentucky.

Montana
The Church organized a new stake in Montana. The Billings Montana South Stake was organized from a division of the Billings Montana Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Blue Creek, Canyon Creek, Laurel, Monad, Red Lodge, and Shiloh Wards, and the Absarokee Branch.

There are now 13 stakes in Montana.