We have posted our October 2013 edition of our monthly newsletter highlighting recent church growth developments and new and updated resources on cumorah.com. Click here to access the newsletter.
I meant to comment that last week at the ward council training for the Raleigh NC mission, Elder Zwick said they expect the number of missionaries to rise to about 91,000 and then taper back to 84,000 in about 18 months. Then it will head up to 100,000 in about 3 years-5 years. The see it staying at 100,000 foreseeable future once it gets it there.
On Area Seventies, I thought I would mention that they have considerably more authority than regional representatives had. When President Hinckley announced their ordination as Seventies, he stated that they are to:
(a) preside at stake conferences and train stake presidencies; (b) create or reorganize stakes and set apart stake presidencies; (c) serve as counselors in Area Presidencies; (d) chair regional conference planning committees; (e) serve on area councils presided over by the Area Presidency; (f) tour missions and train mission presidents; and (g) complete other duties as assigned.
(b), (c), and (f) were not part of the regional representative calling. Training stake presidencies was their original responsibility in 1967 and in 1979 were given (e).
They mostly serve at the discretion of the area presidency (or in the US and Canada, the presidency of the seventy). Area authorities not serving in area presidencies preside over 1 to 4 coordinating councils of stake and mission presidents. But, they also take responsibilities inside their areas (and in a few cases in other areas inside their quorum's responsibility--for example, my current area seventy, Elder Lansing, has presided over stake conferences in Alabama in another area, but still inside the 6th quorum).
The Cooley Station Ward, Gilbert Arizona Williams Field Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 7 wards in the stake:
Chaparral Ward Cooley Station Ward Fairview Ward Gateway Married Student Ward Maplewood Ward Pecos Park Ward Stratland Ward
The Huntington Beach SA Ward, Huntington Beach California Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 9 wards in the stake:
Fountain Valley 1st Ward Fountain Valley 2nd Ward Fountain Valley 3rd Ward Huntington Beach 1st Ward Huntington Beach 3rd Ward Huntington Beach 4th Ward Huntington Beach 7th Ward Huntington Beach SA Ward Huntington Beach YSA Ward
The Kings Park and Stetson Valley wards, Glendale Arizona North Stake, were created on 3 November. There are 10 wards in the stake:
Arrowhead Ranch Ward Bellair Ward Foothills Ward Kings Park Ward Mountain Ridge Ward Sierra Verde Ward Sonoran Mountain Ward Stetson Valley Ward Sunburst Ward Thunderbird Hills Ward
The Spring Haven Ward, Lehi Utah Willow Park Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 9 wards and 1 branch in the stake:
Colony Pointe Ward Green Park Ward Jordan Meadows Ward Jordan River Ward Lehi 7th Ward Lehi 12th Ward Lehi 39th Ward Spring Haven Ward Willow Creek Ward Lehi 44th Branch (Sign Language)
The Woodland Springs 2nd Ward, Colleyville Texas Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 15 wards in the stake:
Does anyone have any info on the Park Lane Branch? In my experience it's rather uncommon that branches without a specific designation (foreign language, correctional, care center) are created in suburban Utah. Also, the Colleyville Texas Stake will probably split in the near future. Good to see Texas grow. There is a lot of potential, especially among Hispanics.
From a Sept 2013 blog post from Elder J. Harmon serving in Peru
Oh, we had the amazing opportunity to be trained by a seventy this week. I don´t know how we are so lucky. But he said that a few weeks ago when he was with Elder Cook, Elder Cook told him something that really surprised him. This is what he said (Not word for word but basicly):
This is the most important time in all of the History of the Church! Everything before has been leading up to this moment.
1.Worldwide Communication (Satellite, Radio, Internet, etc) 2. The Building of Temples Worldwide 3.Worldwide Recognition of the Church (Mitt Romney, The Book of Mormon Musical, etc) 4.New Youth Programs to Prepare the Youth for Missions 5.Age change for Missionaries 6.New Focus on Missionary work
He then said that Elder Cook Said: In the next few years the Church will become more powerful then it has EVER been, and that it will grow at an amazing pace!
I think that because of the age change, more people will serve missions. This is particularly true of sisters.
This could result in more converts during this surge, but I think the real benefits will be seen over several decades as the additional returned missionaries have impacts where they live in growing the church.
I searched for Park Lane and found a relatively new apartment complex called Park Lane Village in Farmington, across the freeway from Lagoon.
Looking it over, I notice nobody gets parking spaces or garages. The website states that it is convenient to mass transit and walking and bike riding. Zip cars are available.
It even says to leave your car behind when you move in.
So, apparently, this is a location where people live, but are dependent on public transport and it may not be convenient for residents to go to a ward.
Actually, looking further about Park Lane Village, I do see that garages/covered parking are available. But, the selling point still appears to be life without cars.
I actually think I remember walking through this complex last summer while it was still under construction. I was on my way to the Davis County fairgrounds which are just adjacent. So is the Farmington Frontrunner Station. My assumption would be that they'll probably get a ward once more people move in but right now just have a branch to get the Church started there.
You're right -- I-15 pretty much cuts this settlement off from the rest of Farmington. Interesting. If I get an afternoon off sometime, I might go back there and look. It's only about a half hour drive from where I live. Thanks for the info!
As long as we are talking about individual wards, the Belmont Ridge Ward in the Ashburn VA Stake is said to be the smallest LDS ward east of the Mississippi River. Is this true?
Loudoun County is a boom area with a lot of new LDS constantly moving in and out. To the east is the Ashburn Ward, to the south is the Brambleton Ward, to the west and north is the Goose Creek Ward.
Any idea of the smallest eastern US wards?
I have heard of some small ones in Santiago, Chile, and I imagine the same in Lima, Peru.
I went onto Lds.org under the maps and looked at the Belmont Ridge Ward and it does look small. However, I believe the Garrisonville Ward, Fredricksburg VA Stake is smaller.
I wish I could post a screenshot because it is tiny. Look up Stafford VA to get an idea of where it as at.
The Garrisonville Ward in Stafford County also claims to be the smallest ward in area east of the Mississippi.
About a year ago, I attempted to download lat-lon data from LDS Maps to try to find out. I did download some, but didn't come close to achieving my goal. And then LDS Maps changed their format and I was unable to download the boundary data.
Besides, Garrisonville Ward has split since I downloaded the boundary data. It is now about 1 square mile in area.
I have some old friends from 2 decades ago that live in the Belmont Ridge Ward--I met them again going through the temple with their second son taking out his endowments in preparation for a mission.
Matt, Great stuff in the newsletter.
ReplyDeleteI meant to comment that last week at the ward council training for the Raleigh NC mission, Elder Zwick said they expect the number of missionaries to rise to about 91,000 and then taper back to 84,000 in about 18 months. Then it will head up to 100,000 in about 3 years-5 years. The see it staying at 100,000 foreseeable future once it gets it there.
The Legacy Branch (Care Center), Spanish Fork Utah Stake, was created on 27 October. There are now 8 wards and 1 branch in the stake:
ReplyDeleteCambridge Ward
Mount Loafer Ward
Mount Nebo Ward
Mountain View Ward
Spanish Fork 5th Ward
Spanish Fork 8th Ward
Spanish Fork 15th Ward
Spanish Peak Ward
Legacy Branch (Care Center)
A lot of very interesting articles.
ReplyDeleteOn Area Seventies, I thought I would mention that they have considerably more authority than regional representatives had. When President Hinckley announced their ordination as Seventies, he stated that they are to:
(a) preside at stake conferences and train stake presidencies;
(b) create or reorganize stakes and set apart stake presidencies;
(c) serve as counselors in Area Presidencies;
(d) chair regional conference planning committees;
(e) serve on area councils presided over by the Area Presidency;
(f) tour missions and train mission presidents; and
(g) complete other duties as assigned.
(b), (c), and (f) were not part of the regional representative calling. Training stake presidencies was their original responsibility in 1967 and in 1979 were given (e).
They mostly serve at the discretion of the area presidency (or in the US and Canada, the presidency of the seventy). Area authorities not serving in area presidencies preside over 1 to 4 coordinating councils of stake and mission presidents. But, they also take responsibilities inside their areas (and in a few cases in other areas inside their quorum's responsibility--for example, my current area seventy, Elder Lansing, has presided over stake conferences in Alabama in another area, but still inside the 6th quorum).
Currently, there are 234 distributed as follows:
Africa Southeast Area 7
Africa West Area 9
Asia Area 6
Asia North Area 8
Brazil Area 15
Caribbean Area 4
Central America Area 10
Europe Area 16
Europe East Area 7
Idaho Area 6
Middle East/Africa North Area 2
México Area 19
North America Central Area 8
North America Northeast Area 9
North America Northwest Area 5
North America Southeast Area 7
North America Southwest Area 10
North America West Area 9
Pacific Area 11
Philippines Area 10
South America Northwest Area 16
South America South Area 17
Utah North Area 4
Utah Salt Lake City Area 10
Utah South Area 9
The Cooley Station Ward, Gilbert Arizona Williams Field Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 7 wards in the stake:
ReplyDeleteChaparral Ward
Cooley Station Ward
Fairview Ward
Gateway Married Student Ward
Maplewood Ward
Pecos Park Ward
Stratland Ward
The Huntington Beach SA Ward, Huntington Beach California Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 9 wards in the stake:
Fountain Valley 1st Ward
Fountain Valley 2nd Ward
Fountain Valley 3rd Ward
Huntington Beach 1st Ward
Huntington Beach 3rd Ward
Huntington Beach 4th Ward
Huntington Beach 7th Ward
Huntington Beach SA Ward
Huntington Beach YSA Ward
The Kings Park and Stetson Valley wards, Glendale Arizona North Stake, were created on 3 November. There are 10 wards in the stake:
Arrowhead Ranch Ward
Bellair Ward
Foothills Ward
Kings Park Ward
Mountain Ridge Ward
Sierra Verde Ward
Sonoran Mountain Ward
Stetson Valley Ward
Sunburst Ward
Thunderbird Hills Ward
The Spring Haven Ward, Lehi Utah Willow Park Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 9 wards and 1 branch in the stake:
Colony Pointe Ward
Green Park Ward
Jordan Meadows Ward
Jordan River Ward
Lehi 7th Ward
Lehi 12th Ward
Lehi 39th Ward
Spring Haven Ward
Willow Creek Ward
Lehi 44th Branch (Sign Language)
The Woodland Springs 2nd Ward, Colleyville Texas Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 15 wards in the stake:
Bedford Ward
Colleyville Ward
Colleyville YSA Ward
Euless 1st Ward
Euless 2nd Ward (Tongan)
Euless 3rd Ward (Tongan)
Grapevine Ward
Heritage Ward
Keller 1st Ward
Keller 2nd Ward
Roanoke Ward
Southlake Ward
Trophy Club Ward
Woodland Springs 1st Ward
Woodland Springs 2nd Ward
The Park Lane Branch, Farmington Utah West Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 9 wards and 1 branch in the stake:
Farmington Pointe Ward
Farmington Ranches 1st Ward
Farmington Ranches 2nd Ward
Farmington Ranches 3rd Ward
Farmington Ranches 4th Ward
Hunters Creek Ward
Meadows Ward
Quail Crossing Ward
Spring Creek Ward
Park Lane Branch
The Spokane 4th Branch (Spanish), Spokane Washington East Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 8 wards and 1 branch in the stake:
Belle Terre Ward
Bowdish Ward
Dishman Mica Ward
Evergreen Ward
Painted Hills Ward
Pines Ward
Ponderosa Ward
Terrace View YSA Ward
Spokane 4th Branch (Spanish)
Does anyone have any info on the Park Lane Branch? In my experience it's rather uncommon that branches without a specific designation (foreign language, correctional, care center) are created in suburban Utah.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Colleyville Texas Stake will probably split in the near future. Good to see Texas grow. There is a lot of potential, especially among Hispanics.
ReplyDeleteFrom a Sept 2013 blog post from Elder J. Harmon serving in Peru
Oh, we had the amazing opportunity to be trained by a seventy this week. I don´t know how we are so lucky. But he said that a few weeks ago when he was with Elder Cook, Elder Cook told him something that really surprised him. This is what he said (Not word for word but basicly):
This is the most important time in all of the History of the Church! Everything before has been leading up to this moment.
1.Worldwide Communication (Satellite, Radio, Internet, etc)
2.
The Building of Temples Worldwide
3.Worldwide Recognition of the Church (Mitt Romney, The Book of Mormon Musical, etc)
4.New Youth Programs to Prepare the Youth for Missions
5.Age change for Missionaries
6.New Focus on Missionary work
He then said that Elder Cook Said: In the next few years the Church will become more powerful then it has EVER been, and that it will grow at an amazing pace!
http://elderharmonperu.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-new-sector-izcuchaca.html
I think that because of the age change, more people will serve missions. This is particularly true of sisters.
ReplyDeleteThis could result in more converts during this surge, but I think the real benefits will be seen over several decades as the additional returned missionaries have impacts where they live in growing the church.
I searched for Park Lane and found a relatively new apartment complex called Park Lane Village in Farmington, across the freeway from Lagoon.
ReplyDeleteLooking it over, I notice nobody gets parking spaces or garages. The website states that it is convenient to mass transit and walking and bike riding. Zip cars are available.
It even says to leave your car behind when you move in.
So, apparently, this is a location where people live, but are dependent on public transport and it may not be convenient for residents to go to a ward.
Actually, looking further about Park Lane Village, I do see that garages/covered parking are available. But, the selling point still appears to be life without cars.
ReplyDeleteI actually think I remember walking through this complex last summer while it was still under construction. I was on my way to the Davis County fairgrounds which are just adjacent. So is the Farmington Frontrunner Station. My assumption would be that they'll probably get a ward once more people move in but right now just have a branch to get the Church started there.
ReplyDeleteYou're right -- I-15 pretty much cuts this settlement off from the rest of Farmington. Interesting. If I get an afternoon off sometime, I might go back there and look. It's only about a half hour drive from where I live. Thanks for the info!
The Mountain View 7th Branch, West Jordan Utah Mountain View Stake, was created on 3 November. There are now 7 wards and 2 branches in the stake:
ReplyDeleteMountain View 1st Ward
Mountain View 2nd Ward
Mountain View 3rd Ward
Mountain View 6th Ward
Mountain View 8th Ward
Mountain View 10th Ward
Mountain View 4th Ward (Spanish)
Mountain View 5th Branch (Care Center)
Mountain View 7th Branch
As long as we are talking about individual wards, the Belmont Ridge Ward in the Ashburn VA Stake is said to be the smallest LDS ward east of the Mississippi River. Is this true?
ReplyDeleteLoudoun County is a boom area with a lot of new LDS constantly moving in and out. To the east is the Ashburn Ward, to the south is the Brambleton Ward, to the west and north is the Goose Creek Ward.
Any idea of the smallest eastern US wards?
I have heard of some small ones in Santiago, Chile, and I imagine the same in Lima, Peru.
@Ed Clinch.
ReplyDeleteI went onto Lds.org under the maps and looked at the Belmont Ridge Ward and it does look small. However, I believe the Garrisonville Ward, Fredricksburg VA Stake is smaller.
I wish I could post a screenshot because it is tiny. Look up Stafford VA to get an idea of where it as at.
The Garrisonville Ward in Stafford County also claims to be the smallest ward in area east of the Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteAbout a year ago, I attempted to download lat-lon data from LDS Maps to try to find out. I did download some, but didn't come close to achieving my goal. And then LDS Maps changed their format and I was unable to download the boundary data.
Besides, Garrisonville Ward has split since I downloaded the boundary data. It is now about 1 square mile in area.
I have some old friends from 2 decades ago that live in the Belmont Ridge Ward--I met them again going through the temple with their second son taking out his endowments in preparation for a mission.
Fascinating article on Bangladesh Matt, thanks!
ReplyDelete