December 2014 Newsletter

Click here to access our December 2014 issue of our monthly newsletter for cumorah.com.

Updated List of New Missions to be Created in 2015

I have come across additional reports of new missions to be organized in 2015. Here is an updated list of the 11 new missions to be organized in July:

• Argentina Buenos Aires East
• Argentina Santa Fe
• Barbados Bridgetown
• California Modesto
• Costa Rica (2nd mission)
• Peru Trujillo North 
• Portugal (2nd mission)
• Utah Logan
• Utah Orem 
• Washington Yakima
• Wisconsin Appleton

Assuming no missions will be discontinued, the addition of these new missions will increase the total number of missions worldwide to 417.

Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2014

I recently completed a case study for cumorah.com that identifies what I believe to be the top 10 encouraging and discouraging LDS growth and missionary developments for 2014. Please click here to view the case study.

The top 10 encouraging developments are:

1. The Worldwide Surge in the Full-time Missionary Force Begins to Stabilize with Larger Numbers of Missionaries than Originally Expected
2. Largest Net Increase in the Worldwide Number of Stakes since 1998
3. Rapid Growth in West Africa
4. Church Creates its First Stakes in Four Nations
5. Reversing Stagnant Growth in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
6. Unprecedented National Outreach Expansion in Brazil
7. Philippines Growth
8. The Vietnamese Government Officially Recognizes the Church in Vietnam; Progress in Missionary Work Continues
9. First Young, Full-time Missionaries Assigned to Burma and Gabon; Missionaries Return to Sri Lanka
10. First General Conference Addresses Given in Languages Other than English

The top 10 discouraging developments are:

1. Trends in Congregational Decline Intensify in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay and Persist in Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela
2. At least 106 Countries and Dependencies Experience No Net Change in the Number of Official Congregations for 2014
3. Continued Challenges Achieving "Real Growth" in Mexico
4. Trends in Congregational Decline Persist in Japan and South Korea
5. Contraction of LDS Outreach in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Continues
6. Little to No Expansion of National Outreach Occurs in several countries in the Africa Southeast Area
7. Stagnant National Outreach Expansion in India
8. Only Two New Missions Organized Despite Surge in the Number of Members Serving Full-time Missions
9. Conflict in Ukraine Closes the Ukraine Donetsk Mission - All LDS branches discontinued in Donetsk
10. Missionaries Removed from Liberia and Sierra Leone

Go Ye Into All The World - New Facebook Group

After months of careful thought and planning, I have decided to create a Facebook group that promotes member-missionary efforts through social media advertizing. The new group is called Go Ye Into All The World and the Facebook page can be found here. The purpose of this page is to promote efforts to bring the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world, particularly locations with no LDS presence. This can be done through ordinary Latter-day Saints using Facebook's ad campaigns.

I conducted my first ad campaign for Arochukwu, Nigeria from December 14th-19th. I targeted Arochukwu from December 14th-19th with an advertisement on the Book of Mormon. Arochukwu has no known LDS presence but is nearby several cities where wards and branches operate. It is one of the most populous cities in southeastern Nigeria without an LDS presence. Consequently I believed that this effort may contribute to the Church ultimately establishing a presence in Arochukwu. This effort reached 1,889 people and resulted in 54 website clicks to read the Book of Mormon page on mormon.org. Remarkably this ad cost only $5.

The opportunities for missionary work through social media advertizing are astounding. There are over two billion registered users on Facebook. Church leaders, full-time missionaries, and regular church members can invest small amounts of money into ads that reach tens of thousands within a short period of time. Advertisements can also be adapted to the culture and society of individual locations to enhance receptivity. A mission president may use social media to prime local populations prior to the assignment of full-time missionaries. Church members in the United States can target their own city or zip code to reach thousands with only a few dollars. Less productive areas of the world can use social media advertizing to find investigators. Area presidencies can use social media advertizing as part of opening additional countries to missionary work.

I am planning on creating a grassroots initiative to systematic reach countries and cities lesser-reached or unreached by the Church. However, I am going to advise those who want to participate to avoid targeting countries where proselytism is illegal or where conversion to Christianity carries significant negative consequences. If you are interested, join the group!

Another Two Missions to be Created in 2014

Missionaries serving in Utah report that the following new missions will be created in mid-2015:

• Utah Logan Mission (division of the Utah Ogden Mission)
• Utah Orem Mission (division of the Utah Provo Mission)

The number of missions in Utah will increase to 11 after these two new missions are created. This means that the average Utah mission will have a mere quarter of a million people within its geographical boundaries.

So to recap, here's a list of new missions I have come across to be organized in 2015.

• Barbados Bridgetown
• California Modesto
• Peru Trujillo North
• Utah Logan
• Utah Orem

At this rate, I imagine that we may see 60 or so new missions organized in 2015, with the vast majority of these new missions organized in the Americas.

Two Additional Missions to be Created in 2015

I have come across reports of two additional missions to be organized in 2015. These missions include:

• California Modesto Mission (to be created from the California Fresno and California Sacramento Mission)
• Peru Trujillo North Mission (to be created from the Peru Trujillo Mission)

With the announcement of the new Barbados Bridgetown Mission, the number of LDS missions in 2015 will increase to 409.

LDS Presence in Vietnam No Longer Sensitive

The Church has recently reclassified its presence in Vietnam from sensitive to non-sensitive. This change appears attributed to the Church obtaining government recognition earlier this year. Currently the Church in Vietnam reports one district located in Hanoi (organized on December 12th, 2010) and four branches (Hanoi, Hanoi District Branch, Tan Son Nhat, and Thao Dien). Full-time missionaries serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission speculate that larger numbers of missionaries may be assigned and additional cities outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City may open to proselytism within the near future.

Earlier this year the Church reported 1,600 members in Vietnam.

New Mission to be Created in the West Indies

Missionaries serving in the West Indies Mission report that in July 2015 the Church will realign the West Indies Mission and the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission to create the Barbados Bridgetown Mission. The new mission will include the following countries/overseas departments: Anguilla, Barbados, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The West Indies Mission will be renamed the Trinidad Port of Spain Mission and the realigned mission will include Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Potential New Stakes - Districts Likely to Become Stakes

One of the primary methods that the Church has organized new stakes has been from districts. Districts are administrative organizations that operate in many ways like a stake. Districts have limited autonomy and are closely supervised by the mission president who acts in many ways as the stake president. For more information about districts, please see cumorah.com's Missiology Encyclopedia for district.

Below are a list of districts that appear likely to become stakes within the foreseeable future. Predicting which districts are likely to become stakes is a difficult endeavor as there are many criteria that must be met which are not reported to the public such as the number of active, full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders, the number of active members, and the number of branches that meet the criteria to become wards. Consequently, I have developed a three-tiered system to help more accurately predict which districts may become stakes. This system ranks the district from one to three (1=highly likely, 2=very likely, 3 somewhat likely) based on the likelihood of whether the district will soon become a stake. Information I have gathered to generate this list has come from studying congregational growth trends, obtaining reports from members and missionaries, and analyzing LDS growth trends in surrounding stakes and districts.

AFRICA

• Abak Nigeria (8 branches) - 1
• Abomosu Ghana (7 branches) - 2 
• Akamkpa Nigeria (7 branches) - 3
• Antsirabe Madagascar (8 branches) - 2
• Beira Mozambique (12 branches) - 3
• Chyulu Kenya (10 branches) - 3
• Cotonou Benin (12 branches) - 1
• Ekpoma Nigeria (10 branches) - 1
• Eldoret Kenya (9 branches) - 3
• Ikot Ekpene Nigeria (7 branches) - 2
• Ile-Ife Nigeria (8 branches) - 2
• Jinja Uganda (7 branches) - 1
• Kolwezi Democratic Republic of Congo  (7 branches) - 3
• Likasi Democratic Republic of Congo (9 branches) - 1
• Luanda Angola (5 branches) - 3
• Maputo Mozambique (6 branches) - 2
• Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of Congo (8 branches) - 1
• Mutare Zimbabwe (6 branches) - 3
• Okpuala Ngwa Nigeria (8 branches) - 3
• Onitsha Nigeria (11 branches) - 1
• Toamasina Madagascar (5 branches) - 3
• Twifo Praso Ghana (6 branches) - 3

ASIA

• Agoo Philippines (7 branches) - 2
• Aguilar Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Alicia Philippines (8 branches) - 1
• Alaminos Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Baliwag Philippines (5 branches) - 3
• Bambang Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Bangalore India (6 branches) - 3
• Camiling Philippines West (6 branches) - 3
• Cauayan Philippines (5 branches) - 3
• Chia Yi Taiwan (6 branches) - 3
• Gingoog Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Guimba Philippines (6 branches) - 2
• Hua Lien Taiwan (6 branches) - 3
• Iba Philippines (8 branches) - 2
• Iriga Philippines (6 branches) - 2
• Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (7 branches) - 2 
• La Carlota Philippines (7 branches) - 1
• Ligao Philippines (6 branches) - 2
• Mangaldan Philippines (8 branches) - 1 
• Morong Rizal Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Naic Philippines (8 branches) - 1
• Olongapo Philippines (7 branches) - 1
• Panabo Philippines (5 branches) - 3
• Phnom Penh Cambodia East (5 branches) - 3 
• Placer Philippines (8 branches) - 3 
• San Antonio Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• San Carlos Philippines (7 branches) - 3
• Santa Cruz Zambales Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Solano Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Surigao Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Tagbilaran Philippines (9 branches) - 3
• Tagum Philippines (6 branches) - 3
• Toledo Philippines (8 branches) - 3
• Ubon Thailand (9 branches) - 1
• Udorn Thailand  (8 branches) - 1
• Ulaanbaatar Mongolia East (5 branches) - 2

CARIBBEAN

• Azua Dominican Republic (6 branches) - 3
• Barahona Dominican Republic  (7 branches) - 3
• Mandeville Jamaica (5 branches) - 3
• San Pedro Dominican Republic (8 branches) - 3 

CENTRAL AMERICA

• Cayo Belize (7 branches) - 2
• Granada, Nicaragua (5 branches) - 3
• Liberia Costa Rica (6 branches) - 3
• Los Tuxtla México (9 branches) - 3
• Manzanillo México (7 branches) - 3
• Puerto Cabezas Nicaragua (5 branches) - 3
• San Benito Guatemala (9 branches) - 2
• Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa Guatemala (9 branches) - 3
• Senahu Guatemala (8 branches) - 2
• Solola Guatemala (7 branches) - 2
• Tamaulipas México Río Bravo (5 branches) - 3
• Ticul México (8 branches) - 3

EUROPE

• Algarve Portugal  (7 branches) - 3
• Bucharest Romania (9 branches) - 3
• Novosibirsk Russia (9 branches) - 2 
• Saratov Russia (9 branches) - 2
• León Spain (7 branches) - 3
• Santiago Spain (8 branches) - 3

NORTH AMERICA

• Laredo Texas (7 branches) - 2

OCEANIA

• Kwajalein Marshall Islands (5 branches) - 3
• Namoneas Chuuk (9 branches) - 2
• Port Vila Vanuatu (7 branches) - 1
• Taveuni  Fiji (12 branches) - 3

SOUTH AMERICA

• Alto Hospicio Chile (5 branches) - 3
• Apucarana Brazil (5 branches) - 3 
• Armenia Colombia (6 branches) - 3
• Barranca Perú (6 branches) - 1
• Bell Ville Argentina (9 branches) - 1
• Boa Vista Brazil (5 branches) - 2
• Botucatu Brazil  (6 branches) - 3
• Concepción Argentina (6 branches) - 3
• Coronel Oviedo Paraguay (8 branches) - 2
• Corrientes Argentina (6 branches) - 3
• Florida Uruguay (6 branches) - 3
• Guadalupe Perú La Libertad (6 branches) - 3
• Ibague Colombia (7 branches) - 2
• Juazeiro Brazil (5 branches) - 2
• Loja Ecuador (6 branches) - 3
• Manizales Colombia (5 branches) - 3
• Necochea Argentina (7 branches) - 3
• Olavarría Argentina (10 branches) - 3 
• Ovalle Chile (7 branches) - 3 
• Paita Perú (5 branches) - 3
• Palmira Colombia (7 branches) - 3
• Popayan Colombia (5 branches) - 3
• Rio Paraná Argentina (6 branches) - 3
• Santa Marta Colombia (8 branches) - 2
• Santa Rosa Ecuador (7 branches) - 2
• Talagante Chile (8 branches) - 2
• Talara Perú (5 branches) - 3
• Tarapoto Perú (5 branches) - 3
• Tarma Perú (7 branches) - 3
• Três Corações Brazil (8 branches) - 2
• Tulua Colombia (6 branches) - 3
• Virú Perú (5 branches) -3

Stakes Likely to Split Outside the United States and Canada

Below is an updated list of stakes likely to split within the near future. Previous lists are available for December 2012 and January 2014.

AFRICA

• Aba Nigeria (13 wards, 2 branches)
• Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Toit Rouge (11 wards)
• Abuja Nigeria (10 wards, 3 branches)
• Benin City Nigeria New Benin (10 wards)
• Benin City Nigeria Ugbowo (10 wards, 1 branch) 
• Calabar Nigeria (13 wards, 2 branches)
• Cape Coast Ghana (11 wards, 2 branches)
• Cocody Cote d'Ivoire (10 wards, 1 branch) 
• East London South Africa (11 wards, 1 branch)
• Eket Nigeria (11 wards, 2 branches)
• Kananga Democratic Republic of Congo (12 wards)
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Binza (10 wards)
• Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of Congo (10 wards)
• Nairobi Kenya (12 wards, 3 branches)
• Nsit Ubium Nigeria (9 wards, 4 branches)
• Owerri Nigeria (5 wards, 10 branches) - likely to split to form a new district
• Port-Bouet Cote d'Ivoire (11 wards, 1 branch)
• Praia Cape Verde (12 wards, 4 branches)
• Takoradi Ghana (11 wards, 5 branches)

ASIA

• Angeles Philippines (11 wards, 2 branches)
• Butuan Philippines (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Lipa Philippines (10 wards, 2 branches)
• Mandaue Philippines (9 wards)
• Singapore (10 wards)

EUROPE

• Verona Italy (8 wards, 5 branches)

CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

• Amatitlán Guatemala (9 wards)
• Guatemala City Stake (9 wards, 2 branches)
• La Ceiba Honduras (10 wards)
• Managua Nicaragua (10 wards, 1 branch)
• San José Costa Rica Los Yoses (10 wards, 2 branches)
• San Miguel El Salvador (9 wards, 3 branches)
• San Salvador El Salvador La Libertad (10 wards, 3 branches)
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Ozama (10 wards)

MEXICO

• Amecameca Mexico (11 wards)
• Celaya Mexico (11 wards)
• Chalco Mexico (10 wards)
• Chilpancingo Mexico (10 wards, 5 branches)
• Ciudad Victoria Mexico (10 wards, 4 branches)
• Coatzacoalcos Mexico Puerto (13 wards)
• Culiacan Mexico (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Juchitan Mexico (10 wards, 3 branches) 
• Mexico City Anahuac (11 wards)
• Mexico City Chapultepec (10 wards)
• Mexico City Cuautitlan (11 wards)
• Mexico City Culturas (11 wards)
• Mexico City Iztapalapa (10 wards)
• Mexico City La Perla (10 wards, 2 branches)
• Mexico City Tecamac (11 wards)
• Mexico City Tepalcapa (11 wards)
• Oaxaca Mexico Monte Alban (10 wards, 3 branches)
• Puebla México La Libertad (10 wards)
• Veracruz Mexico Villa Rica (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Villahermosa Mexico Gaviotas (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Xalapa Mexico (10 wards)

OCEANIA

• Ha'apai Tonga (9 wards, 5 branches) 
• Newcastle Australia (10 wards, 2 branches)

SOUTH AMERICA

• Brasilia Brazil Alvorada (11 wards)
• Buenos Aires Argentina Castelar (10 wards)
• Cochabamba Bolivia Jaihuayco (10 wards)
• Joao Pessoa Brazil Rangel (10 wards)
• Juiz de Fora Brazil (11 wards)
• Jujuy Argentina (10 wards, 3 branches)
• Lima Peru Canto Grande (10 wards)
• Luque Paraguay (10 wards, 1 branch) 
• Maceió Brazil  (11 wards)
• Machala Ecuador (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Maipu de Cuyo Argentina (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Maracanaú Brazil (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Rio Branco Brazil (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Santa Maria Brazil (10 wards, 1 branch)
• São José dos Campos Brazil (10 wards)
• São Luis Brazil (10 wards) 
• São Paulo Brazil Casa Grande (9 wards)
• São Paulo Brazil Guarapiranga (9 wards)
• São Paulo Brazil Penha (10 wards)
• Tarija Bolivia Stake (10 wards)

Stake and District Database

After four months of development, we have completed a comprehensive database listing all of the Church's stakes and districts known to have ever operated. Information in the database includes the name of each stake or district and its corresponding country, administration division, creation date, former names, parent stake or district, notes, discontinuation date (when applicable), and reasons for discontinuation (if known). We hope that this database will be utilized by researchers and the public to promote greater interest and scholarship in the study of the growth of the LDS Church. If you notice any errors in the database or have something to add, please contact me by commenting to this blog post.

The database can be accessed here and may be viewed in Google Sheets or downloaded into Microsoft Excel.

New Stakes in Brazil, Mexico, and Taiwan

Brazil
On November 16th, the Church created a new stake in Brazil. The São José do Rio Preto Brazil South was organized from a division of the São José do Rio Preto Brazil Stake. The new stake included the following five wards and one branch: the Anchieta, Barretos, Catanduva, Parque Celeste, and Quinta das Paineiras Wards, and the José Bonifácio Branch. There are now 78 stakes and seven stakes in São Paulo State and 253 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.


Mexico
On November 23rd, the Church created a new stake in Chihuahua State, Mexico. The Ciudad Juárez México Las Torres Stake was organized from the Ciudad Juárez México East Stake and includes the following four wards at the moment: the Aeropuerto, Ampliación, Granjero, and Hacienda de Las Torres Wards. It is like that additional wards will be assigned to the new stake as the Ciudad Juárez México East Stake currently has nine wards. There are now 228 stakes and 37 districts in Mexico.


Taiwan
On November 30th, the Church created a new stake in Taiwan. The Taipei Taiwan South Stske was organized from the Taipei Taiwan West Stake and includes the following six wards: the Ankang, Ching Hsin, Hsin Tien, Mu Cha Ward, Shuang Ho 1st, and Shuang Ho 2nd Wards. There are now 12 stakes and two districts in Taiwan.

November 2014 Newsletter

Click here to access our November 2014 monthly newsletter for cumorah.com.

LDS Growth Predictions for Nigeria

Although the Church has globally posted steady gains in nominal church membership over the past 15 years, there has been a significant decline in the percentage growth rate for the number of active members as measured by increases in congregations (wards and branches) and organizations (stakes and districts). The Church has experienced some of its most dramatic declines in growth rates within Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, and Latin American nations with at least 50,000 members.

One country where the Church has experienced steady increases in congregations and organizations during this period has been Nigeria. Within the past decade the number of congregations increased from 237 to 413, the number of stakes increased from 14 to 26, and the number of districts increased from 11 to 20. The Church in 2014 alone has thus far experienced a net increase of 35 congregations; a nine percent increase within less than 12 months. The Church in Nigeria has a self-sufficient full-time missionary force staffed by members serving missions from Nigeria and surrounding nations. The Church has also implemented aggressive church planting tactics in many of the most populous cities. This has resulted in accelerated membership and congregational growth, and improvements in achieving "real growth" as measured by increases in active membership, the organization of additional stakes, and increasing numbers of members serving full-time missions.

I have created a map forecasting LDS stake and district growth in Nigeria for the next decade. I estimate that there may be as may as 69 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria by 2025 based on recent growth trends. It is likely that there will be many more districts by 2025. Predicting where additional districts will be organized is extremely challenging as the organization of new districts in Nigeria has depended on decisions made by mission and area leaders to open cities to missionary work or redistrict outlying areas of stakes into districts.

Potential Mission Districts

I have provided an updated list of mission districts which I think are likely to be organized in the next couple years. Mission districts are analogous to stakes as they administer multiple branches (usually three to ten) but they have less independence in church administration and leadership than stakes. The creation of mission districts signals progress in church growth as it is an important step for the Church to establish a "center of strength" in a new location from a handful of mission branches into a more organized entity which has potential to become a stake.  The creation of a district from branches that were previously assigned to no stake or district but reported directly to the mission or area president suggests maturation in local leadership which can provide sufficient manpower and quality leaders to staff both branch and district callings.

Potential new districts listed below were identified based on recent congregational growth trends, missionary reports on the number of convert baptisms and activity rates, and distance and location from other nearby stakes and districts. Previous lists are available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Locations where there are fewer than three branches are included if there is a high likelihood that additional branches will be organized within the near future in order for a district to be organized.

Like other administrative and congregational units, the creation of districts is approved by the First Presidency.  Information used to compile this list does not contain any unauthorized information and I take full responsibility for this work.

AFRICA

• Asamang Ghana (4) [Agona, Asamang, Effiduasi, and Mampong Branches - all currently assigned to the Ghana Kumasi Mission]
• Atta Nigeria (6) [Atta, Amaimo, Amakohia, Ogwa, Orlu, and Umundugba Branches - all currently administered by the Owerri Nigeria Stake]
• Axim Ghana (3) [Agona Nkwanta, Axim, and Nkroful Branches - all currently administered by the Ghana Cape Coast Mission]
• Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire (3) [Agbonou, Bouafle, and Koko Branches - all currently assigned to the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire District]
• Bujumbura Burundi (5) [Bujumbura 1st, Bujumbura 2nd, Bujumbura 3rd, Kalundu, and Uvira Branches - all currently administered by the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission]
• Daloa Cote d'Ivoire (6) [Gbeuliville, Kennedy, Lobia, Marrais, Orly, and Tazibouo Branches - all currently assigned to the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire District]
• Divo Cote d'Ivoire (3) [Divo, Konankro, and Plateau Branches - all currently assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission]
• Douala Cameron (2) [Bonaberri and Douala Branches - both currently assigned to the Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission]
• Fianarantsoa Madagascar (2) [Fianarantsoa and Tsianolondroa Branches - both currently administered by the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission]
• Fort Dauphin Madagascar (2) [Fort Dauphin and Tanambao Branches - both currently administered by the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission]
• Francistown Botswana (3) [Francistown, Gerald, and Monarch Branches- all currently administered by the Botswana/Namibia Mission]
• Gulu Uganda (2) [Bar Dege and Gulu Branches and the Kitgum Group - all currently administered by the Uganda Kampala Mission]
• Kitale Kenya (5) [Kitale, Mautuma, Misikhu, Naitiri, and Sikhendu Branches - all currently administered by the Eldoret Kenya District] 
• Klerksdorp South Africa (3) [Jouberton, Klerksdorp, and Potchefstroom Branches - all currently assigned to the South Africa Johannesburg Mission]
• Lilongwe Malawi (4) [Kalambo, Kauma 1st, Kauma 2nd, and Lilongwe Branches - all currently administered by the Zambia Lusaka Mission]
• Lira Uganda (2) [Adyel and Lira Branches - both administered by the Uganda Kampala Mission]
• Marondera Zimbabawe (2) [Dombotombo and Marondera Branches - both administered by the Zimbabwe Harare Mission]
• Makeni Sierra Leone (2) [Makama and Teko Road Branches - both administered by the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission]
• Meagui Cote d'Ivoire (3) [Meagui 1st, Meagui 2nd, and Soubre Branches - all assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission]
• Mombasa Kenya (3) [Bamburi, Changamwe, and Mombasa Branches - all currently administered by the Kenya Nairobi Mission]
• Nelspruit South Africa (2) [KaNyamazane and Nelspruit Branches - both currently assigned to the South Africa Johannesburg Misson]
• Ngandajika DR Congo (2) [Ngandajika and Tshioji Branches - both currently administered by the Luputa DR Congo Stake]
• Nsukka Nigeria (2) [Nsukka and Obollo-Afor Branches - both administered by the Nigeria Enugu Mission]
• Ondo Nigeria (3) [Adeyemi College Road, Ondo, and Yaba Branches - all currently assigned to the Nigeria Benin City Mission]
• Pointe-Noire Republic of Congo (4) [Aeroporto, Loandjili, Mpaka, and Pointe-Noire Branches - all currently administered by the DR Congo Kinshasa Mission] 
• Rwanda Kigali (3) [Kigali 1st, Kigali 2nd, and Kigali 3rd Branches - all currently administered by the Uganda Kampala Mission]
• Tamale Ghana (2) [Education Ridge and Vitin Branches and possibly one or two member groups - all currently assigned to the Ghana Kumasi Mission]
• Techiman Ghana (4) [Dwumoh, Kenten, Krobo, and Vatican Branches - all currently assigned to the Ghana Kumasi Mission]

ASIA

• Macau (3) [Macau 1st, Macau 2nd (English), Macau 3rd Branches - all pertain to the China Hong Kong Mission]
• Siem Reap Cambodia (2) [Siem Reap 1st and Siem Reap 2nd Branches - both currently administered by the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission] 
• Tagudin Philippines (4) [Balaoan, Bangar, Luna, and Tagudin Branches - branches currently assigned to either the Candon Phillipines or San Fernando Philippines Stakes]

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

• Barreiras Brazil (3) [Barreiras 1st, Barreiras 2nd, and Luis Eduardo Magalhaes Branches - all branches currently assigned to the Brazil Salvador South Mission]
• Cruzeiro do Sul Brazil (3) [Cruzeiro do Sul, Formoso, and Remanso Branches - all branches currently assigned to the Brazil Manaus Mission]
• Marabá Brazil (3) [Canaã dos Carajás, Marabá, and Parauapebas Branches - all currently assigned to the Brazil Belem Mission]
• Tefé Brazil (3) [Coari, Jutaí, and Tefé Branches - all currently assigned to the Brazil Manaus Mission]

OCEANIA

• Aoba Vanuatu (6) [Apopo, Lobori, Lolotinge, Lovutialao, Navuti, and Redcliff Branches - all currently assigned to the Luganville Vanuatu District]

Case Studies on LDS Growth in Indonesia

As part of work I provide for The Cumorah Foundation (cumorah.com), I have recently completed a series of case study articles that examine LDS growth in Indonesia. Indonesia has over a quarter of a billion people and has had an LDS missionary presence for over four decades. However, the Church has experienced slow growth within the past three decades and maintains a minimal presence in the country. These case study articles analyze past LDS growth trends in the country and explore opportunities for outreach expansion.

I particularly enjoyed working on this set of case studies. I hope that these case studies will educate interested readers and motivate members to do what they can to help expand the Church's presence in Indonesia.

• Analysis of LDS Growth in Java, Indonesia 
• Prospective LDS Outreach in Kalimantan, Indonesia 
• Prospective LDS Outreach in Papua Province, Indonesia
• Prospective LDS Outreach Expansion in Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Prospective LDS Outreach Expansion in Sumatra, Indonesia
• Prospective LDS Outreach in the Lesser Sunda (Bali and Nusa Tenggara) Islands and the Maluku (Moluccas) Islands in Indonesia

New Stakes Created in Bahrain, Nigeria, and Utah

Bahrain
On November 14th, the Church organized its second stake in the Middle East. The Manama Bahrain Stake was organized from the Manama Bahrain District and the Abu Dhabi Stake and includes the following two congregations in non-sensitive countries: the Kuwait Ward and the Bahrain Branch. The new stake likely has four or more wards in Saudi Arabia. The Church does not report the number and location of its congregations in Saudi Arabia due to its sensitive presence in the country. The Church in the Arabian Peninsula has experienced steady membership and congregational growth within the past decade due to Latter-day Saints relocating to the region for employment purposes. The Church originally divided the Abu Dhabi Stake (originally called the Manama Bahrain Stake and before that the Desert Springs Stake) in 2011 to create the Manama Bahrain District.

Nigeria
On November 16th, the Church organized a new stake in the cultural region of southwestern Nigeria known as "Yorubaland." The Abeokuta Nigeria Stake was organized from the Abeokuta Nigeria District and includes the following eight wards: the Ibara, Idi-Aba, Ilewo-Orile, Ita-Oshin, Kuto, Lafenwa, Obantoko, and Odeda Wards. The new stake becomes the Church's second stake to operate within southwestern Nigeria outside of Lagos (the first stake in southwestern Nigeria outside of Lagos was organized in Ibadan last June). The Abeokuta Nigeria District was originally organized in 1993.

There are now 26 stakes and 20 districts in Nigeria.

Utah
On November 16th, the Church organized a new stake in Utah. The Kaysville Utah Deseret Mills Stake was organized from the Kaysville Utah West Stake and includes the following eight wards: the Barnes Park, Burton, Country Mill, Deseret, Francis Peak (Spanish), Kays, Mill Shadow, and Old Mill Wards.

There are now 574 stakes and one district in Utah

LDS Growth Accelerating in California

The Church in California has begun to experience accelerating congregational growth for the first time in a decade. So far in 2013 and 2014, the Church has reported a net increase of 20 congregations (+21 wards, -1 branch) in California. The Church reported a net increase of seven congregations in 2013 and a net increase of 13 congregations for 2014. The last time the Church in California experienced as large of a net increase in the number of congregations occurred in 2004 when there was a net increase of 40 congregations (12 wards, 28 branches). The growth the Church in California has experienced in 2013 and 2014 has been more impressive than the growth experienced in 2004 as the majority of congregations organized in 2004 were young single adult (YSA) branches whereas in the majority of congregations organized in 2013 and 2014 have been English-speaking family wards. The Church has also organized many non-English speaking wards in California so far in 2014, including several Spanish-speaking wards and branches, a new Mandarin Chinese-speaking branch in Pasadena, and a new Hmong-speaking branch in Yuba City.

This acceleration in congregational growth in California is a surprising LDS growth development as the Church has experienced essentially stagnant membership and congregational growth for over two decades. Stagnant growth has primarily occurred due to members moving outside of the state. Recent congregational growth trends in 2014 may indicate a reduction in the number of active members moving away from the state, improvements in member activity rates, and increases in the numbers of converts joining the Church and remaining active.

The Church in California continues to have many challenges. The Church continues to operate fewer wards and branches than it did in the mid-2000s when there were as many as 1,386 congregations (compared to 1,368 at present). The Church in California has also gone through multiple cycles of organizing and consolidating congregations based on patterns of active membership moving away from the state. For example, the Church reported congregational growth until 1993 when a high of 1,353 congregations was reached, but consolidated many wards and branches until 1997 when there were 1,273 congregations reported. Congregational growth rebounded to reach a new high of 1,386 in 2004 and 2005, but declined to 1,348 in 2011 and 2012. Recent history suggests that the Church in California may continue to experience oscillations in net increases and declines in congregational growth based on the rate that members move away from the state, the number of converts who join the Church and remain active, and fluctuations in member activity rates.

Click here to access the state statistical profile for California on cumorah.com.

New Stakes Created in Florida and Ghana

Florida
On November 9th, the Church created a new stake in the Orlando area. The Lake Mary Florida Stake was organized from a division of the Orlando Florida Stake and includes the following six wards: the College Park YSA, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford, and Tuskawilla Wards. There are now five stakes in the Orlando metropolitan area and 28 stakes in Florida

Ghana
On November 9th, the Church created a new stake in the Accra metropolitan area. The Ashaiman Ghana Stake was organized from a division of the Tema Ghana Stake and includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Adjei Kojo, Ashaiman, Bethlehem, Kpone, Lebanon, Sun City, and Zenu Wards, and the Dawenyha and Michel Camp Branches. There are now seven stakes in the Accra metropolitan area.

The Church in Ghana currently reports 13 stakes and nine districts.

New Stake in Cote d'Ivoire; District Discontinued in Brazil

Cote d'Ivoire
Last Sunday, the Church organized its seventh stake in Abidjan. The Abobo Cote d'Ivoire East Stake was organized from a division of the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake and includes the following eight wards: the Abobo, Agbekoi, Akeikoi 1st, Akeikoi 2nd, Ile Verte, M'Ponon, Plaque, and Quatre Etages Wards. The Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake experienced unprecedented congregational growth in 2014 as the number of congregations within the original stake mushroomed from eight wards to 15 wards and one branch. Three additional stakes in the Abidjan area appear close to dividing including the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Toit Rouge Stake (11 wards), Cocody Cote d'Ivoire Stake (10 wards, 1 branch), and the Port Bouet Cote d'Ivoire Stake (11 wards, 1 branch).

There are now seven stakes and three districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Brazil
The Church recently discontinued the Quaraí Brazil District. The former district was located in Rio Grande do Sul State on the border with Uruguay. The district has experienced rapid congregational decline within the past five years as the number of branches has declined from five to two. The retained branches now pertain to the Artigas Uruguay Stake and will likely become wards as branches have been consolidate to increase the number of active members in each congregation.

There are now 252 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil

New Stakes Created in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma

Within the past couple weeks, the Church has undergone a massive realignment of stakes within Arkansas, southwestern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma. Three new stakes were created as a result of this realignment.

The Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Tulsa Oklahoma and Tulsa Oklahoma East Stakes and includes the following nine wards and two branches: the Bartlesville 1st, Bartlesville 2nd, Bartlesville 3rd, Claremore, Cleveland, Elm Creek, Independence, Owasso, and Ranch Creek Wards, and the Pawhuska and Skiatook Branches. There are now eight stakes in Oklahoma.

The Bentonville Arkansas Stake was organized from the Rogers Arkansas Stake and includes the following seven wards: the Bella Vista, Bentonville 1st, Bentonville 2nd, Centerton, Central Park, Elm Tree, and Grove Wards. There are now seven stakes in Arkansas.

The Monett Missouri Stake was organized from the Joplin Missouri and Springfield Missouri South Stakes and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Aurora, Carthage, Granby, Monett, and Stockton Wards, and the Cassville and Joplin YSA Branches. There are now 16 stakes in Missouri.

Potential New Missions in 2015

The Church appears poised to create a significant number of new missions in 2015 due to sustained increases in the number of members serving full-time missions within the past two years. There may not be much of a decline in the number of full-time missionaries once the "double cohort" ends based upon a statement recently made by Elder Russell M. Nelson regarding the impact of the recent age change for missionary service on additional family members deciding to serve missions. With over 88,000 full-time missionaries, the Church would need to operate 540 missions if it were to maintain the historical average of 163 missionaries per mission from 1977 to 2011. This would represent an increase of 134 missions from the current total.


Below is a list of potential new missions that may be created in 2015. Criteria for identifying potential new missions include recent LDS membership, congregational, and organizational (stakes and districts) growth trends, trends in new mission creations within the past decade, population size, and the boundaries of current missions.

• Argentina Santa Fe
• Argentina Tucuman
• Australia Brisbane (2nd mission)
• Bolivia El Alto
• Brazil Aracatuba
• Brazil Jaboatao
• Brazil Manaus (2nd mission)
• Brazil Porto Velho
• Brazil Rio de Janeiro (2nd mission)
• Brazil Sao Luis
• Brazil Sorocaba
• Burundi/Rwanda
• Cambodia Phnom Penh (2nd mission)
• Cameroon Yaounde
• Canada Lethbridge
• Chile La Serena
• Chile Temuco
• Colorado Grand Junction
• Costa Rica San Jose (2nd mission)
• Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
• Democratic Republic of Congo Kananga
• Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa (2nd mission)
• Ethiopia Addis Ababa
• Germany Hamburg
• Ghana Kumasi (2nd mission)
• Guadalupe
• Guyana Georgetown
• Idaho Falls Idaho
• India Hyderabad
• Malawi Lilongwe
• Mexico Chilpancingo
• Mexico Juchitan
• Mexico Tijuana (2nd mission)
• Mexico Toluca
• Nigeria Aba
• Nigeria Ibadan
• Nigeria Uyo
• Peru Chimbote
• Peru Ica
• Peru Puno
• Philippines Bacolod (2nd mission)
• Philippines Cabanatuan
• Philippines Davao (2nd mission)
• Philippines Dumaguete
• Philippines Lucena
• Philippines Ormoc
• Philippines Santiago
• Poland Katowice
• Portugal Porto
• Samoa Apia (2nd mission)
• Slovakia Bratislava
• Solomon Islands Honiara
• South Africa Pretoria
• Spain Alicante
• Taiwan Kaohsiung
• Tanzania Dar Es Salaam
• Tennessee Memphis
• Texas Austin
• Texas El Paso
• Texas Plano
• Thailand Bangkok (2nd mission)
• Togo Lome
• Tonga Nuku'alofa (2nd mission)
• Turkey Istanbul
• Uruguay Rivera
• Zimbabwe Bulawayo

District Discontinued in Thailand

Last Sunday, the Church discontinued a district in Thailand. Organized in 1989, the Khon Kaen Thailand District was consolidated with the Ubon Thailand and Udorn Thailand Districts. The former district had five branches prior to the district realignment. Missionaries report that the area is very close to having two new stakes within the foreseeable future and that the decision to close the Khon Kaen Thailand District was based on helping the two other districts in northeastern Thailand meet the minimum criteria for stakes to operate. Currently the Ubon Thailand District has nine branches and one member group, whereas the Udorn Thailand District now has seven branches (including the Vientiane Branch in Laos).

There are now two stakes and four districts in Thailand.

The Ebola Epidemic in West Africa and LDS Growth

I wanted to make a comment about speculation made by some regarding the impact of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa on the receptivity of native populations in the region to the LDS Church.

Although LDS growth has accelerated in West Africa within the past few years, this development has not appeared to have any direct correlation with the Ebola epidemic in the region. Recent rapid growth in Cote d'Ivoire as evidenced by the doubling of congregations in the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire stake in 2014 from eight to 16, the simultaneous organization of six branches in the city of Daloa, Cote d'Ivoire in early 2014, and accelerated national outreach expansion in Ghana appear to have no correlation with the recent Ebola outbreak. All of these recent LDS growth developments began before the Ebola outbreak did. The plans and approvals for the organization of new congregations takes months, and even up to a year, to be carried out, suggesting that these developments began before the Ebola epidemic.

Please see below to find links to the LDS statistical profiles to countries in the region. These profiles clearly show that accelerated growth began several years ago.

• Benin
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Ghana
• Liberia
• Nigeria
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

The Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake: A Case of Unprecedent Rapid Congregational Growth

For those of my followers who may be interested in "extreme cases" in church growth (positive or negative), the Church in Cote d'Ivoire is currently experiencing some of the most rapid growth that I have ever observed in the worldwide Church. In 2014 alone the Church has organized seven new wards and one new branch in the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake, thereby doubling the total number of congregations in the stake to 15 wards and one branch. As congregational growth serves as one of the most robust indicators of "real growth" (i.e. increasing numbers of active members, improving maturity in priesthood leaders, high convert retention), this development stands as one of the greatest successes in terms of rapid growth within the worldwide Church ever documented. I am aware of no other instance of so many wards being created within a single stake within less than a year. To make this achievement even more impressive, the Church in Cote d'Ivoire has been entirely self-sufficient in meeting its full-time missionary needs through local and regional missionary manpower. Just this last summer the Church organized a second mission based in Abidjan to help better administer recent rapid growth experienced throughout the country.

As for some history with this particular stake, the Church organized the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake in 2000. The stake was divided in 2006 along with the original Abidjan Ivory Coast Stake to create the Cocody Cote d'Ivoire Stake. No new wards or branches were organized in the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire Stake between 2006 and 2013, which may indicate that all of the recent new units organized were long overdue.

With six stakes and 57 wards in the Abidjan area, the Church appears posed to have as many as 10 stakes within the next five years.

New Districts Created in Argentina and Kenya

Argentina
On September 28th, the Church created a new district in Argentina. The San Martin Argentina District was organized from a division of the Maipú de Cuyo Argentina Stake and appears to include the following five branches: the Palmira, Rivadavia, San Martin 1st, San Martin 2nd, and Tres Portenas Branches. The organization of the new district becomes the Church's first new district to be created in Argentina since 2006. Within the past eight years, the Church has discontinued eight of its member districts due to significant congregational decline. Most of these discontinued districts have been merged with nearby stakes. The creation of the new district in San Martin appears due to focus on the creation of a stake one day in San Martin with greater supervision from the Argentina Mendoza Mission in this process.

There are now 73 stakes and 32 districts in Argentina.

Kenya
On October 12th, the Church created a new district in Kenya. The Kilungu Hills Kenya District was organized from five mission branches in the Kilungu Hills, including Ilima, Kalongo, Kilili, Kyambeke, and Matini. The Church has operated branches in this remote area of Kenya for over two decades and has experienced steady growth despite its rural, difficult-to-access location. Click here to access a recent case study examining LDS growth in the Kilungu Hills.

The Church also appears posed to create its second stake in Kenya within the foreseeable future as the Nairobi Kenya Stake now has 12 wards and three branches. The creation of a second stake on Nairobi would significantly improve prospects of the Church announcing a small temple in the city to service East Africa.

There is now one stake and three districts in Kenya.

New Stake in Brazil; New District in Nigeria

Brazil
On September 21st, a new stake was created in Brazil. The Goiânia Brazil South Stake was organized from a division of the Goiânia Brazil Stake and the Goiânia Brazil North Stake, and includes the following five wards: the Aparecida, Garavelo, Hidrolândia, Independência, and Vila Brasília Wards. There are now three stakes in the Goiânia metropolitan area, and four stakes and one districts in Goiás State.

The Church in Brazil currently reports 252 stakes and 40 districts.

Nigeria
On September 14th, the Church organized a new district in Nigeria. The Abakaliki Nigeria District was organized from mission branches located in the Nigeria Enugu Mission and includes the following four branches: the Abakaliki, Afikpo 1st, Afikpo 2nd, and Okposi Branches. The new district becomes the Church's first district to ever operate in Ebonyi State, Nigeria - home to approximately 2.5 million people.

There are now 25 stakes and 21 districts in Nigeria.

3,100 Stakes

In September, the Church reached the milestone of 3,100 stakes. The Church reached 3,000 stakes in December 2012, indicating that it has taken less than two years for the number of stakes to increase by 100. For the past four years (2011-2014) the Church has had a net increase of 45 or more stakes a year. This is the longest streak of larger numbers of stakes being created within a four-year time period since the four-year period including the years 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. As stakes have the most rigorous standards for member activity rates, this recent development suggests some real, measurable progress in rectifying some inactivity and convert attrition problems.

With three more months remaining in 2014, this year is shaping out to be the largest net increase in the number of stakes since 1998. Currently 50 stakes have been organized in 2014, with many more to be created in the coming month or two. I predict that we may experience a net increase of 70 stakes in 2014 as new stake creations generally pick up in November in December based on recent trends over the past few years.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, Brazil, Guatemala, Pennsylvania, Philippines, and Texas; New Districts Created in Ghana and Venezuela

I have gotten a bit behind with making posts on new stakes and districts created. Hopefully this includes all of them.

NEW STAKES

Arizona
On September 21st, the Church created a new stake in Arizona. The Queen Creek Arizona West Stake was created from the Queen Creek Arizona, Queen Creek Arizona Chandler Heights, and the Queen Creek Arizona North Stakes and includes the following eight wards: the Cortina 1st, Cortina 2nd, Cortina 3rd, Cortina 4th, Hawes, Ocotillo, Remington Heights, and Sossaman Estates Wards.

There are now 97 stakes in Arizona.

Brazil
On August 31st, the Church created the a new stake in Minas Gerais State. The Ipatinga Brazil Stake from the Ipatinga Brazil District. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Bethânia, Esperança, Governador Valadares, Ipatinga, and João Monlevade Wards, and the Caratinga and Coronel Fabriciano Branches.

There are now 11 stakes and six districts in Minas Gerais, and 251 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Guatemala
On July 6th, the Church created a new stake in western Guatemala. The Huehuetenango Guatemala Central Stake was organized from a division of the Huehuetenango Guatemala Calvario and Huehuetenango Guatemala Zaculeu Stakes and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Cerrito del Maíz, El Centro, El Prado, La Viña, and Las Flores Wards, and the Malacatancito and Tojocas Branches.

There are now 43 stakes and 17 districts in Guatemala.

Pennsylvania
On September 7th, the Church organized its third stake in the Pittsburgh area. The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania West Stake was organized from the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Stake and includes the following six wards: the Pittsburgh 2nd, Pittsburgh 5th, Pittsburgh 6th, Washington, Wheeling, and Wintersville Wards. The last new stake to be created in Pittsburgh was in 1978.

There are now 12 stakes in Pennsylvania.

Philippines
On September 14th, the Church created two new stakes in the Philippines.

The Davao Philippines West Stake was organized from the Davao Philippines Stake and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Calinan, Mintal 1st, Mintal 2nd, Toril 1st, and Toril 2nd Wards, and the Ladian and Tamugan Branches. The Church has experienced rapid congregational growth in western Davao within recent years, and Davao now appears as a likely candidate for a temple to service Mindanao.

The Escalante Philippines Stake was organized from the Escalante Philippines District. No information is currently available on which of the seven branches became wards. The Escalante Philippines District was originally organized in 1994.

There are now 92 stakes and 80 districts in the Philippines.

Texas
On September 14th, the Church created a new stake in the Texas Panhandle. The Lubbock Texas North Stake was organized from the Lubbock Texas and Roswell New Mexico Stake and includes the following five wards and three branches: the Clovis, Frenship Mesa, Heritage, Portales, and Shadow Hills Wards, and the El Llano (Spanish), Plainview, and Quaker Heights (Spanish) Branches. The new stakes becomes the first new stake in the Texas Panhandle since 1981.

There are now 62 stakes and three districts in Texas.

NEW DISTRICTS

Ghana
On September 14th, the Church created a new district in Ghana. The Ho Ghana District was organized from the Kpong Ghana District and includes three branches: the Ho 1st, Ho 2nd, and Tsito Branches. The Church has experienced rapid growth in the Volta Region of Ghana and the new Ho Ghana District becomes the first district in this administrative division of more than 2.1 million people. The Church has also recently opened to member groups in Kpando and Hohoe, which may also become integrated into the district when these member groups become branches.

There are now 12 stakes and nine districts in Ghana.

Venezuela
On September 28th, the Church created a new district in Venezuela. The La Fria Venezuela District was organized from the San Cristóbal Venezuela Pirineos Stake and includes the following three branches: the Coloncito, La Fría, and La Grita Branches. The Church once operated a district in La Fria from 1999 to 2012. The reestablishment of the district may indicate problems with stake leaders effectively administering these three branches, resulting in a need for mission leaders to undertake this task.

There are now 34 stakes and seven districts in Venezuela.

September 2014 Newsletter

We have just posted the September edition of our newsletter for cumorah.com detailing recent church growth developments and new resources posted on our website. The newsletter can be accessed here.

Clear and Convincing Progress in the Philippines Reversing Stagnant LDS Growth

There have been many recent LDS growth developments in the Philippines that indicate the Church has taken a significant turn in achieving "real growth." Some of these developments include:

• A net increase of 26 congregations (21 wards and 5 branches) so far in 2014. This is the largest increase in congregations in a single year for the Philippines since 2001.
• The creation of 12 new stakes since 2010. The last time as many new stakes were created in as short of a time period in the Philippines was from 1999 to 2001.
• The opening of member groups in dozens of lesser-reached or previously unreached locations within the past few years.
• The number of full-time missionaries assigned to the Philippines increases from 2,600 in early 2013 to 4,300 in early 2014. 
• The number of Filipino members serving full-time missions reaching 2,425 at year-end 2013. 
• Significant improvements in various activity measurements, such as sacrament meeting attendance and the number of temple recommend holders.

With membership recently surpassing 700,000 members and the total number of stakes nearing 100 (92 at present), the Church has significant opportunities for growth in the near future due to increasing numbers of missionaries serving, focus on higher baptismal standards and member-missionary participation, and the opening of member groups and branches in additional locations. All this recent progress has occurred despite no increase in the number of converts baptized between 2010 and 2013. Many districts appear likely to become stakes within the next year or two. Also, the Church may announced new temples in additional cities due to recent growth, such as Bacolod, Davao (instead of Cagayan de Oro), and Naga.

Click here to access a case study I wrote for cumorah.com on recent LDS growth developments in the Philippines. This case study article was written last April.

The cumorah.com LDS International Atlas page for the Philippines can be found here, and the statistical profile for the Philippines can be found here.

New Temple Prediction Map

As part of my biannual tradition to discuss likely predictions for new temples that may be announced in General Conference, I have included my most recent map of locations which I think are most likely to have temples announced within the foreseeable future. I have not added any new locations to this map within the past six months as there have not appeared to have been any major developments during this period that would warrant additional locations to be added to the map. However, the formation of new stakes in Southeast Asia and Cape Verde during this period suggest that both of these locations appear more probable for future temples in the coming years.

Based on President Monson's statements last conference about the Church concentrating on completing temples that have already been announced or that are under construction, I do not predict that any temples will be announced this coming October General Conference. However, if any temples are announced, I would predict the following five as the most likely based on recent church growth developments:

1. Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
2. Praia, Cape Verde
3. Puebla, Mexico
4. Pocatello, Idaho
5. Bangkok, Thailand or Phnom Penh, Cambodia

View Potential New Temples in a larger map

General Conference Talks in Other Languages

Several news media outlets such as the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune report that beginning this October General Conference, the Church will permit speakers to give their talks in their native language. Cited as an example of the internationalization of the LDS Church, this change in policy has been long overdue and may improve the perception of the compatibility of the Church with other cultures and societies. Additionally, this development may indicate that additional progress will be made with the calling of General Authorities who do not speak English at all in the coming months and years ahead.

The Church has made some significant progress translating its General Conference proceedings to a wider audience. In 1988, General Conference was translated into only 12 languages (see article). Currently the Church reports that proceedings are translated into 94 languages, although only 70 of these languages can be accessed via the Church's website.

Utilizing English as the Church's language for administration has significantly simplified its operations, but has also conveyed a sense that it is Ameri-centric and reinforces centralization. I am curious what steps the Church will take to translate General Conference talks given in the speaker's native language into languages other than English. I imagine that these talks will likely be translated first into English, and then into other languages. The Church has utilized Spanish translations for many years to translate talks into Amerindian languages such as Aymara, Q'eqchi', and Quichua, and this pattern would likely be easiest and most efficient for translation. However, like a game of telephone, nuances and deeper meanings may be lost through this process, which creates challenges for maintaining doctrinal purity and ensuring translations are accurate.

On a topic related to translation work, the Church recently updated its statistical page on mormonnewsroom.org and now reports 189 published languages. This new total is 13 higher than the total provided in 2011. Unfortunately, the Church has not published a comprehensive list of all languages into which it has translated at least one church material. If anyone has information on what languages have recently had materials translated, please comment. See here for my missiology encyclopedia entry on "Languages with LDS Materials."

First New Stake Created in Chile Since 1998

Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in Chile. The Coquimbo Chile Stake was organized from the Coquimbo Chile District and most of the six branches became wards. This marks a significant development for the Church in Chile as no new stakes have been organized in the country since the massive consolidation of 42 stakes between 2000 and 2005. The creation of the Coquimbo Chile Stake may signal at least some tangible improvements in member activity rates in some locations. However, the Church in Chile has experienced a net decline in the number of wards and branches thus far in 2014, indicating ongoing problems with rectifying some of the most problematic member activity and convert retention problems ever experienced in the worldwide Church.

There are now 75 stakes and 21 districts in Chile.

Second Stake Created in the Republic of the Congo

Last Sunday, a new stake was created in the Republic of the Congo. The second stake to ever operate in the country, the Makelekele Republic of Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Brazzaville Republic of Congo Stake and includes the following five wards: the BaCongo, Guynemer, Kinsoundi, Makelekele, and Mfilou Wards. The Church originally organized the Brazzaville Republic of Congo Stake in 2003.

First LDS Member Group Opens in the Northern DR Congo

Mission leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission report that a member group now assembles in Kisangani and that 32 converts were recently baptized into the group. The operation of the Kisangani Group constitutes the first time that the Church has operated in the northern half of the DR Congo and has occurred shortly after the Church organized its first member group in Bukavu located near the Burundi/Rwanda border.

See below for a map of known LDS congregations in the DR Congo outside of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.



View Wards and Branches outside of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi (DR Congo) in a larger map

August 2014 Cumorah.com Newsletter

Please click here to access our August edition of our monthly newsletter for cumorah.com. The newsletter provides updates on recent church growth and missionary developments, locations opened or closed to the Church, and new resources posted on our website.

New Stakes in Florida and Utah

Last Sunday, two new stakes were created in the United States.

In Florida, the Church organized a new stake in south Florida. The Boynton Beach Florida Stake was organized from a division of the Pompano Beach Florida Stake and includes the following five wards: the Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Palm Beach, and West Palm Beach (Spanish) Wards. The creation of the new stake may signal progress in the Church rectifying past inactivity problems and accelerating "real growth" in the area as the Church discontinued a stake in south Florida back in 2008 (Miami Florida Spanish).

There are now 27 stakes in Florida.

In Utah, the Church organized a new stake from the Alpine Utah North Stake. The Draper Utah Suncrest Stake includes the following six wards: Eagle Crest 1st, Eagle Crest 2nd, Eagle Crest 3rd, Suncrest 1st, Suncrest 2nd, and Suncrest 3rd Wards. There are now 573 stakes in Utah.

July 2014 Newsletter

Click here to access our July 2014 newsletter for cumorah.com providing updates on recent LDS missionary and church growth news, and recently added resources to our website.

Four Branches in Techiman, Ghana

As part of a continued emphasis by missions in the Africa West Area to implement a church-planting approach colloquially called "The Sunyani Model," the Ghana Kumasi Mission has recently organized its third and fourth branches in the medium-sized city of Techiman, Brong Ahafo Region. The Church orchestrated the opening of Techiman to missionary activity in mid-2013 and simultaneously established multiple member groups to hasten outreach expansion and maximize the saturation of LDS proselytism efforts. These efforts have yielded good results just a year later, asare now four branches that are each led by a local branch president. If the Church were to have followed a more traditional approach to opening Techiman to proselytism that advocates for splitting branches once they become too large to effectively administer, it would have likely taken many years or even a decade or more for four branches to operate in the city.

See below for a map of the four Techiman branches.


View Wards and Branches in the Ghana Kumasi Mission in a larger map

Cumorah.com Back Online!

Cumorah.com is back and functioning well thanks to our website designer Zeeshan Ahmad. For those of you who may be less familiar with our website, here's a brief synopsis of what resources you can access:

• Reaching the Nations: International Church Growth Almanac - We have posted the country and regional profiles on our book for several years now. These profiles examine geography, demographics, history, culture, economy, religious freedom, the status of LDS outreach in the most populous cities, LDS history, membership growth, congregational growth, activity and retention, language materials, meetinghouses, health and safety, and humanitarian and development work. An analytical section also examines how contextual factors have influenced LDS growth trends. Over 200 countries, dependencies, and territories worldwide are examined in this work. Although most of the profiles have not been updated in two or three years, I will be posting the most recently updated profiles on the site within the coming months, which are current as of mid-2013.
• Law of the Harvest: Practical Principles of Effective Missionary Work - David Stewart has provided his entire book for free on .html and .pdf formats. I just noticed the.pdf format for download is not working and we will get the issue resolved as soon as possible.
• LDS International Atlas - This web-based atlas uses Google Maps to display the Church's missions, stakes, districts, wards, branches, and known member groups. There are also country-by-country maps displaying the most populous cities without an LDS presence, the status of LDS outreach by each ethnolinguistic group with 100 or more people, and the estimated number and percentage of members by administrative division (i.e. province or state). The atlas is updated on a daily basis.
• Case Studies - We have posted approximately 180 case studies that examine a wide array of topics pertaining to LDS growth and missionary work. Older case studies are listed alphabetically and can be found here, whereas more recently written case study are categorized by topic and can be accessed on the homepage.We will be adding 20 additional case studies on the coming weeks that were recently written.
• Missiology Encyclopedia - This online encyclopedia identifies, defines, and analyzes nearly 80 terms of interest to the study of LDS growth and missionary work. Most of the encyclopedia entries are posted on the site, with the remainder to be posted in the coming months.
• Monthly Newsletters - Since October 2012, we have posted a monthly newsletter that provides updates on recent LDS growth and missionary developments. Recently added or updated articles and resources on cumorah.com are also identified. 
• Quotes to Live By Quotation Database - Over 2,000 quotes compiled by David Stewart that supplement practical and effective missionary programs.
• Multilingual Scriptures - Compare books in two different language versions of your choice.
• LDS Gospel Library E-texts and LDS and World E-texts - 225 e-texts available in 30 categories.
• Non-English LDS Resources - Translations of various missionary materials in many languages.
• LDS Missionary and International Links - English and  non-English.
• Photos - We will be posting thousands of international photos in the coming months.
• Additional Articles - Some of these articles or works in progress include David Stewart's LDS Church Growth, Member Activity, and Convert Retention: Review and Analysis and Discussions with My Friend: An Introduction to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Future Resources - We have been working on an introductory guide to the study of missiology (Missiology Guide) and a Review and an Analysis of the Hastening the Work of Salvation Initiative, including its influence on LDS growth trends and missionary work.

If you have any suggestions on the development of additional resources, please comment.

Aggressive LDS National Outreach Expansion Begins in Kiribati

Missionaries serving in the isolated Micronesian country of Kiribati report that the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission has begun an aggressive national outreach expansion initiative that has thus far resulted in the opening of three islands to missionary activity, including Maiana, Nonouti, and Onotoa. Multiple member groups have opened on Maiana and Nonouti to improve accessibility to the Church and capitalize on local populations exhibiting high receptivity to LDS outreach. Missionaries report plans to open additional islands to proselytism in the coming months once larger numbers of missionaries are assigned to the mission. Additionally, senior missionaries report that preliminary plans are underway to reconfigure the two Tarawa stakes to accelerate growth as receptivity remains high, but local leadership development problems have prevented the creation of additional congregations.

Historically, the Church in Kiribati has experienced some of the lowest member activity rates among countries in Oceania with 1,000 or more members as only 25% of members self-reported being LDS on the 2005 census. Missionaries report that some wards on Tarawa have over 1,000 members on their records. Although inactivity and convert attrition remain serious problems, there have been some recent improvements as 32% of nominal LDS membership self-identified as LDS on the 2010 census. Official LDS membership for Kiribati currently constitutes 16.3% of the national population, although 2010 self-reported membership constituted only 4.66% of the national population. Although the Church's Moroni High School on Tarawa has served as an effective proselytism and public affairs tool, the Church has continued to strongly rely on Church Education System (CES) employees to staff lay leadership positions. At one time, CES employees comprised the entire stake presidency of one of the stakes on Tarawa!

I am currently writing a case study that provides a geospatial analysis of LDS growth in Kiribati, examines 2010 census data for religious affiliation, and analyzes recent church growth developments. I anticipate that this case study will probably be posted on cumorah.com in August sometime, and hopefully in the next couple weeks cumorah.com will be back up and running.

New Stakes Created in Nigeria and Utah; New District in Kiribati

Nigeria
On June 29th, the Church organized a new stake in Nigeria. The Enugu Nigeria Stake was organized from the Enugu Nigeria District and seven of the branches in the former district now pertain to the new stake. Information regarding which branches became wards remains unavailable. One branch was closed as part of the district becoming a stake (Enugu Nigeria District Branch) and two branches were reassigned directly to the Nigeria Enugu Mission (Nsukka and Obollo-Afor). The Enugu Nigeria District was previously one of the two oldest districts in the country (the other being the Onitsha Nigeria District), and was organized back in 1988.

There are now 25 stakes and 20 districts in Nigeria.

Utah
On June 29th, the Church created a new stake in Riverton. The Riverton Utah Western Springs Stake was organized from a division of the Herriman Utah, Riverton Utah Harvest Park, and Riverton Utah South Stakes and includes the following seven wards: the Castlewood, Herriman Rose, Riverton 19th, Western Springs 1st, Western Springs 2nd, Western Springs 3rd, and Western Springs 4th Wards.

There are now 572 stakes and one district in Utah.

Kiribati
On June 20th, the Church created its first district on Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, Kiribati. The Kiritimati Island Kiribati District includes the following five branches: the Banana, Fanning Island, London, Tabwakea 1st, and Tabwakea 2nd Branches. The Church organized two new branches as part of the creation of the new district, namely the London and Tabwakea 2nd Branches. The Church has experienced rapid growth on Kiritimati since the first branch was organized in 1999 with slightly more than 100 members. Today the Church reports approximately 1,200 in five branches (four branches in Kiritimati, one on Fanning Island); a significant number considering the combined population for Kiritimati and Fanning Islands numbering less than 8,000.

There are now two stakes and one district in Kiribati.

Survey Request - LDS Growth in Your Area

I am making a final push with this survey to gather additional data from Latter-day Saints to assess the implementation of the Hastening the Work of Salvation initiative. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. So far I have received 88 responses. Some of the diverse places represented in this sample include Belarus, Laos, and Namibia, although the vast majority of respondents have been from the United States.

Click here to start the survey. Your responses will be solely used for research purposes.

June 2014 Cumorah Newsletter

Click here to access our June 2014 newsletter for cumorah.com.

Stake Discontinued in Japan

The Church recently discontinued a stake in Okinawa, Japan. Originally organized in 1999, the Ginowan Japan Stake was consolidated with the Naha Japan Stake. The stake had only four wards and one branch prior to the consolidation. Three wards and one branch were closed as part of the consolidation, resulting in the Naha Japan Stake currently nine retained congregations (six wards and three branches). Although Okinawa has the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints of any administrative prefecture in Japan, the Church has experienced some of the lowest activity rates in Japan in this prefecture. The Church once operated a mission in Okinawa from 1990 to 1996, and appeared to close the mission due to low productivity.

There is now one stake and one district in Okinawa, and 28 stakes and 13 districts in Japan.

I wanted to add that the Church has only discontinued one stake thus far in 2014 and has created 36 new stakes so far for the year.

Cumorah.com Still Down

I wanted to make a post after I have received many questions regarding cumorah.com. We are currently working on resolving some long-term technical problems we have had with the site over the years to ensure that it is more stable and sustainable for all of the resources we have on it. I will make a post to let everyone know once the site is back up.

Maps Displaying Status of LDS Outreach by Major Metropolitan Areas Complete

I have just completed a project for The Cumorah Foundation mapping over 500 metropolitan areas worldwide with one million or more inhabitants and the status of LDS outreach in each location. Please see below for all of these maps. The purpose of this project was to emphasize the importance of reaching these major population centers and how LDS growth has significantly varied from major metropolitan area to major metropolitan area. In addition to detailed LDS statistics, each city has a brief analysis of successes, opportunities, and challenges for growth.

North America


View Major Metropolitan Areas in North America in a larger map
Latin America and the Caribbean


View Major Metropolitan Areas in Latin America and the Caribbean in a larger map
Oceania


View Major Metropolitan Areas in Oceania in a larger map
Europe, Central Asia, and Siberia


View Major Metropolitan Areas in Europe, Central Asia, and Siberia in a larger map
East Asia (Excluding China)


View Major Metropolitan Areas in East Asia (Excluding China) in a larger map
China


View Major Metropolitan Areas in China in a larger map
South Asia and Southeast Asia


View Major Metropolitan Areas in South Asia and Southeast Asia in a larger map
Middle East and North Africa


View Major Metropolitan Areas in the Middle East and North Africa in a larger map
Sub-Saharan Africa


View Major Metropolitan Areas in Sub-Saharan Africa in a larger map

New Stakes Created in Germany, Utah, and Zimbabwe; New District in Mexico; District Discontinued in Argentina

Germany
Last Sunday, the Church created a new stake in Germany. The Friedrichsdorf Germany Stake was organized from a division of the Frankfurt Germany Stake and includes the following six wards and one branch: the Friedrichsdorf, Hanau, Usingen, Wetterau, Wetzlar, and Wiesbaden Ward, and the Koblenz Branch. The organization of the new stake marks the first time the Church has created a stake in Germany since 1987 and suggests that there have been improvements increasing the number of active members in some areas of the country. The Church in Germany has also advanced one branch to a ward and created a Spanish-speaking branch within the past six months. There are now 15 stakes and three districts in Germany.

Utah
Two Sundays ago, the Church created a new stake in Hooper, Utah. The Hooper Utah Pioneer Trail Stake was organized from a division of the Hooper Utah Stake and includes the following six wards: the Freedom, Fremont, Hooper Landings, Muskrat Springs, Pioneer Trail, and Wildwood Wards. There are now 571 stakes and one district in Utah.

Zimbabwe
Two Sundays ago, the Church created a new stake in Harare. The Harare Zimbabwe South Stake was organized from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe and Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Park Stakes and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Chitungwiza, Highfield 1st, Highfield 2nd, Mbare, and Queensdale Wards, and the Epworth and Zengeza Branches. There are now three stakes in the Harare metropolitan area and six stakes and two branches in Zimbabwe. Prospects appear favorable for the announcement of a temple in Harare sometime within the next decade.

Mexico
On June 8th, the Church created a new district in Chihuahua State. The Cuauhtémoc México District was organized from a division of the La Sierra Mexico District and the Chihuahua Mexico Chuviscar Stake and includes the following five branches: the Anahuac, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero, La Junta, and Reforma Branches. There are now 227 stakes and 37 districts in Mexico.

Argentina
The Church recently discontinued the Tandil Argentina District. Organized in 1990, the Tandil Argentina District included five branches - all of which now pertain to the realigned Olavarría Argentina District for a total of 10 branches in the district. The move was likely done in preparation for a stake to be organized in the area. There are now 73 stakes and 32 districts in Argentina.

Details on New Stakes in Argentina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines; New Districts in Liberia and Sierra Leone

Argentina
On June 1st, the Church created a new stake in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Buenos Aires Argentina Chacabuco Stake was organized from a division of the Buenos Aires Argentina Congreso and Buenos Aires Argentina Liniers Stakes and includes the following five wards: the Almagro, Nueva Pompeya, Parque Chacabuco, Parque Patricios, and Villa Soldati Wards. The new stake is the third new stake to be organized in the Buenos Aires area since 2011. There are now 26 stakes in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.

Currently there are 73 stakes and 33 districts in Argentina.

Cambodia
On May 25th, the Church created its first two stakes in Cambodia. This marks the second time in Church history when a country has had its first two stakes organized on the same day, the other country being Ghana in 1991. The Phnom Penh Cambodia North Stake was organized from the Phnom Penh Cambodia North Distirct and includes the following five wards and one branch: the Pochentong, Teuk Laak, Teuk Thla, Tuol Kok, and Tuol Sang Ke Wards, and the Sen Sok Branch. The Phnom Penh Cambodia South Stake was organized from the Phnom Penh Cambodia South District and includes the following five wards and one branch: the Chaktomuk, Steung Mean Chey 1st, Steung Mean Chey 2nd, Steung Mean Chey 3rd, and Toul Tom Pong Wards, and the Phnom Penh 13th (English) Branch. Two districts continue to operate in Phnom Penh, namely the Phnom Penh Cambodia Central (Vietnamese) and Phnom Penh Cambodia East Districts. As a way of celebrating this historic milestone, my family celebrated by making a cake!

There are now two stakes and four districts in Cambodia.

Cape Verde
On May 25th, the Church organized its third stake in Cape Verde. The Sao Felipe Cape Verde Stake was organized from the Fogo Cape Verde District. Details on which branches became wards are still not available; I will post these as a comment once I obtain this information. The Church continues to experience rapid growth in Cape Verde as evidenced by the Church organizing its first stake in 2012 and its second stake in 2013. The Praia Cape Verde Stake also appears likely to divide at any time as the stake now has 10 wards and five branches.

Cote d'Ivoire
On June 1st, the Church organized a new stake in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake was organzied from the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon Stake (now renamed Niangon North) and includes the following six wards: the Azito, Coprim, Niangon 1st, Niangon 2nd, Sideci 1st, and Sideci 2nd Wards. There are now six stakes in the Abidjan area, with another stake or two likely to be created in the next year. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire is currently experiencing the most rapid LDS growth in the world as membership increased by over 20% in 2013 and the number of congregations in the Abidjan area has nearly doubled within the past three years.

Jamaica
On June 8th, the Church organized its first stake in Jamaica. The Kingston Jamaica Stake was organized from the Spanish Town Jamaica District and includes the following six wards and two branches: the Boulevard, Constant Spring, Linstead, Portmore, Spanish Town 1st, and Spanish Town 2nd Wards, and the Kingston and Old Harbour Branches. There is now one stake and one district in Jamaica.

Mexico
On June 15th, the Church organized a new stake in Estado de Mexico State. The Lerma Mexico Stake was organized from the Metepec Mexico Stake and includes the following five wards: the La Crespa, Lerma, Tecnologico, Tianguistenco, and Totoltepec Wards. There are now 227 stakes and 36 districts in Mexico.

Nigeria
On June 15th, the Church organized a new stake in western Nigeria. The Ibadan Nigeria District became a stake. Details on which branches became wards remains unavailable, but will be posted as a comment to this post once I obtain this information. The establishment of the Ibadan Nigeria Stake is a major LDS growth development in Nigeria as it is the first stake to be organized in the Yorubaland region outside of Lagos and the district was previously one of the oldest districts in the country.

There are now 24 stakes and 21 districts in Nigeria.

The Philippines
On June 15th, the Church created two new stakes in the Philippines. The Dumaguete Philippines District became a stake, although details on which branches became wards remains unavailable. I will post this information as a comment once it becomes available. The Taguig Philippines Stake was also organized from a division of the Makati Philippines East, Parañaque Philippines, and Pasig Philippines Stakes and includes the following six wards: the Bicutan, Bonifacio 5th, Signal Village 1st, Signal Village 2nd, Taguig 1st, and Taguig 2nd Wards.

There are now 90 stakes and 81 districts in the Philippines

Liberia
On June 8th, the Church created its third district in the Monrovia area. The Paynesville Liberia District was organized from the Monrovia Liberia District and includes the following five branches: the Gardnersville, New Georgia, Paynesville 1st, Paynesville 2nd, and Tinker Village Branches. Boundaries for the Monrovia Liberia and Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Districts were also realigned. There are now three districts in Liberia. The mission president reports that new branches will be organized in the Monrovia area within the near future.

Sierra Leone
On June 1st, the Church organized a new district in Bo, Sierra Leone. The Bo Sierra Leone East District was organized from the Bo Sierra Leone District (now renamed Bo West) and includes the following four branches: the Lewabu, Messima, New Barracks, and Sewa Road Branches. The decision to create the new district has come on the heals of the creation of a second district in the Freetown area (Kossoh Town) and likely indicates plans to organize additional branches. There is now one stake and five districts in Sierra Leone.