In the coming days, I will be posting updates on new stakes created. Please check the right side of the site for information on new stakes recently created or soon to be created.
I wonder if Pakistan will ever get a stake, they have about 5,000 or so members and 3 or 4 districts. I'm pretty sure at least a couple are large enough to become a stake.
With the continued rise of the "nones" of the Western world, aka the non-religious, I believe that within the Muslim world, which is vast and reaches all three major oceans, will continue to be more moderate despite the minority of militant extremists that foment violence and repression. Slowly the caste system of India is falling away, I believe, and the people of China, despite the oppression of the government, are open to more modern thinking. Science and non-religion are upwardly popular. In some cases nationalism and alleged communism are more de jeur as a religion of the masses... 3rd and 4th Nephi inform us of how societies progress, co-exist, and devolve, as we see our world today. Amazing time to be alive.
Bahrain is so much more open than Pakistan. The stakes in Bahrain are not composed of Bahrainis, but the Pakistani districts are native Pakistanis rather than westerners. That is the difference. Tolerance of outsiders as opposed to intolerance of “traitors”. Christian/Hindu persecution in Pakistan is an explosive situation.
I served in the India New Delhi Mission, which includes Pakistan. At the time (a little over a decade ago, although as far as I know this hasn't changed) only native Pakistanis could serve in Pakistan. Foreign elders such as myself did occasionally travel there, but only to train members and missionaries, not to proselyte. The church buildings are renovated homes in residential neighborhoods, and the traditional "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" signs are designed to be removable and are hung up shortly before worship services and are taken down when the sabbath meetings end. The missionaries there generally don't wear name tags, and only sometimes wear "proselyting attire". The need for a low profile is paramount -- while the church is careful to keep all of its operations legal, social considerations severely restrict any sort of publicity such as listings stakes online might bring.
As an aside, due to his diplomatic connections then-President Jackson and his wife Sister Jackson both had 3-year multiple-entry missionary visas for Pakistan, which is absolutely unheard of. I imagine that as a General Authority Seventy those same diplomatic connections will play a role in his assignments, making him a tremendous asset for assisting in the growth of the church in Pakistan and the training and development of local leadership there.
Huzzah! Things are stating to open back up. We'll finally start seeing that list of projected new African stakes get checked off.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Pakistan will ever get a stake, they have about 5,000 or so members and 3 or 4 districts. I'm pretty sure at least a couple are large enough to become a stake.
ReplyDeletePakistan may have stakes soon. But I think due to sensitivity, they may not be formally published outside the country. At least for a while.
ReplyDeleteI figure if we can publish a stake in Bahrain we can publish one in Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteWith the continued rise of the "nones" of the Western world, aka the non-religious, I believe that within the Muslim world, which is vast and reaches all three major oceans, will continue to be more moderate despite the minority of militant extremists that foment violence and repression. Slowly the caste system of India is falling away, I believe, and the people of China, despite the oppression of the government, are open to more modern thinking. Science and non-religion are upwardly popular. In some cases nationalism and alleged communism are more de jeur as a religion of the masses...
ReplyDelete3rd and 4th Nephi inform us of how societies progress, co-exist, and devolve, as we see our world today.
Amazing time to be alive.
The stake in Bahrain is published, but the units in Saudi Arabia are still considered sensitive. CDOL only shows the units in Bahrain and Kuwait.
ReplyDeleteBahrain is so much more open than Pakistan. The stakes in Bahrain are not composed of Bahrainis, but the Pakistani districts are native Pakistanis rather than westerners. That is the difference. Tolerance of outsiders as opposed to intolerance of “traitors”. Christian/Hindu persecution in Pakistan is an explosive situation.
ReplyDeleteBahrain has a lot less violence than Pakistan, and militant groups.
ReplyDeleteI served in the India New Delhi Mission, which includes Pakistan. At the time (a little over a decade ago, although as far as I know this hasn't changed) only native Pakistanis could serve in Pakistan. Foreign elders such as myself did occasionally travel there, but only to train members and missionaries, not to proselyte. The church buildings are renovated homes in residential neighborhoods, and the traditional "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" signs are designed to be removable and are hung up shortly before worship services and are taken down when the sabbath meetings end. The missionaries there generally don't wear name tags, and only sometimes wear "proselyting attire". The need for a low profile is paramount -- while the church is careful to keep all of its operations legal, social considerations severely restrict any sort of publicity such as listings stakes online might bring.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, due to his diplomatic connections then-President Jackson and his wife Sister Jackson both had 3-year multiple-entry missionary visas for Pakistan, which is absolutely unheard of. I imagine that as a General Authority Seventy those same diplomatic connections will play a role in his assignments, making him a tremendous asset for assisting in the growth of the church in Pakistan and the training and development of local leadership there.