The Church published an article today regarding Apostle Elder D. Todd Christofferson's visit to West Africa. The article indicated that there are approximately 210,000 Latter-day Saints in Nigeria. The Church's most recently released membership statistic for Nigeria was 192,144 members as of year-end 2019. This indicates that Church membership in Nigeria has increased by approximately 9.3% during the past two years, or approximately half the rate of membership growth that the Church has experienced for most years in Nigeria since the early 2010s. Annual membership growth rates have typically ranged from 8-10% since the early 2010s. Congregational growth rates in Nigeria markedly decreased after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from approximately 50-100 new congregations being created every year to approximately 16 in 2020 and 20 in 2021. The Church in Nigeria has typically experienced rapid membership growth since its establishment in 1978, albeit there was a significantly slowdown in annual membership growth rates between 2007 and 2012 during which time annual membership growth rates ranged from 5-6%. Historical statistical data for the Church in Nigeria can be found here.
The Liberia Monrovia Mission reported that there were more than 2,200 convert baptisms during 2021 - the highest number of converts baptized in the mission since its establishment in 2013. To put this number into perspective, the Church in Liberia previously reported its highest net increase in membership for a single year back in 2016 when the Church reported a net increase of 1,460 members. The mission now has 150 missionaries assigned and all wards and branches have at least one missionary companionship assigned. The mission reported that several mission branches have divided in recent weeks, albeit it is unclear which cities had new branches organized. Moreover, the mission also reports plans to open additional cities to missionary work, such as Tubmanburg. Historical statistical data for the Church in Liberia can be found here.
@Matt, thank you for this great update on the growth in West Africa.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for the update on the previously unknown 2nd new Stake in 2022, organized recently with the division of the "Coeur d'Alene Idaho Stake - 503959" (where my mother was born), to the new "Post Falls Idaho Stake", that you have listed for the 2022 New Stakes on the side. Was that on Sunday, January 30th, 2022 ? Or a future planned Stake? So far it has not been updated on the Classic Maps site.
https://classic.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/#ll=47.683309,-116.902599&z=12&m=google.hybrid&layers=stakecenter&q=503959&find=stake:503959
Post Falls Idaho Stake (2190133)
ReplyDelete20 Feb 2022
Plummer Branch (148237)
Lakeland 1st Ward (31402)
Lakeland 2nd Ward (236721)
Pleasant View Ward (2086093)
Prairie Falls Ward (1161563)
Timberlake Ward (2023377)
White Pines Ward (94129)
Elder Christofferson just posted to Facebook about a recent trip to Abuja, Nigeria. He said there were '210,000 members in {about] 700 congregations. There is also a newsroom video posted to Youtube about this visit.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that on the Classic Maps site, the Nicaragua Managua South Mission doesn't have any boundaries anymore. The whole country is contained in the North Mission. Has this mission not been functioning without being officially discontinued? Obviously there has been wide flux with the American missionaries being taken in and out over the last four years due to instability and the pandemic. But it seems odd that the South mission continues to exist.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the mission presidents, both missions had a president called in 2016:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/church-announces-mission-presidents-and-new-missions-for-2016?lang=eng
Then in 2018, All the missionaries in the south mission were assigned to other countries:https://www.thechurchnews.com/latest/2018-05-22/church-announces-relocation-of-169-missionaries-in-nicaragua-11248
In 2019, a new mission president was called for the North Mission, but not the South:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/church-announces-new-mission-presidents-for-2019?lang=eng
In 2022, a new mission president was called again for the North Mission again, but not for the South:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/mission-presidents#area-7
So, It appears that the south mission hasn't functioned for a while, but the church still reports two missions in Nicaragua:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/nicaragua
I looked in the CDOL and found that the First counselor in the presidency of the North mission is the acting mission leader of the South mission. I suspect that the church has kept the mission open in order to be ready for when more foreigners could be assigned to the country. But the I'm sure the pandemic put a hold on those plans. I don't imagine missionary numbers shooting up anytime soon, so I don't really understand the reasoning for keeping the mission open after four years of effective closure.
I know that the Brethren prefer not to get involved in any countries internal politics. But I just read on a news feed that the Pope has called a Day of Fasting and Prayer for the Ukrainian people in this current crisis. I am surprised the First Presidency has not issued a similar Statement or Letter calling for worldwide Fast and Prayer to peaceful resolution of this crisis also.
ReplyDeleteDid Church leaders speak out on Bosnia in the 1990s? Or Darfur in the 2000s? How often do they call out violence in different countries? Ethiopia recently?
ReplyDeleteNigeria is projected to have more people than the U.S. by 2050. Will they have millions of Church of Jesus Christ members?
We may have a "Russia Temple" sooner than later. It may just need to be rebuilt and rededicated with new Name stone attached. I pray for the safety of our Brothers and Sisters in Ukraine who must fight now to defend their homes from an invading army, or become war refugees.
ReplyDeleteChris, I addressed the status of the real Russia Temple in the following comment on my blog this evening:
Deletehttps://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2022/02/updated-april-2022-general-conference.html#c3282110960484696949
"No unhallowed hand" surely applies to Putin and his current tactics, and as I said in that comment, maybe what's happening right now will actually facilitate the temple in Russia more swiftly than would be possible otherwise. But in the unlikely event of changing borders, I don't think a tear-down, reconstruction, or rededication would be necessary, just an addendum to the dedicatory prayer might suffice. I sincerely don't think it will happen.
In these types of situations, the Brethren wouldn't be thinking worst-case scenario right now. Neither should we. The Lord knows what He's doing. And this is a sign of the times.
Great news about Post Falls, Idaho. I predicted that one coming since the other two stakes in Coeur d'Alene were quite large. This begs the question: will the Church announce a temple for Coeur d'Alene given how fast the church is growing in the Spokane area and how small the Spokane Temple is. CdA's temple would serve 6 stakes (assuming Moscow and Lewiston are assigned to CdA), leaving the Spokane Temple serving 7 stakes.
ReplyDeleteI think those numbers sound about right to build a new temple.
DeleteI'm excited about the prospect of a temple in Coeur d'Alene. Although, it would probably only be about 30 minutes closer to us than Spokane is. Also, we'll probably still be assigned to Helena.
DeleteBut hey, it'd give us another option in Northwestern Montana/Idaho Panhandle.
Spokane Temple should just expand to a 40,000-50,000 sq temple... similar to Feather River CA or Richmond VA Temples.
DeleteIf they do decide to expand Spokane, it probably will happen after they announce a few more temples up here to take over the load while it's closed. My guess is the Church's Modus Operandi going forward will be to build nearby temples before significantly expanding older smaller ones.
DeleteFor example, I imagine they'll finish The Los Olivos Temple (and possibly announce another one for the Lima metro area) before closing the original Lima Temple for Renovation.
Personally, I love expansions and would like to see more of them, however, the current trend appears to be reducing distances and travel times first and foremost. It'll be interesting to if and how long that remains the case, before we start to see a greater number of Renovations and expansions for the Hinckleyan era and Kimballian era (1970s and 80s) smaller temples.
The Church just called the 1st Temple President and companion to serve the Feather River California Temple.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2022-02-24/new-temple-presidents-and-matrons-portland-spokane-twin-falls-feather-river-fort-collins-curitiba-brazil-chicago-243857
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-02-24/europe-east-area-presidency-offers-message-of-reassurance-to-ukrainian-latter-day-saints-244040
ReplyDeleteChristopher you beat me to it on the Feather River president.
ReplyDeleteAlso for what it is worth one of President Oaks' daughter' will be the new matron of the Chicago Temple.
Other great news related to another Apostle's Ministering travels.
ReplyDelete"24 February 2022 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic News Release
Elder Soares Ministers in the Dominican Republic
The Apostle meets with the country’s vice president and the Cuban ambassador to the Dominican Republic
...
Elder Soares met with the Cuban ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Milagros Carina Soto Agüero, in a private lunch on February 11."
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-soares-ministers-in-the-dominican-republic
This could be the start of the Church's Unofficial/Official contact with the Government leadership of the Republic of Cuba, as an outreach.
Thoughts, anyone?
Didn't Elder Holland visit Cuba a few years ago to organize a district? Did he meet with any government leaders back then?
DeleteI am happy to hear about Elder Soares strengthening Cuban/LDS relations. I made a lot of Cuban friends (and baptized a couple of them) on the mission.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAs we can see, Elder Soares has been responsible for several operations in Central America and the Caribbean lately. Perhaps he was appointed by the prophet to oversee these areas personally. I believe that because he is also Latino, this facilitates attempts to articulate with the government of the island of Cuba, since he does not have the stigma of being an American interlocutor in Fidel's lands.
DeleteI am pretty sure there have been earlier connections with Cuba. However an apostle with a ambassador is a very good sign. I am hopeful there will be full time missionaries assigned to Cuba this year.
ReplyDeleteThe Kyiv Ukraine Temple has closed until further notice in view of the ongoing crisis:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/kyiv-ukraine-temple?lang=eng
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/kyiv-ukraine-temple/news/
https://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2022/02/breaking-temple-news-kyiv-ukraine.html
My thanks once again to you all.
Are we sure that the number for members in Nigeria reflects end of 2021 data? Is it possible it was created based on end of 2020 data because the end of 2021 data has not all be compiled yet?
ReplyDeleteI think assuming a bit of a slowdown in Nigeria due to Covid is reasonable. It mirrors congregational growth rates. Now, the question is whether things are speeding up again, now that the pandemic is winding down.
ReplyDeleteTrends in Liberia are encouraging. There is still quite a bit of room for national outreach expansion into small and medium-sized cities. Several stakes in the Monrovia metro area are likely splitting again soon. I wonder if the Church will create a second mission soon to better service interior areas of the country.
Two more groundbreakings announced for April and May:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-dates-set-for-temples-in-nevada-and-colorado
Nancy, you mentioned an announcement on Grand Junction was anticipated soon. Kudos to you on that subject.
This means the Church will have conducted 6 groundbreakings this year before May 15, which marks the one-year anniversary of the first 2021 temple groundbreaking (Deseret Peak Utah). It seems likely the Church could very well exceed this year the 21 total temple groundbreakings that took place in 2020.
ReplyDeleteHere is a side-by-side comparison of groundbreakings in 2020 vs. 2021:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SgpsCbhL0hRHAlnii3tjw6O-gxPk2rt0_jD50JYC4ck/edit?usp=sharing
And here is a side-by-side comparison of groundbreakings in 2021 vs. 2022:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mvuVAk5k5q5pVSZ7VfYoKKvM2vnJph6knob6QYnmeA4/edit?usp=sharing
Hope this additional analysis is helpful to all who are interested.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-02-25/first-presidency-issues-statement-on-armed-conflict-244170
ReplyDeleteChristopher, you beat me in posting that report here. The statement was also posted on the Newsroom:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/first-presidency-statement-armed-conflict
Here is my analysis on that, short though it is:
https://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/2022/02/breaking-news-first-presidency-issues.html
My thanks once again to you all.
James, you beat me to it! Sorry for the repetition, and thanks for your long analysis on the other thread. Exciting times.
ReplyDeleteI would think (and hope) that the Temple Department would do an analysis for each temple to evaluate when it makes sense to increase temple capacity. I think it could be a huge long-term benefit if future enlargement were to be considered when designing new temples as doing so makes future additions much less costly and the expanded structure looks and feels more cohesive. Having the option to add a modular endowment room 10-20 years after a temple is built, would be huge!!
ReplyDeleteElder Christofferson dedicates the country of The Gambia
ReplyDeletehttps://news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-christofferson-dedicates-country-of-the-gambia
Is there any official list that shows when nations and continents were dedicated for the preaching of the gospel? I would love it if resources like this were available, from Orson Hyde in Palestine to Elder Christofferson in The Gambia...
ReplyDeleteI am very excited about the dedication of the Gambia for the preaching of the gospel.
ReplyDeleteJust talked to a man in his 50s, last name Smolar, who is a very devote Catholic and will produce a book about God’s will being natural law, and he is a monarchist. American.
ReplyDeleteHe believes war is a punishment from God to answer to our issues with not complying with God’s will.
Interesting times.
I pray the conflict ends soon and we can have freedom of worship in both countries.
What will be the next African nation to open to the Gospel?
When will Cuba be free?
Could Venezuela get a second as they are constituted?
@Daniel Moretti
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to find an official or definitive list of countries that have been dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel, so I made one myself. The history of these dedications isn't exactly as straightforward as I would have hoped, and there are some nuances that I haven't been able to answer yet. For example, in 1840, Wilford Woodruff dedicated England from the Malvern Hills, Herefordshire. But I am unclear if that included Wales or the rest of the United Kingdom. Also, as far as I can tell, no dedicatory prayer has been given yet for these nations, all of which I would have assumed would have occurred by now: Austria, Belgium, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea, India, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Samoa, Tonga, and the United States.
You can see my list here at the Google Docs link below. If anyone has any corrections or updates, please share! Thanks.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cT-Qiw0faLFP4CLwGB1AoXMdNSGNi_xU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101674377649220802751&rtpof=true&sd=true
What a wonderful job! Thank you for that Gnesileah
Delete@Gnesileah
ReplyDeleteI did notice a couple of updates that could be made. The first being that the nation of Serbia was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel on February 27, 2001. This took place at Kalemegdan in Beograd by Elder Jeffery R Holland.
The only correction (really more of a formality), but Kosovo was never dedicated as a separate country for the preaching of the gospel. It was rather dedicated as a territory of Serbia for the preaching of the gospel by President Nelson.
Nadam se da je ovo od neke koristi za vas.
Thank you, Daniel and Сњешко. I've updated the list to show these corrections. I've also started keeping track of sources, and found the Church's Global Histories site (churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/global-histories), which I don't recall being available when I started this list several years ago. From that site, I found dates when Austria, Netherlands, Ghana, and Northern Ireland were also dedicated.
ReplyDeleteThere has been some exciting news this week. The dedication of the Gambia and the temple groundbreaking announcement for Grand Junction are both interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed the announcement that the first temple president has been called for Feather River. This should be a really big year for temple dedications- Rick's temple site
(https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/status/)
currently lists 12 temples that are anticipated to be completed this year, with another 5 that will be done late this year or early next year.
These are the temples likely to be completed this year, listed in the order of anticipated completion, per his site:
1. Rio de Janeiro Brazil (scheduled for dedication on 8 May 2022)
2. Yigo Guam (to be dedicated 22 May 2022)
3. Quito Ecuador- construction is already completed
4. Praia Cape Verde
5. Belem Brazil
6. San Juan Puerto Rico
7. Helena Montana
8. Saratoga Springs Utah
9. Lima Peru Los Olivos
10. Richmond Virginia
11. Bentonville Arkansas
12. McAllen Texas
and the 5 maybe's:
13. Bangkok Thailand
14. Feather River California
15. Abidjan Ivory Coast
16. Okinawa Japan
17. Layton Utah
How many of these temples have had a president called?
There are an additional 11 temples likely to be completed in 2023 (not counting the 5 I listed above), with 2 others anticipated to be completed in late 2023 or early 2024.
ReplyDeleteGiven the number of temples currently under construction, we could definitely see even higher numbers in future years. Both both of these numbers are higher than anything we have seen since the year 2000 and the peak of Hinckley-era temple dedications. (2002 had 7 temple dedications, and there were 6 each in 2016 and 2019.)
If this year exceeds the 15 temple dedications of 1999, it will be second only to the 34 of 2000.
twinnumerouno, Yigo, Praia, and San Juan have all had their first presidents announced in 2020. with the first president announced for Abidjan last year. Helena and Feather River both had their first presidents announced this year. I believe that, at most, 15 other soon-to-be-completed temples will also have their first presidents announced. The Church has already announced 31 new leaders for temples thus far this year, and there are a minimum of 24 (but likely more than that) current temples for whom new leaders might also be identified. For anyone wanting to follow along, here you go:
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1J-KR6Hdv4ElYa8ZxBn6OqGWSEMcZxi3GaLcCoYTrJec/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks.
Thanks for that info, James. So it looks like 10 of the 17 I listed are still waiting to have a president called. You didn't mention Rio de Janeiro and I was wondering if that temple had a president called a couple years ago when it was originally scheduled to be dedicated.
ReplyDeleteYes. That announcement was made in 2019:
Deletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2019-05-16/temple-presidents-tonga-chicago-korea-world-2063
The delay in dedication meant the president and matron were identified, but since there was a delay in beginning that service, the Church Temples site changed the starting year for that couple to 2022:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/rio-de-janeiro-brazil-temple/presidents/
Same thing applies to Yigo:
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/yigo-guam-temple/presidents/
By extension, that should also apply to Praia, San Juan, and Abidjan as well.
That means the other temple presidents called at the same time as the Rio president will finish their terms just after the Rio president starts.
ReplyDelete