See below for the percentage of Latter-day Saints by country in the Middle East and North Africa as of year-end 2021. You can click on the table to make it larger. Countries with an asterisk have estimated membership totals.
See below for the percentage of Latter-day Saints by country in the Middle East and North Africa as of year-end 2021. You can click on the table to make it larger. Countries with an asterisk have estimated membership totals.
Recently organized the "Korhogo Branch - 2207028", located in the northern part of Cote d'Ivoire. In the Savanes District.
ReplyDeletehttps://classic.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/#ll=9.576459,-5.599085&z=9&m=google.hybrid&layers=stakecenter,mission&q=Korhogo&find=ward:2207028
"Branches Opened
...
89 Jun 26, 2022 Korhogo Branch"
Also recently organized the "Banjul Branch - 2208822", the capital of the west african country of "The Gambia".
https://classic.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/#ll=13.364961,-15.708247&z=8&m=google.hybrid&layers=stakecenter,mission&q=Banjul%20Branch&find=ward:2208822
"Branches Opened
...
90 Jun 26, 2022 Banjul Branch"
I could not find any mention of President Nelson addressing the new mission presidents and companions. Anyone know anything about this or did I just miss something?
ReplyDeleteI attended a sacrament and Sunday School session in Saudi Arabia this year with other members, both military and civilian. I know that many of them were living there from 2021, and I am not sure how many other members are living on a year to year basis in the Kingdom, KSA. I would think that there are other members there, between the State Department of our country, plus other nations, plus the oil and other service industries. How many Filipinos live in KSA? Probably thousands, therefore a good portion of LDS among them.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is a cool list, good to see.
Paul, the speaking schedule for the Mission Leadership Seminar varies from year-to-year. Last year, it was Elder Uchtdorf who, as Chairman of the Church's Missionary Executive Council, offered two sets of remarks to open and close the seminar. But last year's seminar coverage noted that Elder Uchtdorf was completing a 3-year term in that assignment. It was later revealed (and confirmed in this year's coverage so far) that Elder Quentin L. Cook now chairs that Executive Council. But it appears that, rather than having the Chair of that Executive Council open and close the seminar, addresses by Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and M. Russell Ballard opened this year's seminar:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2022-06-24/president-oaks-president-ballard-2022-seminar-for-new-mission-leaders-sacred-work-spiritual-gifts-259148
I've followed the coverage of this seminar when it has been provided every year in late June. So I can confirm that no two seminars are identical. Today, the Church was still covering remarks offered on Friday. I find that a good way to track the talks is to look at the home page the Church News provides for the seminar each year. Here is the web address for that home page:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/category/mission-leadership-seminar
Now, from that special Church News section home page for the seminar, if you go down to the article entitled: "2022 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Read talk summaries and see photos", it was last updated today at 4:06 PM. That article contains the coverage of all addresses given during the seminar, and you can click on any other article that has been published to read the corresponding summary.
From that page, as you scroll down, you'll see that the names of some leaders note by their names that the summaries of their remarks are "still to come." That list shows we are awaiting a summary of remarks given on Thursday by Elder Neil L. Andersen and his wife, Sister Kathy Sue Wiliams Andersen. It also indicates that sumarries are pending for Elder Ronald A. Rasband from Friday June 25, Elder Gerrit W. Gong from Saturday June 26, and President Russell M. Nelson from Sunday June 26.
So for this year, Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and M. Russell Ballard spoke on Thursday to open the seminar, and President Oaks offered additional remarks on Saturday. President Eyring offered his remarks on Friday, and President Nelson spoke on Sunday, likely to offer the final address as the capstone to the seminar. This follows similar patterns of President Nelson delegating more to his counselors than he takes on for himself. We have seen that apply to conducting sessions of General Conference (with President Nelson only having conducted 1 of the 45 sessions of General Conference held under his leadership) and with temple dedications (where President Nelson has only personally presided over 2 temple dedications, though he had initially planned to preside at the Arequipa Peru Temple dedication in 2019 before a minor illness led him to alter those plans). And last conference, the introductory message announcing a format change for future Saturday Evening Sessions was given by President Oaks at the assignment of President Nelson.
President Nelson spoke on Sunday, likely to conclude the seminar, but the Church News has simply not yet covered those remarks The Church News does not cover the seminar chronologically, as we can see from the fact that addresses given on Thursday and Friday were still being covered today, and we are still awaiting coverage of at least 4 addresses, which will likely be reported tomorrow or potentially on Wednesday. I hope that answers your question.
This morning, the First Presidency announced that the groundbreaking for the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple will be held on Saturday, October 29:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-announced-for-willamette-valley-oregon-temple
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-06-27/willamette-valley-oregon-temple-groundbreaking-announcement-october-259593
I was surprised that this was announced today but that the groundbreaking will not take place for another 4 months. Above and beyond that, however, with the exception of the Montpelier Idaho Temple, all other US temples for which sites have been confirmed have had groundbreakings scheduled. So I'm hopeful some more US temples could soon have official details confirmed and perhaps groundbreakings scheduled. I also believe we will soon see groundbreakings announced for other temples outside the United States for which sites have been confirmed and renderings have been released. It will be interesting to see what happens there. My thanks once again to you all.
Lagos Nigeria Ikotun Stake (2198053)
ReplyDelete26 Jun 2022
Akesan Ward (2138921)
Egan Ward (2189216)
Ejigbo Ward (1008277)
Igando Ward (2020513)
Ikotun Ward (416037)
Isolo Ward (2160153)
Jakande Ward (2112450)
Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake (2184362)
19 Jun 2022
No wards\ branches listed in cdol for this stake yet.
Paul, I tried to submit a reply to you last night, but for whatever reason, it was not approved. To summarize what I wrote last night, anyone who has followed the seminar for mission presidents consistently over the years can tell you that no two seminars are alike. Last year, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, as the outgoing Chairman of the Missionary Executive Council, opened and closed the seminar with an address. But this year, the seminar opened on Thursday with introductory messages from Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and M. Russell Ballard. President Oaks offered an additional address on Saturday, with President Eyring speaking on Friday. And last night, in the Church News summary of the seminar, it noted that President Nelson was one of three or four apostles whose remarks had not yet been featured. That changed today, with President Nelson's Sunday remarks being reported by the Church News today:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thechurchnews.com/leatders-and-ministry/2022-06-28/president-nelson-sacrament-meeting-for-new-mission-leaders-time-with-the-lord-259767
Incidentally, President Oaks speaking twice continues the trend of President Nelson delegating more to his counselors and his fellow apostles than he takes on for himself. Among the insights I shared in my unapproved comment from yesterday was the fact that, of the 45 General Conference sessions held under the prophet's direction, he has only conducted 1 session. Of the temples dedicated during his prophetic administration, he has only personally presided at the dedication of 2 new temples (though he had originally planned to dedicate the Arequipa Peru Temple in December 2019, he was unable to do so due to a minor personal illness).
And although President Nelson has personally made most of the major announcements shared by the Church in General Conference, last April, during the Women's Session, he invited President Oaks to offer an introductory message on behalf of the First Presidency, which announced a new format for the Saturday evening sessions of General Conference going forward.
From these examples, we see that President Nelson has been delegating more tasks traditionally handled by Church Presidents to his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. With that in mind, it's not surprising that President Oaks has spoken twice during the Seminar, and that President Nelson only offered remarks on Sunday, which were only featured by the Church News earlier this morning.
Hopefully this comment gets approved, since the other comment wasn't. And hopefully the information is helpful to you.
Yesterday, the Church announced a late October groundbreaking for the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/groundbreaking-announced-for-willamette-valley-oregon-temple
https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022-06-27/willamette-valley-oregon-temple-groundbreaking-announcement-october-259593
Interestingly enough, that groundbreaking will occur two months after the groundbreakings for the Lubumbashi DR Congo and Ephraim Utah Temples, and the announcement of the groundbreaking was made a full 4 months before it will occur. So I don't know whether or not the Church might conduct other groundbreakings between the mid-to-late August groundbreakings of the other two temples and the late October groundbreaking for the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, but I'm hopeful that could occur. I have several temples on my watchlist for a groundbreaking announcement, so the next couple of months, so hopefully the Church will have several busy months of temple announcements going forward. My thanks once again to you all.
Hi Matt. I'm wonder why you didn't mention about the membership in Arabia. It's about the sensitivity of the Church status in the kingdom? In Cumorah, you and David estimated +1,500 latter-day saints.
ReplyDelete