Monthly Newsletters - May 2023, June 2023, and July 2023

See below to access monthly newsletters for cumorah.com. August's monthly newsletter should be available soon as well.

• May 2023
• June 2023
• July 2023
  

New Temple Predictions - September 2023 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference later this month in September. The size of the Church in a specific geographical area (i.e. number of stakes and districts, the number of wards and branches), the age of the oldest stake in a specific geographical area, church growth trends, the distance to the nearest temple, traffic/transportation, the square-footage of the nearest temple, the historical number of weekly endowment sessions scheduled at the nearest temple, and member and missionary reports regarding member activity, temple attendance, and convert retention are variables used to identify prospective sites for future temple announcements. Altogether, there are 216 potential temples on the map (which is just 1 potential temple site lower than the total number of potential sites identified in February 2023. The following 12 locations have been added to the temples prediction map with this current update - all of which are less likely temples:

• Amarillo, Texas
• Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
• Fort Wayne, Indiana
  
• Joinville, Brazil
• Ponta Grossa, Brazil 
• Rigby, Idaho
• Richfield, Utah
  
• Tremonton, Utah
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
  
• Umuahia, Nigeria
  
• Uyo, Nigeria
• Victorville or Lancaster, California
  

Three potential temples sites were transferred from the less likely temples list to the more likely temples list. I also provided with the reasoning why this change was made. These sites include:

• Bo, Sierra Leone (rapid growth in stakes and congregations - likely the city with over 100,000 people with the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints on the Afro-Eurasian landmass. There were approximately 223,000 people in the city per 2021 census figures, and currently there are 27 wards in the city, or one ward per approximately 8,259 people. The average ward or branch in Sierra Leone had 321 people as of year-end 2022, indicating that Church membership for Bo may be as high as 8,667, or 3.9% of the city population. Latter-day Saints are one of the largest Christian denominations in Bo. There are three stakes in Bo (all organized since 2017) with the strong possibility of 1-2 new stakes being created in the immediate future).
  
• Lehi, Utah (steady growth in the number of congregations and stakes in the area).
  
• Osorno, Chile (recent progress with branches maturing into wards in the area, long distance from the nearest temple in Concepcion).
  

The following 10 locations appear most likely to have temples announced this coming General Conference. As always, your prediction lists are welcome and encouraged.

1. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
2. Spanish Fork, Utah
3. Angeles or Olongapo, Philippines 
4. Colorado Springs, Colorado 
5. Kampala, Uganda
6. São José, Brazil
7. Viña del Mar, Chile 
8. João Pessoa, Brazil
9. Santiago, Dominican Republic
10. Maracaibo, Venezuela
    

See below for the map of likely and less likely new temple sites:

 

New Stakes Created in Brazil and Texas; Two Stakes Discontinued in Hong Kong

Brazil

The Church organized a new stake in Brazil in Rio Grande do Sul. The Gramado Brazil Stake was organized on July 23rd from the Gramado Brazil District (created in 2005). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Canela 1st, Canela 2nd, Gramado 1st, Gramado 2nd, and  Taquara Wards and the Nova Petrópolis Branch. The new stake is the Church's fourth new stake to be created in southern Brazil in the past few months.

There are now 285 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil

Texas 

The Church organized a new stake in the Texas Panhandle. The Amarillo Texas East Stake was created on August 13th from a division of the Amarillo Texas Stake (organized in 1981). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Bishop Hills, Borger, Childress, Pampa, and Tascosa Wards, and the Estacado (Spanish), Dumas, and Perryton Branches. There are now four stakes in the Texas Panhandle - the other two of which are located in Lubbock (organized in 1967 and 2014). 

There are now 79 stakes and 2 districts in Texas.

Hong Kong

The Church discontinued two stakes in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong China Kowloon East Stake (created in 1980, discontinued in 2006, reinstated in 2016) and Hong Kong China Lion Rock (organized in 2016) were discontinued and consolidated with neighboring stakes. Nine wards were discontinued as part of the reorganization. Now, there are four stakes and one district in Hong Kong - the same number of stakes and districts that operated from 2006-2015. There are now 21 wards in Hong Kong - the fewest number of wards in Hong Kong since prior to 1987. Church membership has been in decline in Hong Kong since 2020. It is unclear how much of this decline (the Church has historically experienced slow membership growth or stagnant membership growth during the past couple decades in Hong Kong) is attributed to tightening political freedoms in this special administrative region of China during the past few years. However, there was a major emphasis by the Asia Area Presidency in the mid-2010s to create smaller wards which resulted in the reinstatement of a previously closed stake and the creation of a sixth stake in 2016. Click here to access membership and congregational data in Hong Kong. Member activity rates in Hong Kong have numbered among the lowest in the world, with 12-14% of membership regularly attending church in the late 2010s.

Newsletter Update

As some of you have commented, monthly newsletters for cumorah.com have not been posted since our most recent edition in April 2023. This has been due to many things in my life at the moment that have limited my time to write them. However, I am hopeful that these newsletters will be completed and posted in the coming weeks. There have been many significant developments in recent months that will be covered in these newsletters.

New Stakes Created in Brazil (3), Utah, and Nigeria; New Districts Created in Ghana, Tanzania, and Turkey; Stakes Discontinued in England (2) and Utah

Brazil

Three new stakes were recently created in Brazil.

The Ponta Grossa Brazil North Stake was created on July 2nd from a division of the Ponta Grossa Brazil Stake (created in 1980) and the Ponta Grossa Brazil Campos Gerais Stake (created in 1997). Two branches formerly assigned to the Brazil Curitiba Mission were also assigned to the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the América, Campus, Castro, Esplanada, and Ponta Grossa 2nd Wards and the Telêmaco Borba and Tibagi Branches. The new stake is the Church's third stake in Ponta Grossa which has a population of approximately 351,000 people.

The Curitiba Brazil Campo Comprido Stake was organized on July 16th from a division of the Curitiba Brazil Iguaçu Stake (created in 1984) and the Curitiba Brazil Novo Mundo Stake (created in 1994). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Campo Comprido, Campo Largo, Ferraria, Jardim Gabineto, and the Solene Wards. The new stake is the Church's 14th stake in the Curitiba metropolitan area. The Church most recently crated a new stake in the Curitiba area in 2018.

The Jaraguá do Sul Brazil Stake was organized on July 16th from a division of the Joinville Brazil South Stake (created in 2014) and the Navegantes Brazil Stake (created in 2020). Currently, only the following three wards and one branch are assigned to the new stake per the Church's meetinghouse locator website, namely the Baependi, Jaraguá do Sul 1st, and Jaraguá do Sul 2nd Wards and the Barra Velha Branch, suggesting that the creation of additional congregations in the new stake is probably imminent or other units from nearby stakes will be reassigned to the new stake. This has been a similar trend in the Church recently to create a new stake and later have branches advance into wards or create new wards to have the stake had more units (such as recently in Nairobi, Kenya and in Lomé, Togo). 

There are now 284 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Utah

Two new stakes were created in Utah on June 11th. The Saratoga Springs Utah Quailhill was organized from the Saratoga Springs Utah Mount Saratoga Stake (organized in 2016) and includes the following six wards: the Lexington Green, Quailhill 1st, Quailhill 2nd, Quailhill 3rd, Quailhill 4th, and the Talus Ridge 1st Wards. The Saratoga Springs Utah Riverside Stake was created from the Saratoga Springs Utah Mount Saratoga Stake, the Saratoga Springs Utah Saratoga Hills Stake (organized in 2017), and the Saratoga Springs Utah Springside Stake (organized in 2020) and includes the following seven wards: the Neptune Park, Riverside 1st, Riverside 2nd, Saratoga Springs 10th, Sunset Haven, Thunder Ridge, and the Wander Wards. This marks a rare instance when one stake was divided as part of creating two additional stakes (although there are a couple instances in Church history in modern times when one stake was divided to create two new stakes without any other stakes being involved in the process). 

One stake was discontinued in Utah. The Salt Lake Jordan Stake (organized in 1977) was discontinued. Of the five wards in the former stake, only the Jordan 8th Ward (Spanish) was discontinued. The remaining wards were renamed and reassigned to the Salt Lake Jordan North Stake, the Taylorsville Utah North Central Stake, and the Taylorsville Utah South Stake. 

With these changes, there are now 629 stakes and 2 districts in Utah.

Nigeria

The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria. The Nsit Ubium Nigeria Stake was created from a division of the Ukat Aran Nigeria Stake (organized in 1999 and previously called the Nsit Ubium Nigeria Stake until renamed the Ukat Aran Nigeria Stake years later) and the Uyo Nigeria South Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Ekpene Ukim, Ikot Ekwere, Ikot Esen, Ikot Eyo 1st, Ikot Eyo 2nd, Ikot Eyo 3rd, Ikot Ubo, and the Ndikpo Atang Wards. The new stake operates within one of the first areas in Nigeria where an official Church presence was established, with many villages and small towns having branches organized in 1979. Rapid growth has occurred for the Church in this area of Nigeria in recent years, particularly to the north in Uyo during the past 2-4 years, with the division of both remaining Uyo stakes appearing imminent (the Uyo Nigeria Stake currently has 12 wards, whereas the Uyo Nigeria Ibiono Stake currently has 11 wards and 2 branches). 

There are now 69 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria. Currently, there are approximately 14 stakes that appear likely to divide in the immediate future due to large numbers of wards. Thus, the number of stakes in Nigeria appears likely to surpass 80 within the next 1-2 years.

Ghana

A new district was created in Ghana on the border with Togo. The Dzodze Ghana District was created from four mission branches in the Ghana Accra West Mission. The new district includes the Aflao, Akatsi, Dzodze, and Penyi Branches - all of which have been organized since 2015. This area of Ghana on the border with Togo and in the southern Volta Region has long been a lesser-reached area of the country by the Church notwithstanding relatively close proximity to Accra.

Tanzania

A new district was created in Tanzania, marking the third new district created in Tanzania during the past 12 months. The Mwanza Tanzania District was created from three mission branches located in the Mwanza area, including the Buhongwa, Mwanza, and the Nyegezi Branches. There are now four districts in Tanzania.

Turkey 

The Church recently unassigned Turkey from what was previously known as the Central Eurasian/Bulgaria Mission to the Europe Central Area. Branches in Turkey are now organized into a district called the Europe Central Area District. The district includes the following seven non-sensitive branches: the Adana Military (English), Ankara, Antalya, Isparta (Persian), Istanbul 1st, Istanbul 2nd (English), and Izmir Branches. The Church previously operated a branch in Gaziantep which closed in early 2023 and appears now to function as a group. Reports from local members indicate that no full-time missionaries have been permitted to serve in the country for multiple consecutive years, and that Turkish-speaking missionaries in Germany now teach and prepare prospective converts via online teaching. This appears to mark the first time a district has ever been organized in Turkey. There were 658 members in Turkey as of year-end 2022. Some of Turkey outside of the new district is assigned to the Europe Central Area Branch.

England

Two stakes were discontinued in the London area in June, namely the London England Wandsworth Stake (organized in 1978) and the Maidstone England Stake (organized in 1978). One ward in the Maidstone England Stake (Selsdon) was reassigned to the Crawley England Stake, whereas the remainder of the wards in the former Maidstone England Stake were reassigned to the Canterbury England Stake (which now has 11 wards). However, three of the wards in the former London England Wandsworth Stake were discontinued. 

There are now 41 stakes in the United Kingdom.

Missionary Developments From Recent 2023 New Mission Presidents Training Seminar

The Church News recently published articles regarding comments Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made during the recent 2023 New Mission President seminar in regard to recent missionary developments in the global Church. These included:

• The number of full-time, proselytizing missionaries serving worldwide increasing from 57,000 in April 2022 to 67,800 in early June 2023 (click here for article). This time frame was provided because President Nelson reemphasized the need for young men to serve full-time missions in April 2022 in General Conference. The last time the Church had this many members serving full-time missions was in 2016 when there were 70,946 full-time missionaries serving at the end of the year (which was at the tail-end of the double-cohort of full-time missionaries caused by the lowering of the minimum age for missionary service). There were approximately 67,000 or fewer full-time missionaries serving between 2017 and 2022.
  
• The number of full-time, proselytizing missionaries serving worldwide is anticipated to reach as high as 72,000 by the end of 2023 (click here for article). This increase has occurred even though there is a smaller demographic of mission-aged young adults in the Church (which is supported by historical children-of-record annual increase numbers, which did not surpass 100,000 until 2008), suggesting an increasing percentage of young single adults serving full-time missions. Although it is unclear what the current percentage of young men serving full-time missions is, "Researchers found that in the early 1940s approximately five percent of young men served missions and that this statistic increased to 20% in the late 1940s and 30% in the early 1960s. Between the early 1960s and early 1980s the percentage of young men serving missions varied from 25-35% and was 32% in 1981 (click here for reference). 
• Recently, the number of weekly mission applications received that require processing by apostles for mission assignment has increased from approximately 150-200 to up to 300. Typically, two apostles complete the weekly processing and assignment of mission applications. However, as many as four apostles have been required to complete this weekly task due to the influx in applications (click here for article).
  
• Convert baptisms for the worldwide Church were up 25% during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022 (click here for article). If this rate continues for the rest of the year (i.e., if there are 25% more convert baptisms in 2023 compared to 2022), there would be 265,215 convert baptisms for the year - the highest reported by the Church since 2014 when there were 296,803 convert baptisms.
  

It is unclear what particular age/gender demographics or world regions are driving recent increases in full-time missionaries serving and higher numbers of convert baptisms than what has been seen in recent years. It will likely take years before we begin to see congregational growth rates and the creation of new stakes accelerating if these recent trends are continued. The increase in convert baptisms is unsurprising given missions have returned to "business as usual" with strategies that often result in the greatest growth of the Church, especially with the opening of previously unreached cities to proselytism and creating new congregations in these locations (which primarily occurs in Africa, the Philippines, and Latin America). Moreover, increases in full-time missionaries serving should produce higher numbers of convert baptisms. However, the most interesting and positive development with these few statistics shared by Elder Cook is that the percentage of young single adults serving full-time missions appears to be increasing - something that could have some major long-term impacts on general church growth trends, particularly those in regard to natural increase. Moreover, if these trends are sustained, we will likely see many new missions organized in 2024 to help accommodate this increase, and it appears most likely that these mission resources will be allocated to more productive areas rather than creation new missions in less productive areas with greater preexisting Church infrastructure (which occurred in many areas of the world in 2013 when huge increases in the numbers of full-time missionaries serving required a fast solution to find a place to put them all). 

New Stakes Created in Utah (3), Oklahoma (2), Peru (2), the Dominican Republic, the DR Congo, Ecuador, Idaho, Mozambique, North Carolina, Togo, and Washington; New District Created in the DR Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (4), Florida (2), England, and Oregon; Districts Discontinued in Russia (3), Romania (2), Australia, Belarus, and Fiji

Utah

There new stakes were created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Lehi Utah Cold Spring Ranch was created on March 19th from the Lehi Utah Holbrook Farms Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Cold Spring Ranch 1st, the Cold Spring Ranch 2nd, the Evans Farm, the Hardman Farms, the Holbrook Farms 2nd, and the Holbrook Farms 3rd Wards. There are now 20 stakes in Lehi.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Porter's Crossing was created on April 16th from the Eagle Mountain Utah East Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Brookhaven, the Chilton Park, the Kiowa Valley, the Liberty Farms, the Porter’s Crossing, the Ranches Parkway 2nd (Spanish), the Skyline Ridge, and the South Pass Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The West Haven Utah North Stake was created on May 21st from the Ogden Utah West Stake and the West Haven Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Riverbend, the Wilson 2nd, the Wilson 3rd, the Wilson 4th, and the Wilson 5th Wards and the Park (Care Center) and Water Tower (Correctional Facility) Branches.

The Salt Lake Foothill Stake (organized in 1957) was discontinued. The stake had five wards and one branch prior to its closure. One of the five wards was discontinued, and the retained congregations were reassigned to the Salt Lake Hillside Stake (renamed Salt Lake Wasatch Stake).

The Salt Lake Cottonwood Heights Stake (organized in 1978) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Three wards closed as part of the stake consolidation. Retained units were reassigned to the Cottonwood Heights Utah Brighton Stake, Salt Lake Butler West Stake, and the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake.

The Sandy Utah Crescent Park Stake (organized in 1987) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Two wards closed when the stake was discontinued. All retained congreations were reassigned to the Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake (which was renamed to Sandy Utah Dimple Dell Stake).

The Kearns Utah Western Hills Stake (organized in 1981) was discontinued. The stake had five wards prior to its closure, and none of the wards were discontinued. Wards in the former stake were reassigned to the Kearns Utah Stake and the Kearns Utah Central Stake.

There are now 628 stakes and 2 districts in Utah.

Oklahoma

Two new stakes were created in Oklahoma on May 7th. 

The Gore Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake (organized in 1978) and the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake (organized in 1978). The new stake is essentially a reinstatement of the Muskogee Oklahoma Stake which operated from 1983 until 1991 and which is the only stake to have ever been discontinued in Oklahoma. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Gore, Henryetta, McAlester, Muskogee, and Sallisaw Wards and the Eufaula, Poteau, and Talihina Branches.

The Owasso Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake (organized in 2014) and the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Claremore, Elm Creek, Lake Valley, Pryor, and Ranch Creek Wards and the Skiatook Branch. There are now three stakes in the Tulsa area

There are now 11 stakes in Oklahoma.

Peru

Two new stakes were created in Peru.

The Trujillo Perú Jerusalén Stake was organized on April 30th from a division of the Trujillo Perú Esperanza Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Arévalo, the El Milagro, the Jerusalén, the Los Robles, and the Nuevo Trujillo Wards. The new stake marks the first time since 1998 when a stake was organized in the city (there were three stakes created that year in Trujillo). There are now eight stakes in Trujillo.

The Iquitos Perú San Juan Stake was organized on May 21st from a division of the Iquitos Perú Nueve de Octubre Stake (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Avianca, Los Delfines, San Juan, Santa Clara, and Secada Wards and the Nauta Branch. There are now four stakes in Iquitos. The Church previously operated five stakes in Iquitos from 1995 until 1998 when two of the five stakes were discontinued (Iquitos Peru Mi Peru and Iquitos Peru Sachachorro - both of which did not operate in the area of the new stake in Iquitos but instead functioned in central and northern areas of the city). A temple was announced for Iquitos in April 2023.

There are now 115 stakes and 17 districts in Peru.

Dominican Republic 

A new stake was created in the Dominican Republic. The La Vega Dominican Republic Stake was created from the La Vega Dominican Republic District and a portion of the Santiago Dominican Republic East Stake on December 18th, 2022. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Conani, Jarabacoa, La Espanola, Los Framboyanes, Moca, and Primavera Wards. The new stake is actually a reinstated stake, as a stake previously operated in La Vega from 1998 until 2009 when it was discontinued and divided into three districts (La Vega, Bonao, and Cotuí). With seven stakes in the Santiago area now, the region appears likely to have a temple announced given distance to Santo Domingo.

There are now 22 stakes and 8 districts in the Dominican Republic.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

A new stake and a new district were created in the DR Congo. The Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo District on March 12th. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Kabanda, Kabidimba, Mboka, Ngandajika, and Tshioji Wards and the Kalubanda and Kasonji Branches. The original district in Ngandajika was created in 2016, and the first branch in the city was organized in 2008. 

The Kisangani Democratic Republic of the Congo District was created on April 1st. All six branches in the city that previously reported directly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo East Mission now pertain to the new district, including the Kabondo, Kisangani, Lubunga, Makiso, Mangobo, and Tshopo Branches. The Church created its first branch in Kisangani in 2015.

There are now 27 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Ecuador

A new stake was created in Ecuador. The Riobamba Ecuador Stake was created from the Riobamba Ecuador District on May 21st. All five branches in the former district (organized in 1992) became wards in the new stake, including the Bellavista, the Guaranda, the La Joya, the La Primavera, and the Los Álamos Wards. The area has appeared to have been preparing for some time to become a stake, as evidenced by the discontinuation of the short-lived Guaranda Ecuador District which operated from 2016-2019 with only two branches (which were merged into a single branch). 

There are now 44 stakes and 4 districts in Ecuador.

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on March 26th. The Caldwell Idaho Snake River Stake was created from a division of the Caldwell Idaho Stake and the Caldwell Idaho East Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Caldwell 16th, the Caldwell 4th, the Caldwell 6th, the Homedale 1st, the Homedale 2nd, the Marsing 1st, and the Marsing 2nd Wards and the Jordan Valley Branch. There are now three stakes in the Caldwell area.

There are now 138 stakes in Idaho.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on May 14th. The Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Stake and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Mananga, Manga Loforte, Maraza 1st, Mascarenha, Munhava, and Pioneiros Wards, and the Maraza 2nd  Branch. The new stake was primarily made from the Beira Mozambique Stake which had 145 men sustained to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood at the time of the conference. Moreover, the Church organized two new wards and one new branch when the new stake was created - all located within the newly organized stake. There are now three stakes in Beira (the two previous stakes were created in 2015 and 2017). A temple was announced for Beira in 2021. 

There are now six stakes and one district in Mozambique.

North Carolina

The Church organized a new stake in North Carolina on March 19th. The Wake Forest North Carolina Stake was organized from a division of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake and the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Falls Lake, Franklinton, Henderson, Knightdale 1st, Wake Forest 1st, Wake Forest 2nd, and Zebulon Wards and the Creedmoor and Knightdale 2nd  Branches. 

There are now 20 stakes in North Carolina.

Togo

A new stake was created in Togo on May 7th. The Lomé Togo Agoe Stake was created from a division of the Lomé Togo Be Stake (organized in 2013), the Lomé Togo Tokoin Stake (organized in 2017), and a mission branch (Tsevie). The new stake includes the following three wards and five branches: Agoe Nyive, the Apedokoe, and Kélegougan Wards, and the Adetikope, the Adidogome, the Djagble, the Sanguéra, and the Tsevie Branches. It is highly likely that not all branches that have become wards have been updated in the Church's meetinghouse locator or the advancement of more branches into wards will occur in the immediate future (similar to what was seen in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this year when a third stake was also created in that city). 

There are now three stakes in Togo.

Washington

A new stake was created in Washington on February 26th. The Richland Washington South Stake was created from the Kennewick Washington Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Badger Canyon, the Badger Mountain, the Grandridge, the Meadow Springs, the Rancho Reata, the Temple Meadow, and the Willowbrook Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Richland area.

There are now 60 stakes in Washington.

Florida

Two stakes were discontinued in Florida in May. The Fort Lauderdale Florida Stake (organized in 1970) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Coral Springs Florida Stake (organized in 1994) and the Miami Lakes Florida Stake (organized in 1998). The Miami Florida South Stake (organized in 1992) was combined with the Miami Florida Stake (organized in 2015). The Church in South Florida originally had four stakes between 2008 until 2014 when the Boynton Beach Florida Stake was organized followed by the Miami Florida Stake in 2015 (there were five stakes between 1998 and 2008 until the Spanish-speaking stake was discontinued in 2008). Each of the stakes had few congregations after the creation of these two stakes, and consequently, it appears that the Church has sought to strengthen the stakes by essentially reverting back to having only four stakes again in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. 

There are now 32 stakes in Florida.

England

The Church discontinued a stake in the London area in May. The Watford England Stake (organized in 1996) was discontinued and congregations in the stake were reassigned to the St Albans England Stake, the Thames Valley England Stake (was previously called the Reading England Stake), and the London England Hyde Park Stake. Local members report plans to discontinue two additional stakes in the area by mid-2023 in order to reduce the leadership burden on a small number of active members in the area. This marks the first time the Church in Europe has ever gone through a significant redistricting of stakes on this scale. Thus far, there have not been any significant consolidation of congregations, however. The Church in the United Kingdom has experienced steady decline in the number of congregations for decades, and these changes are unsurprising given this trajectory and efforts to create stakes with larger numbers of congregations with more active members than historical averages. The discontinuation of the Watford England Stake marks the second time a stake has been discontinued in the United Kingdom.

There are now 43 stakes in the United Kingdom.

Oregon 

A stake was discontinued in Oregon. The Milwaukie Oregon Stake (organized in 1979) was discontinued. Three of the five wards in the stake also closed, and the retained units were reassigned to the Oregon City Stake and the Portland Oregon Stake. The Church in the more central areas of Portland has experienced a rapid decline during the past decade. There has only been one other instance of a stake being discontinued in Oregon, and this was the Portland Oregon East Stake in 2015. 

There are now 34 stakes in Oregon.

Russia

The Church discontinued three districts in Russia, including the Samara Russia District (organized in 2015 but previously operated and was reinstated in 2015), the Volgograd Russia District (originally organized in 2002, discontinued in 2013, and reinstated in 2015), and the Vladivostok Russia District (originally organized in 1996, but has gone through periods of being discontinued and reinstated). Branches in the former Samara Russia District and Volgograd Russia District were reassigned to the Saratov Russia Stake, whereas branches in the former Vladivostok Russia District now report directly to the Russia Novosibirsk Mission. The discontinuation of these districts has appeared to be the result of consolidating limited leadership and the closure of many branches in recent years which has accelerated as a result of religious freedom restrictions and the current war in Ukraine. 

There are now three stakes and three districts in Russia. In contrast, there were 3 stakes and 10 districts in 2018.

Romania

The Church consolidated its three districts in Romania into a single district in early 2023. The discontinued districts were the Bucharest Romania District (organized in 1982) and the Cluj-Napoca Romania District (organized in 2009). The Brașov Romania District now has 15 branches. A similar change was made in Poland in 2020 and may signal efforts to try to strengthen local leadership and perhaps create a stake at some point, although only a couple of branches appear large enough to become wards. The Church plans to reinstate the Romania Bucharest Mission (originally organized in 1993) next month after it was discontinued in 2018.

Australia

The Church discontinued the Norwa Australia District (organized in 1992) which has had three branches for many years. One branch closed as part of the changes (Ulladulla) which had only approximately 10 active members as of the mid-2010s. The two retained branches were reassigned to the Canberra Australia Stake which previously had only four wards and one branch (and has had this few units for decades). Moreover, the Norwa Branch was advanced into a ward, resulting in the realigned Canberra Australia Stake having five wards and two branches now. 

There are now 41 stakes and 6 districts in Australia.

Belarus

The Church discontinued the Minsk Belarus District which had two branches prior to its closure. The Vitebsk Branch closed as part of these changes. The Minsk Branch was reassigned to the Moscow Russia Stake and became a ward. There are now no districts in Belarus.

Fiji

The Church discontinued the Korovou Fiji District (organized in 2017) and the five branches in the district were reassigned to the Lautoka Fiji Stake and the Nausori Fiji Stake. No branches were discontinued as part of this district discontinuation.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake - June 2023 Edition

Below is an updated list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake. Membership totals are as of 2022 and congregational and district totals are current. Estimated membership for mainland China and Pakistan is provided as official statistics are unavailable. The number of branches in mainland China is not provided due to the sensitive nature of the Church in that country. Previous lists of the countries with the most members without a stake can be found here.

1. China - 12,500 members? - 12 districts
2. Malaysia - 10,829 members - 25 branches - 5 districts
3. Guyana - 6,645 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
4. Belize - 5,534 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
5. Pakistan - 5,500 members? - 15 branches - 3 districts
6. Malawi - 3,872 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
7. Armenia - 3,546 members - 5 branches - 1 district
8. Romania - 3,082 members - 15 branches - 1 district
9. Tanzania - 2,999 members - 22 branches - 3 districts
10. Cameroon - 2,721 members - 15 branches - 2 districts
11. Bulgaria - 2,398 members - 7 branches - 0 districts
12. Eswatini - 2,198 members - 6 branches - 1 district
13. Poland - 2,184 members - 11 branches - 1 district
14. Ethiopia - 2,075 members - 8 branches - 1 district
15. Cook Islands - 1,862 members - 5 branches - 1 district
16. Suriname - 1,797 members - 6 branches - 1 district
17. Sri Lanka - 1,662 members - 5 branches - 1 district
18. Lesotho - 1,474 members - 6 branches - 1 district 
19. Macau - 1,456 members - 2 branches - 1 district 
20. Solomon Islands - 1,375 members - 5 branches, 1 district

As noted in the list from 2022, prospects appear most favorable for the formation of stakes within the next few years in mainland China, Malaysia, Guyana, Belize, Pakistan, Swaziland, and Cameroon as all of these countries have at least one district that is close to reaching the minimum qualifications for a stake to operate. Tanzania also appears a likely candidate for a stake in the near future since most members live in Dar Es Salaam and there has been rapid growth in the country for the past 1-2 years. There are too few members and growth rates are too slow for stakes to be likely in the next couple years in Sri Lanka, the Solomon Islands, and Lesotho. Low member activity rates, an insufficient number of branches in individual member districts, slow or stagnant growth, and few full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders will likely continue to delay the organization of stakes in other countries for several more years to come.

United States Congregational Growth by State: 2022 vs 2020-2021

See below for US states/District of Columbia by net change in congregations for the year 2022. Membership growth rates by state can be found here. Congregational growth rates often provide insights into changes in active membership, albeit this is far than a perfect metric for ascertaining active membership. For instance, new congregations may be organized to accommodate a specific language group or demographic such as young single adults without a noticeable increase in the number of active members in a particular area. Moreover, congregations may be consolidated after years for slow decline or due to members moving away from a particular area. Nevertheless, trends in congregational growth over time often provide the greatest insight into active membership changes given congregations must meet certain requirements for active membership to operate.

1. Utah    +37
2. Texas    +7
3. Michigan    +3
4. Arkansas    +2
5. Indiana    +2
6. Montana   +2
7. North Carolina    +2
8. South Carolina   +2
9. Tennessee    +2
10. Alaska    +1
11. Hawaii    +1
12. Minnesota    +1
13. Missouri    +1
14. New York    +1
15. South Dakota    +1
16. West Virginia    +1
17. Wisconsin    +1
18. Alabama    0
19. Delaware    0
20. District of Columbia    0
21. Florida    0
22. Idaho    0
23. Kansas    0
24. Kentucky    0
25. Maine    0
26. Massachusetts    0
27. Mississippi    0
28. Nebraska    0
29. New Hampshire    0
30. New Mexico    0
31. North Dakota    0
32. Oklahoma    0
33. Rhode Island    0
34. Vermont    0
35. Wyoming    0
36. Connecticut    -1
37. Iowa    -1
38. Louisiana    -1
39. Maryland    -1
40. New Jersey    -1
41. Pennsylvania    -1
42. Virginia    -1
43. Illinois    -2
44. Ohio    -2
45. Georgia    -3
46. Colorado    -4
47. Oregon    -5
48. Nevada    -9
49. Arizona    -10
50. Washington    -32
51. California    -55

In contrast, see below for the net change in congregations by state for the two-year period of 2020-2021:

1. Utah    +146
2. Idaho    +32
3. Florida    +15
4. Arizona    +14
5. Texas    +14
6. Nevada    +12
7. Virginia    +12
8. Maryland    +6
9. North Carolina    +6
10. South Carolina    +6
11. Missouri    +5
12. Kentucky    +4
13. Colorado    +3
14. Georgia    +3
15. Iowa    +3
16. New York    +3
17. Arkansas    +2
18. New Jersey    +2
19. Ohio    +2
20. Tennessee    +2
21. Connecticut    +1
22. Hawaii    +1
23. Montana    +1
24. Wyoming    +1
25. Alabama    0
26. Alaska    0
27. Delaware    0
28. District of Columbia    0
29. Maine    0
30. Massachusetts    0
31. Michigan    0
32. Nebraska    0
33. New Hampshire    0
34. North Dakota    0
35. Oklahoma    0
36. Rhode Island    0
37. South Dakota    0
38. Vermont    0
39. Wisconsin    0
40. Illinois    -1
41. Kansas    -1
42. Minnesota    -1
43. Mississippi    -1
44. New Mexico    -1
45. Pennsylvania    -1
46. West Virginia    -1
47. Indiana    -2
48. Louisiana    -2
49. Oregon    -5
50. Washington    -23
51. California    -40
    

Mormon Land Podcast Episode

The Salt Lake Tribune invited me to do a podcast on the 2022 country-by-country membership statistical figures released earlier this month. The podcast can be accessed here.

Congregational Growth by Country in 2022

Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net increase of four or more units for the year 2022. The annual percentage increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also provided:

1. Philippines +16 (1.27% increase)
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo +14 (5.49% increase)
3. Mexico +14 (0.76% increase)
   
4. Ghana +12 (3.52% increase)
5. Nigeria +11 (1.45% increase)
6. Tanzania +10 (76.9% increase) 
7. Liberia +9 (15.5% increase) 
8. Mozambique +6 (12.0% increase) 
9. Papua New Guinea +5 (5.75% increase) 
10. Chile +4 (0.70% increase) 
11. Republic of the Congo +4 (14.3% increase) 
12. Sierra Leone +4 (4.65% increase) 

The net increase in the number of wards and branches in these 12 countries totals 124; a larger number than the net increase in the number of wards and branches for the entire Church for 2022 (15). Four countries experienced a net decrease of four or more units during 2022. Altogether, the net decrease in congregations in these four nations totaled 109. 

1. United States -62 (0.42% decrease)  
2. Russia -21 (23.3% decrease)  
3. Japan -20 (7.97% decrease)
4. Canada -6 (1.20% decrease)

Previous lists for annual congregational growth by country are available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020-2021.

UPDATED: The 10 Countries with the Most Members without a Temple Announced, Under Construction, or in Operation - May 2023

I have updated the list of the countries with the most members without a temple using year-end 2022 membership totals. Temples that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are identified. Previous lists are also available for April 2022, March 2022, November 2020, April 2020, April 2019, October 2018, April 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007. Countries in Italics do not have a stake. Indonesia was removed from this list given the announcement of the Jakarta Indonesia Temple on April 2nd, 2023. Benin has since ascended to the list to replace Indonesia. Benin is the country on the list with the most recent Church establishment. The first branch created in Benin was organized in 2005.

 1. Uganda

• 20,693 members
• 3 stakes, 3 districts
• 37 congregations (18 wards, 20 branches)
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Nairobi Kenya Temple under construction)

2. Mongolia

• 12,477 members
• 2 stakes, 1 district
• 24 congregations (12 wards, 12 branches)
• Hong Kong China Temple (Shanghai China Temple announced)

3. Malaysia

• 10,829 members
• 0 stakes, 5 districts
• 25 congregations (25 branches)
• Hong Kong China Temple (Singapore Republic of Singapore Temple announced)

4. Marshall Islands

• 6,832 members
• 2 stakes
• 13 congregations (12 wards, 1 branch)
• Suva Fiji Temple (Tarawa Kiribati Temple announced)
  

5.  Jamaica

• 6,810 members
• 1 stake, 1 district
• 18 congregations (6 wards, 12 branches)
• Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple

6.  Guyana

• 6,645 members
• 0 stakes, 2 districts
• 12 congregations (12 branches)
• Caracas Venezuela Temple

7.  Togo

• 6,500 members
• 3 stakes
• 22 congregations (15 wards, 9 branches)
• Ghana Accra Temple

8.  Federated States of Micronesia

• 5,966 members
• 1 stake, 2 districts
• 23 congregations (5 wards, 18 branches)
• Cebu City Philippines Temple (Yigo Guam Temple scheduled for dedication)
  

9.  Benin

• 5,606 members
• 2 stakes
• 23 congregations (16 wards, 4 branches)
• Accra Ghana Temple (Lagos Nigeria Temple announced)
  

 10.  Belize

• 5,534 members
• 2 districts
• 12 congregations (12 branches)
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (Coban Guatemala Temple announced)

April 2023 Newsletter

 Click here to access the April 2023 newsletter for cumorah.com.

Membership Growth by US State for 2022

See below for a list of annual membership growth rates by each United States state for the year 2022. Previous lists are available for 2017, 2018, and the biennial period of 2020-2021. It is important to note that annual membership growth rates by state have mostly returned to trends seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with only eight states reporting a net decline in membership for the year (there were 22 during the 2020-2021 period, whereas there were 13 in 2018 and nine in 2017). The biggest unexpected development was that membership growth rates in Utah slowed significantly in 2022 compared to most previous years (usually about 1-2 percent a year, whereas this past year it was a mere 0.56% - probably the lowest membership growth rate ever reported for the Church in Utah). Most states returned to previous membership growth rates experienced during the 2010s or have reported more rapid membership growth than usual. These findings indicate that it is likely more Latter-day Saints are moving away from Utah and states with negative membership growth to these states with the highest membership growth rates and/or there has been an increase in convert baptisms in these states with the greatest membership growth. Some other states that had an unusual year for 2022 compared to recent years (in regard to annual membership growth rates) include New York (most rapid membership growth rate since 2008), Arkansas and Missouri (most rapid membership growth rates since 2004), and South Carolina and Tennessee (most rapid membership growth rates since 2007). California is the only state that has consistently experienced a decline in membership for the most consecutive years (negative membership growth has occurred since 2014). The rate of membership decrease in California was highest during the 2020-2021 period (-2.84%), and membership decline has returned to rates seen shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic (it was -0.81 in 2018 and -0.82 in 2022).

1. Arkansas    4.05%
2. Tennessee    3.55%
3. Missouri    3.43%
4. South Carolina    3.10%
5. North Carolina    2.73%
6. Alabama    2.54%
7. Florida    2.41%
8. New York    2.40%
9. Oklahoma    2.06%
10. Kentucky    2.03%
11. Texas    1.96%
12. Kansas    1.85%
13. North Dakota    1.77%
14. South Dakota    1.74%
15. Rhode Island    1.59%
16. Georgia    1.57%
17. Minnesota    1.53%
18. Connecticut    1.36%
19. Wisconsin    1.31%
20. Ohio    1.28%
21. Indiana    1.23%
22. Mississippi    1.15%
23. New Jersey    1.09%
24. District of Columbia    1.02%
25. Alaska    0.97%
26. Massachusetts    0.95%
27. Illinois    0.85%
28. Montana    0.83%
29. Michigan    0.80%
30. Iowa    0.79%
31. Virginia    0.72%
32. Nebraska    0.69%
33. West Virginia    0.67%
34. Maine    0.61%
35. Louisiana    0.60%
36. Idaho    0.56%
37. Utah    0.56%
38. Wyoming    0.51%
39. New Hampshire    0.32%
40. Delaware    0.32%
41. Arizona    0.27%
42. Hawaii    0.13%
43. Pennsylvania    0.08%
44. Maryland    -0.03%
45. New Mexico    -0.06%
46. Colorado    -0.20%
47. Nevada    -0.33%
48. Vermont    -0.52%
49. Oregon    -0.62%
50. Washington    -0.78%
51. California    -0.82%

See below for a list of states ranked by total membership as of year-end 2022:

1. Utah    2,173,560
2. California    728,995
3. Idaho    473,894
4. Arizona    439,411
5. Texas    378,281
6. Washington    281,389
7. Nevada    181,975
8. Florida    168,527
9. Oregon    150,207
10. Colorado    148,708
    
11. Virginia    97,449
12. North Carolina    94,018
13. Georgia    89,285
14. New York    84,857
15. Missouri    77,959
16. Hawaii    74,952
17. New Mexico    69,055
18. Wyoming    67,797
19. Ohio    63,814
20. Tennessee    57,422
21. Illinois    57,015
22. Pennsylvania    52,193
23. Oklahoma    51,847
24. Montana    51,715
25. Indiana    46,823
26. Michigan    45,547
27. South Carolina    44,230
28. Maryland    43,296
29. Alabama    39,832
30. Kansas    39,356
31. Kentucky    37,830
32. Arkansas    35,405
33. New Jersey    34,536
34. Alaska    33,574
35. Minnesota    33,365
36. Louisiana    29,727
37. Iowa    28,697
38. Massachusetts    28,197
39. Wisconsin    27,943
40. Nebraska    25,229
41. Mississippi    22,189
42. West Virginia    17,294
43. Connecticut    15,838
44. South Dakota    11,494
45. North Dakota    11,487
46. Maine    11,054
47. New Hampshire    8,996
48. Delaware    5,613
49. Vermont    4,631
50. Rhode Island    4,351
51. District of Columbia    3,168
     

Country-by-Country Membership Statistics Released for 2022

The Church has released year-end 2022 membership and congregation totals for most nations with a reported Church presence. These statistics can be accessed on Church's official website at https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics. Only Samoa and Russia were omitted from the analysis below because either membership data were not reported for year-end 2021 (Russia) or the Church had not updated its membership figure for 2021 (Samoa) and consequently it is unclear how much membership increased for the year 2022.

Countries with the highest annual membership growth rates for 2022 are listed below. Lists for nations with the most rapid annual membership growth rates are also available for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. A list of the biennial membership growth rates for countries between year-end 2019 to year-end 2021 can be found here. The percentage next to the country name for the list below is the annual membership growth rate for 2022. Countries in bold experienced a membership increase greater than 200 during 2022

1. Burundi - 50.7% - 1,240
2. Rwanda - 36.9% -1,154
3. Tanzania - 29.9% - 2,999
   
4. Mozambique - 18.6% - 18,443
   
5. Benin - 17.7% - 5,606
6. Republic of the Congo - 16.1% - 11,481
   
7. Iceland - 15.4% - 382
8. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 15.4% - 102,862
9. Turkey - 14.8% - 658
10. Angola - 14.4% - 4,760
11. Liberia - 14.1% - 20,335
    
12. Cameroon - 13.0% - 2,721
    
13. Kazakhstan - 11.7% - 229
14. Namibia - 11.2% - 1,110
15. Sierra Leone - 10.6% - 28,867
16. Bahrain - 10.5% - 252
17. Dominica - 10.3% - 160
    

The following is a list of the top ten countries with the highest negative membership growth rates (i.e., fastest rate of membership decline) during 2022. The percent growth rate is provided next to the country name, and the number to the right of the percentage growth rate is the year-end 2022 membership total for the country.

1. Ukraine - -7.8% - 10,344
   
2. Singapore - -2.9% - 3,202
   
3. Isle of Man - -2.4% - 281
   
4. Republic of Georgia - -2.3% - 252
   
5. Federated States of Micronesia - -2.3% - 5,966
   
6. Marshall Islands - -2.1% - 6,832
   
7. Netherlands - -1.9% - 9,185
   
8. Cook Islands - -1.6% - 1,862
   
9. Slovakia - -1.3% - 305
10. Martinique - -1.1% - 258
    

Below is a list of the top ten countries by numerical membership net increase for 2022. Each country is provided with the numerical national increase in membership for the year. Additionally, the percentage of total church membership increase that is accounted for by each country is provided (i.e., a percentage of the world membership increase for 2022 that is within that country). Lists are also available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. A list of the biennial period of 2020-2021 is also available. 65.3% of the 2022 net increase in Church membership can be attributed to the following 10 nations.

1. United States - 41,009 - 20.8%
2. Philippines - 20,209 - 10.3%
3. Brazil - 16,283 - 8.3%
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 13,726 - 7.0% 
5. Nigeria - 9,953 - 5.1%
6. Mexico - 9,424 - 4.8%
7. Peru - 5,530 - 2.8%
8. Ghana - 5,416 - 2.7%
9. Bolivia - 3,699 - 1.9%
10. Ecuador - 3,453 - 1.8%

Below is a list of the top ten countries by numerical membership decrease for the biennial period of 2020-2021. Each country is provided with the numerical national decrease in membership for this two-year period. There were only six countries that experienced a net decreased by 100 or more during 2022.

1. Ukraine - -872
2. Hong Kong - -248
3. Puerto Rico - -230
4. Netherlands - -180
5. Marshall Islands --145
6. Federated States of Micronesia - -141
   

ANALYSIS OF COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY MEMBERSHIP FIGURES FOR 2022

Here is an analysis of these numbers:

First, annual membership growth rates significantly accelerated for many countries where the Church has historically experienced rapid membership growth in comparison to not only during 2020-2021 but also during 2019, 2018, and 2017. This indicates that annual membership growth rates have not only returned to previous levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in many of the nations where the Church usually reports its most rapid growth, but that membership growth rates have actually increased since prior to the pandemic. In 2019, there were only 11 countries where church membership increased by 10% or more during the year (and only 11 in 2018 and 13 in 2017), whereas there were 17 countries where church membership increased by 10% or more during 2022. There were also three countries which had an annual membership growth rate of 20% or more during 2022 (all of which had over 1,000 members by the end of the year), whereas in 2019 there were only two countries that had an annual membership growth rate of more than 20% (and one of these had only 36 members at the end of the year). Even more impressive, there were only two countries with 10,000 or more members in 2019 where the annual membership growth rate was at least 10% during the year (Mozambique and the DR Congo), whereas there were five countries with 10,000 or more members in 2022 that had an annual membership growth rate of 10% or more during the year (Mozambique, the Republic of the Congo, the DR Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). The last year there were at least five countries with at least 10,000 members when annual membership growth rates exceeded 10% for the year was in 2014 (and the countries where Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, the DR Congo, Cape Verde, and Nigeria). To put this into perspective, there were some years in the 2000s (such as 2007 and 2008) when there were no countries with at least 10,000 membership that had an annual membership growth rate of at least 10%. Moreover, this also marks the first time in 30 years since the Church has achieved an annual membership growth rate of 10% of higher in a country (i.e., the DR Congo) where there are at least 100,000 members (the last time this occurred was in Ecuador in 1992-1993). 

Second, Africa stands out as the world region where the majority of the most rapid membership growth occurs. Of the 17 countries that had an annual membership growth rate of 10% or more, 12 were in Africa. Also, all five countries outside of Africa where Church membership increased by 10% or more have fewer than 1,000 members. In Africa, the countries that have stood as consistent high performers for rapid membership growth rates in the past decade include Angola, Benin, the DR Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. Outside of Africa, there are few countries that regularly have annual membership growth rates of 10% or more (and nearly all of these have very few members), but these nations include Turkey, the Solomon Islands (which experienced stagnant growth in 2022 primarily due to no missionaries assigned to the country), and Tuvalu (which also experienced stagnant growth in 2022, although it is unclear whether this may be because the membership figure was not updated since it is identical for 2021).

Third, membership growth is becoming more equalized among countries in the world than it used to be. In 2008, 77% of membership growth in the worldwide Church occurred just in 10 countries (the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia). However, only 65% of membership growth in the worldwide Church occurred in the 10 countries with the highest net increases in Church membership during the year 2022. A more distributed membership growth dynamic has been a function of two processes: 1. Countries the most members have experienced decelerating growth and 2. some countries with small to medium size membership are growing at the same rate of more rapidly. For example, the Church in Mexico (country with the second most members) reported its slowest annual membership growth rate (0.63%) in over 70 years in 2022, and the Church in Brazil (country with the third most members) reported one of its slowest membership growth rates ever (1.1%) in 2022.

Fourth, countries with annual membership growth rates of 5.0-9.9% generally follow the same trends as countries with 10% or more annual membership growth. In 2022, there were 16 countries where membership growth increased within this rage of which 11 were in Africa. The countries that were not in Africa included Malta (9.4% annual membership growth rate), Cyprus (9.4%), Israel (8.0%), Montenegro (6.7%), and Guernsey (5.3%) - all of which had fewer than 1,000 members. Most of these nations have previously ranked among countries with the most rapid membership growth rates in the past 15 years, albeit these nations also often have wide fluctuations in growth (including decline). 

Fifth, annual membership growth rates in the United States slightly increased in 2022 compared to recent years. Membership in the United States increased by 0.61% in 2022, whereas the Church reported an increase of 0.62% for the two-year period including 2020 and 2021 (suggesting the annual membership growth rate was likely around 0.30% for these years assuming the rate of growth was constant during that time). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church reported annual membership growth rates of 0.59% in 2019 and 0.60% in 2018. Annual membership growth rates in the United States remain far below previous years which averaged 1.0-1.5% in the early to mid 2010s and 1.5-2.0% in the 1990s and 2000s. 

Sixth, there were several "anomaly" countries where membership growth trends in 2022 were significantly different than what has been typically seen in recent years. Here are a few of some of the notable examples I found browsing the data. In Spain, the annual membership growth rate (3.37%) was the highest reported by the Church since 2010. This is an impressive development considering the Church in most of Europe experiences essentially stagnant growth (or slight decline). In Kenya, the Church also reported its most rapid membership growth (9.6%) seen since 2010. In Burundi, Church membership increased by approximately 50% - the most rapid growth seen since 2013. In Ukraine, the Church reported a significant decline of 7.8% which was caused primarily by Ukrainian Latter-day Saints leaving the country due to the war. The Church published figures for the number of members in Russia as of year-end 2022 - the first time this has been done since 2017 when there were 23,252 members. However, the Church reported a mere 4,995 members as of year-end 2022. It is unclear whether this may be a reporting error or if this may reflect a mass exodus of Russian Latter-day Saints to other nations. However, this figure may be accurate given scores of congregations have closed in Russia since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Iceland, membership increased by 15.4% - the highest reported since 2001 (albeit, to put this into perspective, there were only 382 members on the records for Iceland as of year-end 2022).

New Temples Announced in April 2023 - Part III: Europe and North America

Hamburg Germany Temple

The Hamburg Germany Temple is the Church's third temple in Germany following the Freiberg Germany Temple (dedicated in 1985) and the Frankfurt Germany Temple (dedicated in 1987). The new temple will likely service only two stakes located in northern Germany. A third stake (Neumünster Germany Stake) used to operate in northern Germany, but the stake was closed in 2018 and consolidated with the Hamburg Germany Stake. The two stakes in northern Germany are now quite large in terms of the number of units and the geographical areas they cover (9 wards and 6 branches in the Hamburg Germany Stake, 7 wards and 5 branches in the Hannover Germany Stake). Moreover, one branch in the Hamburg Germany Stake recently became a ward. The Church has maintained a presence in Hamburg since 1852, and the Hamburg Germany Stake was organized in 1961. Stagnant growth has occurred for the Church in northern Germany for many decades. The Hamburg area is currently assigned to the Frankfurt Germany Temple which is an approximately 4-5 hour drive one way. There are approximately 40,000 Latter-day Saints in Germany. I added Hamburg to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

Lethbridge Alberta Temple

The Lethbridge Alberta Temple is the Church's fourth temple in Alberta following the Cardston Alberta Temple (dedicated in 1923), the Edmonton Alberta Temple (dedicated in 1999), and the Calgary Alberta Temple (dedicated in 2012). The new temple will likely service 8-9 stakes in southern Alberta, thereby greatly decreasing the size of the Cardston Alberta Temple district to perhaps as few as two stakes. The decision to announce a temple in Lethbridge was likely heavily influenced by improving accessibility to members who live in the four Lethbridge stakes. Lethbridge is a one-hour drive from Cardston. The new temple will also reduce the drive time to the temple for members other stakes nearby Lethbridge such as in Raymond, Taber, and Medicine Hat. The Church most recently organized a stake in Lethbridge in 2017 (a young single adult stake). The first stake was created in Lethbridge in 1951. Slow growth has occurred in southern Alberta for many decades. Lethbridge and nearby areas are assigned to the Cardston Alberta Temple district. There are nearly 200,000 Latter-day Saints in Canada. I added Lethbridge to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

San Jose California Temple

The San Jose California Temple is the Church's 11th temple to be built in California following the Los Angeles California Temple (dedicated in 1956), the Oakland California Temple (dedicated in 1964), the San Diego California Temple (dedicated in 1993), the Fresno California Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Redlands California Temple (dedicated in 2003), the Newport Beach California Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Sacramento California Temple (dedicated in 2006), the Feather River California Temple (announced in 2018 and scheduled for dedicate in late 2023), the Yorba Linda California Temple (announced in 2021), and the Modesto California Temple (announced in April 2022). The new temple will likely include nine stakes located in the San Jose area and south to Monterey. The first stake in the San Jose area was organized in 1946. The California San Jose Mission was organized in 1978. Steady decline has occurred in the San Jose area as several stakes have been discontinued within the past few decades. San Jose was one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the United States without a temple prior to the announcement. San Jose is approximately one hour away (in good traffic) from the Oakland California Temple where stakes in the San Jose area are currently assigned to attend. There were nearly 730,000 Latter-day Saints in California as of year-end 2022.

Bakersfield California Temple

The Bakersfield California Temple will be the Church's 12th temple in California. I have included Bakersfield on my more likely list of temple announcements for many years due to its distance from the Los Angeles California Temple (usually a 1.5-2.5 hour drive one way) which is the temple assigned for stakes in the Bakersfield area. The new temple will probably include six stakes - three of which are based in Bakersfield. The Church's first stake in Bakersfield was organized in 1951. The Church in Bakersfield has experienced very slow growth in the past two decades, and there have been only 1-2 congregations that have closed in the area within the past 15 years. The Church organized the California Bakersfield Mission in 2013.

Springfield Missouri Temple

The Springfield Missouri Temple is the Church's third temple in Missouri following the St. Louis Missouri Temple (dedicated in 1997) and the Kansas City Missouri Temple (dedicated in 2012). The new temple will likely service six stakes in southwestern Missouri. There are two stakes in Springfield (organized in 1973 and 1995) which appear likely to divide to create a third stake in the near future. Significant growth has occurred in this area of Missouri in the past 1-2 decades, and two of the six stakes in the area were organized in 2013 and 2014. Stakes in the area are currently assigned to the Kansas City Missouri Temple (an approximately three hour drive one way), although these stakes will likely be reassigned to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple when it is dedicated in September 2023 (a two hour drive one way). More than 75,000 Latter-day Saints live in Missouri. I added Springfield to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

Winchester Virginia Temple

The Winchester Virginia Temple is the Church's second temple in Virginia following the Richmond Virginia Temple (announced in 2018 and scheduled for dedication in May 2023). The announcement of a temple in Winchester came as a total shock to me given there are only two stakes in the area, and it is only approximately 1.5-2.0 hours by car from Winchester to the Washington DC Temple in Maryland. The one stake in Winchester was organized in 1977. The second stake likely to be assigned to the new temple is the Martinsburg West Virginia Stake which was organized in 2014. More than 97,000 Latter-day Saints live in Virginia.

Charlotte North Carolina Temple

The Charlotte North Carolina Temple is the Church's second temple in North Carolina following the Raleigh North Carolina Temple (dedicated in 1999). The new temple will likely include nine stakes - five of which are based in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Charlotte has numbered among the most likely locations to have a temple announced given a sizable number of stakes in the area that are 1.5-3.0 hours from temples in Raleigh and Columbia, South Carolina. The Church has experienced significant growth in the Charlotte area. The first stake in the city was organized in 1972 followed by additional stakes in 1986, 2006, 2018, and 2022. There were more than 94,000 Latter-day Saints in North Carolina as of year-end 2022.

Harrisburg Pennsylvania Temple

The Harrisburg Pennsylvania Temple is the Church's third temple in Pennsylvania followed by temples in Philadelphia (dedicated in 2016) and Pittsburgh (announced in 2020 and under construction). The new temple will likely service six stakes in central Pennsylvania. The oldest stake in the area was organized in 1979, whereas the newest stake was created in Gettysburg in 2021. Slow growth has occurred in the Harrisburg area where a mission used to operate until 2009. Stakes in the Harrisburg area pertain to the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple which is an approximately 2.0-2.5 hours one way by car. I added Harrisburg to the less likely locations for temple announcements in February 2023. There are approximately 52,000 Latter-day Saints in Pennsylvania.

New Temples Announced in April 2023 - Part II: Asia

Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple

The Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple is the Church's 11th temple in the Philippines following temples in Manila (dedicated in 1984), Cebu (dedicated in 2010), Urdaneta (announced in 2010), Alabang (announced in 2017), Cagayan de Oro (announced in 2018), Davao (announced in 2018), Bacolod City (announced in 2019), Tacloban City (announced in 2021), Naga (announced in October 2022), and Santiago (announced in October 2022). The new temple will likely service at least three stakes and two districts located in the lower Cauayan River valley, although it is possible the new temple may include an additional four stakes and two districts located on the northwestern tip of Luzon Island. Some stakes and a district in the upper Cauayan River valley may also be assigned to the new temple, although these stakes and this district are nearly equidistant between Tuguegarao and Santiago (where a temple was announced in October 2022). Steady growth has occurred in Tuguegarao City and in nearby cities during the past couple decades. Of the three stakes in the area, two of these stakes were organized in 2011 and 2019. The first stake was created in Tuguegarao in 1989. The first branch in Tuguegarao was created in 1980. There are only two stakes in Tuguegarao City. Currently, stakes in the Tuguegarao area are assigned to the Manila Philippines Temple district, although the area will be reassigned to the Urdaneta Philippines Temple (approximately a 7 hour drive) once it is completed likely sometime within the next 6-12 months. The Church reported more than 850,000 members in the Philippines as of year-end 2022.

Iloilo Philippines Temple

The Iloilo Philippines Temple is the Church's 12th temple in the Philippines. This marks the second time in Church history in the Philippines when two temples were announced on the same day (the first time occurred in October 2022). The new temple will likely service the five stakes and one district on Panay Island and the one district on Guimaras Island. There are three stakes in Iloilo City - one of which was organized in February 2023. The first stake was created in Iloilo City in 1985. The Church has generally experienced slow growth on Panay island. The first branch in Iloilo City was created in 1969. The Church organized the Philippines Iloilo Mission in 2010. Stakes and districts in the Philippines Iloilo Mission currently pertain to the Cebu City Philippines Temple district.

Jakarta Indonesia Temple

The Jakarta Indonesia Temple is the Church's first temple to be announced for Indonesia. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world with approximately 280 million people. There are approximately 7,500 Latter-day Saints, two stakes, and one district in Indonesia. Approximately 90% or more of Church membership in Indonesia is located on Java. The Jakarta Indonesia Stake was organized in 2011 and currently has 10 wards, whereas the Surakarta Indonesia Stake was organized in 2012 and currently has six wards and one branch. The Surabaya Indonesia District was organized in 1978 and has three branches. The Church in Indonesia has experienced very slow growth for several consecutive decades, although rapid membership and congregational growth initially occurred in the 1970s. The first branch in Indonesia was created in Jakarta in 2010. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission was first organized in 1975. Limited numbers of visas available for foreign full-time missionaries, a lack of a Church presence in more Christian areas of Indonesia, and decreasing numbers of native Indonesians serving full-time missions have all contributed to slow growth rates and essentially stagnant congregational growth that has persisted for decades.

March 2023 Monthly Newsletter

 Click here to access the March 2023 monthly newsletter for cumorah.com.

New Temples Announced in April 2023 - Part I: Latin America

Retalhuleu Guatemala Temple

The Retalhuleu Guatemala Temple is the Church's sixth temple announced for Guatemala following temples in Guatemala City (dedicated in 1984), Quetzaltenango (dedicated in 2011), Cobán (announced in 2019), Miraflores Guatemala City (announced in 2020), and Huehuetenango (announced in October 2022). Retalhuleu was added to the Potential New Temples map in February 2023. The new temple will likely service five stakes and one district, and one stake (Mazatenango) appears likely to divide in the near future as there are 11 wards and 2 branches in this stake (a second stake used to operate in Mazatenango from 1998 to 2008). Stakes in the area have experienced stagnant congregational growth with no appreciable numbers of new congregations being created or congregations being closed. The new temple will likely be a small temple given there are few stakes in the area. The Church created the Guatemala Retalhuleu Mission in 2010. The most recently organized stake in the likely new temple district was created in 1999 in Retalhuleu. The first stake in Retalhuleu was organized in 1980. Stakes in the Retalhuleu area are currently assigned to the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple (dedicated in 2011) which is a 90-minute drive from Retalhuleu. The Church reported 287,000 members in Guatemala as of year-end 2022.

Iquitos Peru Temple

Iquitos has been a location that has long been on the Potential New Temples map due to its remote location and three stakes in the city. The Iquitos Peru Temple is the Church's seventh temple in Peru following temples in Lima (dedicated in 1986), Trujillo (dedicated in 2015), Lima Los Olivos (announced in 2016), Arequipa (dedicated in 2019), Cusco (announced in April 2022), and Chiclayo (announced in October 2022). The new temple will likely service at least the three stakes in Iquitos which were organized in 1980, 1992, and 1995. Slow growth has occurred in the Peruvian Amazon in recent years, although two districts have advanced into stakes within the past several years. New congregations have been organized in recent years in Iquitos and Pucallpa. The Church used to operate two additional stakes in Iquitos (organized in 1985 and 1995) that were both discontinued in 1998. Currently, one of the stakes in Iquitos (Iquitos Peru Nueve de Octubre) appears likely to divide as there are 10 wards and 1 branch in the stake. It is also possible the new temple may service the two stakes up the Ucayali River in the city of Pucallpa and a stake and a district in San Martin Region. The Church created the Peru Iquitos Mission in 2013. Stakes in the Peruvian Amazon are currently assigned to the Lima Peru Temple. The Church reported 630,000 members in Peru as of year-end 2022.

Teresina Brazil Temple

The Teresina Brazil Temple is the Church's 19th temple in Brazil following temples in São Paulo (dedicated in 1978), Recife (dedicated in 2000), Porto Alegre (dedicated in 2000), Campinas (dedicated in 2002), Curitiba (dedicated in 2008), Manaus (dedicated in 2012), Fortaleza (dedicated in 2019), Rio de Janeiro (dedicated in 2022), Belem (dedicated in 2022), Brasília (announced in 2017, dedication scheduled for September 2023), Salvador (announced in 2018), São Paulo Brazil East (announced in 2020), Belo Horizonte (announced in April 2021), Vitória (announced in October 2021), Maceió (announced in April 2022), Santos (announced in April 2022), Londrina (announced in October 2022), and Riberão Prêto (announced in October 2022). The new temple will likely service seven stakes and two districts in the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Piauí. Steady growth has occurred in Teresina where the first stake was organized in 1993 followed by additional stakes organized in 2005 and 2016. Stakes in Teresina are currently assigned to the Fortaleza Brazil Temple which is an 8-hour drive one way, whereas stakes in Maranhão are assigned to the Belem Brazil Temple. The Church has regularly organized new congregations in Maranhão and Piauí. The Church organized the Brazil Teresina Mission in 2009. The Church reported nearly 1.5 million members in Brazil as of year-end 2022.

Natal Brazil Temple

The Natal Brazil Temple is the Church's 20th temple in Brazil. The announcement of the new temple marks the third time in Church history in Brazil when two temples were announced on the same day (the other such instances occurred in April 2022 and October 2022). The new temple will likely service the six stakes and one district in Rio Grande do Norte State. The Church has four stakes in Natal which were organized in 1992, 1998, and 2006 (2). The Church has had fluctuating growth rates in Rio Grande do Norte State during the past couple days, as some years have had rapid growth, whereas the Church has experienced slow or stagnant growth for other years. Stakes in Rio Grande do Norte are currently assigned to the Recife Brazil Temple except for the Mossoró Brazil Stake which is assigned to the Fortaleza Brazil Temple. The Brazil Natal Mission was organized in 2013.

15 New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct new temples in 15 cities. These cities include:

• Retalhuleu, Guatemala
• Iquitos, Peru
• Teresina, Brazil
• Natal, Brazil
• Tuguegarao City, Philippines
• Iloilo, Philippines
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Hamburg, Germany
• Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
• San Jose, California
• Bakersfield, California
• Springfield, Missouri
• Winchester, Virginia
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

With today's announcement, there are now 315 temples that are planned, under construction, or dedicated in the Church.

In the coming days, I will provide additional posts that conduct an analysis of each new temple announced.

2022 Statisical Report

This afternoon, the Church reported its annual statistical report as of December 31st, 2022.

• Membership: 17,002,461 (increase of 197,061 from 2021; a 1.17% annual increase)
• Congregations: 31,330 (increase of 15 from 2021; a 0.048% annual increase)
• Stakes: 3,521 (increase of 23 from 2021; a 0.66% annual increase)
• Districts: 517 (decrease of 3 from 2021; a 0.58% annual decrease)
• Missions: 411 (increase of 4 from 2020; a 0.98% annual increase)
• Convert Baptisms: 212,172 (increase of 43,889 from 2021; a 26.1% annual increase)
• Increase of Children on Record: 89,059 (decrease of 10 from 2021; a 0.01% annual decrease)
• Full-time missionaries: 62,544 (increase of 8,005 from 2021; a 14.7% annual increase)
• Church service missionaries: 29,806 (decrease of 6,833 from 2021; a 18.6% annual decrease)

For the first time, the Church has broken down church service missionaries from young church-service missionaries and senior church-service missionaries. The number of young church-service missionaries was 2,736, whereas the number of senior church-service missionaries was 27,070. 

Several observations with the 2022 Statistical Report.

First, the annual membership growth rate exceed 1% for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Church membership increased by 1.17% during 2022 which was only 0.04% less that the Church's annual membership growth rate in 2018. Thus, annual membership growth rates have returned to the approximate rates seen during the few years prior to the pandemic, although this still remains slightly lower than pre-COVID levels as annual membership growth rates were 1.54% in 2019 1.48% in 2017. Also, the discrepancy in the summation of converts baptized and children under age 8 added to church records and actual net increase in church membership was 104,170 - a typical number for this statistic during the past 10 years. This statistic indicates that the number of deaths, excommunications (loss of membership), resignations, and removal of unbaptized children of record ages 9 and older has remained static during the past 10 years despite church membership increasing from 14.8 million to 17.0 million.

Second, there was a large increase in convert baptisms in 2022 relative to the years 2021 and 2022. The year 2022 was the first time the number of converts baptized exceeded 200,000 since 2019 when there were 248,835 converts baptized. The difference between the number of convert baptisms in 2022 and the number of convert baptisms in 2021 was 43,889 - a slightly larger number than the difference in convert baptisms in 2021 versus the number of convert baptisms in 2020 which was 42,353. The annual number of convert baptisms in 2022 (212,172) has nearly recovered to pre-COVID levels, although the lowest year for the number of convert baptisms (2017) was still nearly 20,000 more than what was seen in 2022.

Third, the annual increase in children of record (i.e., the number of children added to church records who are too young to be baptized - usually a measurement of infants born and blessed during the year) was essentially unchanged for the year 2022 compared to 2021. The Church experienced a significant decrease in this statistic prior the COVID-19 pandemic which dropped from 122,273 in 2012 to 94,266 in 2019. A mere 65,440 children under age 8 were added to church records in 2020 - a statistic that appears attributed to fewer births during the year and members postponing baby blessings when these records are oftentimes created. The encouraging aspect of the 2022 figure for the increase in children of record is that this number has stabilized since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the figure for 2021 was not artificially higher due to postponed baby blessings which would have likely occurred in 2020 if there were no restrictions associated with the pandemic (in other words - seems unlikely the 2022 figure may be higher due to postponed baby blessings that should have occurred in 2020 or 2021 since there were few or no church meeting/health restrictions for most areas of the world during 2022 and for a good part of 2021 that would result in most members delaying baby blessings). 

Fourth, there was a significant increase in the number of full-time missionaries serving in 2022 (62,544) compared to 2021 (54,539) or 2020 (51,819). The Church reported 58,990 full-time missionaries at year-end 2012 which was a few months after the Church officially lowered its minimum age for full-time missionary service from 19 to 18 for men and 21 to 19 for women. Because of this change, there was a double-cohort of missionaries serving (i.e., those who planned to serve at the original previous minimum ages, those who decided to serve earlier than planned with the revised minimum age, those who decided to serve a mission when the minimum age was announced but who were not previously considering missionary service). As a result, the number of full-time missionaries mushroomed to an all-time annual high of 85,147 in 2014, but this statistic returned to a low of 65,137 in 2018. As of year-end 2019, the Church reported 67,021 full-time missionaries serving. Although the number of full-time missionaries serving remains below pre-COVID level in the late 2010s of approximately 65,000-70,000, the number of full-time missionaries is approaching these levels at an accelerated pace compared to 2021. 

Fifth, the Church reported an unusually low year for both the growth in the number of stakes and official congregations (i.e., wards and branches). The net increase in the number of wards and branches was a mere 15 for 2022 - the lowest net increase in wards and branches seen since 1953 when there was a net decline of 35 wards and branches. Years with unusually small net increases in wards and branches are not atypical in the present-day Church. For example, there was a net increase of a mere 30 wards and branches in 2018, and there was a net increase of 59 wards and branches in 2002. These years have been associated with a combination of significant congregation consolidations in one of more countries with a major church presence and few new congregations being created. In 2022, there was an unusually large number of wards that were discontinued in the United States, whereas there were relatively few new congregations created elsewhere in the world. Reports from members in many countries where high numbers of new congregations are usually created have indicated that there was often an emphasis on strengthening wards and branches, and that some congregations have not returned to pre-COVID levels in terms of church attendance (particularly in West Africa where many members have joined in the Church in the past 5-10 years). The abnormally low year in 2018 was primarily due to widespread congregation consolidations in Mexico, whereas the abnormally low year in 2002 was primarily due to widespread congregation consolidations in Latin America such as Chile. The net increase in the number of stakes in 2022 (23) was the lowest seen since 2003 when there was a net increase of 22 stakes. Relatively few new stakes have been organized since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a net increase of only 26 stakes in 2020 and 35 stakes in 2021. It has been common for stake creations to have almost a cyclical pattern of 3-6 years of more rapid growth followed by 3-6 years of slower growth. 

Trends in mission and district growth were unremarkable for 2022. 

Finally, there was a significant decline (18.6%) in the number of church-service missionaries in 2022 - 92% of whom were senior missionaries. I am not sure why this statistic declined so significantly in 2022, but this is a metric that often has much variability. Typically, the number of church-service missionaries has vacillated between 30,000 and 36,000 since 2014.