New Stakes Created in Utah (5), Chile (3), Cote d'Ivoire (2), California, Madagascar, Mexico, Missouri, Nigeria, South Carolina, and Zimbabwe; Stake Discontinued in Utah; Districts Discontinued in Australia (2), Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Mexico, and Micronesia

Utah

Five new stakes were recently organized in Utah.

The South Jordan Utah Highland Park Stake was organized on August 20th from the South Jordan Utah Garden Park Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Highland Park 1st, Highland Park 2nd, Highland Park 3rd, Highland Park 8th, Highland Park 9th, and Highland Park 10th Wards. 

The American Fork Utah Harbor Stake was organized on September 10th from the American Fork Utah South Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Harbor 1st, Harbor 3rd, Harbor 5th, Harbor 6th, Harbor 7th, Harbor 8th, and Harbor 9th Wards.

The Lewiston Utah Stake was organized on September 24th from the Richmond Utah Stake (organized in 1901) and the Benson Utah Stake (organized in 1978). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Cornish, Cove, Lewiston 1st, Lewiston 2nd, Lewiston 3rd, Lewiston 4th, and Trenton Wards.

The Lehi Utah North Lake Stake was organized on October 29th from the Lehi Utah Jordan River Stake (organized in 2003) and the Lehi Utah South Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Loch Lomond, North Lake 1st, North Lake 2nd, North Lake 3rd, North Lake 4th, North Lake 5th, and Saddle Ridge Wards.

The Lehi Utah Snow Springs Stake was organized on October 29th from the Lehi Utah Jordan River Stake (organized in 2003) and the Lehi Utah Jordan Willows Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Jordan Willows 1st, Jordan Willows 2nd, Jordan Willows 7th, Lehi 25th, Pioneer Crossing, Snow Springs, and Sommerset Wards. 

A stake was discontinued in Utah.

The Salt Lake Hunter South Stake (organized in 1985) was discontinued, which had six wards prior to its discontinuation - three of which were closed and absorbed into neighboring wards (including one Spanish-speaking ward). Retained units were reassigned to the Salt Lake Hunter Stake (organized in 1964) and the Salt Lake Hunter East Stake (organized in 1977). 

There are now 633 stakes and 2 districts in Utah. There have been six stakes discontinued in Utah in 2023 - more than any other year in the history of the Church in Utah. However, there has been a net increase of four stakes in Utah in 2023 as 10 new stakes have been organized.

Chile

Three new stakes were organized in Chile, marking the first time a new stake was organized in Chile since 2015. 2023 is the year with the most new stakes organized in Chile since 1998. The creation of the new stakes indicates there has been measurable improvement with increasing the number of active members in congregations in many areas of the country, which has also been supported by the creation of new wards and branches in the past 1-2 years. This has been a welcomed development after decades of essentially stagnant growth.

The Buín Chile Stake was organized on October 8th from the Buín Chile District. All six branches became wards in the new stake, and there are a total of six wards in the stake, including the Buín, Hospital, Linderos, Los Jardines, Paine, and Viluco Wards. The Buín Chile Stake is technically a reinstatement of a previous stake that once operated in Buín from 1995 until 2002 when it was discontinued and reorganized as a district. The original stake in 1995 had five wards and three branches. The Buín Chile District was first organized in 1984.

The Arauco Chile Stake was organized on October 15th from the Coronel Chile District (organized in 2002), the Lebu Chile District (organized in 2002), and the San Pedro Chile Stake (organized in 1981). The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Arauco, Camilo Olavarria, Cañete, Curanilahue, Lagunillas, Lebú, and Lota Wards and the Coronel 1st and Los Alamos Branches. Both the Coronel Chile District and Lebu Chile District previously operated as districts prior to being organized into separate stakes from 1997 until 2002. The original Coronel Chile Stake had seven wards and three branches when it was organized in 1997, and the Coronel Chile District had four branches prior to when the new stake was organized in Arauco. The original Lebu Chile Stake had six wards and three branches when it was organized in 1997, and the Lebu Chile District had four branches prior to when the Arauco Chile Stake was recently organized (click here for more information on the original stakes created in 1997). It is important to note that many of the wards in Chile in the late 1990s had few active members, necessitating the consolidation of hundreds of congregations in the early 2000s.

The Linares Chile Stake was organized on October 29th from the Linares Chile District (first organized as a stake in 1988, reorganized as a district in 2002 when the stake was discontinued). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Cauquenes, Las Delicias, Linares, Parral, and Valentin Letelier Wards and the Colbún and Longavi Branches. The district had seven branches prior to the creation of the new stake. 

There are now 77 stakes and 12 districts in Chile.

Cote d'Ivoire

Two new stakes were created in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Bouake Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized on August 20th from the Bouake Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2016), three wards formerly assigned to the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake (organized in 2015), and one mission branch (the Tiebissou Branch). The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Assabou, Bouake 1st, Bouake 2nd, Bouake 3rd, Habitat, and Morofe Wards and the Ahougnanssou, Bouake 4th, and Tiebissou Branches. 

The Man Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized on October 15th, 2023 from the Man Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2017), the Danané Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2019), and the Duekoue Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2019). The new stake has a total of seven wards and two branches, including the Bangolo 1st, Bangolo 2nd, Danané 1st, Danané 2nd, Grand Gbapleu, Mahapleu, and Man Wards and the Doyaguine and Logouale Branches. The Danané Cote d'Ivoire District had three branches and was discontinued as part of the new stake creation, as all three branches became wards in the new stake. Two of the four branches in the Man Cote d'Ivoire District became wards, and the two units transferred from the Duekoue Cote d'Ivoire District (Bangolo 1st and Bangolo 2nd) both became wards. 

The recent creation of new stakes in Cote d'Ivoire outside of Abidjan has tended to take multiple districts to create new stakes rather than waiting for a single district to become a stake. The other stakes that operate in Cote d'Ivoire outside of Abidjan include Yamoussoukro (organized in 2015), Daloa (organized in 2017), and Gagnoa (organized in 2022). There are now five stakes that operate outside of the greater Abidjan metropolitan area.

There are now 20 stakes and 13 districts in Cote d'Ivoire. In contrast, there were only five stakes and one district in Cote d'Ivoire 10 years ago.

California

The Church organized a new stake in California on October 22nd. The Capistrano Valley California Stake was organized from the San Clemente California Stake (4 wards), the Laguna Niguel California Stake (2 wards), and the Mission Viejo California Stake (1 ward). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Capistrano Beach, Capistrano, Covenant Hills, Dana Hills, Liberty Park, Marina Hills, and Tierra Grande Wards.

There are now 147 stakes in California. So far in 2023, no stakes have been discontinued in California.

Madagascar

The Church organized fourth stake in Madagascar (and third stake in Antananarivo) on October 22nd. The Antananarivo Madagascar Ampefiloha Stake was organized from the Antananarivo Madagascar Manakambahiny Stake (organized in 2000) and the Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the 67 Hectares, Ambohidrapeto, Ampefiloha, Ampitatafika, Anjanahary, Antananarivo, and Itaosy Wards. All these congregations previously operated as wards except the Ambohidrapeto Ward which previously was a branch. The Church announced the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple in October 2021. 

There are now four stakes and two districts in Madagascar.

Mexico

A new stake was created in Mexico. The México City El Lago Stake was organized from the México City Chimalhuacan District (organized in 2018 from the Mexico City La Perla Stake) and the Texcoco México District (organized in 2018 from the Mexico City Los Reyes Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Arboleda, Chiautla, Ciudad Alegre, Coatlinchan, Texcoco, and Xochitenco Wards. Three of the nine original branches in the two districts were discontinued when the new stake was organized.

There are now 228 stakes and 45 districts in Mexico.

Missouri 

A new stake was created in Missouri for the first time since 2017. The Chariton River Missouri Stake was organized on November 5th from the Columbia Missouri Stake (organized in 1970) and the Nauvoo Illinois Stake (organized in 1979). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Bear Creek, Kirksville 1st, Kirksville 2nd, Mexico, and Moberly Wards and the Hannibal and Macon Branches. 

There are now 19 stakes in Missouri. Several more new stakes appear likely to be organized in Missouri the immediate future due to years of steady increases in the number of wards. Stakes that appear likely to divide include stakes in Liberty (12 wards), Farr West (11 wards, 2 branches), Springfield South (11 wards, 1 branch), and Springfield (10 wards).

Nigeria

A new stake was organized in Nigeria. The Uyo Nigeria Central Stake was organized on August 20th from a division of the Uyo Nigeria Stake (organized in 2001) and the Uyo Nigeria Ibiono Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following 10 wards: the Akwa Ima Housing Estate, Ikot Ekpene Road, Ikot Mbon Ikono, Ikpa Road 1st, Itam 1st, Itam 2nd, Jonathan Boulevard, Nkemba,
Offot 1st, and Offot 2nd Wards. With perhaps only a couple previous exceptions, the number of wards in the new stake (10) appears the largest ever included in a newly organized stake in Church history. 

There are now 70 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria. There are many more stakes that appear likely to be organized in the immediate future in Nigeria, including from the Ikot Ekpene Nigeria Stake (11 wards, 1 branch), the Lagos Nigeria Yaba Stake (11 wards), the Umuahia Nigeria Stake (10 wards, 5 branches), the Eket Nigeria Stake (10 wards, 4 branches), the Benin City Nigeria Ugbowo Stake (10 wards, 3 branches), the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake (10 wards, 3 branches), the Calabar Nigeria North Stake (10 wards), and the Jos Nigeria District (8 branches).

South Carolina

A new stake was organized in South Carolina on October 22nd. The Hartsville South Carolina Stake was organized from the Columbia South Carolina Stake (organized in 1947) and the Conway South Carolina Stake (organized in 1968 and originally known as the Florence South Carolina Stake). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Camden, Elgin, Florence, Hartsville, and the Sumter Wards and the Cheraw Branch. 

There are now 10 stakes in South Carolina. One more stake appears likely to be organized in South Carolina within the foreseeable future from a division of the Charleston South Carolina Stake (10 wards, 3 branches).

Zimbabwe 

A new stake was organized in Zimbabwe. The Mutare Zimbabwe Stake was organized from the Mutare Zimbabwe District (organized in 2000). Information on which of the nine branches in the former district have become wards remains unavailable. Mutare is the fifth city in Zimbabwe to have had a stake organized.

There are now nine stakes and one district in Zimbabwe. Reports from Zimbabwean members indicate there are plans to organize two more stakes in Zimbabwe before the end of the year, with one new stake each in Harare and Bulawayo.

Australia

Two districts were discontinued in Queensland, Australia. 

The  Townsville Australia District (organized in 1964) was discontinued and consolidated with the Cairns Australia District (organized in 1974 and renamed North Queensland Australia District). No branches were discontinued as part of this consolidation, and there are now nine branches in the North Queensland Australia District. It is probable that this decision was made with the ambition to create a stake in north Queensland in the foreseeable future. 

The Rockhampton Australia District (organized in 1981) was discontinued and consolidated with the Sunshine Coast Australia Stake (organized in 1996). None of the four branches in the former Rockhampton Australia District were discontinued as part of these changes, and one of the branches (Rockhampton) was reorganized into a ward. No congregations were discontinued in the Sunshine Coast Australia Stake as part of these changes.

There are now 41 stakes and four districts in Australia.

Guatemala

The Serchil Guatemala District (1994) was discontinued and the three branches in the former district were all reassigned to the neighboring San Marcos Guatemala Stake (organized in 1984). No congregations were closed in either the former Serchil Guatemal District or in the realigned San Marcos Guatemala Stake. The decision to discontinue the district was probably due to stagnant growth for many decades, reasonably close proximity to be incorporated into a stake, and/or prospects for stake leaders to administer to local members in the area instead of mission leadership.

There are now 52 stakes and 12 districts in Guatemala.

Federated States of Micronesia

A district was discontinued in Micronesia. The Kosrae District (created in 1990) was discontinued, and the two branches in the district now are mission branches in the Micronesia Guam Mission. The decision to discontinue the district was probably to free up leadership to serve on a branch level and no reasonable prospects for the district to become a stake in the foreseeable future. The Church published its Kosraean translation of the Book of Mormon in 2015.