November 2024 Monthly Newsletter

Click here to access the November 2024 newsletter for cumorah.com. My goal is to produce these monthly newsletters again after a 16-month hiatus to chronicle church growth developments and announce new resources on cumorah.com.

Unprecedented Expansion of the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the past 2 years, the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has experienced unprecedented expansion into cities, towns, and villages that have previously had no official congregations. Historically, the Church has generally established its first branch in only 1-2 cities or towns per year (if any) since 2008. However, the Church organized its first branches in six cities and towns in 2023 - the most ever up to that point. In 2024, 14 cities, towns, and villages have had the first branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized. The Church's meetinghouse locator now reports official wards or branches operating in 43 cities, towns, or villages in the country. The number of cities, towns, and villages with a ward or branch has doubled since 2021. Moreover, the Church has begun to organize branches in small towns and villages in the DR Congo for the first time. This represents a major shift in historical area and mission policies and practices that have governed the growth and expansion of the Church in the DR Congo, as there has been a strong emphasis on establishing centers of strength and postponing the creation of branches in additional cities due to concerns with finite mission resources, leadership training, and ensuring quality baptismal standards for new converts. The number of missions in the DR Congo increased from just one prior to 2010 to seven as of late 2024 (eight if the Rwanda Kigali Mission is included which administers to branches in the eastern DR Congo near Rwanda and Burundi), and this has likely been a major catalyst to provide the needed mission president oversight and resources to effectively expand into so many previously unreached locations. The announcement of a permanent Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Kinshasa in 2024 has also provided for greater infrastructure to train local Congolese to staff these many new missions. The Church in the DR Congo has typically achieved member activity and convert retention rates in excess of 80% which numbers among the highest in the world. 

 A recent article noted that the number of Latter-day Saints in the DR Congo has surpassed 130,000 - an increase of more than 15,000 since January of 2024. Dozens of new wards and branches have been created and two new stakes have been organized since January of 2024. There are now 29 stakes and 3 districts. One temple has been completed and dedicated (Kinshasa in 2019) with three more temples planned (Lubumbashi, Kananga, and Mbuji-Mayi). Latter-day Saint statistical information for the DR Congo going back to 1987 can be accessed here.

The potential for continued rapid growth in the DR Congo appears favorable. Population estimates for the entire country typically range from 105 to 115 million. There remain dozens of large cities without an official ward or branch. Translations of the Book of Mormon are available in the first, second, or third language of most Congolese. There are only six cities with an official branch in the entire northern half of the country. Huge swaths of most areas of the country remain totally unreached by Latter-day Saints. Many cities have had isolated members or prospective members who have waited years, or even decades, for an official Church establishment, such as Kikondja and Fizi. Some cities have had two branches organized at the same time when an official Latter-day Saint presence is first established (such as Tshikapa and Kamanda).

The following 16 stakes appear likely to divide in the near future (next 2 years):

• Kananga Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (12 wards)
• Katuba Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (11 wards)
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (10 wards)
  
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Binza Stake (10 wards) 
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Kimbanseke Stake (10 wards)
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Mpasa Stake (10 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Lukunga Stake (11 wards, 1 branch) 
• Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo N'Djili Stake (9 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Kolwezi Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Katoka Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (12 wards) 
• Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Luputa Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Malandji Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (11 wards)
• Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (9 wards)
• Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (9 wards, 2 branches)
• Ruashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
  

The following 2 districts appear likely to become stakes in the near future (next 2 years):

• Kisangani Democratic Republic of the Congo District (6 branches)
• Matadi Democratic Republic of the Congo District (6 branches)
  

The following 9 cities (provided with the current number of branches in the area in parentheses) appear likely to have districts organized from mission branches in the near future (next 2-3 years):

• Bandundu (3 branches)
  
• Boma (2 branches)
• Bukavu (2 branches)
  
• Kamanda (2 branches)
  
• Kikwit (3 branches) 
• Luiza (2 branches)
  
• Muanda (2 branches)
• Tshikapa (2 branches)
• Uvira (2 branches)
  

The following 22 cities and towns appear likely to have official branches organized in the near to medium terms (cities in bold appear most likely):

• Beni
  
• Bumba
  
• Bunia
• Butembo
• Fizi
  
• Genema 
• Ilebo
• Inkisi/Kisantu
  
• Isiro
• Kamaniola
  
• Kasangulu
  
• Katanda
  
• Kikondja
  
• Kindu 
• Lisala
  
• Lodja
• Lukalaba 
• Lungutu
• Luvungi
  
• Mbanza-Ngungu 
• Miabi 
• Tshilenge
  

The following cities appear likely to have missions organized in the next 3-5 years:

• Bukavu
• Kinshasa (4th mission)
  
• Kisangani
• Likasi 
• Lubumbashi (2nd mission)
  
• Luputa
  
• Matadi
• Mwene-Ditu
  

The following cities appear likely to have temples announced in the next 5-7 years:

• Kinshasa (2nd temple)
• Kolwezi
• Likasi
  
• Luputa
• Matadi
  
• Mwene-Ditu

I predict that by the year 2030, the Church in the DR Congo will likely have the following if current trends continue:

• 300,000 members
• 50 stakes
• 700 official congregations (i.e., wards and branches)
• 10 districts
• 15 missions
• 70 cities, towns, and villages with an official Church presence
• 10 temples
• 1 area that also includes the Republic of the Congo
  

Three Member Groups Organized in Juba, South Sudan

In the past few weeks, the Uganda Kampala Mission has organized three member groups in Juba, South Sudan, where the Juba Branch was reinstated earlier this year. The member groups are the Jebel, New-Site, and Shirkat Groups. Last Sunday, the groups had a combined attendance of approximately 80 people - nearly half of whom attended the Juba Branch. This marks the first time that the Church has operated multiple congregations in Juba. Member groups had previously functioned in a couple cities outside of Juba in the early 2010s, although these groups may not function anymore (such as in Akobo) or were never official member groups (like in Nyamliell). The creation of the member groups is a major development that has good potential to expand outreach and establish a center of strength for the Church in Juba. However, the unstable political situation in South Sudan poses a major barrier for the success of these fledgling member groups. Moreover, some countries where a similar approach to expansion has been pursued where only one branch operates in the capital city, most notably Mali, have had significant challenges and delays with member groups maturing into their own independent branches. It is unclear whether mission leaders have made efforts yet to establish member groups outside of Juba yet. Moreover, full-time proselytizing missionaries do not appear to have been assigned to Juba, and this may result in difficulties with these member groups growing in the near future.

Potential New Missions in 2025

With the number of full-time missionaries serving reaching all-time highs (excluding the couple years of artificially high numbers as a result of the lowering of the minimum age for missionary service a decade ago), prospects appear good for the creation of new missions in 2025. There appear to currently be approximately 74,000 to 75,000 full-time missionaries serving. Currently, there are 450 missions in the worldwide Church. The following locations appear most likely to have new missions organized in the near future. Missions in bold appear highly likely to be organized.

AFRICA (14 missions)

• Cote d'Ivoire Daloa (3-4 stakes, 2-3 districts) 
• Gabon Libreville (1 district, 1 mission branch)
  
• Ghana Kumasi (second mission) (3 stakes, 2-3 districts)
  
• Liberia Monrovia (second mission) (3 stakes)
  
• Malawi Lilongwe (2 stakes) 
• Mauritius and Reunion (2 districts)
  
• Nigeria Benin City (second mission) (4-5 stakes)
• Nigeria Eket (6-8 stakes)
  
• Nigeria Lagos (second mission) (4 stakes)
• Nigeria Makurdi (3 districts)
  
• Nigeria Warri (3 stakes, 3 districts)
• Senegal Dakar (1 district, several mission branches in neighboring countries)
  
• Sierra Leone Freetown (second mission) (3 stakes)
  
• Togo Lome (3 stakes)

ASIA (8 missions)

• Georgia Tbilisi (2 mission branches) 
  
• Korea Daejeon (4 stakes)
  
• Middle East/African North Service Mission (2 stakes, 3 districts) 
• Philippines Ormoc (3 stakes, 4 districts)
  
• Philippines Palawan/Mindoro (1 stake, 4 districts)
  
• Sri Lanka Colombo (1 district)
  
• Thailand Ubon (1 stake, 1 district)
• Timor-Leste Dili (1 mission branch)
  

EUROPE (9 missions)

• Austria Vienna (2 stakes)
  
• Belgium Brussels (2 stakes)
• France Paris (second mission) (3 stakes) 
• France Toulouse (2 stakes)
  
• Germany Düsseldorf (2 stakes) 
• Iceland Reykjavik (1 district)
  
• Ireland Dublin (2 stakes) 
• Italy Palermo (1 stake)
  
• Spain Granada (5 stakes)
  

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (28 missions)

• Argentina Buenos Aires (fifth mission) (5-6 stakes)
  
• Argentina Posadas (2 stakes, 5 districts)
• Belize Belmopan (2 districts)
  
• Bolivia Riberalta (3 districts)
• Bolivia Tarija (4 stakes, 2 districts)
  
• Brazil Juazeiro do Norte (1 stake, 2 districts, 2 mission branches)
  
• Brazil Joinville (5 stakes)
  
• Brazil Novo Hamburgo (6 stakes, 1 district) 
• Brazil Porto Velho (2 stakes)
  
• Brazil São Luís (2 stakes, 1 district)
• Brazil São Paulo (sixth mission) (4-5 million, ~7 stakes)
• Brazil Sorocaba (5 stakes, 2 districts)
• Colombia Bucaramanga (4 stakes)
  
• Cuba Havana (1 district)
• Ecuador Machala (4 stakes, 1 district) 
• Mexico Acapulco (3 stakes, 1 district)
• Mexico Ciudad Obregón (3 stakes, 3 districts)
  
• Mexico Coatzacoalcos (3 stakes, 3 districts)
  
• Mexico Juchitán (3 stakes, 4 districts) 
• Mexico Morelia (4 stakes, 1 district)
  
• Mexico Reynosa (5 stakes, 1 district)
• Mexico San Luis Potosí (3 stakes)
  
• Mexico Toluca (3 stakes)
  
• Panama Panama City (second mission) - (3-4 stakes, 1-3 districts)
  
• Peru Pisco (4 stakes, 2 districts)
  
• Peru Pucallpa (2 stakes) 
• Peru Puno (3 stakes)
• Peru Tacna (5 stakes)
  

NORTH AMERICA (14 missions)

• Arizona Scottsdale (~10 stakes)
  
• Canada Toronto (second mission) (4 stakes)
• Colorado Grand Junction (5 stakes)
  
• Connecticut Hartford (5 stakes)
  
• Florida Orland (second mission) (5 stakes)
• Georgia Macon (5 stakes)
• Idaho Nampa (~20 stakes)
  
• Illinois Peoria (4 stakes)
  
• Missouri Springfield (5 stakes) 
• North Carolina Raleigh (second mission) (6-7 stakes)
• Ohio Cleveland (5 stakes)
  
• Oklahoma Tulsa (5 stakes)
• Pennsylvania Harrisburg (6 stakes)
• Wyoming Casper (5 stakes)
  

OCEANIA (7 missions)

• Australia Brisbane (second mission) (~6 stakes)
  
• Australia Sydney (second mission) (~6 stakes)
• French Polynesia (second mission) (~5 stakes) 
• Kiribati Tarawa (2 stakes, 3 districts)
  
• Papua New Guinea Daru (1 stake, 3 districts)
  
• Samoa (second mission) (~12 stakes)
  
• Solomon Islands Honiara (1 district)

New Stakes Created in Nigeria (4), Utah (4), Arizona, the DR Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, California, Papua New Guinea, Texas, and Washington; District Discontinued in Cote d'Ivoire

Nigeria

Four new stakes have been created in Nigeria.

The Akure Nigeria Stake was organized on September 22nd from the Akure Nigeria District (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Oba-Ile, the Oke Ijebu, the Oke-Aro, the Oluwatuyi, and the Oyemekun Wards and the Ado-Ekiti 1st, the Ado-Ekiti 2nd, and the Oda Branches. The new stake is the Church's second stake in Ondo State, Nigeria, where the first stake was organized in the city of Ondo in 2023.

The Jos Nigeria Stake was organized on September 22nd, 2024, from the Jos Nigeria District (organized in 1993).

The Lekki Nigeria Stake was organized on October 20th from a division of the Lagos Nigeria Yaba Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Ajah, the Badore, the Ikoyi, the Lakowe, the Lekki, and the Sangotedo Wards. The original Lagos Nigeria Yaba Stake was realigned to include two wards and two branches from the Lagos Nigeria Festac Stake (organized in 2015). There are now nine stakes and one district in the Lagos metropolitan area.

The Port Harcourt Nigeria Emouha Stake was organized on September 15th from Port Harcourt Nigeria Choba Stake (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following four wards and four branches: the Isiodu, the Omoku, the Rumuchie, and the Rumuji Wards and the Abonnema, the Ahoada, the Mbuosi, and the Ogbogwu Branches. The original Port Harcourt Nigeria Choba Stake was realigned to include one ward and two branches from the Port Harcourt Nigeria North Stake and one ward from the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake. There are now eight stakes and one district in the Port Harcourt metropolitan area.

There are now 77 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria.

Utah

Four new stake have recently been created in Utah.

The Logan Utah YSA 8th Stake was organized on September 15th. The new stake includes six wards, including the Logan YSA 4th, the Logan YSA 6th, the Logan YSA 7th, the Logan YSA 10th, the Logan YSA 24th, and the Logan YSA 46th Wards. There are now eight YSA stakes in the Logan area.

Spanish Fork Utah Sunny Ridge Stake was organized on September 15th from the Spanish Fork Utah Maple Mountain Stake (organized in 2010). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the East Bench, the Spanish Highlands 1st, the Spanish Highlands 2nd, the Sunny Ridge 1st, the Sunny Ridge 2nd, the Sunny Ridge 3rd, and the Spanish Fork 20th (Spanish) Wards. There are now 11 stakes in Spanish Fork.

The Provo Utah Married Student 4th Stake was organized on September 29th. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Provo Married Student 16th, the Provo Married Student 17th, the Provo Married Student 19th, the Provo Married Student 24th, the Provo Married Student 25th, the Provo Married Student 26th, the Provo Married Student 42nd, and the Provo Married Student 43rd Wards. There are now four married student stakes in Provo.

The Provo Utah YSA 22nd Stake was organized on October 13th, 2024. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Provo YSA 30th (Spanish), the Provo YSA 31st, the Provo YSA 32nd, the Provo YSA 40th, the Provo YSA 41st, the Provo YSA 71st (Spanish), and the Provo YSA 75th (Spanish). There are now 22 YSA stakes in the Provo area.

There are now 645 stakes and 6 districts in Utah.

Arizona

The Kingman Arizona North Stake was organized on September 29th from a division of the Kingman Arizona Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Centennial Park, the Desert Willow, the Stockton Hill, and the White Cliffs Wards, and the Dolan Springs and Peach Springs Branches. The realigned Kingman Arizona Stake now has five wards and two branches. 

There are now 118 stakes in Arizona.

DR Congo

The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Binza UPN Stake was organized on September 15th from a division of the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Mont Ngafula Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Badiadingi, the Binza UPN, the Buadi, the Lukunga, and the Nsanga Maba Wards. The new stake is the Church's 12th stake in Kinshasa where the first stake was organized in 1996. The new stake is the Church's first new stake to be created in Kinshasa since 2019, although most of the stakes in Kinshasa appear likely to divide within the immediate future, thereby bringing the total number of stakes in Kinshasa to as many as 15-18 within the next couple years. Currently, Kinshasa ties with Accra, Ghana as the metropolitan area on the Afroeurasian landmass with the second most stakes after Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (which has 14 stakes not counting the stake in Grand Bassam). 

There are now 29 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo. Prospects appear high for many new districts to be organized in cities that have recently had branches organized.

Cote d'Ivoire

A new stake was created in Cote d'Ivoire. The San Pedro Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from the San Pedro Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2014) and a portion of the Soubre Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2015) located in the city of Meagui. The Soubre Cote d'Ivoire District was discontinued, and the two branches in Soubre were reassigned directly to the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. Information on which of the nine branches have become wards in the new stake remains unavailable. There are now five stakes and four districts in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission.

There are now 21 stakes and 10 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

California

The Bakersville California West Stake was organized on September 8th from a division of the Bakersfield California Stake (organized in 1951), the Bakersfield California East Stake (organized in 1978), and the Bakersfield California South Stake (organized in 1986). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Bakersfield 2nd, the Brimhall, the La Cresta (Spanish), the Meadows, the Stockdale, the Taft, and the White Oak YSA Wards. There are now four stakes in Bakersfield.

There are now 147 stakes in California.

Papua New Guinea

The Madang Papua New Guinea Stake was organized on September 22nd from the Madang Papua New Guinea District (organized in 2012). All five branches in the district became wards, including the Bilia, the Madang 1st, the Madang 2nd, the Madang 3rd, and the Wali Wards. Approximately 1,000 attended the special conference to create the new stake, which is the first stake ever to be organized within the boundaries of the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission and in northern Papua New Guinea. With 11 districts, the Church in Papua New Guinea appears likely to have additional districts become stakes within the foreseeable future. There are now three stakes in Papua New Guinea.

Texas

The Weslaco Texas Stake was organized on September 15th from the McAllen Texas Stake
(organized in 1975) and the McAllen Texas West Stake (organized in 2008 and renamed the Mission Texas Stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Hidalgo (Spanish), the Pharr 1st (Spanish), the Pharr 2nd, the Weslaco 1st, and the Weslaco 2nd (Spanish) Wards. There are now three stakes in the McAllen metropolitan area.

There are now 80 stakes and 2 districts in Texas.

Washington

The Pullman Washington Stake was organized on September 29th from the Moscow Idaho Stake (organized in 1974). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Colfax, the Pioneer Hill, the Pullman YSA, the Sunnyside, and the Terre View Wards. There are now 61 stakes in Washington.

In the United States, there are now 1,714 stakes and 10 districts. 

New Temples Announced in October 2024 - Part II: Inside the United States

Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple

The Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple was the only temple announced in October 2024 that was not on my temple predictions map, although this site was suggested by many blog readers. I had determined Coeur d’Alene too unlikely to have a temple announced given its close proximity to the Spokane Washington Temple (services 13 stakes), albeit this temple is one of the most heavily used temples in the Church due to significant growth in the area for the Church in the past couple decades combined with a small square footage for the building. Thus, it had seemed more likely that the Spokane Washington Temple would be remodeled to expand its size rather than have a second temple announced for the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene metropolitan area. The new temple will be the Church's 10th temple in Idaho following the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (dedicated in 1945), the Boise Idaho Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Rexburg Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Twin Falls Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Meridian Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2017), the Pocatello Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2021), the Burley Idaho Temple (announced in 2021), the Teton River Idaho Temple (announced in 2021), and the Montpelier Idaho Temple (announced in 2022). The new temple will likely be a small temple that services four stakes in extreme northern Idaho (three of which are in the Coeur d’Alene area and were organized in 1962, 1999, and 2022) which currently attend the Spokane Washington Temple. These stakes experience steady growth, and additional stakes may be organized if this growth continues in the coming years. The Church has experienced steady moderate growth in this area of Idaho in recent years. As of year-end 2023, there were 476,118 Latter-day Saints meeting in 1,228 congregations. Currently, there are 142 stakes and three missions in Idaho.

Queen Creek Arizona Temple

The Queen Creek Arizona Temple will be the Church's eighth temple in Arizona following the Mesa Arizona Temple (dedicated in 1927), the Snowflake Arizona Temple (dedicated in 2002), The Gila Valley Arizona Temple (dedicated in 2010), the Gilbert Arizona Temple (dedicated in 2014), the Phoenix Arizona Temple (dedicated in 2014), the Tuscon Arizona Temple (dedicated in 2017), and the Yuma Arizona Temple (announced in April 2024). The new temple will likely be a medium to large temple that services 12-15 stakes in the Queen Creek area and surrounding communities to the south which attend the Gilbert Arizona Temple - a temple which has had its temple district grow to 37 stakes. The Church has historically experienced moderate growth rates in Arizona until the mid-2010s and has since experienced very slow growth rates. As of year-end 2023, there were 442,879 Latter-day Saints who met in 924 congregations. There are currently 117 stakes and six missions in Arizona. Queen Creek was listed on my temple predictions map as a less likely location to have a temple announced.

El Paso Texas Temple

The El Paso Texas Temple will be the Church's 10th temple in Texas following the Dallas Texas Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Houston Texas Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Lubbock Texas Temple (dedicated in 2002), the San Antonio Texas Temple (dedicated in 2005), the McAllen Texas Temple (dedicated in 2023), the Fort Worth Texas Temple (announced in 2021), the Austin Texas Temple (announced in April 2022), the McKinney Texas Temple (announced in October 2022), and the Houston Texas South Temple (announced in April 2024). El Paso has been on my list of more likely locations to have a temple announced for many years due to difficulty for American members to cross the Mexican border to attend the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple and distance to the nearest temple within the United States. The new temple will likely be a small temple that services four stakes (three in El Paso, one in Las Cruces, New Mexico) and one district (the Fort Stockton Texas District). The first stake was created in El Paso in 1952 followed by two more stakes in 1982 and 2016. The Church in El Paso has experienced slow growth for many decades, especially compared to the other largest cities in Texas. As of year-end 2023, there were 385,600 Latter-day Saints who met in 751 congregations. There are currently 80 stakes, 12 missions, and two districts in Texas.

Huntsville Alabama Temple

The Huntsville Alabama Temple will be the Church's second temple in Alabama following the Birmingham Alabama Temple (dedicated in 2000). Alabama will be the first state in the traditionally defined region of the "Deep South" to have two temples. The new temple will likely be a small temple that services the two stakes in the Huntsville area (organized in 1968 and 2011) as well as possibly stakes in Gadsden, Alabama (organized in 2019) and Chattanooga, Tennessee (organized in 1978). Stakes in northern Alabama currently attend the Birmingham Alabama Temple. The Church has experienced slow and steady growth in Alabama for many years. Huntsville was listed on my temple predictions map as a less likely location to have a temple announced.

Milwaukee Wisconsin Temple

The Milwaukee Wisconsin Temple will be the Church's first temple in Wisconsin. Prior to the announcement, Wisconsin was the state with the second most Latter-day Saints without a temple within its geographical boundaries. The new temple will likely be a small temple and include all six stakes in Wisconsin which are currently assigned to the Chicago Illinois Temple and the Minneapolis Minnesota Temple. There are two stakes in Milwaukee which were organized in 1963 and 2002. The Church has experienced slow and steady membership growth in Wisconsin for many years. Only one in every 208 people was a Latter-day Saint in Wisconsin as of 2023. The Church reported 28,430 members, 69 congregations, and one mission as of year-end 2023. Milwaukee was listed on my temple predictions map as a less likely location to have a temple announced.

Summit New Jersey Temple

The Summit New Jersey Temple will be the Church's first temple in New Jersey. Prior to the announcement, New Jersey was the state with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple within its geographical boundaries. Currently stakes in New Jersey are assigned to the Manhattan New York Temple and the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple. The new temple will likely be a small temple that services five stakes in northern New Jersey. Church growth in New Jersey has been slow but steady for many years. There were 35,453 Latter-day Saints who met in 62 congregations as of year-end 2023. There is one mission in New Jersey. New Jersey has one of the lowest percentages of Latter-day Saints in the population, as there was one Latter-day Saint per every 262 people in 2023. The oldest stake in New Jersey is the Morristown New Jersey Stake which was organized in 1960. The most recently organized stake in New Jersey is the Liberty Park New Jersey Stake (organized in 2015). Scotch Plains, New Jersey (about five miles away from Summit) was listed on my temple predictions map as a less likely location to have a temple announced to service stakes in northern New Jersey.

Price Utah Temple

The Price Utah Temple will be the Church's 31st temple in Utah following the St. George Utah Temple (announced in 1871, dedicated in 1877), the Logan Utah Temple (announced in 1876, dedicated in 1884), the Manti Utah Temple (announced in 1875, dedicated in 1888), the Salt Lake Temple (announced in 1847, dedicated in 1893), the Ogden Utah Temple (announced in 1967, dedicated in 1972), the Provo Utah Temple (announced in 1967, dedicated in 1972), the Jordan River Utah Temple (announced in 1978, dedicated in 1981), the Bountiful Utah Temple (announced in 1990, dedicated in 1995), the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple (announced in 1992, dedicated in 1996), the Vernal Utah Temple (announced in 1994, dedicated in 1997), the Monticello Utah Temple (announced in 1997, dedicated in 1998), the Draper Utah Temple (announced in 2004, dedicated in 2009), the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (announced in 2005, dedicated in 2009), the Brigham City Utah Temple (announced in 2009, dedicated in 2012), the Payson Utah Temple (announced in 2010, dedicated in 2015), the Provo City Center Temple (announced in 2011, dedicated in 2016), Cedar City Utah Temple (announced in 2013, dedicated in 2017), the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple (announced in 2017, dedicated in 2023), the Layton Utah Temple (announced in 2018, dedicated in 2024), the Red Cliffs Utah Temple (announced in 2018, dedicated in 2024), the Deseret Peak Utah Temple (announced in 2019, scheduled for dedicated in 2024), the Orem Utah Temple (announced in 2019, dedicated in 2024), the Taylorsville Utah Temple (announced in 2019, dedicated in 2024), the Syracuse Utah Temple (announced in 2020), the Lindon Utah Temple (announced in 2020), the Smithfield Utah Temple (announced in 2021), the Ephraim Utah Temple (announced in 2021), the Heber City Utah Temple (announced in 2021), the West Jordan Utah Temple (announced in April 2024), and the Lehi Utah Temple (announced in April 2024). Price has long been on my list of most likely locations to have a temple announced due to its remote location with five stakes in the immediate Price area as well as three stakes south of Price that are within relatively close proximity (Castle Dale, Ferron, and Huntington). There are three stakes in Price - the oldest of which was organized in 1910. The new temple will likely be a small temple that services eight stakes in Carbon and Emery counties - all of which currently pertain to the Manti Utah Temple district. The Church has experienced stagnant growth in the Price area for many years, and the size of the overall population of this area of Utah has been relatively unchanged for decades. There were 2.19 million Latter-day Saints and 5,417 congregations in Utah as of year-end 2023. There are currently 644 stakes, 13 missions, and six districts in Utah.

New Temples Announced in October 2024 - Part I: Outside of the United States

Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple

The Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple will be the Church's 26th temple in Mexico and second temple in Oaxaca State. Previously dedicated or announced temples include the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2024), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in October 2021), the San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Toluca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Tula Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Cancún México Temple (announced October 2023), and the Chihuahua Mexico Temple (announced April 2024). The new temple in Juchitán de Zaragoza will likely have a small district consisting of three stakes and four districts in southeastern Oaxaca State. Thus, the temple will likely be a small temple given few stakes and districts in the area which are nonetheless far distant from the nearest temples in Oaxaca and Tuxtla Gutiérrez. The Church discontinued many congregations in the Juchitán area in 2017 to create wards that had larger numbers of active members. There are currently 230 stakes, 44 districts, and 34 missions in Mexico. There were 1,876 official congregations in Mexico as of year-end 2023. Church membership in Mexico is at 1.52 million, although membership growth rates have been very slow in recent years. Moreover, member activity rates in Mexico are low overall at approximately 20%. 

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Santa Ana El Salvador Temple

The Santa Ana El Salvador Temple will be the Church's second temple in El Salvador following the dedication of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple in 2011. The new temple will likely service nine stakes in extreme western El Salvador - all of which are assigned to the San Salvador El Salvador Temple. There are four stakes in Santa Ana which were organized in 1979, 1980, 2009, and 2017. The Church has experienced essentially stagnant growth in El Salvador as a whole for many years in regard to membership growth, albeit there were two new stakes created in western El Salvador in 2017 and some branches have matured into wards within the past 5-10 years. The new temple is likely to be a small- to medium-sized temple. 

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Medellín Colombia Temple

The Medellín Colombia Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Colombia following the Bogotá Colombia Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Barranquilla Colombia Temple (dedicated in 2018), and the Cali Colombia Temple (announced in April 2021). The new temple will likely be a small temple that services four stakes and one district - all of which are assigned to the Bogotá Colombia Temple. There are three stakes in Medellín which were organized in 1988, 1996, and 2023. The Colombia Medellín Mission was organized in 2012. The Church in Colombia has experienced slow growth for many years. As of year-end 2023, there were 215,331 Latter-day Saints, 256 official congregations, 31 stakes, 10 districts, and five missions.

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Santiago Dominican Republic Temple

The Santiago Dominican Republic Temple will be the Church's second temple in the Dominican Republic following the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple (dedicated in 2000). The new temple will likely be a small- to medium-sized temple and service seven stakes and three districts in northern Dominican Republic - all of which are assigned to the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple. Steady growth has occurred in the past couple decades in the area, and two new stakes have been organized since 2010. With approximately 150,000 Latter-day Saints, the Dominican Republic was the country with the most members with only one temple prior to today's announcement.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Puerto Montt Chile Temple

The Puerto Montt Chile Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Chile following the Santiago Chile Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Concepción Chile Temple (dedicated in 2018), the Antofagasta Chile Temple (announced in 2019), the Santiago Chile West Temple (announced in October 2021), and the Viña del Mar Chile (announced in October 2023). The new temple will likely be a small temple and service seven stakes and three districts in extreme southern Chile. The area is currently serviced by the Concepción Chile Temple. The Church recently organized a new stake in the Puerto Montt area (Puerto Varas) in March of 2024, and a few branches have become wards recently in the area. However, this region of Chile has historically had little to no growth in the number of congregations for decades. There are currently 79 stakes, 10 districts, and 11 missions in Chile. 

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Dublin Ireland Temple

The Dublin Ireland Temple will be the Church's first temple in Ireland. The Church reported 4,076 members as of year-end 2023. There is one stake in Dublin (organized in 1995) and one stake in Belfast, Northern Ireland (organized in 1974) which appear likely to comprise the new temple district. Currently, the two stakes are assigned to the Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998). Thus, the new temple will likely be a small temple. The Church used to operate a mission in Dublin, Ireland which closed and was consolidated with the mission in Scotland in 2010. Stagnant membership growth has occurred for most years in Ireland in the past couple decades, although there have been a couple years that have had significant growth during this time. The Church recently discontinued the Limerick Ireland District and consolidated it with the Dublin Ireland Stake. There are now six wards and six branches in Ireland. There are seven wards and three branches in Northern Ireland.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Milan Italy Temple

The Milan Italy Temple will be the Church's second temple in Italy following the Rome Italy Temple in 2019. Milan has historically been what appeared to be a more likely location to have a temple announced in Italy before the Rome Italy Temple given there are more stakes in northern Italy than southern Italy and that some of the stakes in northern Italy have operated for more than a decade longer than in southern Italy. Currently, northern Italy is assigned to the Rome Italy Temple. The new temple will likely service 5-6 stakes in northern Italy. The new temple will likely be a small- to medium-sized temple. Milan is the only city in northern Italy that has two stakes (which were organized in 1981 and 2012). Membership growth rates in Italy have been low for many years. There were 28,409 members, 10 stakes, 94 official congregations, and two missions in Italy as of year-end 2023. Italy has undergone a significant transformation in the past 15-20 years from mostly comprising branches and districts to being mostly made up of wards and stakes.

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Abuja Nigeria Temple

The Abuja Nigeria Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Nigeria following the Aba Nigeria Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Lagos Nigeria Temple (announced in 2018), the Benin City Nigeria Temple (announced in 2020), the Eket Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2022), and the Calabar Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2023). As I noted when the Calabar Nigeria Temple was announced, the Church has never announced so many new temples in a country with only one dedicated temple since Mexico had at one point nine temples announced in February 1999 before a second temple was dedicated in March 1999 (which was the Colonia Juarez Mexico Temple). The new temple in Abuja will likely be a small temple and service four stakes (three of which are in Abuja) and three districts in central Nigeria - all of which are assigned to the Aba Nigeria Temple. The first stake in Abuja was organized in 2012 followed by additional stakes in 2016 and 2019. The Church has grown rapidly in central Nigeria within the past decade after decades of slow or stagnant growth. Just a few weeks ago, the Church created its first stake in Jos where a district had operated for more than 30 years. Prospects appear favorable for more stakes to be created in central Nigeria in the foreseeable future, particularly in Makurdi and Gboko, although 1-2 additional stakes appear likely to be created in Abuja within the next few years. The creation of the Nigeria Abuja Mission in 2023 also is likely to significantly accelerate growth in vast areas of Nigeria inhabited by approximately 100 million people where most do not live near an official Latter-day Saint congregation (although it is unlikely that much expansion will occur in the far northern states that are staunchly Muslim and follow Sharia law). Even with today's announcement, prospects appear favorable for more temple announcements in Nigeria in the coming years. Some likely candidates include:

• Enugu (5 stakes, 4 districts)
• Ibadan (8 stakes, 1 district)
  
• Port Harcourt (9 stakes, 2 districts)
  
• Umuahia (6 stakes, 1 district)
  
• Uyo (6 stakes)
• Warri (2 stakes)

The Church reported 232,654 members 810 congregations in Nigeria as of year-end 2023. There are currently 76 stakes, 13 districts, and 11 missions in Nigeria.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Kampala Uganda Temple

The Kampala Uganda Temple will be the first temple to be built in Uganda. Prior to today's announcement, Uganda was the country with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple per 2023 figures (22,138 members). Stakes and districts in Uganda are assigned to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, although Uganda will likely be reassigned to the Nairobi Kenya Temple once it is completed. There are three stakes and three districts in Uganda. There are two stakes in Kampala which were organized in 2010 and 2017. The new temple will likely service members in Uganda, Ethiopia, and perhaps Burundi and Rwanda - the latter two have recently experienced unprecedented growth. The temple will likely be a small temple. Prospects appear favorable for accelerated growth in Uganda given the Uganda Kampala Mission now only services the countries of Uganda and South Sudan. In the past year, the Church has organized many new branches in cities and towns in Uganda that have never had a branch, including in Bukomero, Buwenge, Bweyale, Kalisizo, Kibale, Mbarara, and Soroti.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Maputo Mozambique Temple

The Maputo Mozambique Temple will be the Church's second temple in Mozambique following the announcement of the Beira Mozambique Temple in April of 2021. The new temple will likely be a small temple and service the three stakes in Maputo as well as two districts (one in Mozambique and one in Eswatini). As I noted in the post regarding today's announcement, this marks the first time the Church has announced two temples in a country that previously has not had any temples (although there was a time in the United States after the destruction of the Nauvoo Temple and before the dedication of the first temples in Utah when temples were announced in Utah that were not completed yet). The temple in Beira remains in the planning stages. Church growth rates in Mozambique have been among the most rapid in the world and have been concentrated in Beira (which now has four stakes) and Maputo. The Church created its first two stakes in Mozambique in 2015. Additional stakes were created in Maputo in 2019 and 2023. There are now eight stakes and two districts in the country - all of which are assigned to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. Church membership increased by 34.1% during 2023 to 24,733. There are now 75 official congregations in Mozambique.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

17 New Temples Announced

Today, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, announced plans to construct temples in the following 17 locations:

• Juchitán de Zaragoza, Mexico
• Santa Ana, El Salvador
• Medellín, Colombia
• Santiago, Dominican Republic
• Puerto Montt, Chile
• Dublin, Ireland
• Milan, Italy
• Abuja, Nigeria   
• Kampala, Uganda
• Maputo, Mozambique
• Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
• Queen Creek, Arizona
• El Paso, Texas
• Huntsville, Alabama
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Summit, New Jersey
  Price, Utah
  

With today's announcement, there will now be 367 temples that are planned or dedicated. I will provide an analysis of each temple announcement in the coming days. Today's announcement marks the first time the Church has announced a temple in a country where a temple has previously been announced but not completed yet (Mozambique). Also, temples in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Summit, New Jersey, will be the Church's first temples to be built in these states. Finally, temples in Dublin, Ireland, and Kampala, Uganda, will be the Church's first temples in these nations.

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo, Nigeria, and Utah; New District Created in Gabon; Two Districts Discontinued in French Polynesia

DR Congo

Today, a new stake was created in the DR Congo. The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo UPN Stake was created from the Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Ngafula Stake (organized in 2006) which had 11 wards and one branch prior to the creation of the new stake. No information is available yet on which congregations were assigned to the new stake or whether congregations from additional stakes were taken to create the new stake. The new stake is the Church's 12th stake in Kinshasa and the first new stake to be organized in the city since 2019. Several additional stakes appear likely to be organized in Kinshasa in the near future, as most stakes in the city have enough congregations to divide. 

There are now 29 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on August 18th. The Calabar Nigeria Etta Agbor Stake was created from the Calabar Nigeria Stake (created in 2002 and renamed the Calabar Nigeria Tinapa Stake) and the Calabar Nigeria South Stake (created in 2015). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Atimbo, Etta Agbor, Mayne Avenue, Nyanghasang, Uwanse, and Yellow Duke Wards and the Akpabuyo Branch. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in the city of Calabar where a temple was announced in October of 2023.

There are now 73 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria.

Utah

A new stake was created in Utah on August 11th. The Provo Utah East Bay (Spanish) Stake was created from area stakes and includes the following nine wards: the Bonneville 7th (Spanish), East Bay 2nd (Spanish), Franklin Park (Spanish), Freedom 3rd (Spanish), Lakeside 5th (Spanish), Parkway 6th (Spanish), Slate Canyon 1st (Spanish), Slate Canyon 14th (Spanish), and the Sunset 2nd (Spanish) Wards. The new stake is the Church's second Spanish-speaking stake in Utah following the West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows (Spanish) Stake which was created in May of 2024.

There are now 641 stakes and four districts in Utah.

Gabon

The Church organized its first district in the Central African nation of Gabon on August 4th. The Libreville Gabon District was created with four branches that previously were administered directly by the Cameroon Yaounde Mission, namely the Libreville 1st, the Libreville 2nd, the PK12, and the Université Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Gabon in Libreville in 2012 followed by additional branches in 2016 (Libreville 2nd), 2022 ( Université), and 2024 (PK12). The Port-Gentil Branch is the only branch in Gabon outside of Libreville, and the branch remains under the direct supervision of the Cameroon Yaounde Mission.

French Polynesia 

The Church's last two districts in French Polynesia were recently discontinued, and the branches that were assigned to the districts have been reassigned to stakes based on Tahiti. The two branches in the Taiohae Marquesas Islands District (organized in 2012) were reassigned to the Papeete Tahiti Stake. In the former Makemo Tuamotu District, the Makemo and Taenga Branches were reassigned to the Punaauia Tahiti Stake, the Fakarava Branch was reassigned to the Faaa Tahiti Tuamotu Stake, the Hikueru and Marokau Branches were reassigned to the Taravao Tahiti Stake, and the Hao Branch was reassigned to the Paea Tahiti Stake. The Makemo Tuamotu District Branch was the only branch that was discontinued. These changes were similar to the discontinuation of the Tubuai Australes District in 2016 and permits some of the larger branches in former districts to become wards and also reduce the administrative burden on the mission president to serve members living in districts. Moreover, this decision was also likely made because there were no feasible prospects for the districts to become stakes within the foreseeable future due to remote distance and small populations spread over large geographical areas. 

There are now 11 stakes and zero districts in French Polynesia.

New Temple Predictions - September 2024 Edition

I have updated my temple prediction map in preparation for General Conference in October. 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 208 potential temples on the map (which is 5 potential temple sites less than the total number of potential sites identified in March 2024). The following nine locations have been added to the temples prediction map with this current update - all of which are less likely temples:

• Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• Kigali, Rwanda
  
• Lilongwe, Malawi
• Macon, Georgia
  
• Mwene-Ditu, Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple
• Saleilua, Samoa
  
• Takoradi, Ghana
  
• Tema, Ghana
  
• Yaoundé, Cameroon
  

Also, there were five locations that were moved from the less likely to be announced list to the more likely to be announced list. Provided with a reasoning for the transfer from the less likely temples to be announced list to the more likely temples to be announced list, these locations included:

• Abuja, Nigeria (remote distance, three stakes in the metropolitan area, creation of the Nigeria Abuja Mission in 2024, significant recent growth in Jos, Nigeria that appears likely to become a stake in the immediate future)
• Cottonwood Heights/Holladay/Sandy Utah Temple (temple in this area could serve 20-30 stakes, this area of the Salt Lake metropolitan area is the most unreached by current temples).
  
• Lomé, Togo (significant recent growth in the Benin Cotonou Mission where there are now five stakes and one district)
  
• Port Harcourt, Nigeria (metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass with the most stakes [7] without a temple, multiple new stakes likely to be created in the immediate future, two missions now headquartered in city [second mission created in 2024], significant steady growth in the number of stakes. Although the Aba Nigeria Temple is nearby, the Aba Nigeria Temple is on the opposite side of the city from where Port Harcourt is located. There has also been significant growth in Aba as well that can better support the current temple. There are now five stakes in Aba alone)
• Rigby, Idaho (significant recent growth in the number of congregations and stakes in the Idaho Falls, Idaho area, additional new stakes likely to be organized in the near future, Idaho Falls Idaho Temple now has 31 stakes assigned)
  

In my opinion, 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. Spanish Fork, Utah
2. Angeles or Olongapo, Philippines 
3. Kampala, Uganda
4. Santiago, Dominican Republic
5. Osorno, Chile OR Puerto Montt, Chile
6. El Paso, Texas
7. Price, Utah
8. Bo, Sierra Leone
9. Port Harcourt, Nigeria
10. Rigby, Idaho
    

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

 

Church Receives Government Recognition in Azerbaijan

At the end of July, the Church announced that it had received government recognition in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is the most populous of the three Caucasus nations with 10.6 million people - more than the combined populations of neighboring Armenia and Georgia where the Church has maintained an official presence for decades. The Azerbaijani population is homogeneously Muslim (97.3%), and there is a small number of Christians in the country (2.6%) who are concentrated in urban areas, particularly Baku. The Church operated a small branch in Azerbaijani capital city of Baku during much of the 2010s, although this branch appeared to be discontinued and a member group functioned thereafter. The news release indicated that a member group continues to functioning in the country. Back in the 2010s, the Baku Branch was comprised entirely of foreigners. It is unclear whether there are any Azerbaijani Latter-day Saints in the country today. Very few Azerbaijanis have joined the Church abroad. There are no Church materials in any of the local languages of Azerbaijan, including the official language of Azerbaijani (which is a Turkic language that is highly intelligible with Turkish). Azerbaijani has a poor record for religious freedom (especially for Christians), and it appears unlikely that full-time missionaries will be assigned to serve in the country. Azerbaijani law prohibits proselytism by foreigners. Instead, the Church in Azerbaijan will likely function as it does in the Gulf States in regard to enjoying official government recognition to rent property, have a bank account, etc., but without any formal missionary program due to religious freedom restrictions. The Church's government recognition came as a surprise, as very few religious groups are granted registration when they apply to do so, and registration requires information on the personal background of at least 50 members in the country to be submitted with the application. More information on religious freedom in Azerbaijan can be found here.

New Stake Created in Kenya; District Created in Angola

Kenya

A new stake was created in Kenya on July 14th. The Kyulu Kenya Stake was organized from the Kyulu Kenya District (organized in 1992). Information on which of the 10 branches in the district became wards remains unavailable. Notwithstanding its rural location, the Kyulu area was one of the first locations to have an official Church presence established in Kenya. Villages with branches in the Kyulu Hills generally have populations of less than 5,000 people (the largest urban centers with an official congregation are Madinku [branch organized in 2023)] and Mtito Andei [branch organized in 2003] which have populations of 15,000 and 5,600, respectively). Kyulu is the first stake to be organized in East Africa to be located in a rural location in which nearly all members in the stake live outside of cities and towns. Moreover, the Kyulu Kenya Stake is the first stake to be organized in Kenya outside of Nairobi. The Church has worked for many years to organize a stake in Kyulu, as there have been enough branches and members to organize a stake, although the area had not meet criteria to organize a stake in regard to member activity and leadership. There is only one other location in Kenya where the Church has established multiple branches and a district in such a rural area, which is the Kilungu Hills Kenya District (organized in 2014). The first branch in the Kilungu Hills was also organized in 1992 at a time when mission and area leaders were more open to establishing the Church in rural areas without a nearby official branch.

There are now four stakes and five districts in Kenya. The Eldoret Kenya District appears most likely to be organized into a stake within the foreseeable future among the five remaining districts. Significant growth has recently occurred in the Kisumu Kenya District, which now has eight branches - half of which have been organized within the past 5 years.

Angola

A new district was created in Angola. The Lubango Angola District was organized from mission branches within the city of Lubango located in southern Angola. The Church has grown slowly in Lubango since the first branch was created in the city in 2011. Only two branches are in the district, namely the Mapunda and Tchioco Branches, although there is at least one member group that also operates in the city (Eiva). The creation of a district with only two branches likely indicates imminent plans to organize additional branches in the city.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Angola.

New Stakes Created in Malawi, Mozambique, Vanuatu, and Utah; New Districts Created in Brazil and the Philippines

Before I got through the country-by-country updates, I wanted to point out that there have been at least 28 stakes created in 2024 thus far which was four more stakes than were created during the first half of 2023. This is a significant accomplishment considering the increased standards for the creation of new stakes that went into effect January 1st, 2024. Moreover, there have been at least 14 new districts organized thus far in 2024 - approximately twice the number of districts created for the entire year for 2023 (7) as well as during previous years spanning 2020-2022. This development suggests that efforts to expand the Church's operations into previously unreached or lesser reached areas has returned to levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (there were 21 new districts organized in 2019).

Malawi

A new stake was created today in Malawi. The Blantyre Malawi Stake was organized from the Blantyre Malawi District. With six branches in the district, it is likely that all branches became wards in the new stake with perhaps just one exception (as new stakes usually have at least five wards). Information on which branches have become wards remains unavailable at this time. The original Blantyre Malawi District was organized in 2011 and has experienced modest growth over the decades. The new stake is the second stake to be organized in Malawi, and the first stake, which is in Lilongwe, was organized on June 2nd. This marks the second shortest time in Church history between the creation of the first and second stakes in a country (the shortest time was in Cambodia where the first two stakes were organized on the same day in 2014). With no more districts in the country and only one mission branch that was recently opened on Mzuzu, there appear good prospects for the expansion of the Church into additional cities now that there are more mission resources that can be repurposed from supporting the districts to national outreach expansion.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on June 16th. The Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (which was also partially divided to create the Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake in May of 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cerâmica, the Dondo, the Inhamízua, the Rocha, and the Zona Verde Wards and the Mafarinha Branch. There are now four stakes in Beira - the first three of which were organized in 2015, 2017, and 2023.

There are now eight stakes and two districts in Mozambique.

Vanuatu 

A new stake was created in Vanuatu on June 18th. The Tanna Vanuatu Stake was organized from the Tanna Vanuatu District. The meeting to create the new stake had 2,700 in attendance, suggesting that there may be enough active members in Tanna to create a second stake in the foreseeable future if there is sufficient leadership and sustained activity rates to merit one. Information on which of the eight branches in the district have become wards is unknown at this time. There also appear to be several member groups that function in Tanna. The new stake is the Church's second stake to be organized in Vanuatu following the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake which was created in 2015. Districts in Luganville and Malakula also appear close to becoming stakes in the near future - both have large numbers of branches and impressive district conference attendance.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Vanuatu.

Utah

The Lehi Utah 3rd Stake (Tongan) was created on June 9th from the Orem Utah 2nd Stake (Tongan) and . The new stake includes the following 10 wards: the American Fork 2nd (Tongan), the American Fork 46th (Samoan), the Eagle Mountain 13th (Tongan), the Eagle Mountain 14th (Samoan), the Lehi 31st (Tongan), the Lehi 32nd (Samoan), the Lehi 41st (Tongan), the Lehi 42nd (Samoan), the Saratoga Springs 9th (Tongan), and the Saratoga Springs 12th (Samoan) Wards. 

There are now nine Tongan stakes in Utah. There are now 640 stakes and four districts in Utah.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 23rd. The Ji-Paraná Brazil District was organized from branches in the Brazil Manaus Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the Ariquemes, the Cacoal, the Ji-Paraná, and the Vilhena Branches. The Cacoal Branch is a newly organized branch in the district, whereas there used to be two branches in Vilhena that were consolidated into one branch. At one time, there was a district in Vilhena may years ago with at least three branches in Vilhena. Many member groups have historically functioning in cities nearby Ji-Paraná, such as in Jaru, Pimenta Bueno, and Rolim de Moura, although it is unclear whether these member groups still operate.

There are now 285 stakes and 41 districts in Brazil.

The Philippines

A new district was organized in the Philippines on June 16th. The Argao Philippines District was created from three branches that were previously assigned to the Talisay Philippines Stake, namely the Argao (organized in 2014), the Moalboal (organized in 2020), and the Sibonga Branches (organized in 1992). The new district compasses the southern third of Cebu Island which is almost entirely unreached in regard to the operation of official branches. The creation of the new district may signal efforts to expand into many small cities and towns in southern Cebu, especially since the creation of the Toledo Philippines Stake from the Toledo Philippines District in 2023.

There are now 130 stakes and 54 districts in the Philippines.

New Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Missionary Training Center

Yesterday, the Church announced that an official missionary training center (MTC) will open in August 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) to train missionaries in French destined to serve in this region of Africa. Although the Church has previously operated an unofficial MTC in Kinshasa for a couple of years, the new MTC will be housed in a new building with capacity of up to 200 missionaries at a time. This MTC marks the third MTC in Africa following MTCs in Accra, Ghana and Johannesburg, South Africa.

The announcement of the new MTC comes at a time when the Church has experienced a significant consolidation of MTCs worldwide from many smaller MTCs into larger regional ones. There will be 11 MTCs worldwide once the new center opens in Kinshasa. Other MTCs currently in operation are located in Brazil, England, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand (opened in 2023), and Utah. At one point, there were 19 MTCs throughout the world in the late 1990s, although centers closed in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Japan, Samoa, South Korea, Spain, and Tonga to help conserve resources and provide higher quality training experiences for new missionaries. The Church has also operated an unofficial MTC in India for some time. The new MTC being located in the DR Congo instead of the Africa Central Area Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya is also unusual, as MTCs are usually located in the same city as the area offices.

The new MTC in Kinshasa has been greatly needed for many years. The DR Congo has supplied large numbers of young adults serving full-time missionaries for many years, and the training of these missionaries has been a challenge due to difficulties with securing visas and transportation to other countries. The Church in the DR Congo experiences some of the most rapid growth in the world, and many of these growth developments have been highlighted in this blog. In a couple weeks, the Church will organize two new missions in the DR Congo, bringing the total number of missions in the country to seven. The Church may have as many as half a million Latter-day Saints in the DR Congo by 2040 given historical growth trends. Growth in the DR Congo has come after decades of careful planning and high standards for convert baptism which has resulted in some of the highest member activity rates in the world (usually over 80%).

New Stakes Created in Utah (5), Idaho (4), the Philippines (2), Argentina, Chile, DR Congo, Ghana, Indiana, Nevada, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Utah (2), Benin, Brazil, Ecuador, Honduras, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and the Philippines; Stakes Discontinued in Australia and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Canada, Chile, Guatemala, and Ireland

With many new stakes organized in the United States recently, the Church surpassed 1,700 stakes in the United States for the first time. As of this post, there were 1,705 stakes and 8 districts in the United States.

Utah 

Five new stakes were created in Utah.

The Salt Lake Utah Central Stake (Tongan) was organized in May 19th from the Salt Lake Utah West Stake (Tongan) which was organized in 2019. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Kearns 9th, the Kearns 13th, the Midvale 14th, the Oquirrh 11th, the Taylorsville 5th, the Taylorsville 6th, and the West Jordan 8th Wards. There are now seven Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah.

The West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows Stake (Spanish) was organized on May 19th from various stakes in the Salt Lake County area. More than 1,000 attended the conference to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Bingham Creek, the Cobble Creek 5th, the Copper Hills 5th, the Mountain View 4th, the Oquirrh Point 5th, the River 9th, the Westbrook 10th, and the Westland 5th Wards - all of which are Spanish-speaking congregations. The new stake is the Church's first Spanish-speaking stake to be created in Utah. There are nearly 180 Spanish-speaking wards and branches in Utah. More information about the creation of the new stake can be found here. This article noted that there are plans to create two more Spanish-speaking stakes and two more Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah in the near future.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Sweetwater Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Eagle Mountain Utah West Stake (organized in 2002). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cedar Valley (Spanish), the Eagle Mountain 2nd, the Eagle Mountain 7th, the Eagle Mountain 11th, and the Sweetwater Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The Mapleton Utah Maple Canyon Stake was recently organized from the Mapleton Utah Stake (organized in 1975) and the Mapleton Utah West Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following nine wards: the Mapleton 4th, the Mapleton 14th, the Mapleton 16th, the Mapleton 22nd, the Mapleton 25th, the Mapleton 28th, the Mapleton 34th, the Mapleton 37th, and the Mapleton 40th Wards. There are now five stakes in Mapleton.

The Washington Utah Coral Canyon Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Washington Utah East Stake (organized in 2008) and the The new stake includes the following eight wards and two branches: the Copperleaf, the Coral Canyon 1st, the Coral Canyon 2nd, the Coral Canyon 3rd, the Highland Park, the Leeds 1st, the Leeds 2nd, and the Sienna Hills Wards and the Washington 10th and Washington 12th (Correctional Facility) Branches. There are now 29 stakes in the St. George metropolitan area.

Two new districts were created in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District and the Wasatch Shoreline Youth District Correctional Facility District were recently organized to accommodate adults and youth who are incarcerated in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District includes the following 11 branches: the Brigham City 27th, the Cache 3rd, the Duncomb Hollow, the Farmington 22nd, the Metropolitan 1st, the Metropolitan 2nd, the Oxbow, the Summit, the Tooele 16th, the Water Tower, and the Weber Branches. The Wasatch Shoreline Youth District includes the following 13 branches: the Alma, the Brigham City 28th, the Cache 4th, the Copper Hills, the Decker Lake, the Farmington Bay, the Lakeside, the Millcreek (in Ogden), the Millcreek (a duplicate name but a different branch located in Cottonwood Heights), the Riverside, the Slate Canyon 12th, the Weber Valley, and the West Ridge Branches. Prior to the creation of the districts, these correctional facility and youth center branches were administered by local stakes or the Great Salt Lake Utah District (Correctional Facility) which was organized in January of 2021.

One stake was discontinued in Utah. The Sandy Utah YSA Stake (created in 2011) was discontinued. Wards in the former YSA stake were reassigned to the Draper Utah YSA Stake and the Murray Utah YSA Stake (which each now have seven wards). This marks the first time a YSA stake has been discontinued in Utah. There are scores of YSA stakes in Utah.

There are now 639 stakes and 4 districts in Utah.

Idaho

Four new stakes were created in Idaho.

The Meridian Idaho Fuller Park Stake was organized on March 17th from the Meridian Idaho West Stake (created in 1997). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Cherry Lane, the Haven Cove, the Meridian 1st, the Meridian 12th, the Parkside, the Peregrine, and the St James Wards. There are now nine stakes in Meridian.

The Idaho Falls Green Valley was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho South Stake (organized in 2014) and the Iona Idaho Stake (organized in 1973). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Deloy, the Discovery, the Iona 6th, the Iona 9th, the Lincoln 1st, the Lincoln 4th, and the Old Mill Wards.

The Idaho Falls Pheasant Grove Stake was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Berkley Park 2nd, the Lincoln 6th, the Lincoln 7th, the Lincoln 8th, the Red Rock 1st, and the Red Rock 2nd Wards. This marks a rare time in Church history when two new stakes were created from portions of a previous stake (Iona Idaho Stake). There are now 20 stakes in the Idaho Falls area (stretching from Ucon to Ammon). Given significant growth in the area, I will be moving Rigby, Idaho from the less likely locations to have a temple announced to the more likely locations to have a temple announced when I update the temple predictions map in September.

The Preston Idaho East Stake was organized on June 9th from the Preston Idaho North Stake (organized 1884) and the Franklin Idaho Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Glendale, the Mink Creek, the Preston 4th, the Preston 5th, the Preston 8th, the Preston 9th, the Riverdale 1st, and the Riverdale 2nd Wards and the Legacy 3rd Branch.

There are now 142 stakes in Idaho.

The Philippines

Two new stakes and a new district were created in the Philippines. 

The Tubod Philippines Stake was created in March 10th from the Placer Philippines District (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Alegria, the Bad-as, the Kitcharao, the Placer, and the Tubod Wards and the Bacuag, the Claver, the Mainit, and Matin-ao Branches. Since its creation in 2006, the Philippines Butuan Mission has had significant success with upgrading many of the districts within its boundaries into stakes. At the time of its creation, the mission had only one stake within its boundaries (Butuan). Now, there are five stakes within the mission located in Butuan (organized in 1989), San Francisco (organized in 2018), Tagum (organized in 2021), Mati (organized in 2022), and now Tubod (organized in 2024). There are four districts remaining in the mission - all of which have enough congregations to become stakes, although only Monkayo and Surigao appear likely to become stakes soon.

The Lapu-Lapu Philippines Stake was created on May 19th. The new stake was created from a division of the Mandaue Philippines Stake (organized in 1989). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cordova, the Lapu-Lapu 1st, the Lapu-Lapu 2nd, the Maribago, and the Marigondon Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Cebu City metropolitan area, and there appear good prospects for the creation of an eighth stake in the foreseeable future from the Talisay Philippines Stake.

The Pandan Philippines District was created on April 14th from the Antique Philippines District and the Kalibo Philippines Stake. The new district includes the following five branches (provided with the year of creation for each branch in parentheses: Buruanga (2022), Culasi (2015), Ibajay (2024), Pandan (2023), and Tibiao (2023). The new district encompasses the northwestern corner of Panay Island which had no church presence until member groups began to be organized approximately a decade ago. 

There are now 130 stakes and 53 districts in the Philippines.

Argentina

A new stake was created in Argentina April 14th. The Buenos Aires Argentina Pilar Stake was organized on April 14th from the Buenos Aires Argentina Escobar Stake (organized in 1996) and the Buenos Aires Argentina Sarmiento Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Del Viso, the Derqui, the Pilar, the Tortuguitas, the Villa Verde, and the Vucetich Wards. There are now 28 stakes in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area stretching from Zárate to La Plata.

There are now 80 stakes and 25 districts in Argentina.

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile on March 24th. The Puerto Varas Chile was organized on March 24th from the Puerto Montt Chile Stake (organized in 1982). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alerce, the Colón, the Frutillar, the Imperial, and the Llanquihue Wards and the Fresia Branch. The Puerto Varas Chile Stake is technically a reinstated stake, as the stake once operated from 1997 until 2002 when it was consolidated with the Puerto Montt Chile Stake. Given remote distance and now two stakes in the area, Puerto Montt appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

A district was discontinued in Chile. The Nueva Tolten Chile District (organized in 2001) was discontinued and consolidated with the Villarrica Chile District which now has seven branches. It is probable that this decision was made to prepare for the creation of a stake in the foreseeable future. 

There are now 79 stakes and 10 districts in Chile.

DR Congo

A new stake was created in the DR Congo on June 9th. The Bondoyi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was created from a division of the Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Areodrome, the Bondoyi, the Kalubey, the Kamisaany, the Peage 1st, and the Peage 2nd Wards. The realigned Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake now has six wards. The first branch was created in Mwene-Ditu in 2008 at the same time as the Ngandajika Branch. However, the Church has grown much more slowly in neighboring Ngandajika, as there is only one stake there which was created in 2023 (which has five wards and two branches). It is also important to note that the population of Mwene-Ditu is much larger than Ngandajika. It only took five years for a second stake to be created in Mwene-Ditu after the first stake was created. If this rate of growth continues, there may be as many as four stakes in the city by 2029. 

There are now 10 stakes in the Kasai Region of the DR Congo - an area which had no stakes in 2010. The first mission in the area was created in 2016 in Mbuji-Mayi followed by a second mission in Kananga in 2023. Both of these cities have had temples announced. The creation of at least two new stakes in Kananga appears likely this year, as the three stakes in the city have a combined 33 wards. Given recent trends in temple announcements, Mwene-Ditu and Luputa each appear likely candidates for temple announcements now, as each city has two stakes and are located in an area of the country that has experienced rapid growth with high convert retention and excellent member activity rates. Moreover, the Church has recently established branches in previously unreached cities in the Kasai Region, including Kamanda and Luiza - both of which had two branches organized in 2023.

Ghana

A new stake was created in Ghana on March 17th. The Ejisu Ghana Stake was created from the Kumasi Ghana University Stake (organized in 2016) and the Kumasi Ghana Suame Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Ejisu, the Kwamo 1st, the Kwamo 2nd, and the Mampong Wards, and the Agona, the Aprade, the Asamang, the Effiduasi, the Onwe, and the Seneagya Branches. Nearly all of the congregations in the new stake were previously part of the Kumasi Ghana University Stake which has experienced significant growth since its creation 8 years ago. There are now five stakes in the Kumasi metropolitan area (six if Konongo is included).

There are now 31 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Indiana

A new stake was created in Indiana on June 2nd. The Columbus Indiana Stake was organized on June 2nd from a division of the Indianapolis Indiana Stake (organized in 1959), the Crestwood Kentucky Stake (organized in 2010), and the Cincinnati Ohio Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Batesville, the Columbus 1st, the Columbus 2nd, the Columbus 4th, the Franklin, the Madison, and the North Vernon Wards. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the Fishers Indiana Stake was the most recently organized stake in the state (organized in 2021).

There are now 13 stakes in Indiana.

Nevada

A new stake was created in Nevada on May 5th. The Logandale Nevada West Stake was organized on May 4th from the Logandale Nevada Stake (organized in 1912). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cottonwood, the Hinckley, the Meadow Valley, the Muddy River, and the Pioneer Wards. The revised minimum standards to create new stakes likely enabled the creation of the new stake due to a relatively small membership in the area but with enough active membership to create a second stake. 

There are now 44 stakes in Nevada.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on March 17th. The Onna Nigeria Stake was organized from a division of the Ikot Akpaden Nigeria Stake and the Ikot Akpatek Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Asong, the Ikot Anang 1st, the Ikot Anang 2nd, the Okom, and Udo Wards and the Ikot Nkan and the Ukpana Branches. There are now 14 stakes and one district in Akwa Ibom State.

A new district was created in Nigeria on May 12th. The Ifo Nigeria District was organized from three mission branches in the Nigeria Ibadan Mission, including the Ifo 1st, Ifo 2nd, and Owode Branches. The first branch was organized in Ifo in 2022, whereas the Owode Branch was created in 2024.

There are now 72 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created in Zimbabwe on June 9th. The Bulawayo Zimbabwe Masiyephambili Stake was organized from a division of the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2005) and the Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Emganwini, theFamona, the Nketa 1st, the Nketa 2nd, and Tshabalala Wards. There are now three stakes in Bulawayo. Given distance from Harare, Bulawayo appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

There are now 10 stakes and 1 district in Zimbabwe.

Benin

A new district was created in Benin on March 31st. The Bohicon Benin District was organized from the Bohicon Branch, and four new branches were created at the special conference to organize the district. These four new branches include the Dassa-Zoume, Parakou, Seme, and Tchaourou Branches (all of which were organized in cities that have never had branches except for the Seme Branch which is located in Bohicon). The conference to organize the new district had hundreds in attendance. The area covered by the new district had less than 100 members in 2019 and had 420 members at the time of the creation of the district. More information about the creation of the new district can be found here.

There are now two stakes and one district in Benin. The creation of 1-2 new stakes in Cotonou appears highly likely in the immediate future, as each of the two stakes have 10-11 wards.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 16th. The Bacabal Brazil District was organized, and it is unclear which branches are assigned to the new district. However, it appears that the new district includes five branches in Bacabal, Codó, Itapecuru Mirim, Pindaré Mirim, and Santa Inês - all but one of which were previously under the direct supervision of the Brazil Teresina Mission. The Church had no presence in any of these cities until approximately 10 years ago, and most of these branches have been organized within the past few years.

There are now 285 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Ecuador

A new district was created in Ecuador on March 17th. The Puyo Ecuador District was organized from three mission branches, including the Macas, Puyo, and Tena Branches. The Macas Branch is the newst branch in the district which was organized in 2023, whereas branches in Puyo and Tena were organized decades ago. The new district is the Church's first district to be organized in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. Several new branches have also been organized elsewhere in eastern Ecuador, and prospects appear good for the creation of districts in Coca and Nueva Loja in the foreseeable future.

There are now 44 stakes and 5 districts in Ecuador.

Honduras

A new district was created in Honduras on May 12th. The Intibuca Honduras was organized from three mission branches, namely the Intibuca, the Jesús de Otoro, and the Marcala Branches, which were all organized in 1996-1997. The branches have historically had very few active members.

There are now 31 stakes and 6 districts in Honduras.

Pakistan

A new district was created in Pakistan on March 17th. The Faisalabad Pakistan District was organized from the Lahore Pakistan District. The new district includes three branches, namely the Faisalabad 1st, Faisalabad 2nd (organized in 2024), and the Mian Channu (organized in 2023) Branches. The Church has experienced significant growth in Mian Channu with church services sometimes including several hundred attendees. The creation of the new district came as a surprised, as the Lahore Pakistan District appeared to be the district closest to become a stake in Pakistan before the district was divided. 

There are now four districts in Pakistan.

Peru

A district was reinstated in Peru on March 24th. The Huaral Peru District was reinstated (the district previously functioned from 2010 until 2013). The district includes the following three branches and one group: the Chancay, the Huaral, and the Valle Hermoso Branches and the Peralvillo Group. The Valle Hermoso Branch and Peralvillo Group were reinstated. Prior to the reinstatement of the district, branches were under the direction supervision of the mission.

There are now 115 stakes and 18 districts in Peru.

Australia

A stake was discontinued in Australia. The Adelaide Australia Modbury Stake was discontinued, and all retained congregations were reassigned to the two remaining stakes in Adelaide. The Church in Adelaide has experienced no growth in regard to the number of congregations in decades, and the stakes were small and appeared likely to be reconfigured into two stakes as a result. 

There are now 40 stakes and 4 districts in Australia.

Canada

A district was discontinued in Canada. The Terrace British Columbia District (organized in 1980) was discontinued, and all four branches in the district were reassigned to the Prince George British Columbia Stake (which now has four wards and eight branches). 

There are now 53 stakes and 3 districts in Canada.

Guatemala

A district was discontinued in Guatemala. The Momostenango Guatemala West District (organized in 1993) was discontinued and all four branches in the former district were reassigned to the Momostenango Guatemala Stake (which now has six wards and four branches). It is possible that this decision was made so some of the larger branches in the former district may become wards or because there was sufficient strength in the Momostenango Guatemala Stake to have the stake administer to these branches rather than the mission.

There are now 52 stakes and 11 districts in Guatemala.

Ireland

A district was discontinued in Ireland. The Limerick Ireland District was discontinued and consolidated with the Dublin Ireland Stake. Two branches in the former district became wards, including the Cork and Limerick Branches, and one ward in the original Dublin Ireland Stake was discontinued (Terenure 2nd). Mission leaders have sought for decades to prepare the Limerick Ireland District to become a stake as it was close at times to meeting the minimum qualifications. Due to the lack of growth in the Dublin Ireland Stake, the reconfiguration of the country into a single stake was likely due to strengthen the stake and also permit the larger branches to become wards. Now, all of Ireland is assigned to the Dublin Ireland Stake.

First Stake Created in Malawi

The Church organized its first stake in the African nation of Malawi on June 2nd. The Lilongwe Malawi Stake was organized from the Lilongwe Malawi District. All seven branches in the original district were reorganized into wards. Moreover, a new branch was also created when the new stake was organized. The new stake is comprised of the following congregations: the Kalambo 1st, the Kalambo 2nd, the Kawale, the Kasungu 1st, the Kasungu 2nd, and the Presidential Way Wards, and the Chinsapo Branch. 

The Church has had struggles for many years in Malawi with member retention and leadership development. The Church first organized a branch in Lilongwe sometime between 1991 and 2000, but the branch was discontinued in 2002. A branch in Lilongwe was later reinstated in 2007. A branch used to operate in Sitima - a small village approximately 50 miles northeast of Blantyre - from 1999 until 2008. The branch closed due to remote location and challenges with leadership development and sustainability. A branch once operated in northern Lilongwe that was closed in early 2020 (Kauma). The Church has worked for many years to create a stake in Blantyre, but the district has continued to not reach the minimum activity and priesthood standards to create a stake despite there being enough congregations and membership for the district to become a stake. In fact, the first meetinghouse in Blantyre was originally built to become a stake center (even though the building was constructed back in 2005 when there were only 540 members in the whole country).

Despite these challenges, much progress has occurred in the past decade with the Church's growth and stability. Sacrament meeting attendance in Lilongwe was only 30 people in late 2009, whereas today there is now a stake in Lilongwe with five wards and one branch in the city. Additional branches were created in Lilongwe in 2010 (Kauma which was discontinued in 2020), 2013 (Kalambo 1st and Presidential Way), 2016 (Kawale), and 2023 (Kalambo 2nd). Moreover, the Church has organized its first branches in northern Malawi since 2020. Kasungu is a city approximately 65 miles north of Lilongwe were a member group was organized in 2020 that quickly became a branch later that year. A second branch was created in Kasungu in 2022, and both branches have grown sufficiently to become wards in the new stake. The Lilongwe Malawi District was able to meet the more stringent qualifications to become a stake that were implemented for the worldwide Church as of January 2024. Earlier this year, a new branch was created in Mzuzu. Church membership increased by 23.3% in 2023 - the highest annual membership growth rate since 2011 when there were only 1,156 members as of the end of that year. As of year-end 2023, there were 4,776 members. The Book of Mormon translation in Chichewa is nearing completion, as only the books of Mormon, Ether, and Moroni have yet to be translated. 

The creation of the first stake in Malawi, combined with other recent developments in the Church's growth and expansion, signal that there is likely to be significant growth in the country in the near future. Unlike many other neighboring African nations, Malawi's population primarily speaks Chichewa which greatly simplifies translation work and missionary activity. Approximately two-thirds of the population is literate. The population of Malawi is approximately 21 million. Most Malawians are Christian. Malawi appears to be a strong candidate to have its own mission organized, as the country is administered by the Zambia Lusaka Mission and there has been significant recent growth in Malawi. The creation of a separate mission headquartered in Lilongwe may further sustain rapid growth that has recently begun. There are approximately one dozen cities in Malawi with at least 20,000 people without an official Latter-day Saint congregation. Prospects appear favorable to organize multiple congregations in Mzuzu where the first branch was recently organized, as Mzuzu is the third most populous city in Malawi with nearly a quarter of a million people. However, future mission outreach expansion will need to occur in rural communities, as only 18.3% of the country's population lives in urban areas. A temple announcement for Lilongwe is now a more likely possibility given a stake has been organized, although this appears unlikely until there are additional stakes organized.

Tshiluba Translation of the Book of Mormon Complete

The Church recently completed its Tshiluba translation of the Book of Mormon that can be accessed here. Tshiluba is the primary language spoke in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - an area that has experienced some of the most impressive growth in the Church. Tshiluba is spoken by approximately 6-7 million people.

Juba Branch Reopens in South Sudan

Today, the Church reinstated the Juba Branch in South Sudan. The Juba Branch was initially organized in November of 2009, but the branch closed in 2013 due to civil war and political instability. A member group operated in Juba prior to the reinstatement of the new branch. The new branch is under the direct supervision of the Uganda Kampala Mission. The population of South Sudan is approximately 11-13 million people. So far, there do not appear to be plans to assign full-time missionaries to South Sudan.

Prospects for rapid growth appeared favorable in the late 2000s prior to independence. At the time, the Church operated the Juba Branch with groups in additional cities such as Akobo and Nyamlel. There were groups of several thousand who requested baptism but were not baptized due to a lack of church infrastructure in the country, most notably in remote Nyamlel. Official church operations ceased by the mid-2010s due to war. Nevertheless, progress has been made with outreach among South Sudanese living abroad. A senior missionary couple began South Sudanese-specific outreach in Salt Lake City in 2019, and a Dinka/Nuer-speaking branch opened in 2021. The Church has had many South Sudanese converts join the Church in the United States, Uganda, Kenya, and Australia in particular. The first South Sudanese branch operated in Omaha, Nebraska in the mid-2000s, but the branch closed by the late 2000s.

Guinea-Bissau Assigned to the Cape Verde Praia Mission

The West African country of Guinea-Bissau was recently assigned to the Cape Verde Praia Mission. This marks the first time that Guinea-Bissau has been assigned to a mission, as the country has been under the administration of the Africa West Area through the Africa West Area Branch for many years. Guinea-Bissau has a population of approximately 2.2 million. Muslims constitute half of the population, whereas Christians and followers of folk religions comprise most of the other half of the population. The Church reported 45 Latter-day Saints in Guinea-Bissau as of year-end 2013, but there has never been an official congregation of the Church that has operated in the country. More recent membership information is unavailable. The assignment of Guinea-Bissau to the Cape Verde Praia Mission may signal imminent plans to establish an official Church presence in the country.

Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest and least economically developed countries of the world. Poverty is widespread and its porous borders have often attracted illegal activity, especially with drug smuggling into Europe. Moreover, the lack of an official United States diplomatic presence in the country has likely deterred area leaders to pursue formal proselytism in the country given the Church has often heavily relied upon American mission and area leaders to expand missionary activity into previously unreached areas. Nevertheless, there are excellent opportunities for growth if missionary work and a formal Church establishment are pursued in Guinea-Bissau, as there is religious freedom, little conflict between religious groups, and widespread use of several languages such as Portuguese, Bissau Guinean Creole, and Pulaar (a Fulani language). Moreover, many Bissau-Guineans have joined the Church in Europe, particularly in Portugal. The assignment of the country to the Cape Verde Praia Mission permits Portuguese mission resources to be utilized in Guinea-Bissau, as there are no other Portuguese-speaking countries West Africa.