I have updated the list of the countries with the
most
members
without a temple using year-end 2023 membership totals. Temples
that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are
identified. Previous lists are also available for May 2023, April 2022, March 2022, November 2020, April 2020, April 2019, October 2018, April 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007. Countries in Italics
do not have a
stake. Mongolia was removed from this list given the
announcement of the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple in October of 2023. Zambia has since ascended to the list to replace Mongolia. Benin is the
country on the list with the most recent Church establishment. The first
branch created in Benin was organized in 2005. Countries that may ascend to this list in the coming months and years include (in order) Malawi, Botswana, Ireland, Tanzania, Armenia, Trinidad and Tobago, Albania, Romania, Cameroon, the Czech Republic, and New Caledonia.
1. Uganda
- 22,318 members
- 3 stakes, 3 districts
- 43 congregations (18 wards, 25 branches)
- Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Nairobi Kenya Temple under construction)
- 11,086 members
- 0 stakes, 5 districts
- 24 congregations (24 branches)
- Hong Kong China Temple (Singapore Republic of Singapore Temple announced)
3. Togo
- 7,141 members
- 3 stakes
- 26 congregations (19 wards, 7 branches)
- Ghana Accra Temple
4. Jamaica
- 6,846 members
- 1 stake, 1 district
- 18 congregations (6 wards, 12 branches)
- Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple
5. Guyana
- 6,834 members
- 0 stakes, 2 districts
- 12 congregations (12 branches)
- Caracas Venezuela Temple
6. Marshall Islands
- 6,762 members
- 2 stakes
- 13 congregations (12 wards, 1 branch)
- Suva Fiji Temple (Tarawa Kiribati Temple announced)
7. Benin
- 6,140 members
- 2 stakes, 1 district
- 30 congregations (21 wards, 9 branches)
- Accra Ghana Temple (Lagos Nigeria Temple announced)
8. Federated States of Micronesia
- 5,940 members
- 1 stake, 1 district
- 22 congregations (5 wards, 17 branches)
- Yigo Guam Temple
9. Zambia
- 5,906 members
- 1 stake, 2 districts
- 17 congregations (6 wards, 11 branches)
- Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Harare Zimbabwe Temple under construction)
10. Belize
- 5,631 members
- 2 districts
- 12 congregations (12 branches)
- Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (Coban Guatemala Temple scheduled for dedication)
How many latter-day saints are there in Pakistan according to your information? In 2019, LDS Living said there were 6,000. At that time, there were 13 branches in 3 districts, and now there are 15 branches in 4 districts.
ReplyDeleteYamil - Seems to be about 6,000. Local member contacts I have there told me there were about 5,500 a couple years ago, so this is an estimate. It might be higher, especially with the hundreds of converts in Mian Channu.
ReplyDeleteI hope it's higher. Missionary works is doing great, even though the obvious limitations. Thanks, Matt!
ReplyDeleteJust announced on the Newsroom site,
ReplyDelete"15 April 2024 - SALT LAKE CITY News Release
Open House, Dedication and Groundbreaking Dates for Temples in Argentina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
The site for Democratic Republic Temple of the Congo is also available"
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mendoza-cleveland-pittsburgh-kananga-temples
I have a few questions about the temples you've assigned some of the countries to, Matt: according to Rick's temple site, the districts in Malaysia are assigned to Bangkok, not Hong Kong; and Guyana is assigned to Manaus, not Caracas. What's the source of this discrepancy?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that Mendoza and Pittsburgh will be dedicated before Caper but the dates were announced later.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting that Uganda has 22,000 members while Togo had 7,000 members, yet thry both have 3 stakes. However Uganda does have 3 districts as well.
I can easily see both Lome, Togo and Kampala Uganda getting a temple this fall. OK, Kampala has been top of my list since Chiclayo was announced, and has been on my list far longer than that.
Thanks to my network of Church member sources, I was advised that Pittsburgh, Tallahassee, and Salvador could all potentially be dedicated before Casper. So I think that's still possible for Tallahassee. I am less sure about Salvador, but it could potentially be dedicated before the end of October. The announcement of opening arrangements for Mendoza blew me away because according to the Church Temples site, construction on that temple had not been completed yet. But today's announcements give me hope that more temples could be dedicated this year than I thought. Aside from the two temples I mentioned, I assume that San Pedro Sula Honduras, Deseret Peak Utah, Antofagasta Chile, and perhaps even Abidjan Ivory Coast could all be a lock for dedications before the end of this year.
ReplyDeleteMatt, thanks for this update on the top ten nations with the strongest Church presence without a temple. I'd been wondering since the temple in Mongolia was announced where things stood. It occurs to me to wonder whether a temple in Uganda will not be announced until the Nairobi Kenya Temple is dedicated next year (which, based on my current estimates, could happen in August).
Glad we got another groundbreaking for June 1. With the time zone difference, the Cleveland Ohio groundbreaking will likely actually take place before the previously announced the groundbreaking for the Teton River Idaho Temple. Glad that we got another temple location announced. I am hoping the area leadership assignments get announced later this week. I expect a high degree of turnover based on how long some area presidency members have served and also based on those who have been released or reassigned. There has not been a sufficient systematic pattern to the days on which area leadership assignments have been announced in past years to give me sufficient confidence to project when that might happen this week.
Salvador May become the 200th Dedicated !!!
DeleteThat honor will either go to Salvador or Casper. Based on what's been announced vs. what hasn't been announced and soon should be, I estimate that Tallahassee could be dedicated on September 22 or 29 or October 13. Salvador could follow on October 13, 20, or 27. Salvador is ahead of Tallahassee timewise and Tallahassee is ahead of Casper. So it's a question of whether Tallahassee and Salvador will be dedicated on the weeks before the Casper dedication, on the same date, or in the weeks following the Casper dedication.
DeleteIn fact, Salvador Temple is already all "done", waiting only for local burocracy!!!
DeleteI was, of course, aware that Salvador was completed. I didn't know bureaucratic issues were slowing the announcement of opening arrangements. Thanks for that tidbit. Hopefully it all gets settled soon. The other two temples I mentioned are also completed and are awaiting the announcement of their opening arrangements.
DeleteI wonder if it is possible to determine a list of the US States that have the most members without a temple in that state.. surely Wisconsin is high on that list. I wonder also when South Dakota will get a temple in maybe Rapid City or Sioux Falls. However I am sure the good people of Milwaukee are itching for their own temple soon, prayers that it happens this next October conference
ReplyDeleteMatt has done such lists in the past. He may do another in the near term.
Delete