First Young, Proselytizing Missionaries Assigned to Mali

Local members report that young, proselytizing missionaries were assigned to Mali for the first time in Church history. Two young Black African missionary companionships from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission were assigned to the Bamako Branch and will begin teaching dozens of prospective members in multiple locations within the Bamako area. There are also additional villages near Frako (Mountougoula) that have as many as 1-2 dozen interested individuals. The Church currently has approximately 80 people who attend church meetings spread across one branch and one member group (Frako). Essentially all members on church records are active.

There have been small numbers of Malians who have joined the Church over the past several decades, but there were no overt efforts by the Africa West Area Presidency to establish an official Church presence until the past few years. Elder David A. Bednar visited Mali in May 2017. The Church organized its first branch in Mali, the Bamako Branch, in July 2017. The Bamako area was assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission around this time. The first convert baptisms occurred in February 2018. There were 42 members in Mali in April 2018, and likely as many as 70 members in Mali by year-end 2018. The Church obtained official recognition from the government in January 2019. Other proselytism-focused Christians have maintained a presence in Mali for decades. However, these groups report few members and slow growth rates. Religious freedom is supported by the government in government-controlled areas of the country.

Prospects appear highly favorable for rapid initial growth with the introduction of full-time missionaries given sustained interest in many who wish to join the Church. However, language barriers and illiteracy pose challenges for growth. Leadership development also appears a challenge. Most individuals interested in joining the Church speak Bambara and demonstrate little fluency in French. Only two Church materials are translated into Bambara, and no Latter-day Saint scriptures. Local members fluent in French, English, and Bambara have been instrumental in the establishment of the Church in Mali. Only Black African missionaries appear likely to be assigned to Mali within the foreseeable future due to safety concerns with terrorism as non-Africans are often more susceptible to these attacks.

Mali is the second West African country to have had full-time missionaries assigned for the first time in the past 18 months. Senegal is the other country where full-time missionaries were first assigned in 2018. Both Mali and Senegal have homogeneously Muslim populations. However, converts have come from a mix of religious backgrounds.

CORRECTION: Missionaries Assigned to Senegal; Senegal, Mali, and Guinea Update

I wanted to correct an inaccurate post from last February regarding the assignment of full-time missionaries to Senegal. Church leaders confirmed that the first young, proselytizing missionaries were assigned to Senegal within the past week from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission. Furthermore, the Dakar Branch was divided today to organize a second branch in Dakar called the Parcelles Branch which appears to meet in the Parcelles neighborhood of Dakar. Please refer to my previous post from last February regarding additional information about the Church in Senegal.

The Church also continues to experience progress in other West African countries where an LDS presence was recently established. As noted last February, the first convert baptisms occurred in February in Mali. Local members are optimistic that full-time missionaries from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission will soon be assigned to serve in Mali within the near future pending government approval. I have not received any new information regarding the status of assigning full-time missionaries to Guinea where the first branch was organized last year. However, the Conakry Branch had 30 members at year-end 2017. Local members reported that there were 23 adults who attended church meetings at the time and that there were seven investigators.

Young LDS Missionaries Assigned to Senegal for the First Time - Non-African Missionaries Return to Cote d'Ivoire

Within the past couple weeks, the Church assigned young, full-time missionaries to serve in the West African country of Senegal for the first time. Six Black African full-time missionaries from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission were assigned to Senegal. All six missionaries appear to serve in the city of Dakar where the only LDS branch operates in the country. A senior missionary couple has served in Dakar for at least a couple years to provide member and leadership support. This couple has also appeared to conduct humanitarian and development work in Senegal. The Church operated a member group in Dakar for at least 1-2 years before the organization of the Dakar Branch in May 2016 with 24 members. The Church assigned Senegal to a mission, the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission, for the first time in late 2016/early 2017. LDS Apostle Elder David A. Bednar dedicated Senegal for missionary work in May 2017 when he met with the approximately two dozen local members in the Dakar Branch. Most members in the Dakar Branch were originally Black Africans from other West African countries. However, native Senegalese have appeared to begin to join the Church in the past 1-2 years. Dakar Branch members primarily speak French and Wolof. It is unclear which mission Senegal will be assigned to when the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission is organized this July. Ninety-six percent (96%) of the population in Senegal is Muslim, whereas 4% is Christian.

Senegal presents many good opportunities for future LDS growth due to widespread religious freedom, tolerance for Christian proselytism, sizable Christian minority in Dakar and southern areas of the country, and easy accessibility from other West African countries. There are 3.5 million people who live in the Dakar metropolitan area. One other city has at least one million people: Touba (1.0 million). The creation of member groups that assemble in areas distant from the current church meetinghouse appears likely in the next year due to the large geographical size of Dakar and opportunities for future growth.

For more information, refer to this case study (written in February 2014) that provides an analysis of opportunities for growth in Senegal.

Lastly, non-African missionaries from North America have begun to serve in Ivorian missions after approximately 5-6 years. North American missionaries have historically served in Cote d'Ivoire although they were evacuated during the First and Second Ivorian Civil Wars. The first North Americans to serve in Cote d'Ivoire after the Second Ivorian Civil War appeared to begin their service sometime within the past year.

NOTE: This initial post was inaccurate regarding the assignment of full-time missionaries to Senegal in February. The first two young, proselytizing missionaries arrived in early April 2017.

Significant LDS Developments in Mali

Local members in Mali report several significant LDS developments in Mali. The Church has appeared to obtain official government registration in Mali. The first branch in Mali will be organized in the capital city, Bamako, on June 26th under the direction of the Africa West Area Presidency. The first proselytizing missionaries will also be assigned to Mali in July and one of the missions in Cote d'Ivoire will oversee church activities in the country. Local members anticipate perhaps several cities opening to proselytism within the near future once missionaries begin to serve in Bamako. Most of these cities will likely be opened in areas with significant numbers of Christians. Significant numbers of prospective members have been preparing for baptism and will likely be baptized once missionaries arrive in the country. These developments have occurred quickly after Elder David A. Bednar's visit to Mali in late May when he met with a congregation of approximately 250 prospective members. Recently, a handful of Malians have traveled to other nations such as Ghana to be baptized. Malians have joined the Church for several decades in other nations and only a couple have served full-time missions.

There are 17.5 million people who reside in Mali and the population is 95% Muslim according to CIA World Factbook estimates from 2009. Receptivity to LDS teachings appears high based upon initial reports - a surprising finding considering the prominence of Islam in society and the lack of growth of other nontraditional proselyting Christian faiths such as Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. For more information about prospects for future LDS growth in Mali, click here to access a previous case study I wrote for cumorah.com.

The Church in Kurdistan, Iraq

The Church has experienced significant progress in regards to its establishment in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq within the past 18 months. There are currently three senior missionary couples who serve in northern Iraq. Member groups appear to operate in at least three cities: Duhok, Irbil, and Sulaymaniyah. Convert baptisms appear to frequently occur in these cities although each of these fledgling congregations have only a couple dozens members and investigators who attend. This area of Iraq is under control of the Kurdistan Regional Government and there do not appear to be any significant barriers for missionary activity if it is conducted by member referral. Although the Church has a sizable amount of materials translated into Standard Arabic, there remain no LDS materials in Kurdish languages.

The assignment of senior missionary couples to Kurdistan deserves the attention and praise of LDS leaders worldwide. Many areas of the world present similar opportunities for an initial LDS establishment, such as the Chin Hills of Burma (Myanmar), northeastern India (e.g. Nagaland, Manipur, Assam), nations without an LDS presence in West Africa (e.g. Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali), and Amerindian peoples in Latin America. Progress in Iraqi Kurdistan also indicates opportunities for LDS outreach expansion in the Middle East, such as in the hundreds of large and medium-sized cities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Coptic Christians in Egypt. Perhaps the Church will formally organize a proselytizing mission headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon within the foreseeable future to provide additional resources and leadership oversight to this region of the world, particularly within the nations of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Updated List of Countries of the World and Year Opened to LDS Missionary Work

The opening of several additional countries to full-time missionaries within the past few years has prompted me to update the list of countries that have had LDS missionaries assigned. Any corrections or feedback would be appreciated. Countries that no longer have an LDS presence are listed in red and provided with the last year of an LDS presence. Notes are provided clarifying when an LDS presence was first established, any previous attempts to begin missionary activity earlier on, and setbacks requiring the removal of all missionaries.

1. United States - 1830
2. Canada - 1830
3. United Kingdom - 1837
4. Australia - 1840
5. French Polynesia - 1844
6. Denmark - 1849
7. France - 1849 (missionaries served inconsistently in France until 1946)
8. Switzerland - 1850
9. Germany - 1851 (first branch created in 1843)
10. Norway - 1851
11. Sweden - early 1850s
12. Ireland - 1850s (missionary work began in late 1830s but closed due to famine and emigration)
13. New Zealand - 1854
14. Netherlands - 1861
15. Finland - 1870s (more permanent, consistent missionary activity began in 1947)
16. Mexico - 1875
17. Austria - 1883 (year first Austria baptized in Austria; missionaries periodically visited years earlier)
18. American Samoa - 1888 (previous attempt to establish church in 1862 but unsuccessful)
19. Belgium - 1888
20. Samoa - 1888 (previous attempt to establish church in 1862 but unsuccessful)
21. Tonga - 1891 (missionaries removed from 1897 to 1907)
22. Syria - late 1890s-1951 (closed due to political conditions and emigration of Armenian converts)
23. Japan - 1901 (mission closed in 1924 and reopened in 1946)
24. South Africa - 1903 (missionaries also served from 1853-1865)
25. Argentina - 1925
26. Brazil - 1928
27. Czech Republic - 1929 (missionaries removed in 1950; reintroduced in 1990)
28. Israel (Palestine) - 1933-1939, 1946-1951, 1970s-mid-1980s (closed due to BYU-Jerusalem agreement with government)
29. Cook Islands - 1946 (previous attempt to established church in 1899 unsuccessful)
30. Costa Rica - 1946
31. Guatemala - 1947
32. Uruguay - 1947
33. El Salvador - 1949
34. Hong Kong - 1949 (previous attempt to establish church in 1853 unsuccessful)
35. Paraguay - 1950
36. Zimbabwe - 1950 (missionary visits began as early as 1930)
37. Honduras - 1952
38. Niue - 1952
39. Nicaragua - 1953 (missionaries withdrawn for most of the 1980s)
40. Fiji - 1954
41. South Korea - 1954
42. Chile - 1956 (previous attempt to establish church in early 1850s unsuccessful)
43. Taiwan - 1956
44. Peru - late 1950s (first branch created in 1956)
45. Philippines - 1961
46. Luxembourg - 1963 (no missionaries appeared to be assigned in the 1970s)
47. Bolivia - 1964
48. Macau - 1964
49. India - 1960s (exact year missionaries assigned unknown; some missionary activity in 19th century)
50. Ecuador - 1965
51. Lebanon - 1965-1975 (LDS presence remains, but no proselytism missionary at present)
52. Panama - 1965 (first LDS presence established in 1940s among military)
53. Bermuda - 1966
54. Colombia - 1966
55. Italy - 1966 (some missionary activity occurred in the mid-19th century)
56. Venezuela - 1966
57. New Caledonia - 1968 (first branch created in 1961)
58. Singapore - 1968 (missionaries removed for much of the 1970s)
59. Thailand - 1968 (missionaries briefly assigned in 1854, LDS presence established in 1950s)
60. Spain - 1968-1969
61. Indonesia - 1970
62. Malaysia - 1972
63. Puerto Rico - early 1970s (time when Puerto Rico assigned to a mission; missionaries visited in 1940)
64. Portugal - 1974
65. Iceland - 1975 (LDS presence and missionaries assigned from 1851-1914; reintroduced in 1975)
66. Iran - 1975-1979 (missionary work closed due to Iranian Revolution)
67. Kiribati - 1975
68. Northern Mariana Islands - 1975 (LDS presence among military first established in 1940s)
69. Vanuatu - 1975 (first branch organized in 1973)
70. Federated States of Micronesia - 1976
71. Guam - 1977 (year first native baptized; LDS presence since 1944 but among military)
72. Marshall Islands - 1977
73. Trinidad and Tobago - 1977
74. Croatia - late 1970s (at the time part of Yugoslavia; dedicated for missionary work in 1985)
75. Serbia - late 1970s (first missionary visited in 1899)
76. Curacao - 1978 (missionaries removed same year, reassigned in 1982; first branch created in 1979)
77. Ghana - 1978
78. Jamaica - 1978 (previous attempt to establish church in 1840s and 1850s unsuccessful)
79. Namibia - 1978
80. Nigeria - 1978
81. Palau - 1978
82. US Virgin Islands - 1978 (first convert baptisms occurred in 1976)
83. Bahamas - 1979
84. Barbados - 1979
85. Dominican Republic - 1979 (country dedicated, first branch organized in 1978)
86. Mauritius - 1979 (one missionary was assigned for two months in 1856)
87. Papua New Guinea - 1979 (year first branch was organized; first converts baptized in 1980)
88. Reunion - 1979
89. Belize - 1980
90. Haiti - 1980 (first convert baptisms occurred in 1978)
91. Kenya - 1980 (first convert baptisms occurred in 1979)
92. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 1980
93. Saint Martin/Sint Maarten - 1983
94. Antigua and Barbuda - 1984
95. Guadeloupe - 1984 (first branch created in 1982)
96. Martinique - 1984
97. Saint Kitts and Nevis - 1984
98. Grenada - 1985
99. Tuvalu - 1985 (year first branch and convert baptisms occurred; missionaries removed 2005-2010)
100. Cayman Islands - 1985 (church services began in 1982)
101. Greece - 1986 (first branch created in the 1960s;  (some limited missionary activity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries)
102. Aruba - 1987 (first branch created in 1986)
103. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 1987
104. Liberia - 1987 (missionaries removed in 2014 due to Ebola and anticipated to return in 2015)
105. Swaziland - 1987 (first branch created in 1986)
106. Cote d'Ivoire - 1988
107. Guyana - 1988
108. Malta - 1988 (previous attempts to establish church occurred in the 1850s and 1979)
109. Poland - 1988 (sporadic missionary efforts occurred for nearly 100 years before this time)
110. Sierra Leone - 1988 (missionaries removed in 2014 due to Ebola and anticipated to return in 2015)
111. Suriname - 1988
112. Cape Verde - 1988-1989
113. Hungary - 1988-1989 (sporadic missionary presence around 1900, first convert baptisms in 1988)
114. French Guiana - 1989
115. Lesotho - 1989
116. Botswana - 1990
117. Bulgaria - 1990
118. Estonia - 1990
119. Romania - 1990 (missionaries were assigned periodically from 1903-1933)
120. Russia - 1990
121. Slovakia - 1990 (some missionary activity occurred in the 1930s and 1940s).
122. Slovenia - 1990
123. Uganda - 1990
124. Ukraine - 1990
125. Armenia - 1991 (year country dedicated for missionary work; first branch organized in 1994)
126. Madagascar - 1991 (first convert baptisms occurred in 1988)
127. Republic of the Congo - 1991-1992
128. Albania - 1992
129. Andorra - 1992 (first convert baptism; unclear exact year first missionaries were assigned)
130. Cameroon - 1992 (young missionaries not assigned until mid-2000s)
131. Latvia - 1992 (some missionary activity briefly occurred in 1903)
132. Lithuania - 1992
133. Mongolia - 1992
134. Tanzania - 1992
135. Zambia - 1992 (missionaries briefly assigned in 1960s)
136. Belarus - 1993
137. Cyprus - 1993 (year country dedicated for missionary work; unclear when first missionaries assigned)
138. Ethiopia - 1993
139. Pakistan - 1993 (first LDS presence established in 1970s)
140. Cambodia - 1994
141. Solomon Islands - 1995 (year first senior missionaries assigned; missionaries withdrawn for much of the 2000s
142. Moldova - 1997 (missionaries withdrawn from 2004 to 2007)
143. Sri Lanka - late 1990s (time when first proselytizing missionaries from Singapore Mission assigned, no young, full-time missionaries assigned from 2008 to 2014)
144. Benin - 1998 (year senior missionaries first assigned and first baptism; first branch organized in 2003)
145. Malawi - 1999 (first convert baptisms occurred in 1992)
146. Mozambique - 1999 (first branch created in 1996)
147. Togo - 1999
148. Saint Lucia - 2003 (year branch was reestablished; brief missionary presence from 1983-1986)
149. Kazakhstan - mid-2000s (exact year unknown; country dedicated in 2003)
150. Vietnam - mid-2000s 
151. Dominica - 2006
152. Georgia - 2006
153. Laos - 2006 (young missionaries removed same year; young missionaries returned in 2013)
154. Angola - 2008 (first branch created in 1996)
155. Turks and Caicos Islands - 2008-2009
156. Burundi - 2010 (young missionaries briefly served in 1993)
157. Kosovo - 2011
158. Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2012 (first branch created in 2011)
159. Macedonia - 2012
160. Montenegro - 2012
161. Turkey - 2012 (some limited missionary activity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries)
162. Rwanda - 2012 (some limited missionary activity from 2008-2012)
163. Burma (Myanmar) - 2014 (very brief missionary activity occurred in the mid-nineteenth century)
164. Gabon - 2014

Full-time Missionaries to Return to Liberia and Sierra Leone This Summer

The Church announced yesterday that full-time missionaries will return to Liberia and Sierra Leone this summer. Missionaries were removed from these two nations in August 2014 as a result of the Ebola outbreak that claimed over 8,500 lives and infected approximately 22,000 people in the region. It appears that mission presidents and young full-time missionaries will restart formal proselytism efforts in July.

It was initially unclear as to whether the Church in these two nations would continue to sustain rapid membership and congregational growth following the removal of full-time missionaries and mission presidents. The Church in these two nations has historically struggled with local leadership development, member-missionary participation, member activity, and convert retention. However, the Church has appeared to experience steady "real growth" in these two nations during this period, particularly in Sierra Leone. The Church in Sierra Leone has organized seven new branches since full-time missionaries were removed. Reports from members in the nation indicate that local members have been effective at continuing missionary work despite the absence of full-time missionaries. Some congregations have continued to baptize new converts on almost a weekly basis within the past nine months.

Although it will become more clear within the next six month as to what progress the Church has achieved in these two nations since full-time missionaries were removed, membership and congregational growth trends have been encouraging and suggest that the Church may have turned a corner in developing a self-sufficient Church led by indigenous members. The advancement of districts into stakes within the next couple years will be a key indicator to assess real growth, the maturation in local leadership development, and the self-sufficiency of members and church leaders.

The Church currently reports one stake and five districts in Sierra Leone and three districts in Liberia. See below for links to statistical profiles for these two nations.

• Liberia
• Sierra Leone

First Young Elder Missionaries Assigned to Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)

Missionaries in the Thailand Bangkok Mission report that the first young elders were assigned to Yangon, Burma to provide support to the Yangon Branch and teach member-referred and self-referred investigators.  The Church has had a presence in Burma for a couple decades and a branch has operated in Yangon but only senior missionary couples have served in the country on humanitarian assignment.  Only two young elders will serve in Yangon and they will not be permitted to openly proselyte due to government restrictions. 

The Church has had several recent encouraging missionary developments reaching Burmese worldwide such as the organization of a Karen-speaking branch in Salt Lake City, several missions in the United States baptizing sizable numbers of Burmese and Karen, and three members from Burma recently beginning full-time missions.  The Church has yet to translate the Book of Mormon into Burmese or Karen however.

First Proselytizing LDS Missionaries Arrive in Rwanda

Today the LDS Church assigned its first proselytizing missionaries to Rwanda after several years of waiting.  Members in Kigali report that two missionaries will serve in the Kigali Branch and begin formal missionary activity.  Although the Church officially organized its one and only branch in Rwanda back in 2008, proselytizing missionaries have not been assigned due to pending church registration with the government.  A recent change in the law now permits religious groups to operate as long as they are in the registration process.  Mission leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda conducted their first exploratory visit to assess prospects for missionary activity back in 2006 and the first humanitarian senior missionary couple arrived in 2010.  Rwanda is currently assigned to the Uganda Kampala Mission.  Local members report other recent church growth developments including increasing church attendance and the first native member to begin a full-time mission.  Prior to the assignment of missionaries to Rwanda, the most recent country in the region to have the LDS missionaries assigned was Burundi in 2010.

Expanding missionary activity in the Uganda Kampala Mission may warrant the creation of additional missions in the region although no official announcement has been made by church leaders.  Currently the Uganda Kampala Mission services Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Djibouti - a combined population of approximately 150 million.  Prospects appear favorable for the Church to create new missions in Ethiopia and Burundi; the latter of which could potentially administer Burundi, Rwanda, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

First Proselyting LDS Missionaries Assigned to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Last week, missionaries report that six young missionaries were permanently assigned to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time.  Four missionaries (two elders and two sisters) were assigned to the Sarajevo Branch and two missionaries were assigned to the Banja Luka Group.  Several Bosnians have already joined the Church through the efforts of the handful of members in the country and senior missionary couples within the past year.  The Adriatic North Mission services Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Missionaries also report that plans are underway to assign the first proselyting missionaries to Macedonia and Montenegro within the next couple months.  The Adriatic South Mission services these two countries.

Mission Realignment in Southeastern Europe

Full-time missionaries serving in the Albania Tirana and Adriatic Missions report that both missions have been realigned.  The Albania Tirana Mission was renamed the Adriatic South Mission whereas the Adriatic Mission was renamed the Adriatic North Mission. 

In addition to Albania, the Adriatic South Mission now includes Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro.  Missionaries report that mission leaders are drafting plans to assign the first proselytizing missionaries to Macedonia and Montenegro in the coming months and increasing the number of missionaries assigned to Kosovo.  Some Serbian-speaking missionaries from the Adriatic North Mission - formerly the Adriatic Mission - will also be assigned to work in non-Albanian-speaking areas.

The Adriatic North Mission now includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia.  LDS missionaries have been assigned and branches have operated in Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia for two decades.  Senior missionaries have recently begun working in Bosnia and Herzegovina where two congregations meet in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

With the assignment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro to missions and the prospective opening of each country to LDS proselytism within the coming months, all countries in Europe will have an LDS presence for the first time with the exception of a few city-states such as San Marino and Liechtenstein.  Notwithstanding this significant church growth development, hundreds of cities throughout Europe remain unreached by the LDS Church.

First LDS Missionareis Assigned to Montenegro

The first senior missionary couple was recently assigned to the country of Montenegro.  Located in Southeastern Europe in the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro has a population of 667,000 that predominately speaks standard Serbian and Montenegrin (a dialect of Serbian).  In 2010, the Church organized an administrative branch and a group appeared to function in the capital Podgorica.  Senior missionaries have thus far conducted limited proselytism and missionary activity and utilize church materials in Serbian.  It appears likely that Montenegro and other former Yugoslav Republics will be assigned to the Adriatic Mission in the near future.

Turkey Opening For Missionary Work

Missionaries serving in the Bulgaria Sofia Mission report that four elders will be assigned to Istanbul, Turkey in mid-February and begin active missionary work in Turkey.  This development appears to have occurred on the heals of the Church receiving government recognition within the past year.  In accordance with societal attitudes regarding Christian proselytism, all missionary activity will occur through member referral.  Reports indicate that missionaries will learn the Turkish language by attending university classes for a portion of the day once transferred to Istanbul.  Turkey previously pertained to no mission but was assigned to the Bulgaria Sofia Mission within the past year.

The Church has operated four branches in Turkey for two decades and has assigned humanitarian senior missionary couples for years.  The assignment of young missionaries to Turkey is a major church growth development as Turkey numbers among the most populous countries that have no proselytizing missionaries assigned and Turkey is a homogeneously Muslim nation.  It is unclear whether missionaries will be permitted to teach Muslims or be restricted to working with individuals who follow other religious beliefs.

Church Growth News

Missionaries officially assigned to Kosovo

A young missionary companionship and a senior missionary couple have been assigned to Pristina, Kosovo to begin formal missionary activity.  The Pristina Branch was organized earlier this year.  Currently LDS membership for Kosovo is estimated at less than 50.  Prospects for future growth are favorable although the delayed introduction of LDS missionary work in Kosovo may have resulted in missed opportunities when the population was most receptive.

New branch in Burundi

A second branch was organized in Bujumbura, Burundi less than six months after the organization of the first branch.  Convert baptisms continue to occur weekly and prospects appear favorable for additional branches to be organized within the near future.

Recent Church Growth News

Continued growth in Nicaragua

Missionaries continue to report positive church growth developments in Nicaragua. The Nicaragua Managua North Mission, created this past July, is now at productivity levels equal to that of the original Nicaragua Managua Mission prior to the mission split. The small, remote city of Siuna in north central Nicaragua had its first visit by full-time missionaries in the past month and missionaries have periodically worked in the city since. Last Sunday, over 60 interested individuals attended church, which was the second formal church meeting ever held, and several of these attendees will be baptized in the coming weeks. Missionaries serving in Nicaragua report challenges increasing the number of men at church in many areas, which is an obstacle towards developing greater self-sufficiency and long-term growth.

Missionaries arrive in Burundi

As reported a month ago, the Church set plans to open Burundi to missionary work in September for the first time since the brief period full-time missionaries were assigned to Burundi in the early 1990s. Six young male full-time missionaries and two senior couples arrived safely in the country this past week. Two additional young elders will arrive in the coming week. Self-proclaimed Latter-day Saints number nearly 1,000 in Bujumbura and in remote areas in the northeast. There appears to be fewer than 50 known Latter-day Saints in Burundi. In the coming weeks and months, missionaries will most likely begin working with known members, establish and train local leadership for future branches, and begin teaching and baptizing new converts. Missionary activity will most likely be limited to Bujumbura for the first few months or year until expanding into other areas.

Congregational growth in Brazil

Steady congregational growth has occurred in Ceare and Sao Paulo States in Brazil so far in 2010. Few new stakes appear likely to be created in the near future however in these areas due to recent division of most of the larger stakes. There have been 17 new stakes created in these two states since 2005, few of which have been from districts maturing into stakes. Stakes which may be close to splitting in Ceare and Sao Paulo are listed below.

• Fortaleza Brazil East (9 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Hortolandia Brazil (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Sao Jose do Rio Preto (9 wards, 3 branches)

Rapid Growth in Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo

Isolated in the interior of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kananga is the country's fourth largest city. The Church created its first district in Kananga in 2003. Up until a couple years ago, four branches operated in the city. Currently there are eight branches, with two or three new branches to be created by the end of the year. No full-time missionaries have been assigned to Kananga in the past and local member missionaries have been responsible for teaching and baptizing new members. So far in 2010, over 450 new converts have been baptized in the district, with typically 60 converts baptized a month. In a recent district conference, over 2,200 attended the general session. Many local members are currently serving full-time missions and for the first time, full-time missionaries will be assigned in the coming month. The Church has faced challenges acquiring additional facilities which are large enough to use as meetinghouses. Many branches in the district report up to 200 attending church a week. The district is currently preparing to become a stake in the near future.

Like in many unreached areas of Africa where self-identified Latter-day Saints meet unofficially waiting for the church's arrival, a new group of 200 is meeting in the name of the church in a location some 300 kilometers from Kananga. Mission leaders provided teaching and training to the prospective members, but as of now there appears to be no plans to open a congregation in this remote area.

Burundi Opening to Missionary Work In September

Missionaries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the country of Burundi will open for formal missionary work in September. Several exploratory trips have occurred in the past 18 months to assess conditions and locate members and prospective converts. On some of these trips, mission leaders reported hundreds meeting in the name of the LDS Church both in the capital Bujumbura and in remote areas of the country. These prospective Latter-day Saint converts have learned about the Church from members living in the country and from pastors who have obtained copies of the Book of Mormon and have begun teaching from LDS scripture. In late 2009, there were as many as a dozen unofficial congregations. The most recent exploratory trip occurred in the past few weeks in which mission leaders met with some members who have been waiting for years for the Church's official reestablishment.

In the early 1990s, Burundi opened to missionary work and had a branch established in Bujumbura in 1993. Due to ethnic conflict and political instability, the Church withdrew missionaries (who were assigned from the Ivory Coast Abijdan Mission) shortly thereafter and stopped reporting membership totals in 2001.

In September, eight young, full-time proselytizing missionaries and two senior missionary couples from the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission will be assigned to Burundi and reside in Bujumbura. Few if any countries have opened to formal missionary activity in the past decade, let alone with so many missionaries. Neighboring Rwanda has had an official Church presence for about two years, yet only one senior missionary couple was assigned just in the past year. Other African nations which have received their first proselytizing missionaries in the past decade include Angola, Benin, Cameroon, and Togo. Formal missionary activity may begin soon in the Central African Republic.