New Stakes Created in Nigeria (3), North Carolina (2), Utah (2), Alabama, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Idaho, Kentucky, Mozambique, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain; and Uganda; Stakes Discontinued in Taiwan and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Cote d'Ivoire and Honduras

Nigeria

Three new stakes have been created in Nigeria. 

The Nsukka Nigeria Stake was organized on May 24th from the Nsukka Nigeria District (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Achara, Nru, Obollo Afor, Obollo Eke, and Onuiyi Wards and the Enugu-Ezike Branch.

The Lagos Nigeria Gberigbe Stake was organized on May 31st from a division of the Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake (organized in 2022 and which had 10 wards and seven branches immediately prior to the new stake creation). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Adamo, Gberigbe, Imota, Ita Oluwo, and Ladegboye Wards, and the Agbowa, Agura, Igbopa, Ijede, and Mowo Nla Branches. There are now 10 stakes in the greater Lagos metropolitan area. The first stake in Lagos was created in 1997 followed by additional stakes created in 2005, 2011, 2015 (2), 2018, 2022 (2), and 2024.

The Enugu Nigeria North Stake was organized on July 5th from a division of the Enugu Nigeria Stake (organized in 2014). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Abakpa, Emene, New Haven, Nike Lake, Trans Ekulu 1st, Trans Ekulu 2nd, and Ugboezeji Wards. There are now two stakes in Enugu.

With these three new stakes, there are now 84 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria. With these three new stakes, there are now 84 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria. Nigeria now has the sixth-most stakes of any country in the world, even though it ranks tenth in reported Church membership.

North Carolina

Two new stakes were created in North Carolina. 

The Mount Airy North Carolina Stake was organized on May 17th from the Hickory North Carolina Stake (organized in 1982) and the Winston-Salem North Carolina Stake (organized in 1977). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Dobson, Fort Chiswell, Mount Airy, North Wilkesboro, and Pilot Mountain Wards, and the Sparta and Stuart Branches. 

The Raleigh North Carolina East Stake was organized on May 31st from a division of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake (organized in 1962), the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake (organized in 2015), and the Wake Forest North Carolina Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Archer Lodge, Garner 1st, Knightdale 1st, Lake Wheeler, and Raleigh 2nd Wards, and the Lake Benson YSA, Garner 2nd, Knightdale 2nd, and Millbrook Branches. There are now six stakes in the Raleigh–Durham/Research Triangle area.

There are now 23 stakes in North Carolina. Three stakes have been organized in North Carolina since January of this year.

Utah

Two new stakes were created and one stake was discontinued in Utah. 

The Salem Utah Summer Spring Stake and the Washington Utah Long Valley Stake were both organized on June 7th. 

The Salem Utah Summer Spring Stake was organized from a division of the Salem Utah West Stake (organized in 1996) and includes the following six wards: the Salem 10th, Salem 11th, Salem 12th, Salem 13th, Salem 14th, and Salem Park Wards. There are now four stakes in Salem.

The Washington Utah Long Valley Stake was organized from a division of the Washington Utah East Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Long Valley 1st, Long Valley 2nd, Red Waters, Riverbend, and Scenic Sunrise Wards. There are now six stakes in Washington.

The Salt Lake Granger East Stake (organized in 1969) was recently discontinued and consolidated with the Salt Lake Granger North Stake and the West Valley Utah Granger Stake.

There are now 640 stakes and seven districts in Utah.

Alabama

A new stake was created in Alabama on May 17th. The Sipsey Alabama Stake was organized from the Madison Alabama Stake (organized in 2011) and the Tupelo Mississippi Stake (organized in 1991). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cullman, Decatur, Elk River, Florence, and Russellville Wards and the Haleyville Branch. There are now three stakes in the greater Huntsville metropolitan area and northern Alabama.

There are now nine stakes in Alabama.

Canada

A new stake was created in Alberta, Canada on May 24th. The Spruce Grove Alberta Stake was created from the Edmonton Alberta North Stake (organized in 2001) and the Edmonton Alberta Riverbend Stake (organized in 1960). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Devon, Drayton Valley, Onoway, Pioneer, Spruce Grove, and Stony Plain Wards, and the Hinton and Whitecourt Branches. There are now eight stakes in the Edmonton metropolitan area.

There are now 57 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Cote d'Ivoire

A new stake was organized in Cote d'Ivoire on May 24th. The Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from the Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2016) and the Sinfra Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2019). The Sinfra Cote d'Ivoire District was discontinued as part of the process to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Agbanou, Bayota, Bouafle, Dehita, and Koko Wards, and the Bonon, Sinfra 1st, and Sinfra 2nd Branches. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire has for many years now organized new stakes outside of Abidjan through combining two districts to create a single stake, such as in Gagnoa (2022), Man (2023), San Pedro (2024), and Adzope (2025). There are now eight cities outside of Abidjan with stakes, and all of these cities have had their first stakes organized since 2015. Most of these stakes are located in the Yamoussoukro area, making this city a highly likely candidate for a temple announcement. With the creation of the new stake in Bouafle, there remains only one other likely possibility of a new stake being organized from combining two districts, namely from the two districts in Aboisso and Alepe.

There are now 24 stakes and seven districts in Cote d'Ivoire. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

A new stake was organized in the DR Congo on July 26th. The Fungurume DR Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kikula DR Congo Stake (organized in 2021) and the Likasi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Dipeta, Fungurume, Kakanda, Kelangile, Mpala, and Nkolomoni Wards and the Kambove Branch. Four of the wards in the new stake are located in Fungurume where the first branch was organized in 2016. There are now five stakes in the Kolwezi/Likasi area, making a new temple announcement for this area of the DR Congo likely in the foreseeable future. 

There are now 49 stakes and 13 districts in the DR Congo. 

Ghana

A new stake was created in Ghana. The Kpong Ghana Stake was organized on July 12th from the Kpong Ghana District (organized in 2012). Information on which of the eight branches in the new stake have become wards remains unavailable.

There are now 32 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana. 

Guatemala

A new stake was organized in Guatemala on May 31st. The Polochic Guatemala Stake was organized from the Sacsuha Guatemala District (organized in 1990). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the El Estor, La Tinta, Panzos, Sacsuha, and Tucurú Wards, and the Canlun, Santo Domingo, and Teleman Branches. There are now three stakes in the Senahu area among the Q'eqchi' people.

There are now 52 stakes and nine districts in Guatemala. 

Haiti

A new stake was created in Haiti on July 12th. The Artibonite Haiti Stake was organized from the Saint Marc Haiti District (organized in 2012) and portions of the Gonaïves Haiti District (organized in 1999). The new stake has seven congregations within its boundaries, although the Church’s meetinghouse locator still lists all seven units as branches and has not yet been updated to show which branches became wards. The Gonaïves Haiti District has been retained and now includes two branches in Port-de-Paix and one branch in Gros Mornes. It is probable that the district will be renamed the Port-de-Paix Haiti District since none of the branches in the district are in Gonaïves, and both branches in Gonaïves are now part of the new Artibonite Haiti Stake.

There are now six stakes and three districts in Haiti. 

Honduras

A new stake was organized in Honduras on May 31st. The Gulf of Fonseca Honduras Stake was organized from the San Lorenzo Honduras District (organized in 1994) and the Monjaras Honduras District (organized in 2010). The Monjaras Honduras District was discontinued in the process of creating the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Guapinol, Marcovia, Monjaras, San Lorenzo 1st, and San Lorenzo 2nd Wards, and the Langue, Nacaome, and Pespire Branches. There are now three stakes in the Choluteca area, making it a likely candidate for a small temple.

There are now 33 stakes and two districts in Honduras. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on May 17th. The Ammon Idaho Centennial Ranch Stake was organized from the Ammon Idaho East Stake (organized in 2017) and the Ammon Idaho North Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Ammon 14th, Ammon 16th, Ammon 18th, Ammon 20th, Black Canyon, Stone Arbor, Thunder Ridge 1st, and Thunder Ridge 2nd Wards. There are now 22 stakes in the Idaho Falls metropolitan area (not including stakes in Rigby).

There are now 150 stakes in Idaho. 

Kentucky

A new stake was created in Kentucky on June 14th. The Bowling Green Kentucky Stake was organized from the Evansville Indiana Stake (organized in 1975), the Hopkinsville Kentucky Stake (organized in 1978), and the Madison Tennessee Stake (organized in 2007). The new stake includes the following four wards and five branches: the Bowling Green 1st, Bowling Green 2nd, Greenville, and Morgantown Wards, and the Bowling Green YSA, Bowling Green 3rd (Spanish), Franklin, Russellville, and Scottsville Branches.

There are now seven stakes in Kentucky. Prior to the creation of the Bowling Green Kentucky Stake, the most recently organized stake in Kentucky was the Elizabethtown Kentucky Stake (organized in 2017). 

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on May 31st. The Maputo Mozambique Magoanine Stake was organized from a division of the Maputo Mozambique Stake (organized in 2015) and the Zimpeto Mozambique Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the CMC, Magoanine, Mahotas, Matendene, and Sommerschield Wards and the Grande Maputo Branch. There are four stakes in Maputo. The number of stakes in Maputo increased from one in 2015 to two in 2019, three in 2023, and four in 2026.

There are now 13 stakes and four districts in Mozambique. 

The Philippines 

A new stake was created in the Philippines on June 7th. The Gingoog Philippines Stake was organized from the Gingoog Philippines District (organized in 1987). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cabuyo-an, Gingoog, Lunao, Medina, and Pangasihan Wards and the Kibungsod Branch. The Gingoog Philippines District was one of the oldest districts in the Philippines prior to the creation of the stake, signaling that the Church in the area has finally reached and sustained the minimum requirements for a stake to be organized. There are now 20 stakes and nine districts in Mindanao.

There are now 142 stakes and 48 districts in the Philippines.

Sierra Leone

A new stake was created in Sierra Leone on July 12th. The Kenema Sierra Leone West Stake was organized from a division of the Kenema Sierra Leone Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Dauda Town, Kenema, Kpayama, Nyandeyama, and Simbeck Wards. The first branch in Kenema was organized in 2003. There are now two stakes in Kenema.

There are now 12 stakes and three districts in Sierra Leone. 

Spain

A new stake was created in Spain on June 21st. The Málaga Spain Stake was organized from the Granada Spain Stake (organized in 2004). The new stake currently has three wards and two branches, including the Fuengirola, Málaga 2nd, and Málaga 3rd Wards, and the Marbella and Torre del Mar Branches. Current listings show three wards and two branches in the new stake, although the ward and branch designations may not yet be fully updated.

There are now 18 stakes and one district in Spain. Spain has more stakes than any other continental European country, whereas the United Kingdom has the most stakes (39) in Europe as a whole. 

Uganda

A new stake was created in Uganda on August 2nd. The Jinja Uganda West Stake was organized from a division of the Jinja Uganda Stake (organized in 2015). Congregations assigned to the new stake appear incomplete on the meetinghouse locator, given that the Jinja Uganda Stake had nine wards and five branches prior to the creation of the new stake, yet the Jinja Uganda West Stake currently has only three wards and two branches assigned (the Jinja, Mpumudde, and Njeru Wards, and the Lugazi and Mbiko Branches). There are now two stakes in Jinja.

There are now five stakes and four districts in Uganda.

Taiwan 

The Taichung Taiwan South Stake (organized in 2015) was recently discontinued. Retained units were reassigned to the Taichung Taiwan East Stake and the Taichung Taiwan West Stake. The Taichung Taiwan South Stake numbered among many of the new stakes organized in the mid-2010s with few active members. Only one other stake has been discontinued in Taiwan, namely the Pingtung Taiwan Stake in 2019.

 

There are now 15 stakes in Taiwan. 

 

Note: Due to the unusually large number of new stakes and districts organized in recent months, I will report on several additional new districts in a future post. These include the Wewak Papua New Guinea District (May 18th, 2026), Kwale Kenya District (May 24th, 2026), Lukalaba Democratic Republic of the Congo District (May 31st, 2026), Maluku Democratic Republic of the Congo District (June 2026), Orellana Ecuador District (June 14th, 2026), and Tsévié Togo District (June 14th, 2026).

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (3), Brazil (2), Nigeria, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Texas, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Nigeria (2), the Philippines (2), Uganda (2), Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Zimbabwe; Stakes Discontinued in California, Guatemala, and New Zealand; Districts Discontinued in Brazil (3), Japan, Mexico, and South Africa

Please note that I have not included updates for Utah in this Update. I will make a separate post about the recent stake creations and consolidations in this state so I can provide more of an analysis of these developments

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Three new stakes were created in the DR Congo.

The Kasapa DR Congo Stake was created on December 1st from a division of the Lubumbashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 1997) and the Ruashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Hewa Bora, the Joli Site, the Kasapa 1st, the Kasapa 2nd, the Kasapa 3rd, and the Luano Wards and the Aeroport Branch. There are now five stakes in Lubumbashi, the first four of which were organized in 1997, 2009, 2013, and 2017.

The Kinshasa DR Congo Mikonga Stake was created on December 1st from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Mpasa Stake (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bibwa, the Makanza 1st, the Makanza 2nd, the Mikonga 1st, and the Mikonga 2nd Wards.

The Kinshasas DR Congo Kintambo Stake was created on December 8th from the Kinshasa DR Congo Binza Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Camp Luka, the Laloux 2nd, the Lonzo, the Lubudi, and the Nganda Wards.

There are now 14 stakes in Kinshasa that were organized in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012 (2), 2016, 2018 (2), 2019, 2024 (3). With rapid growth and a large number of stakes and congregations, Kinshasa appears most likely to be Africa's first city to have a second temple announced.

There are now 32 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Brazil

Two new stakes were created in Brazil on December 15th. 

The Bento Gonçalves Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Caxias do Sul Brazil Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following four wards: the Bento Gonçalves, the Cinquentenário, the Farroupilha, and the Progresso Wards. With only four wards, it is highly likely that additional congregations will be organized, as new stakes usually have a minimum of five wards.

The Colombo Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Curitiba Brazil Boa Vista Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake has the following five wards: the Ana Terra, the Guaraituba, the Jardim Osasco, the Parque dos Lagos, and the Rio Verde Wards. There are now 15 stakes in the Curitiba metropolitan area.

Three districts were discontinued in Brazil.

The Cabo Frio Brazil District (organized in 2017) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Macaé Brazil Stake (organized in 2010) and the Arsenal Brazil Stake (organized in 2009). Two of the five branches in the original district were upgraded to wards (Cabo Frio and Araruama), whereas two branches were discontinued (likely done to have enough active members to create wards in Cabo Frio and Araruama). Most of these branches in the former district were organized at the approximate time when the district was created in 2017.

The Itapetininga Brazil District (organized in 1998) was discontinued, which previously had four branches. The two branches in Itapetininga were consolidated to create the Itapetininga Ward. The Itapetininga Ward and the Tatuí Branch were assigned to the Sorocaba Brazil Stake (organized in 1978), whereas the Cerquilho Branch was reassigned to the Sorocaba Brazil Trujilo Stake (organized in 1995).

The Tupã Brazil District (organized in 1995) The district was consolidated with the Presidente Prudente Brazil District (organized in 1988). The four branches in the district were consolidated into two branches. It is probable that this decision was made to create a future stake from the two districts from ward-sized congregations.

There are now 287 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil. 

Nigeria 

A new stake and two new districts were created in Nigeria. The Makurdi Nigeria Stake was created on December 15th from the Makurdi Nigeria District. It is likely that all five branches became wards in the new stake. The special conference to create the new stake was attended by more than 1,500 people. The Church has experienced rapid growth in the city of Makurdi with regular group baptisms that number upwards of 100 people. The Church created its first branch in Makurdi in 2015, and the Makurdi Nigeria District was organized in 2017.

The Azikoro Nigeria District was created on November 3rd from a division of the Yenagoa Nigeria Stake (organized in 2017). The new district includes the following five branches, two of which were organized when the new district was created: the Agbura, the Amarata, the Azikoro, the Fangbe, and the Ogbia Town Branches.

The Iyahe Nigeria District was created on November 10th from mission branches in the Nigeria Enugu Mission. The new district includes the following there branches: the Iyahe 1st, the Iyahe 2nd, and the Ogoja Branch. The first branch in Iyahe was organized in 2023, whereas the Ogoja Branch was created in 2016.

There are now 77 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

The Philippines

A new stake and two new districts were created in the Philippines. 

The Tumauini Philippines Stake was organized on November 17th from a division of the Ilagan Philippines Stake (organized in 2000) and the Tuguegarao Philippines South Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alinguigan, the Cabagan
Tumauini 1st, the Tumauini 2nd, and the Tumauini 3rd Wards and the San Bernardo Branch.

The Sablayan Philippines District was created on December 15th from a division of the San Jose Mindoro Philippines Occidental District (organized in 1998). The new district includes the following four branches: the Mamburao, the Sablayan, the San Francisco, and the Santa Cruz Branches. All four branches in the new district have been organized since 2011, as the Church did not have official congregations on the northwestern side of Mindoro Island. The decision to create the new district was likely due to distance from San Jose and opportunities for further expansion and growth in western Mindoro. The realigned San Jose Mindoro Philippines Occidental District now has five branches. There are now three districts on Mindoro Island.

The Ubay Philippines District was created on December 8th from a division of the Calape Philippines District (organized in 1995) and the Tagbilaran Philippines Stake (organized in 2015). The new district includes the following four branches: the Guindulman, the Pilar, the Talibon, and the Ubay Branches. The district includes the eastern portion of Bohol Island where a Church presence has been more recently established. There is now one stake and two districts on Bohol.

There are now 131 stakes and 56 districts in the Philippines.

Sierra Leone

A new stake was created in Sierra Leone. The Bo Sierra Leone Durba Stake was organized on October 20th from a division of the Bo Sierra Leone North Stake (created in 2017) and the Bo Sierra Leone East Stake (created in 2019). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Batiama, the Bo, the Bumpewo, the New Site, the Ngegbayama, the Torkpoi Town, and the Yemo Town Wards. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in Bo following the creation of stakes in 2017 (2), and 2019. Moreover, this marks the first time that a new stake was created in Bo solely from the division of stakes and not from districts being organized into stakes (each of the first three stakes in Bo were each created from their own district). Bo has one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints of any city in Africa with at least 100,000 inhabitants, and the city appears highly like to have a temple announced in the near future.

There are now 11 stake and 2 district in Sierra Leone.

Texas

A new stake was created in Texas on December 8th. The Forney Texas Stake was created from a division of the Dallas Texas East Stake (organized in 1977) and the Heath Texas Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Forney 1st, the Forney 2nd, the Kaufman, the Mesquite, the Rio Trinidad (Spanish), and the Skyline Wards and the Forney 3rd Branch. There are now 23 stakes in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area.

There are now 81 stakes and 2 districts in Texas.

Zimbabwe 

A new stake and a new district were created in Zimbabwe. The Harare Zimbabwe Chitungwiza Stake was created from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe East Stake and the Harare Zimbabwe South Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Chitungwiza, the Marondera, the Seke, and the Zengeza Wards and the Dombotombo and Southlea Park Branches. The new stake is the Church's fifth stake in Harare following stakes previously organized in 1999, 2008, 2014, and 2016.

The Masvingo Zimbabwe District was created on September 29th four mission branches in the Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission, including the Masvingo 1st, the Masvingo 2nd, the Zvishavane 1st, and the Zvishavane 2nd Branches. After decades of stagnant growth, this area of southern Zimbabwe has had three of its four branches organized since 2021 (including the first two branches in Zvishavane).

There are now 11 stakes and 2 districts in Zimbabwe.

Uganda

Two new districts were created in Uganda. The Mbale Uganda District and the Busia Uganda District were created on November 17th. The Mbale Uganda District was created from two branches that previously were under the direct supervision of the Uganda Kampala Mission (Mbale and Mugit) and two branches that previously pertained to the Busia Kenya/Uganda District (organized in 2019). The Busia Uganda District was created from a division of the Busia Kenya/Uganda District (now renamed the Busia Kenya District), and the new district includes the following three branches located in the Ugandan side of the city of Busia (Buchicha, Kisenyi, and Sofia). The realigned Busia Kenya District now includes just two branches (Busia and Mundika).

There are now 3 stakes and 4 districts in Uganda.

Botswana

A new district was created in Botswana. The Kanye Botswana District was created on December 8th from a division of the Gaborone Botswana Stake (organized in 2012). The new district includes the following three branches: the Kanye 1st, the Kanye 2nd, and the Lobatse Branches. Two of these branches, Kanye 2nd and Lobatse, were perviously wards in the Gaborone Botswan Stake. It is unclear why these units became their own district, as these cities are with relatively close proximity to Gaborone. Moreover, the Gaborone is only a couple units away from the creation of a second stake, albeit there are now no realistic prospects for a second stake in Botswana unless these branches in the new district are strong enough to become wards and are utilized to create a second stake. It is unclear why the three branches in Francistown are still not organized into its own district despite these congregations operating for over a decade. A lack of sufficient leadership to staff district leadership callings is a likely culprit with a lack of a district in Francistown.

There is now 1 stake and 1 district in Botswana.

Cote d'Ivoire

A new district was created in Cote d'Ivoire. The Dabou Cote d'Ivoire District was created on October 20th from three branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission (Dabou 1st, Dabou 2nd, and Grand Lahou) and the Songon Branch (a former ward in the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake). The first branch in Dabou was organized in 2018.

There are now 21 stakes and 11 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Ghana

A new district was created in Ghana. The Oda Ghana District was created on December 1st. The new district includes the following three branches: the Asene, the Oda 1st, and the Oda 2nd Branches. The Oda 1st and Oda 2nd Branches were previously wards in the Asamankese Ghana Stake (organized in 2017 and which now has five ward and two branches). Distance from Asamankese and good prospects to organize more small congregations in surrounding areas likely influenced the decision to create a separate district in Oda (a member group operated in Kokobeng years ago, although it is unclear if it still operates).

There are now 31 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana.

California

A stake was discontinued in California. The Los Angeles California Santa Monica Stake (organized in 1951) was discontinued. Retained wards were reassigned to the Los Angeles California Stake (organized in 1927), which now has nine wards. The Church has experienced a steady consolidation of stakes in the Los Angeles metropolitan area within the past two decades primarily due to active membership migration.

In California, there are now 147 stakes.

In the United States, there are now 1,709 stakes and 10 districts.

Guatemala

A stake was discontinued in Guatemala. The Guatemala City Utatlán Stake (organized in 1975) was discontinued. The stake had five ward before it was discontinued. Retained wards were reassigned to the neighboring Guatemala City Central Stake. Stagnant growth has occurred in this area of Guatemala for many years.

There are now 51 stakes and 11 districts in Guatemala.

New Zealand

For the first time in Church history, the Church has discontinued a stake in New Zealand. The Hastings New Zealand Stake (organized in 1960) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Hastings New Zealand Flaxmere Stake (organized in 1995 and renamed the Te Matau a Maui New Zealand Stake). The two stakes previously had a combined nine wards and four branches which were reduced to five wards and two branches. Hastings has experienced stagnant growth and decline for decades, and the consolidation was long overdue given the few number of wards in the area. In 2001, the two stakes had a combined 10 wards and one branch, as each stake had only five wards. Most of the Church's growth in New Zealand within the past decade has been in Auckland and Hamilton. It is probable that another stake consolidation will occur in the Wellington area within the foreseeable future, as this area has also experienced stagnant growth for decades, and each of the three stakes in the area have the minimal number of congregations to operate as stakes.

There are now 29 stakes and 2 districts in New Zealand.

Japan

A district was discontinued in Japan.The Matsuyama Japan District (organized 1991) in was discontinued and combined with the Takamatsu Japan District (organized in 1979 and was renamed the Shikoku Japan District). No branches were closed as part of the consolidation of the two districts. The consolidation was likely done to conserve district leadership manpower. Some branches on the island have been close to meeting the qualifications to become wards, but with the increased standards to organize wards announced 1 year ago, prospects appear unlikely for the district to become a stake for some time.

There are now 22 stakes and 10 districts in Japan.

Mexico

A district was discontinued in Mexico. The Madera México District (organized in 1977) was discontinued. The Matachic Branch was discontinued. The remaining three branches are now directly supervised by the Mexico Chihuahua Mission. The branches in the district are small and spread over a large geographical area, which is likely why the district was discontinued.

There are now 230 stakes and 43 districts in Mexico.

South Africa

A district was discontinued in South Africa. The Phuthaditjhaba South Africa District (organized in 2017) was discontinued. The two branches were reassigned to the Ladysmith South Africa District (organized in 2017) which now has six branches. The decision to consolidate the districts was likely due to only two branches in the Phuthaditjhaba South Africa District, and the failure for member groups to become branches in the district. It is unclear whether the new district has any realistic prospects to become a stake in the foreseeable future.

There are now 18 stakes and 9 districts in South Africa.

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.

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

Utah

Five new stakes were recently organized in Utah.

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

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

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

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

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

A stake was discontinued in Utah.

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

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

Chile

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

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

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

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

There are now 77 stakes and 12 districts in Chile.

Cote d'Ivoire

Two new stakes were created in Cote d'Ivoire.

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

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

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

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

California

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

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

Madagascar

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

There are now four stakes and two districts in Madagascar.

Mexico

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

There are now 228 stakes and 45 districts in Mexico.

Missouri 

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

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

Nigeria

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

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

South Carolina

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

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

Zimbabwe 

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

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

Australia

Two districts were discontinued in Queensland, Australia. 

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

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

There are now 41 stakes and four districts in Australia.

Guatemala

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

There are now 52 stakes and 12 districts in Guatemala.

Federated States of Micronesia

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

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

Retalhuleu Guatemala Temple

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

Iquitos Peru Temple

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

Teresina Brazil Temple

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

Natal Brazil Temple

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

15 New Temples Announced

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

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

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

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

New Temples Announced in October 2022 - Part II - Latin America

Chiclayo Peru Temple

The Chiclayo Peru Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Peru following temples in Lima (dedicated in 1986), Trujillo (dedicated in 2015), Lima Los Olivos (announced in 2016), Arequipa (dedicated in 2019), and Cusco (announced in April 2022). The Church organized its first stake in Chiclayo in 1980, and there are now six stakes and one district in the Chiclayo metropolitan area. Chiclayo was previously one of the metropolitan areas outside of the United States with the most stakes without a temple. The new temple will likely include 13 stakes and three districts in northern Peru. The Church organized its own mission for Chiclayo in 2011. Stakes in Chiclayo and extreme northern Peru are currently assigned to the Trujillo Peru Temple district. Church growth trends in stakes and districts within the likely temple district for the Chiclayo Peru Temple have been slow in recent years. Only one new stake has been organized in the area during the past decade (Paita Peru Stake in 2019). The new temple is the Church's first temple in Lambayeque Region.

Buenos Aires City Center Argentina Temple

Buenos Aires was previously the metropolitan area outside of the United States with the most stakes with only one temple. There are 26 stakes in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area (including La Plata and excluding Zárate). The new Buenos Aires City Center Argentina Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Argentina following temples in Buenos Aires (dedicated in 1986), Córdoba (dedicated in 2015), Salta (announced in April 2018), Mendoza (announced in October 2018), and Bahía Blanca (announced in 2020). The new temple district appears likely to include as many as 13 stakes in central and northwestern Buenos Aires. The current Buenos Aires Argentina Temple is fairly centrally located in Buenos Aires, and the new temple may not be very far away from the current temple unless it is built in the north-central area. The Church organized its first stake in Buenos Aires in 1966. The most recently organized stakes include the Lujan Argentina Stake (organized in 2016) and the Buenos Aires Argentina Chacabuco Stake (organized in 2014). Unlike most Latin American countries, the Church has never discontinued a stake before in Argentina, but there has been a net decline of more than 100 congregations for the country during the past 15 years. Church growth trends in Buenos Aires have been slow, and the number of congregations in the metropolitan area has slightly declined in the past decade. The new temple is the Church's third temple for Buenos Aires Province.

Londrina Brazil Temple

The Londrina Brazil Temple will be the Church's 17th temple in Brazil following temples in São Paulo (dedicated in 1978), Recife (dedicated in 2000), Porto Alegre (dedicated in 2000), Campinas (dedicated in 2002), Curitiba (dedicated in 2008), Manaus (dedicated in 2012), Fortaleza (dedicated in 2019), Rio de Janeiro (dedicated in 2022), Belem (announced in 2016, to be dedicated in November 2022), Brasília (announced in 2017), Salvador (announced in 2018), São Paulo Brazil East (announced in 2020), Belo Horizonte (announced in April 2021), Vitória (announced in October 2021), Maceió (announced in April 2022), and Santos (announced in April 2022). The new temple in Londrina will likely include eight stakes and three districts in western Paraná and São Paulo states. The Church organized its first stake in Londrina in 1979, and there are two stakes in the city today. Church growth has been slow, but steady, in this region of Brazil, with only two new stakes organized in the likely new temple district during the past decade. Stakes in the likely new temple district primarily pertain to the Curitiba Brazil Temple district and the Campinas Brazil Temple district, albeit the Foz do Iguaçu Brazil Stake is assigned to the Asunción Paraguay Temple district. The Brazil Londrina Mission was organized in 1995. The Londrina Brazil Temple is the Church's second temple in Paraná State.

Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple

The announcement of the Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple marks the second time in Church history in Brazil when two temples were announced on the same day (the first such instance was in April 2022). The Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple is the Church's 18th temple announced for Brazil. The new temple will likely include 13 stakes and one district in extreme northwestern São Paulo State and extreme western Minas Gerais State - areas currently serviced by the Campinas Brazil Temple. The Church organized its first stake in Riberão Prêto in 1987, followed by a second stake in 1992, and two additional stakes in 1993. However, the two stakes organized in 1993 were discontinued in 2001. Nevertheless, the Church organized a third stake in Riberão Prêto in 2019 after steady increases in the number of congregations in the city during the previous 5-10 years. Thus, Riberão Prêto is the city (that has never previously had a temple announced) to have had the most stakes previously discontinued and have a temple announced (the city with the most stakes ever discontinued to have another temple announced is Santiago, Chile where a second temple was announced in 2021 after 15 stakes were discontinued between 2000-2019 - the original Santiago Chile Temple was dedicated in 1983). Like the region that will likely be assigned to the Londrina Brazil Temple, Church growth trends have been slow, but steady. Only two new stakes have been organized in the area likely to be serviced by the Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple during the past decade.

São Paulo State is the province/state with the most temples (five) dedicated or announced in the world outside of the United States.

Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple

The Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple is the Church's fifth temple in Guatemala following temples in Guatemala City (dedicated in 1984), Quetzaltenango (dedicated in 2011), Cobán (announced in 2019), and Miraflores Guatemala City (announced in 2020). This location was not on my list of likely locations for new temple announcements due to few stakes and proximity to Quetzaltenango. The new temple in Huehuetenango will likely be a small temple as the prospective temple district will likely include only three stakes (all located in Huehuetenango) and two districts. The first stake in Huehuetenango was organized in 1988 followed by additional stakes created in 1994 and 2014. Stakes and districts in the Huehuetenango area currently pertain to the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple district and the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission.

Cuernavaca Mexico Temple

President Nelson explained during the announcement of four new temples in locations near Mexico City that, "We are also planning to build multiple temples in selected large metropolitan areas where travel time to an existing temple is a major challenge." 

The Cuernavaca Mexico Temple is the Church's 20th temple in Mexico. The Church in Mexico has previously dedicated or announced the following temples: 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 (announced in 2018), 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), and the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022). The new Cuernavaca Mexico Temple will likely include 12 stakes in Morelos State, southern Estado de Mexico State, and Guerrero State. The first stake was organized in Cuernavaca in 1983, and there are two stakes in the city. The oldest stake in the prospective temple district was organized in Cuautla in 1975 where there are three stakes today. Church growth has been slow in the area of Mexico. The most recently organized stake was created in 2009. The Church organized a mission in Cuernavaca in 2006. The Cuernavaca Mexico Temple was the first temple to be announced in Morelos State. Stakes in the likely new temple district pertain to the Mexico City Mexico Temple.

Pachuca Mexico Temple

The Pachuca Mexico Temple is the Church's 21st temple in Mexico. The new temple will likely include five stakes in the Pachuca area. The oldest stake in the probable temple district was created in 1984 in Pachuca. There are three stakes in Pachuca. The Church has reported some of its more rapid growth in Mexico in the Pachuca area as attested by the creation of new stakes and districts (three of the five stakes likely to be in the new temple district were organized in 2008, 2010, and 2018). The Mexico Pachuca Mission was organized in 2013. The Pachuca Mexico Temple is the first temple to be announced in Hidalgo State. Stakes in the likely new temple district pertain to the Mexico City Mexico Temple.

Toluca Mexico Temple

The Toluca Mexico Temple is the Church's 22nd temple in Mexico. This temple was not included on my most recent map of likely locations for future temple announcements because there are only three stakes in the Toluca area and close proximity to Mexico City where there are two temples (one dedicated, one announced). The Toluca Mexico Temple will likely include only three stakes and one district (in Michoacán). However, a fourth stake in the area appears likely to be organized in the foreseeable future. The new temple will be the Church's first temple in Estado de Mexico State - a state with dozens of stakes that surrounds Mexico City proper. The first stake in the Toluca area was created in 1991. Church growth in the Toluca area has been steady and more rapid than most areas of Mexico, with the next two stakes created in 2005 and 2014. Stakes in the area are assigned to the Mexico Mexico City West Mission. Stakes in the likely new temple district pertain to the Mexico City Mexico Temple.

Tula Mexico Temple

The Tula Mexico Temple is the Church's 23rd temple in Mexico. Like the Toluca Mexico Temple, this location was not included on my most recent temple prediction map due to few stakes in the area and close proximity to Pachuca which I considered a much more likely prospect for a new temple (which coincidentally also had a temple announced at the same time). The Tula Mexico Temple will likely service only four stakes in western Hidalgo State. The announcement of the Tula Mexico Temple marks the first temple two temples have been announced at the same time for the same state/province where no temples previously operated. There is only one stake in Tula that was organized in 1975. Three of the four stakes in the prospective temple district may divide in the coming years if additional congregations are organized and the number of active members increases to warrant it. Stakes in the likely new temple district are divided between the Mexico Pachuca Mission and the Mexico Mexico City North Mission. Stakes in the likely new temple district pertain to the Mexico City Mexico Temple.

New Temples Announced - 300 Temples Now Announced, Planned, or Under Construction

Today, President Nelson announced plans to construct 18 new temples in the following locations:

• Busan, Korea
• Naga, Philippines
• Santiago, Philippines
• Eket, Nigeria
• Chiclayo, Peru
• Buenos Aires City Center, Argentina
• Londrina, Brazil
• Riberão Prêto, Brazil
• Huehuetenango, Guatemala
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Prosper, Texas
• Lone Mountain, Nevada
• Tacoma, Washington
• Cuernavaca, Mexico
• Pachuca, Mexico
• Toluca, Mexico
• Tula, Mexico

With these 18 temples announced, this brings the total number of temples planned or dedicated to 300.

I will provide further analysis in the coming days regarding these announcements.

Six New Temples - Analysis

Today's temple announcements fall into three general categories we have seen in regards to where temples have been typically announced. These categories include:

• Remote locations
• Major centers of strength for the Church
• Cities with a large number of stakes without a temple

Historically, the Church has generally announced new temples in the last category I listed above: cities with a large number of stakes without a temple. The number of stakes in a city has often served as one of the best predictors of where a new temple may be announced. However, more recent temple announcements have favored locations far distant from the nearest temple (sometimes where the Church experiences slow or stagnant growth like Okinawa, Japan) or major Church centers even if we have not seen significant increases in the number of stakes in recent years (like São Paulo, Brazil).

See below for an analysis of today's temple announcements:

Tarawa Kiribati Temple

The Tarawa Kiribati Temple is the Church's first temple to be built in the Micronesian nation of Kiribati (population: 112,000). Prior to today's announcement, Kiribati was the country with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple with 20,946 members. The Church in Kiribati has experienced significant growth since its establishment in the mid-1970s. At year-end 2019, Church-reported membership accounted for 18.9% of the country's population. The establishment of Moroni High School has been a major catalyst for the Church's growth in Kiribati. Despite this progress, the Church in Kiribati has historically experienced some of the lowest member activity rates in Oceania. For example, census data indicate that self-affiliated Latter-day Saints constitute 5.3% of the population compared to Church-reported membership for 2015 which constituted 16.5% of the population. Nevertheless, there has been significant progress with improving member activity rates in many areas of the country, and there have been many outlying islands in southern Kiribati that have opened to the Church within the past decade. Moderate to slow membership growth rates have occurred in recent years. Currently, the Church operates two stakes and three districts in Kiribati. The new temple will likely also serve the Church's two stakes in the nearby Marshall Islands. Given Tarawa's low elevation and concerns with sea-level rise, it is likely the Church may implement special building protocols to prevent flooding of the building.

Port Vila Vanuatu Temple

The Port Vila Vanuatu Temple is the Church's first temple to be built in Vanuatu (population: 298,000). Prior to today's announcement, Vanuatu was the country with the eighth most members without a temple with 10,210 members. One of the more recently reached countries by the Church in Oceania, the Church reported approximately 1,000 members two decades ago. Approximately 3.5% of the population are members on Church records. There is one stake and three districts in Vanuatu. Membership growth rates have been high in Vanuatu for many years. The new temple will also likely include the sole stake of the Church on New Caledonia. 

Lindon Utah Temple

This temple announcement completely surprised me as Lindon, Utah was not listed as a more likely or less likely candidate on my temple prediction map. The Church has operated a temple in American Fork, Utah (Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple) since 1996 and announced the Orem Utah Temple in 2019. Thus, it was a surprise that this area would have another temple announced given that additional temples in Utah County have been announced or built in recent years. The new temple will likely serve 15-20 stakes in Lindon, northern Orem, and Pleasant Grove. Utah is a major powerhouse for the Church's proxy temple ordinance work, and thus the Church has continued to announce temples to meet recent demand for patrons. The new temple is the Church's 25th temple in Utah.

Greater Guatemala City Temple

Guatemala City became the first city in Central America to have a second temple announced with today's announcement of a temple to be built in the greater Guatemala City area. I found this announcement quite surprising given that the Church operates a temple in Quetzaltenango (dedicated in 2011) and has announced a temple for Coban (announced in 2019). The Guatemala City metropolitan area includes 21 stakes. With five stakes in nearby cities, the new temple will likely service approximately 13 stakes. The new temple is the Church's fourth temple in Guatemala.

São Paulo East Brazil Temple

With today's announcement of a temple to be built in eastern São Paulo, São Paulo will become the first city in Brazil to have two temples. The new temple will likely service 12 stakes and one district within the eastern portion of the São Paulo metropolitan area. Altogether, the Church operates 41 stakes in the São Paulo metropolitan area albeit there have been few new stakes organized in the area within the past decade. Previously built or announced temples in Brazil include the São Paulo Brazil Temple (dedicated in 1978), the Recife Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Campinas Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Curitiba Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Manaus Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2012), the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2019), Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (announced in 2013 and currently waiting to be dedicated), Belém Brazil Temple (announced in 2016 and under construction), the Brasília Brazil Temple (announced in 2017 and under construction), and the Salvador Brazil Temple (announced in 2018). The new temple is the Church's 12th temple in Brazil.

Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple

Santa Cruz, Bolivia was the city outside of the United States with the most stakes without a temple prior to today's announcement. With 10 stakes, the Church in Santa Cruz has experienced steady growth since the first stake was created in 1979, and it has been on my list of likely potential announcements for many years. Unlike other major cities in Bolivia, the Church in Santa Cruz has regularly organized new stakes, and today the Church in Santa Cruz has more stakes than any other city in the country. The Church dedicated its first temple, and only temple prior to today's announcement, in Cochabamba in 2000. Membership growth rates in Bolivia has slowly accelerated in recent years but remain low (2.22% in 2019). There are 33 stakes and 8 districts in Bolivia, and the new temple will likely service 12 stakes and 4 districts.

Six New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced six new temples in the following locations:

• Tarawa, Kiribati
  
• Port Vila, Vanuatu
  
• Lindon, Utah
• Greater Guatemala City, Guatemala
  
• São Paulo East, São Paulo, Brazil
  
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia

With today's announcement, there are now 231 temples, including 168 dedicated temples, 22 temples under construction, and 41 temples announced in the planning stages. I will provide an analysis of these new temple announcements in another blog post later today.

Eight New Temples Announced - Analysis

*First off, as a blogger and researcher who has tracked Church growth for 17 years, President Russell M. Nelson's unpredictability with making announcements definitely keeps me on my toes... We will see if there are more Church-growth related announcements tomorrow. I will do my best to be available to post if additional announcements are made.*

This evening, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct eight new temples. This is the first time that the Church has ever announced plans to construct new temples in the women's session of General Conference. With today's announcement, there will be 217 temples worldwide (166 dedicated, 51 announced or under construction). Of the eight new temples announced today, two were in countries where no temples operate or have been announced (Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone) and one was in a state in the United States that has never had a temple announced (Arkansas). See below for analysis regarding each of these temple announcements:

Freetown Sierra Leone Temple
Freetown is the capital and most populous city in Sierra Leone. The Church organized its first branch in Sierra Leone in 1988, and organized the first mission in 2007 from a division of the Ghana Accra Mission. The Church in Sierra Leone has experienced moderate to rapid growth since its establishment approximately three decades ago. The first stake in Sierra Leone was organized in 2012 in Freetown. Today, there are six stakes and three districts in the country. Sierra Leone is also the country on mainland Sub-Saharan Africa with the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints in the population (approximately 0.34%). Sierra Leone is also the country in Sub-Saharan Africa with the lowest percentage of Christians (21%) with a mission headquartered in the country, and has the city with the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints in the general population among cities on the Afro-Eurasian landmass with 100,000 or more people (Bo is estimated at 3.5% Latter-day Saint). The new temple will also likely service members who live in neighboring African nations where no temples operate, such as Liberia (five stakes and one district), Senegal (two branches and one member group), and Guinea (one branch). Senior missionaries serving in the country have reported unprecedented interest and engagement from local members in temple and family history work. Sierra Leone currently pertains to the Accra Ghana Temple district. Prior to today's announcement, Sierra Leone was the country with the second most members without a temple (per year-end 2018 figures). There were 21,286 members as of year-end 2018. Member activity and convert retention rates in Sierra Leone have been moderate during the past 5-8 years, and were low prior to that time. Sierra Leone's population was most recently estimated at 6.3 million. The new temple will likely be a small temple under 25,000 square feet given recent trends with temple construction in Africa.

Orem Utah Temple
The Church announced its 22nd temple in Utah this evening. The new temple in Orem was likely announced to reduce overcrowding in neighboring temples in Provo and American Fork. The new temple will likely service 20-30 stakes in Orem and Lindon. Utah temples are among the busiest in the Church, and additional temples have been regularly announced to meet demand for temple attendance. There are over 2.1 million members of the Church in Utah. Given recent trends in temple construction in Utah, the Orem Utah Temple is likely to be a moderately-sized temple between 40,000 and 70,000 square feet.

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple
Papua New Guinea has held the position as the country with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple since 2018 when a temple was announced for Nicaragua. The Church in Papua New Guinea has experienced moderate growth overall since its initial establishment in 1979. The first Papuan stake was organized in 1995 in Port Moresby and only one additional stake has since been organized (Daru in 2011). However, significant proliferation of districts has occurred in the past 20 years from two to 12. The Church in Papua New Guinea faces many significant challenges in regards to poverty, illiteracy, tribalism, geographical isolation, and language barriers. The greatest success with growth and high member activity and convert retention has occurred in Western Province, whereas the greatest challenges in member activity and leadership development have appeared to occur in Port Moresby (where the Church still has only one stake despite efforts for many years to organize more stakes). Nevertheless, senior missionaries report plans for additional districts to become stakes in the near future. Only 0.40% of the national population is a Latter-day Saint - one of the lowest percentages in Oceania. There are 28,249 Latter-day Saints in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea's population was most recently estimated at seven million. The new temple may also service members in the Solomon Islands (one district) given similarities with language and geographical proximity. The new temple will likely be a small temple under 20,000 square feet given recent trends in temple construction. Also, it is likely that the new temple will include patron housing to accommodate members who travel long distances to reach the temple.

Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Northwestern Arkansas has been one of my top predictions for a new temple for over a decade due to a growing and sizable concentration of Latter-day Saints far from the nearest temple (the Rogers metropolitan area is divided between the Kansas City Missouri Temple and the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple). The new temple is the Church's first temple in Arkansas. Prior to today's announcement, Arkansas was the state with the third most Latter-day Saints without a temple (after Kansas and New Jersey). The Church has reported slow to moderate growth in Arkansas as a whole within the past 30 years albeit the percentage of Latter-day Saints in the population has doubled during this time to 1.05% as of 2018. Of the three stakes headquartered in extreme northwestern Arkansas, two have been organized since 2005. The new temple will likely service members from four stakes in Arkansas and five stakes in southern Missouri. The new temple appears likely to be a small-to-moderate size temple between 20,00 and 50,000 square feet given recent trends in temple construction in areas of the United States that service similarly-sized numbers of Latter-day Saints.

Bacolod Philippines Temple
The Church announced its seventh temple for the Philippines in Bacolod. Bacolod is the most populous city (over 600,000 inhabitants in 2015) on the island of Negros in the Philippines. The new temple is the Church's second temple to be announced for the Visayas region of the Philippines (islands between Luzon and Mindanao) - the first being the Cebu City Philippines Temple which was dedicated in 2010. Of the 101 administrative divisions in the Philippines, Bacolod ranks as the highest for the percentage of government census-reported Latter-day Saints at 0.76% in 2015. The new temple will likely service 12 stakes and five districts on the islands of Negros and Panay. The first branch of the Church in Bacolod was created in 1967, and the first stake in Bacolod was organized in 1981. There are three stakes in the city of Bacolod - the newest of which was created in 2000. The new temple will likely be a small temple under 30,000 square feet given recent trends for temple construction in the region. The Church in the Philippines has experienced significant progress with increases in the number of active members and the maturation of districts into stakes. Today, there are 114 stakes and 63 districts in the Philippines. There were 785,164 members in the Philippines as of year-end 2018 - the fourth highest in the world after the United States, Mexico, and Brazil.

McAllen Texas Temple
Latter-day Saints in extreme southern Texas have hoped for many years to have a temple announced given significant challenges with long distance to the nearest temple in San Antonio, Texas. The new temple will likely include nine stakes and one district in southern Texas and northern Mexico. There are two stakes in McAllen and one stake in Harlingen. Stakes in Laredo (organized in 2018) and Corpus Christi will also likely pertain to the new temple district. The first stake in extreme southern Texas was organized in 1975. The area has historically struggled with low convert retention and member activity rates. Many, if not most, members in the region are Spanish-speaking. The new temple appears likely to be a small temple under 30,000 square feet.

There are now five temples (four dedicated) in Texas. The Church in Texas reported 357,625 members at year-end 2018.

Cobán Guatemala Temple
The Church announced its third temple for Guatemala today. The Cobán Guatemala Temple will likely be a small temple under 20,000 square feet given there are only four stakes and three districts in northern Guatemala. Nevertheless, this area of Guatemala has recently experienced significant progress with growth as evidenced by increases in the number of congregations and the organization of three new stakes within the past four years - including the first two Q'eqchi'-speaking stakes in the Church. Returned missionaries and local members report good member activity rates in many areas, particularly rural ones inhabited by the Q'eqchi' people, whereas more populous urban areas appear to have low activity rates. The new temple will likely also serve neighboring Belize where there are two districts. Historically, the Church in Guatemala has experienced slow membership and congregational growth within the past 20 years albeit there have been significant improvements in increases in number of active members per congregation during this period. There were 277,755 members in Guatemala as of year-end 2018.

Taylorsville Utah Temple
The Church also announced Utah's 23rd temple this evening for Taylorsville. The new temple appears likely to serve 30-40 stakes in West Valley City, Magna, Taylorsville, Kearns, and Murray. This area of the Salt Lake Metropolitan area numbers among the least reached urban areas in regards to proximity to a temple, but it also numbers among urban Utah areas where the Church has reported its largest decreases in the number of wards and branches during the past 15 years. This has appeared primarily driven by active Latter-day Saint families who move away from these older communities in search of newer, larger, and/or less expensive homes. Members in Taylorsville and West Valley City generally attend the Jordan River Utah Temple, Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, or Salt Lake Temple.