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), Mozambique (2), Zimbabwe (2), Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Florida, Honduras, Idaho, Madagascar, México, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Zambia; New Districts Created in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (5) and the United Kingdom; Districts Discontinued in Argentina and Zambia

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Three new stakes have been created in the DR Congo.

The Lubumbashi DR Congo Bel-Air Stake was organized on March 8th from 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: the Bel-Air, Bongonga, Kilobelobe, Kiwele, Neflier, and Nyashi 2nd Wards. There are now seven stakes in Lubumbashi. Rapid growth has occurred in the city in the past couple decades, with the number of stakes increasing from one in 1997 to two in 2009, three in 2013, four in 2017, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

The Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Amba Stake was organized on May 9th from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Ngaba Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kisenso, Lemba 1st, Livulu, Mont Amba, and Plateau Wards. There are now 19 stakes in Kinshasa - more than any other metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass.

The Kisangani DR Congo Stake was organized from the Kisangani DR Congo District (organized in 2023) on May 9th. Information on which of the nine branches in the district have become wards remains unavailable. The new stake is the Church's first stake in the northern DR Congo. The first branch in Kisangani was organized in 2015. 

There are now 49 stakes and 10 districts in the DR Congo. 

Mozambique

Two new stakes and one new district were created in Mozambique. It is important to note that some new wards and branches being created in Mozambique are not being readily updated on the Church's meetinghouse locator website, including branches becoming wards. As a result, some of the information contained below may not include some newly organized units or current information.

Beira Mozambique Chamba Stake was organized on March 15th from the Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake (organized in 2024) and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following four wards and one branch: the Campo do Povo, Chamba, Chingussura, and Zona Verde Wards and the Matadouro Branch. There are now six stakes in Beira. Rapid growth has occurred in the city where the first stake was organized in 2015. The number of stakes in Beira increased from one in 2015 to two in 2017, three in 2023, four in 2024, five in 2025, and six in 2026.

The Nampula Mozambique Mutauanha Stake was organized on March 15th from a division of the Nampula Mozambique Stake (organized in 2021). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Muatala, Murrapaniua, Mutauanha, Namaita, and Substação Wards and the Luaha Branch. The Church's third mission in Mozambique, the Mozambique Nampula Mission, is scheduled to open this summer from a division of the Mozambique Beira Mission.

The Quelimane Mozambique District was organized on April 12th from mission branches in the Mozambique Beira Mission. The new district includes the following three branches: the Coalane, Quelimane, and the Samugue Branch. The Church in Quelimane has experienced numerous setbacks since the first branch was organized in 2005, including the apostasy of leaders and members in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It is unclear whether any of these former members have rejoined the Church or if recent growth in the city (the two other branches were created in 2023 and in 2026) has been due to new converts joining the Church.

There are now 12 stakes and four districts in Mozambique. 

Zimbabwe

Two new stakes were created in Zimbabwe.

The Mkoba Zimbabwe Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Gweru Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following four wards: the Mkoba 1st, Mkoba 2nd, Mkoba 3rd, and Mkoba 5th Wards. There are now two stakes in the city of Gweru.

The Harare Zimbabwe Kuwadzana Stake was organized on May 3rd from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 1999) and the Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Park Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following four wards and four branches: the Kuwadzana 1st, Kuwadzana 2nd, Kuwadzana 3rd, and Mufakose 2nd Wards and the Kuwadzana 4th, Norton, Warren Park, and Whitecliff Branches. There are now seven stakes in Harare. The number of stakes in the city increased from one in 1999 to two in 2008, three in 2014, four in 2016, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

There are now 15 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Argentina

One new stake was created in Argentina. The Tartagal Argentina Stake was organized on April 19th from the Tartagal Argentina District (organized in 1996) and the Oran Argentina District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Orán, Pizarro, Salvador Mazza, Tartagal, and Villa Saavedra Wards, and the Aguaray, Colonia Santa Rosa, Embarcación, Mosconi, and Pichanal Branches. The Oran Argentina District was also discontinued when the new stake was organized.

There are now 81 stakes and 23 districts in Argentina. 

Benin

A new stake was created in Benin. The Cotonou Benin Akpakpa Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the Cococodji Benin Stake (organized in 2021) and the Cotonou Benin Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akpakpa, Avotrou, Finagnon, Jericho 1st, Jericho 2nd, and Porto Novo Wards and the Dowa and Gbegame Branches. There are now three stakes in Cotonou.

There are now three stakes and one district in Benin. 

Brazil

A new stake was created and a district was discontinued in Brazil. Bauru Brazil Jardim Santana Stake was created on March 8th from a division of the Bauru Brazil Stake (organized in 1992) and the Botucatu Brazil District becoming a stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bela Vista, Jardim Santana, Jaú, Marechal Rondon, and Pederneiras Wards and the São Manuel Branch. There are now two stakes in Bauru.

There are now 290 stakes and 31 districts in Brazil. 

Florida

A new stake was created in Florida. The St Augustine Florida Stake was created on March 29th from a division of the Jacksonville Florida South Stake (organized in 2009). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Mill Creek, Palatka, Silverleaf, St Augustine 1st, and St Augustine Shores Wards and the Green Cove Springs and St Augustine 2nd (Deaf) Branches.

There are now 34 stakes in Florida. 

Honduras

A new stake was created in Honduras. The Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras Stake was organized on April 19th from the Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras District (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Dolores, La Entrada, El Dorado, Miraflores, and Santa Rosa Wards, and the Copan Ruinas, Florida, Gracias, Nueva Ocotepeque, and San Marcos de Ocotepeque Branches. 

There are now 32 stakes and four districts in Honduras. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho. The Lewiston Idaho South Stake was organized on March 15th from the Lewiston Idaho Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Grangeville 1st, Grangeville 2nd, Kamiah, Orchards 1st, and Orchards 2nd Wards and the Lewis-Clark YSA Branch.

There are now 149 stakes in Idaho. 

Madagascar

A new stake was created in Madagascar. The Antananarivo Madagascar Ampitatafika Stake was organized on March 1st from a division of the Antananarivo Madagascar Ampefiloha Stake (organized in 2023), the Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry Stake (organized in 2011), and the Antananarivo Madagascar Manakambahiny Stake (organized in 2000). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ambohidrapeto, Ambohimanarina, Ampitatafika, Itaosy, and Tanjombato Wards. There are now four stakes in Antananarivo.

There are now six stakes and one district in Madagascar. 

México

A new stake was created in Mexico. The León México Aeropuerto Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the León México Stake (organized in 1996) and the Guanajuato México District (which became the new stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Guanajuato, Las Torres, Olímpica, Parque del Sur, and Silao Wards. There are now two stakes in León.

There are now 232 stakes and 41 districts in México. 

North Carolina

A new stake was created in North Carolina. The Mebane North Carolina Stake was organized on April 26th from the Durham North Carolina Stake (organized in 1987) and the Greensboro North Carolina Stake (organized in 1961). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Caswell, Elon, Hillsborough, Lake Mackintosh, and Mebane Wards and the Roxboro and Burlington (Spanish) Branches. 

There are now 22 stakes in North Carolina. 

Tennessee

A new stake was created in Tennessee. The Columbia Tennessee Stake was organized on March 22nd from the Franklin Tennessee Stake (organized in 1979) and the Murfreesboro Tennessee Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Columbia, Lawrenceburg, Linden, Spring Hill 1st, and Spring Hill 3rd Wards and the Lewisburg Branch. 

There are now 15 stakes in Tennessee. 

Utah

A new stake was created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Saratoga Springs Utah Mountain View Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Saratoga Springs Utah North Stake (organized in 2004). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Harvest Hills 4th, Harvest Hills 5th, Harvest Hills 6th, Harvest Hills 7th, Wildflower 1st, and Wildflower 2nd Wards. 

Additionally, five stakes were recently discontinued in Utah, bringing the total number of discontinued stakes in Utah in 2026 to nine. Stakes discontinued included the Price Utah North Stake (organized in 1945), Price Utah YSA (organized in 1996), Sandy Utah Alta View Stake (organized in 1984), Taylorsville Utah North Stake (organized in 1973), and Wellington Utah Stake (organized in 1980). Like other recently discontinued stakes, stakes discontinued in the Salt Lake area have been in areas with a steady decline in active membership. The three stakes discontinued in the Price area have appeared to be attributed to essentially stagnant growth or decline for many years coupled with probable efforts to free up members in leadership positions to staff the new temple once it is completed.

There are now 639 stakes and seven districts in Utah. 

Zambia

A new stake was created in Zambia. The Copperbelt Zambia Stake was organized on April 26th from the Kitwe Zambia District (organized in 2005) and the Ndola Zambia District (organized in 2015 and discontinued when the new stake was organized). Information on which of the 11 branches in the two combined districts became wards remains unavailable.

There are now two stakes in Zambia and no districts. 

Kenya

A new district was created in Kenya. The Bomet Kenya District was organized on March 8th. The new district was organized from three branches in the Kenya Nairobi West Mission, including the Bomet, Kapkesosio, and Kyongong Branches. The first branch in Bomet was organized in 2023.

There are now four stakes and 11 districts in Kenya.

Nigeria

A new district was created in Nigeria. The Mangu Nigeria District was organized on March 8th from a division of the Jos Nigeria Stake (organized in 2024). The new district includes the following seven branches: the Chapkwai, Dadin Kowa, Gerkawa, Gindiri, Mabudi, Mangu, and Pankshin Branches. These branches have been primarily organized in villages and small towns in rural areas southeast of Jos. Rapid growth has occurred here, where all branches in the new district have been organized since 2024.

There are now 81 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria. 

Republic of the Congo

A new district was created in the Republic of the Congo. The Nkayi Republic of the Congo District was organized on April 19th from five mission branches in cities between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The new district includes the following branches: the Bouansa, Dolisie, Madingou, Mindouli, and Nkayi Branches. The first branch in this area of the country was organized in 2019 in Dolisie.

There are now five stakes and one district in the Republic of the Congo. 

United Kingdom

Two stakes were discontinued in the United Kingdom. The Poole England Stake (organized in 1982) and the Ashton England Stake (organized in 1982) were recently discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to neighboring stakes. The discontinuation of these two stakes has continued a recent trend of consolidating stakes in England in the past few years, as there were three stakes discontinued in 2023 in the London area and one stake discontinued in 2022 in Lichfield. It is probable that additional stakes may be discontinued in the United Kingdom in the coming months and years, as the Church in the United Kingdom has historically had small numbers of active members per ward or branch and few convert baptisms.

There are now 40 stakes in the United Kingdom.

**Please note that there are some recently organized stakes and districts that I have not yet reported in this post due to the large volume of recent stake and district creations. These will be reported in a future blog post**

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.

Eight New Temples - Analysis

See below for an analysis of the eight new temples announced today by President Russell M. Nelson. This marks the third most temples ever announced on a single day after October 7th, 2018 (12 temples) and April 1st, 1981 (nine temples). This group of locations probably constitutes the most unusual cohort of temples ever announced by the Church to date given the small size of Church membership in these locations, historically slow growth in most of these locations, and geographical distribution. Also, I believe this marks the first time when I did not accurately predict any of temples actually announced in General Conference per my top ten list I publish within the month before General Conference (five of the eight temples were on the map of 55 likely and 38 less likely locations for future temples).

The location and number of temple announcements within the past year suggests a significant shift to build temples in areas where there have historically been long-term membership in the Church regardless of the number of stakes or current/recent growth rates. For example, half of the new temples announced today have not had a new stake organized within the probable future temple district during the past decade. Also, most of the temples announced would service small Latter-day Saint populations. For example, of the eight new temples announced only three temples appear likely to service more than five stakes (Tooele Valley, Utah; Antofagasta, Chile; San Pedro Sula, Honduras). This suggests a shift to reinstituting small temples like during President Gordon B. Hinckley's presidency of the Church. Also, there remain many locations where steady growth has occurred in the past 1-2 decades, but no temples have been announced, such as Rogers, Arkansas; Benin City, Nigeria; and Santa Cruz, Bolivia to name a few. I believe we may see 5-15 new temples announced per General Conference going forward given this recent shift in temple construction.

Pago Pago Samoa Temple
The Pago Pago Samoa Temple will be the Church's first temple in the United States territory of American Samoa and second temple in the Samoan Islands. With a mere population of 51,000 according to the CIA World Factbook estimate, American Samoa is now the country/territory with the smallest population with a temple dedicated, under construction, or announced. The Church has reported steady growth in American Samoa for many years. The Church initially announced a temple in Samoa for American Samoa in 1977, but moved the location from Pago Pago to Apia, Samoa in 1980 to better meet the needs of Samoan members who were most heavily concentrated on Upolu. The population of American Samoa in 2018 was the same as it was in the early 1990s, yet Church membership increased from 12,000 to 16,390. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of stakes increased from four to five, the number of wards increased from 29 to 38, the number of branches remained unchanged (5), and the percentage of members in the population increased from 22.2% to approximately 32%. Based upon year-end 2017 membership data, American Samoa was previously the country/territory with the fourth most members without a temple. It is anticipated that the new temple will services five stakes - all of which are located in American Samoa.

Okinawa City Okinawa Temple
The Okinawa City Okinawa Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in the sovereign nation of Japan. The new temple will likely serve only one stake and one district - both of which are headquartered on Okinawa. The Church previously had two stakes in Okinawa, but closed one of the stakes (Ginowan Japan Stake - created in 1999) in 2014 and combined many of the Japanese-speaking congregations on the island. Today, the Okinawa Japan Stake (organized in 1980) has five wards and three branches. The Okinawa Japan Military District (organized in 1979) has four branches, three of which are located on Okinawa. The Church also briefly operated a mission in Okinawa between 1990 and 1996. Okinawa has a population of 1.4 million people. The announcement of the Okinawa City Okinawa Temple came as a complete surprise to me given the small size of the Church in Okinawa and the lack of growth on the island in recent years. This development suggests that the Church may announce temples in many additional, remote locations around the world where only one or two stakes operate, such as Fairbanks, Alaska; Puerto Arenas, Chile; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Neiafu Tonga Temple
The Neiafu Tonga Temple will be the second temple to be built in Tonga after the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983. The new temple is located on Vava'u and will likely service five stakes and two districts in central and northern islands of the country. The Church organized its first stake in Vava'u in 1975. Three additional stakes were organized in Vava'u in 1980, 1995, and 2017. 18.7% of the population of Vava'u identified as Latter-day Saint on the 2016 census. Church-reported membership for Tonga constitutes 60% of the population although individuals who self-identified as Latter-day Saint on the 2016 constituted only 19% of the population. Nevertheless, Latter-day Saints number among the fastest growing major churches in Tonga based on census data.

Tooele Valley Utah Temple
The Church announced its 21st temple in Utah in the Tooele Valley. The new temple will likely service the 10 stakes and one district in Tooele County, as well as the two stakes in Elko, Nevada for a total of 12 stakes and one district. The first stake in Tooele was organized in 1877. The number of stakes in the Tooele Valley has increased from six to 10 since 2000.

Moses Lake Washington Temple
The Moses Lake Washington Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Washington. Temples have previously been dedicated in Seattle (1980), Spokane (1999), and Columbia River [located in Richland] (2001). The new temple appears likely to service only four stakes although a fifth stake may be organized in the foreseeable future from the Moses Lake Washington Stake (11 wards, 1 branch at present). Slow growth has occurred for the Church in the Moses Lake area of Washington, with the most recently organized stake in the probable future temple district being created in Ephrata in 1980. The first stake in the area likely to be serviced by the temple was organized in Moses Lake in 1954.

San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple
The San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple will be the Church's second temple in Honduras. The Church dedicated its first temple in Honduras, the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple, in 2013. Rapid growth has occurred in northern Honduras within the past decade as evidenced by the number of stakes increasing from nine in 2010 to 15 at present. The new temple will likely service 15 stakes and one district in northern Honduras.

Antofagasta Chile Temple
The Antofagasta Chile Temple will be the Church's third temple in Chile and first temple in northern Chile. The Church has previously dedicated temples in Santiago (1983) and Concepcion (2018). The new temple will likely service seven stakes and two districts in northern Chile. Prior to the announcement, Chile was the country with the most members with only two temples dedicated, under construction, or announced.

Budapest Hungary Temple
The Budapest Hungary Temple will be the Church's first temple in Hungary and third temple in Eastern Europe (excluding former East Germany) after the Kyiv Ukraine Temple (dedicated in 2010) and the Russia Temple (announced in 2018, city yet to be announced). The new temple will likely service three stakes (one in Hungary, two in Austria) and as many as eight districts in Hungary (2), Romania (2), Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The Church in Hungary has historically experienced some of the greatest growth for the Church in former communist Central Europe and Eastern Europe. However, the Church in Hungary nevertheless has only 5,250 members, of whom only about 1,000 regularly attend church. The new temple has good potential to help discourage Hungarian members from emigrating and strengthen the Church's sense of community.

Eight New Temples Announced

This afternoon President Russell M. Nelson announced eight new temples in the following locations:

• Pago Pago, American Samoa
• Okinawa City, Okinawa
• Neiafu, Tonga
• Tooele Valley, Utah
• Moses Lake, Washington
• San Pedro Sula, Honduras
• Antofagasta, Chile
• Budapest, Hungary

With these new temple announcements, there are now 209 temples that are dedicated, under construction, or announced.

New Stakes in Bolivia and Honduras; New Districts in Mauritius and South Africa

Bolivia
The Church organized a new district in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on July 23rd. The Santa Cruz Bolivia Viru Viru Stake was organized from a division of the Santa Cruz Bolivia Equipetrol Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Pentaguazu, Satélite, Universitario, Viru Viru, and Warnes Wards, and the Valle Sanchez Branch. The new stake is the Church's ninth stake in the Santa Cruz metropolitan area. Prospects appear favorable for Bolivia's second temple to be announced in Santa Cruz one day due to the large concentration of stakes within a single city. However, it is unclear whether a temple will be announced within the foreseeable future given that the temple appears modestly utilized by Bolivian members according to the frequency of endowment session scheduled each week.

There are now 30 stakes and eight districts in Bolivia.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in Honduras on July 16th. The Potrerillos Honduras Stake was organized from a division of the Villa Nueva Honduras Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the El Mochito, Morelos, Potrerillos, Santa Cruz de Yojoa, and Yojoa Wards. There are now 12 stakes within the greater San Pedro Sula metropolitan area. San Pedro Sula appears a likely candidate for its own temple one day although it is unclear whether this will occur within the foreseeable future given the relatively recent completion of the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple (dedicated in 2013) and apparent moderate utilization of the temple by Honduran and Nicaraguan members as estimated by the number of endowment sessions scheduled a week.

There are now 31 stakes and five districts in Honduras.

Mauritius
The Church organized its first district in Mauritius on July 30th. The Mauritius District was organized from a division of the St Denis Reunion/Mauritius District (renamed the St Denis Reunion District). The new district includes all three branches that operate on Mauritius, namely the Flacq, Phoenix, and Rose Hill Branches. Mauritius is administered by the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission. The population has demonstrated good receptivity to LDS outreach, but significant shortages of foreign missionary visas have slowed growth.

South Africa
The Church organized a new district in South Africa on July 30th. The Ladysmith South Africa District was organized from a division of the Newcastle South Africa District. The new district includes the following three branches: the Ezakheni, Ladysmith, and Newcastle Branches.

Also, the South Africa Durban Mission President reported that another district will be organized in the mission later this month. The Phuthaditjhaba South Africa will be organized from the Phuthaditjhaba and Bethlehem Branches. Also, two member groups will also be organized in the soon-to-be-created district (one in the Bethlehem area and one in Phuthaditjhaba).

After the Phuthaditjhaba South Africa District is organized, there will be 16 stakes and eight districts in South Africa.

New Stakes Created in El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Missouri, New York, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, and Texas; New Districts Created in Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Sierra Leone; District Discontinued in Poland and South Korea

NEW STAKES

El Salvador
The Church organized a new stake in El Salvador on June 18th. The San Vicente El Salvador Stake was organized from the San Vicente El Salvador District (organized in 1995) and a portion of the San Salvador El Salvador Stake. The new stake includes the following three wards and five branches: the La Paz, Los Nonualcos, and Zacatecoluca Wards, and the Cojutepeque, Ilobasco, Sensuntepeque, La Espiga, and La Torre Branches. At least two of the branches have likely become wards. However, this information has not yet been updated in the official directory. The San Vicente El Salvador District was the last district of the Church in El Salvador. Now, the entire country is administered by stakes.

There are now 20 stakes in El Salvador.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in Ghana on June 25th. The Koforidua Ghana Stake was created from the the Koforidua Ghana District. The new stake includes the following seven wards and four branches: the Adweso, Asokore, Effiduase, Koforidua 1st, Koforidua 2nd, Oyoko, and Suhum Wards, and the Maase, Mile 50, Osiem, and Tafo Branches. Coincidentally, the original Koforidua Ghana District was also organized on June 25th in 1995. The Church experienced slow growth in Koforidua until a few years ago. Approximately half of the congregations in the new stake were organized within the past two years. Koforidua is the eighth metropolitan area or large city in Ghana to have had a stake organized.

There are now 20 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Guatemala
The Church organized two new stakes in Guatemala.

The Senahu Guatemala Stake was organized from the Senahu Guatemala District on June 4th. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Providencia, Santiaguila, Seamay 2nd, Vega, and Yalijux Wards, and the Chijolom, Seamay 1st, Semarac, and Seriquiche Branches. As previously reported, the new stake is the first Q'eqchi'-speaking stake in the Church.

The Guatemala City Don Justo Stake was organized on June 18th from a division of the Guatemala City Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Arrazola, Don Justo, El Pajón, Fraijanes, Las Flores, and San José Pinula Wards. The new stake is the Church's 22nd stake in the Guatemala City metropolitan area.

There are now 48 stakes and 15 districts in Guatemala.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in Tegucigalpa on June 25th. The Tegucigalpa Honduras Villa Olímpica Stake appeared to be organized from a division of the Tegucigalpa Honduras La Esperanza Stake. No information is currently available regarding which congregations are assigned to the new stake. The new stake is the Church's 12th stake in the Tegucigalpa metropolitan area. Tegucigalpa also reports one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints of any major city of the world as the city appears to be at least 3.65% LDS.

There are now 30 stakes and five districts in Honduras.

Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in Mexico for the first time since 2013. The Puebla México Arboledas Stake was organized from the Puebla México Mayorazgo Stake (renamed the Puebla México Angelópolis Stake) on June 25th. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Castillotla, Dieciseis de Septiembre, El Refugio, Loma Bella, San Ramón, and Tres Cerritos Wards. There are now 13 stakes in the Puebla-Tlaxcala-Atlixco metropolitan area.

There are now 231 stakes and 41 districts in Mexico.

Missouri
The Church organized a new stake in the St Louis metropolitan area for the first time since 1987. The Hazelwood Missouri Stake was organized from a division of the St Louis Missouri North Stake (renamed the Lake St Louis Missouri Stake) and the St Louis Missouri Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Alton, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, St Charles, St Peters, and Weldon Spring Wards, and the San Carlos Branch (Spanish). There are now four stakes in the St Louis metropolitan area.

There are now 18 stakes in Missouri.

New York
The Church organized its third YSA stake east of the Mississippi River on June 18th. The New York New York YSA Stake was organized from YSA wards and branches from several stakes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Harlem YSA, Hoboken YSA, Lincoln Square YSA, Manhattan YSA, and Waveny Park YSA Wards, and the Brooklyn YSA, East Brunswick YSA, Manhattan SA, Plainview YSA, and Queens YSA Branches. YSA stakes in the eastern United States also operate in Buena Vista, Virginia (organized in 2012) and Washington DC (organized in 2016).

There are now 17 stakes and one district in New York.

Nigeria
The Church organized its first stake in Bayelsa State, Nigeria on May 14th. The Yenagoa Nigeria Stake was organized from the Yenagoa Nigeria District. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akenfa, Iboghene, Kpansia, Onopa-Ovom, Opolo, and Yenezuepie Wards, and the Amassoma and Azikoro Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Bayelsa State in 2009 and organized the Yenagoa Nigeria District in 2013.

There are now 43 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

Philippines
The Church organized three new stakes in the Philippines

The Puerto Princesa Philippines Stake was organized on May 21st from the Puerto Princesa Philippines District (organized in 1987). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Puerto Princesa 1st, Puerto Princesa 2nd, Roxas, Santa Monica 1st, and Santa Monica 2nd Wards, and the Coron and Taytay Branches. The new stake is the first stake to be organized on Palawan Island - home to 1.1 million people.

The Olongapo Philippines Stake was organized on June 4th from the Olongapo Philippines District (organized in 1978). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Cabalan, Calapacuan, Olongapo 1st, Olongapo 2nd, and Olongapo 3rd Wards, and the Mabayo and Morong Branches. The Church previously operated a stake in Olongapo between 1989 and 1993, but discontinued the stake and reverted it back to a district due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forcing the resettlement of many Latter-day Saints who lived in the area.

The San Jose del Monte Philippines North Stake was organized from a division of the San Jose del Monte Philippines Stake on June 18th. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Francisco Homes, Kaypian, Minuyan, Santo Cristo, and Sapang Palay Wards. Rapid growth has occurred in San Jose del Monte since the original San Jose del Monte Philippines District became a stake in 2013.

There are now 99 stakes and 75 districts in the Philippines. The Church will organized its 100th stake in the Philippines within the next couple months.

Sierra Leone
The Church organized its second stake in Sierra Leone on June 18th. The Kissy Sierra Leone Stake was organized from the Kissy Sierra Leone District. Most of the nine branches in the former district have appeared to be organized into wards in the new stake. Additionally, missionaries report that there are plans to organize three additional stakes before the end of the year in Bo and Kenema. Also, the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake now has 11 wards and one branch, and the stake appears likely to divide to create another stake. Thus, there may be as many as six stakes in Sierra Leone by late 2017 or early 2018.

There are now two stakes and six districts in Sierra Leone.

Texas
The Church organized a new stake in Texas on May 21st. The Tomball Texas Stake was organized from a division of the Klein Texas Stake and The Woodlands Texas Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Champions, Gleannloch Farms, Inverness, Magnolia 1st, Memorial Springs, Parkway, and Tomball 2nd Wards. The new stake is the Church's 18th stake in the Houston metropolitan area.

There are now 74 stakes and three districts in Texas.

NEW DISTRICTS

Brazil
The Church organized a new district in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil on June 4th. The Cabo Frio Brazil District was organized from a division of the Macaé Brazil Stake. The new district includes the following three branches: the Araruama, Búzios, and Cabo Frio. The Araruama and
Búzios Branches were organized in 2015.

There are now 266 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district in Cote d'Ivoire on May 14th. The Alepe Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from a division of the Aboisso Cote d'Ivoire District. The new district includes the following five branches: the Ahoutoue 1st, Ahoutoue 2nd, Alepe 1st, Alepe 2nd, and the Alepe Cote d'Ivoire District Branch. Four of the five branches in the new district have been organized since October 2015.

There are now 11 stakes and 13 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Fiji
The Church organized a new district in Fiji on June 4th. The Labasa Fiji District was organized from a division of the Taveuni Fiji District. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Labasa, Nabua, Nakawakawa, Nuku, Savusavu, Seaqaqa, and Tukavesi Branches. The Church had previously operated a district headquartered in Labasa between 1989 and 2008.

There are now four stakes and three districts in Fiji.

Papua New Guinea
The Church organized a new district in Papua New Guinea on June 25th. The Lae Papua New Guinea District was organized from four mission branches in the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the Lae, Ngasuwampu, Taraka, and Yalu Branches. Three of these four branches were organized in late May 2017.

There are now two stakes and 12 districts in Papua New Guinea.

Sierra Leone
The Church organized a new district in Sierra Leone on May 21st. The Makeni Sierra Leone District was organized from three mission branches in Makeni. These branches include the Makama, Rogbaneh, and Teko Road Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Makeni in 2013.

There are now two stakes and six districts in Sierra Leone

DISCONTINUED DISTRICTS

Poland
The Church recently discontinued the Bydgoszcz Poland District. The four branches that previously pertained to the district have since been reassigned to the Poland Warsaw Mission or the Warsaw Poland District.

There are now two districts in Poland.

South Korea
The Church discontinued a district in South Korea. The Hongseong Korea District was discontinued and two of the three branches in the former district were closed. Branches within the district have struggled for decades with few active members and a lack of priesthood leadership. The area previously administered by the district now pertains to the Daejeon Korea Stake.

There are now 13 stakes and five districts in South Korea.

New Stakes Created in Colorado, Honduras, Nigeria, Virginia, and Zimbabwe; New District Created in Brazil

Colorado
A new stake was created in Colorado Springs on December 11th. This stake creation was a special one for me since this I live in the boundaries of the new stake. The Colorado Springs High Plains Stake was organized from a division of the Colorado Springs East Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Black Forest, Calhan, Falcon, Indigo Ranch, Meridian, Oakwood, Stetson Hills, and Woodmen Hills Wards, and the Limon Branch. Additionally, four wards were reassigned from the Colorado Springs North Stake to the Colorado Springs East Stake.

There are now 35 stakes in Colorado.

Honduras
A new stake was organized in northern Honduras on December 4th. The La Ceiba Honduras Miramar Stake was organized from a division of the La Ceiba Honduras Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Buenos Aires, El Confite, Las Colinas, Miramar, and Montecristo Wards, and the La Másica Branch. The Church has organized five new stakes in Honduras during 2016 - the most new stakes organized in Honduras in a single year since 1995.

There are now 28 stakes in Honduras.

Nigeria
A new stake was organized in southeastern Nigeria on December 4th. The Uyo Nigeria Ibiono Stake was organized from the Ibiono Nigeria District and the Uyo Nigeria Stake. The new stakes includes the following ward and 11 branches: the Itam 1st Ward, and the Enen-Atai, Ibiono 1st, Ibiono 2nd, Idoro, Ikot Ekpene Road, Ikot Esia, Ikot Mbon Ikono, Itam 2nd, Nkwot, Okoita, and the Use Ikot Amama Branches. Many of these branches have likely become wards. Information on which branches became wards is not currently available in the official directory. There have been significant delays for the Church to update which branches have become wards in other newly organized stakes in Nigeria. For example, It has taken six months for information on which branches have become wards in the newly organized Ikot Ekpene Nigeria Stake to appear. This new stake currently has seven wards and one branch.

There are now 42 stakes and 16 districts in Nigeria.

Virginia
Two new stakes were organized in Virginia.

The Washington DC YSA Stake was organized on December 4th. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Braddock YSA, Colonial YSA 1st, Colonial YSA 2nd, Glenn Dale YSA, Langley YSA, Shenandoah YSA, and the Washington DC YSA 2nd Wards. The new stake is the Church's second YSA stake to be organized in the eastern United States. The first YSA stake in this region of the country was organized in Buena Vista, Virginia in 2012.

The Church organized the Gainesville Virginia Stake from a division of the Centreville Virginia Stake and the Ashburn Virginia Stake. The new stake includes the follow six wards: the Gainesville, Haymarket, Tall Cedars, Vint Hill, Warrenton 1st, and Warrenton 2nd Wards.

There are now 23 stakes in Virginia.

Zimbabwe
The Church organized its fourth stake in Harare on December 4th. The Harare Zimbabwe East Stake was organized from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe Stake and two mission branches in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission. The new stake includes the following four wards and four branches: the Mabvuku 1st, Mabvuku 2nd, Ruwa, and Tafara Wards, and the Acturus, Damofalls, Dombotombo, and Marondera Branches. Furthermore, church leaders report that the announcement of the location and groundbreaking of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple appears forthcoming in early 2017.

There are now seven stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe.

Brazil
The Church organized a new district in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil on November 20th. The São Lourenço do Sul Brazil District was organized from a division of the Pelotas Brazil North Stake. The new district includes three branches: the Camaquã, Canguçu, and São Lourenço do Sul Branches. There are now 23 stakes and eight districts in Rio Grande do Sul State.

There are now 265 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

New Stakes Created in French Polynesia and Honduras; New Districts Created in Ecuador and Peru; Districts Discontinued in French Polynesia and Honduras

French Polynesia
The Church organized a new stake in Tahiti on July 17th. The Taravao Tahiti Stake was organized from a division of the Mahina Tahiti and Papeari Tahiti Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Hitiaa, Taravao 1st, Taravao 2nd, Tautira, Toahotu, and Vairao Wards. The Tubuai Australes District was also discontinued and the five branches in the former district were reassigned to the Papeari Tahiti Stake. The decision to discontinue the district likely indicates plans for branches in the former district to become wards in the foreseeable future. No branches have been discontinued in the Tubuai Australes District within recent years.

There are now nine stakes and three districts in French Polynesia

Honduras
The Church organized two new stakes in Honduras.

The Comayagüela Honduras Bulevar Stake was organized on July 24th from a division of the Comayagüela Honduras Torocagua Stake. The new stake currently includes three wards and two branches: the Bulevar, Carrizal, and Jardines del Carrizal Wards, and the Ciudad España and
Zambrano Branches. With only three wards officially reported, it appears that either additional wards are assigned to the stake or both of the branches became wards when the stake was organized. These updates will likely be made in the near future. The organization of the new stake coincided with the discontinuation of the Talanga Honduras District. Organized in 1994, the Talanga Honduras District previously administered four branches - two of which now pertain to the Comayagüela Honduras Torocagua Stake. The remaining two branches in the Talanga Honduras District were reassigned to the Juticalpa Honduras District (previously the Catacamas Honduras District).

The Olanchito Honduras Stake was organized from the Olanchito Honduras District on August 7th. The new stake includes five wards and one branch: the Bellavista, Olanchito, Sonaguera, Tocoa, and Trujillo Wards, and the Coyoles Branch. Missionaries have reported within the past year or two plans for the district to become a stake. Originally the area was serviced by two districts headquartered in Olanchito and Tocoa (discontinued in 2009). The Olanchito Honduras District was originally organized in 1985.

There are now 27 stakes and five districts in Honduras.

Ecuador
The Church organized a new district in Ecuador on August 7th. The Guaranda Ecuador District was organized from a division of the Riobamba Ecuador District. The new district includes two branches: the Guaranda 1st and Guaranda 2nd Branches. Distance from Riobamba and prospects for greater growth in the Guaranda area appeared to have prompted the organization of the new district.

There are now 36 stakes and 10 districts in Ecuador.

Peru
The Church organized a new district in southern Peru on July 17th. The Majes Perú District was organized from a division of the Camaná Perú District and a mission branch in the Peru Arequipa Mission. The new district includes three branches: the Aplao, La Joya, and Pedregal Branches.

There are now 101 stakes and 20 districts in Peru.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, the DR Congo, Honduras, Nigeria, and Taiwan; New Districts organized in Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, and South Africa

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Parana State on June 19th. The Apucarana Brazil Stake was organized from the Apucarana Brazil District and the Maringá Brazil Stake. Most, if not all, of the five branches in the former district appear to have become wards.

There are now 20 stakes and one district in Parana State, and 261 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 26th. The Likasi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Likasi Democratic Republic of the Congo District. Information on which of the 10 branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The new stake is the Church's first stake to operate in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo outside of Lubumbashi.

There are now 16 stakes and two districts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in San Pedro Sula on June 26th. The new stake was organized from a division of the San Pedro Sula Honduras and Satélite Honduras Stakes. The new stake appears to be named the El Carmen Honduras Stake or the San Pedro Sula Honduras El Carmen Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Calpules, El Carmen, La Aldea, Las Lomas, and Ocotillo Wards, and San Juan Branch.

There are now 25 stakes and seven districts in Honduras. 

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in western Nigeria on June 26th. The Ile-Ife Nigeria Stake was organized from the Ile-Ife Nigeria District. Information on which of the 10 retained branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The Ile-Ife Nigeria Stake is the Church's first stake in Osun State where four million people reside. The Church originally organized the Ile-Ife Nigeria District in 1999.

The Church organized a new stake in south-central Nigeria on June 19th. The Onitsha Nigeria Stake was organized from the Onitsha Nigeria District. Information on which of the nine retained branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The Onitsha Nigeria Stake is the Church's first stake in Anambra State where 4.8 million people reside. The Church originally organized the Onitsha Nigeria District in 1988. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the Onitsha Nigeria District was the oldest district of the Church in Nigeria.


There are now 38 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Taiwan
The Church in Taiwan organized a new stake on June 26th. The Chiayi Taiwan Stake was organized from the Chia Yi Taiwan District. Information on which of the seven branches in the former district became wards remains unavailable. The Chia Yi Taiwan District was the last district of the Church in Taiwan as all others have become stakes. The Church in Taiwan has implemented an aggressive strategy to organize several new stakes within the past five years, resulting in the number of stakes increasing from 11 to 17.

Angola
The Church organized its second district in Angola on June 12th. The Viana Angola District was organized from a division of the Luanda Angola District. The new district includes the following three branches: Terra Nova, Viana, and Zango. Missionaries have reported within the past couple years plans for the organization of the first stake in Angola within the near future. However, the decision to divide the Luanda Angola District, which previously had eight branches, appears to indicate plans to organize several new branches in the Luanda metropolitan area to spur greater growth in this massive city of 6.8 million inhabitants.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district in central Cote d'Ivoire on June 5th. The Bouake Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from the following five mission branches that operate within the city of Bouake: Ahougnanssou, Bouake 1st, Bouake 2nd, Bouake 3rd, and Bouake 4th Branch. The Church originally established its first branch in Bouake in 1989. At least two branches functioned in the city in the early 2000s, but all branches were discontinued in the mid-2000s due to the First Ivorian Civil War. The Church reestablished official branches in Bouake in 2015.

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

South Africa
The Church organized a new district in southwestern South Africa on June 12th. The George South Africa District was organized from two mission branches in the George area, namely George and Knysna. The decision to organize a district with only two branches suggests plans to organize additional branches in the area within the near future as districts typically have at least three branches.

There are now 15 stakes and five districts in South Africa.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Honduras, Peru, Texas, and Washington; District Discontined in Chile

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Alagoas State, Brazil on January 24th. The Maceió Brazil Colina Stake appeared to be organized from a division of the Maceió Brazil Stake. Information on congregations assigned to the new stake is currently unavailable.

There are now six stakes in Alagoas State. There are now 257 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in northern Honduras on January 24th. The Palermo Honduras Stake was organized from a division of the San Pedro Honduras El Progreso Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bendeck, La Sarrosas, Las Palmeras, Palermo, and Santa Rita Wards and the Morazan Branch.

There are now 24 stakes and seven districts in Honduras.

Peru
Local members in Peru report that the Church organized a new stake in the Lima area on January 17th. The Barranca Peru Stake was organized from the Barranca Peru District. No information is currently available on which branches in the former district have become wards. Established in 1979, the Barranca Peru District numbered among the oldest in the Church in Peru.

There are now 101 stakes and 19 districts in Peru.

Texas
Two new stakes have been organized in Texas.

The Church organized a new stake in El Paso on January 17th. The new stake was organized from the El Paso Texas and the El Paso Texas Mount Franklin Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the El Paso 1st, El Paso 3rd (Spanish), El Paso 4th, El Paso 12th (Spanish), Hondo Pass, and Transmountain (Spanish) Wards and the Chaparral Branch (Spanish). There are now three stakes in El Paso.

The Church organized its seventh stake in San Antonio on January 24th. The new stake was organized from a division of the San Antonio Texas Hill Country and San Antonio Texas West Stakes. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Boerne, Fair Oaks, Kerrville, Leon Springs, Leon Valley, Parkwood, and San Antonio 9th Wards and the Balcones Branch (Spanish).

There are now 67 stakes and three districts in Texas.

Washington
The Church organized a new stake in the Vancouver area on January 24th. The Ridgefield Washington Stake was organized from a division of the Vancouver Washington North and Vancouver Washington West Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Alpine Heights, Battle Ground 1st, Battle Ground 2nd, La Center, Ridgefield, and Salmon Creek Wards.

There are now 58 stakes in Washington.

Chile
The Church discontinued a district in southern Chile. The Los Lagos Chile District was discontinued and its five branches were reassigned to the Valdivia Chile and Valdivia Chile Calle Calle Stakes.

There are now 77 stakes and 17 districts in Chile.

The Church will organize at least 10 stakes during the month of January based on reports I have received - the largest number of stakes organized during the month of January since 1995 (11 new stakes were organized in January 1995). The largest number of stakes ever organized during January was set in 1988 when 16 stakes were organized (primarily due to the organization of seven new stakes in Lima, Peru in one weekend). The second most stakes ever organized during the month of January was in 1995 (11 stakes) and the third most stakes ever organized during the month of January was in 1982 (10 stakes).

New Stake in Honduras

The Church organized a new stake in Honduras several weeks ago.

The Choloma Honduras Stake was organized from a division of the Fesitranh Honduras Stake and includes the following five wards and two branches: The Campana, Choloma, El Centro, Los Almendros, and Puerto Cortes Wards and the La Jutosa and Monterrey Branches.  There are now nine stakes in the San Pedro Sula metropolitan area and 23 stakes and seven districts in the entire country.

New Stake in Honduras

A new stake was created in Honduras last month.  The Choluteca Honduras Porvenir Stake was organized from the Choluteca Honduras Stake and includes the following six wards: The Cabanas, Centro, Los Graneros, Porvenir, San Luis, and Tamarindo Wards.  The Church recently experienced rapid congregational growth in Choluteca resulting in the number of wards in the area increasing from seven to 11 within the past couple years.  With the creation of a second stake, Choluteca becomes the third urban agglomeration in Honduras with two or more LDS stakes after Tegucigalpa/Comayaguela and San Pedro Sula.

See below for a map of LDS stakes, districts, and missions in Honduras.


View Stakes and Districts in Honduras in a larger map There are now 22 stakes and seven districts in Honduras.

New Stakes Organized in Honduras, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Venezuela

Honduras

The LDS Church organized its first new stake in Honduras since 1997.  The Tegucigalpa Honduras Loarque Stake was organized from the Tegucigalpa Honduras Toncontin Stake and includes the following five wards and two branches: The Jardines de Toncontin, Nuevo Loarque, Pedregal, Roble Oeste, and Tizatillo Wards and the Ojojona and Villeda Branches.  Congregational growth rates have rebounded in the past year in Honduras although they are far below membership growth rates, indicating ongoing retention and leadership challenges.  Progress has occurred in northern Honduras and several stakes appear close to splitting in the coming years as stakes in La Ceiba, Fesitrahn, and San Pedro El Progreso each have nine wards.  There are now 21 stakes and seven districts in Honduras.

Papua New Guinea

The Church organized its second stake in Papua New Guinea.  The Daru Papua New Guinea Stake includes the following six wards and one branch: The Daru 1st, Daru 2nd, Isumo, Tawoti, and Tawo'o Wards and the Suki Branch.  Five of the six wards are located on Daru Island, which is a small island off the mainland of New Guinea Island with approximately 13,000 inhabitants.  The recently organized Sogere Papua New Guinea District pertained to the Daru Papua New Guinea District prior its creation in late 2010 and church growth in the region has been steady and sustainable as indicated by increases in the number of congregations.  A further indication of strength in the newly organized stake in Daru is that one of the branches which became a ward - the Tawoti Ward - was organized as a branch not even six months ago.  At present no additional districts in Papua New Guinea appear close to becoming stakes as many districts have an inadequate number of total members and congregations, but additional districts appear likely to be organized in Kukipi and Angoram.  There are now two stakes and eight districts in Papua New Guinea.  

The Philippines

The Church created a new stake in the Philippines from a division of a preexisting stake for the first time in over a decade.  The Makati Philippines East Stake was organized from the Makati Philippines Stake and includes six wards: The Bonifacio 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and Makati 1st Wards.  A few stakes appear close to dividing in the near future in Butuan (10 wards, one branch), Cavite (10 wards and one branch), and Tuguegarao (9 wards, 4 branches).  There are several districts throughout the Philippines which appear close to becoming stakes.  There are now 81 stakes and 85 districts in the Philippines.

Venezuela

Another new stake was organized in Venezuela.  The Cagua Venezuela Stake was organized from the Maracay Venezuela Stake and includes the following seven wards: The Cagua, La Mora, La Victoria, San Juan de los Morros, Sorocaima, Turmero, and Villa de Cura Wards.  Of Venezuela's 31 LDS stakes, half have been organized since 2000.  Only a couple stakes appear likely to divide to create new stakes in the foreseeable future, the Ciudad Ojeda Venezuela and the San Cristobal Venezuela Stakes.  There are also eight districts functioning in the country, some of which appear close to becoming stakes.

New Stakes Organized in Brazil and Utah; New Districts Organized in Bahrain and Honduras

Brazil

A new stake has been created in São Paulo, Brazil.  The São Paulo Brazil Ferreira Stake was organized two weeks ago from the São Paulo Brazil Taboão Stake and includes five wards: Ferreira, Giovanni Gronchi, Jardim das Palmas, Jardim Maria Rosa, and Vila Andrade.  There are now 76 stakes in São Paulo State and 241 stakes in Brazil.  The increase in the number of stakes has been strong in the city of São Paulo in recent years as 11 new stakes have been organized since 2004.

Utah

Two new stakes were recently organized in Utah, the Layton Utah Legacy Stake and the Lehi Utah YSA Stake.  There are now 550 stakes in Utah.

Bahrain

A couple weeks ago the Manama Bahrain Stake was renamed the Abu Dhabi Stake and divided to create the Manama Bahrain District.  The Abu Dhabi Stake includes four wards and two branches in the United Arab Emirates, two wards in Qatar, a branch in in Kuwait, and a branch in Oman whereas the Manama Bahrain District includes the Bahrain Branch and several branches in Saudi Arabia.  Church growth has been consistent in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula as indicated by strong congregational growth rates over the past decade.  Prospects may be forthcoming for a small LDS in the United Arab Emirates due to greater religious freedom and tolerance for Christian groups like Latter-day Saints and sizeable, stabilizing LDS populations in the region. 

Honduras

A new district has been organized in the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission.  The Valle Verde Honduras District includes at least three branches in the mountainous terrain east of Tegucigalpa which were formerly mission branches (Moroceli, Ojo de Agua, and Villa San Francisco).  There are now 20 stakes and seven districts in Honduras. 

Church Growth News

Update on cities opened for missionary work in Mozambique

Missionaries in Mozambique report that progress continues in cities opened for missionary work in 2010 as many have been baptized and sacrament meeting attendance has dramatically increased.  At present the Chimoio Group now has over 90 attending church meetings; Maxixe has 40 and Dondo has 120.  


Additional city in Uganda with an LDS presence

Full-time missionaries serving in Uganda report that a group has been organized in Masaka, Uganda.  The Church initially sent a humanitarian senior couple to perform a clean water project and had no intentions of establishing a congregation or assigning missionaries.  A former investigator who had met with LDS missionaries in Kampala recognized the senior couple and interest in the Church and its teachings increased among the population in the area.  When the water project was completed, the senior missionary couple brought full-time missionaries to Masaka to answer questions about the Church and distribute scriptures and proselytism pamphlets.  Hundreds of church pamphlets and 100 issues of the Book of Mormon were distributed.  Full-time missionaries returned, baptized a couple converts, and opened a small congregation that now meets regularly.  This instance illustrates the influence of humanitarian work on church growth, the high receptivity of Uganda and many other African nations, and the need for additional missionary resources to be dedicated to the region.  


While on the topic of Uganda, the Gulu Branch (organized in 2008) recently received a new meetinghouse and sacrament meeting attendance has reached 140.

LDS meetinghouse occurring in Nauta, Peru

A senior missionary couple has supervised the opening of Nauta to missionary work, which is located in the Iquitos area.  Currently there are approximately 50 attending meetings.  The group may soon become a branch as male converts remain active and are ordained to the priesthood.  

Correction on new stake in Honduras

I reported back in November that a new stake would be organized in Tegucigalpa.  It appears that the information I received was incorrect as no new stake has been organized.  I apologize for the misinformation.