New Stakes Created in Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Hawaii, Idaho, Liberia, Montana, Nigeria, Portugal, the Philippines, and Virginia; New Districts Created in Liberia and Uganda; Districts Discontinued in Cote d'Ivoire, Japan, and Fiji

Brazil

A new stake was created in Brazil on January 26th. The Santa Maria West Stake was organized from the São Gabriel Brazil District (organized in 2001) and the Santa Maria Brazil Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Rosário do Sul, the Salgado Filho, the Santa Marta, the São Gabriel, and the Tancredo Neves Wards and the São Pedro Branch. The Church has sought for many years to divide the Santa Maria Brazil Stake which had 10 wards and one branch. The new stake is within the boundaries of a previously discontinued stake, the Rosário do Sul Brazil Stake, which operated from 1995 until 2001. There are now 27 stakes and four stakes in Rio Grande do Sul State. Santa Maria appears a likely location for a temple, as there is only one temple in Rio Grande do Sul located in Porto Alegre. A temple in Santa Maria could service 11 stakes and one district.

There are now 288 stakes and 37 districts in Brazil. 

Cote d'Ivoire

A new stake was created in Cote d'Ivoire on February 2nd. The Adzope Cote d'Ivoire Stake was created from the Adzope Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2016) and the Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2017 and discontinued when the new stake was organized). The new stake includes the following four wards and five branches: the Adzope 3rd, the Affery 1st, the Affery 2nd, and the Akoupé 1st Wards and the Adzope 1st, the Adzope 2nd, the Adzope 4th, the Adzope 5th, and the Adzope 6th Branches. The four original branches in Affery were consolidated into two wards, the two branches in Akoupé were combined to make a single ward, and no branches were consolidated in the city of Adzope. Both district branches in the two districts were discontinued, which occurs whenever a district that has a district branch is organized into a stake. This new stake has followed the pattern seen with many other recently organized stakes in Cote d'Ivoire, such as in Gagnoa, Man, and San Pedro. Although it is discouraging that these districts have not been able to become separate stakes (which has appeared to be due to the significant slowdown in Church growth in the country during the past five years), it is nonetheless encouraging to note that these cities had no organized branches prior to approximately 10 years ago, and thus, there has been significant growth and leadership development in these nascent areas for the Church. The Adzope Cote d'Ivoire Stake is the first stake to be created in the cities to the immediate north and east of Abidjan that are outside of the metropolitan area.

There are now 22 stakes and nine districts in Cote d'Ivoire

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

The Church organized a new stake in Kinshasa on February 9th. The Kinshasa DR Congo Limete Stake was organized from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Stake (organized in 1996) and the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Masina Stake (organized in 1999). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Kingabwa 1st, the Kingabwa 2nd, the Limete 1st, the Limete 2nd, and the Ndanu 1st Wards and the Ndanu 2nd Branch. The new stake is the Church's 15th stake in Kinshasa to be organized.

There are now 33 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Hawaii

A new stake was created in Hawaii for the first time since 2014. The Puna Hawaii Stake was created from a division of the Hilo Hawaii Stake (organized in 1968). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ka'u, the Kea'au, the Pahoa, the Waikahe 1st, and the Waikahe 2nd Wards. The Church has experienced steady growth on the western half of the Big Island of Hawaii, and there were only seven wards and one branch in the Hilo Hawaii Stake for many years in the mid-2000s. The neighboring Kona Hawaii Stake also appears likely to divide soon, as this stake has grown to 10 wards and one branch (up from eight wards in the mid-2000s).

There are now 17 stakes in Hawaii.

Idaho 

A new stake was created in Idaho on January 12th. The Idaho Falls Canterbury Park Stake was organized from a division of the Idaho Falls Taylor Mountain Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Bristol Heights, the Carriage Gate, the Castlerock, the Gem Lake, the Park Taylor, the Stonebrook, and the Victorian Village Wards. There are now approximately 20 stakes in Idaho Falls.

There are now 143 stakes in Idaho.

Liberia

A new stake and a new district were created in Liberia.

The Thinker Village Liberia Stake was organized on February 2nd from a division of the Paynesville Liberia Stake (organized in 2017). Approximately 1,500 attended the conference to create the new stake, and each stake now has approximately 2,000 members which is the minimum required to create a stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Boys Town, the Duport Road, the Gbengbar Town, the Outland, the SKD Boulevard, the Thinker Village, and the Voker Mission Wards. There are now seven stakes in Monrovia - all of which have been organized within the past decade.

The Harbel Liberia District was created on January 12th from seven mission branches in the Harbel, Buchanan, and Tameque areas, including the Barclay Farm, the Buchanan 1st, the Buchanan 2nd, the Cotton Tree, the Dolo's Town, the Harbel, and the LAC Branches. The first branch in the area was organized in Harbel back in 2008. Over 900 attended the conference to create the new district. Harbel is the second city outside of Monrovia to have had a district organized.

There are now seven stakes and two districts in Liberia.

Montana

A new stake was created in Montana on February 16th. The Three Forks Montana Stake was organized from a division of the Bozeman Montana Stake (organized in 1979), the Butte Montana Stake (organized in 1953), and the Helena Montana Stake (organized in 1968). The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Belgrade 1st, the Belgrade 2nd, the Gallatin, the Sheridan, the Three Forks, the Townsend, and the Whitehall Wards and the Ennis and White Sulphur Springs Branches.

There are now 14 stakes in Montana.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on February 2nd. The Abuja Nigeria Karu Stake was organized from a division of the Abuja Nigeria Wuse Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the follow five wards and three branches: the Jikwoyi, the Karu, the Masaka, the New Nyanya, and the Nyanya Wards and the Aso, the GRA, and the Orozo Branches. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in Abuja, where a mission was organized in 2023 and a temple was announced in October of 2024.

There are now 79 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria.

Portugal

A new stake was created in Portugal on February 16th. The Santarém Portugal Stake was created from a division of the Lisbon Portugal Stake (organized in 1981) and the Oeiras Portugal Stake (organized in 1989). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Alverca, the Bom Sucesso, the Carregado, the Santarém, and the Torres Vedras Ward, and the Abrantes, the Tomar, and the Vila Franca de Xira Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Santarém from 1991 to 2020, and the six branches that were part of the former district were reassigned to the Lisbon Portugal Stake or the Oeiras Portugal Stake in 2020. 

There are now eight stakes and one district in Portugal.

The Philippines

The Malaybalay Philippines Stake was created on February 2nd from the Malaybalay Philippines District (organized in 1992). Nearly 1,200 attended the conference to create the new stake. All six branches in the district were organized into wards, including the Malaybalay 1st, the Malaybalay 2nd, the Malaybalay 3rd, the Maramag, the Quezon Bukidnon, and the Valencia Wards. There are now 16 stakes and 12 districts on the island of Mindanao.

There are now 132 stakes and 55 districts in the Philippines.

Virginia 

A new stake was organized in Virginia on January 26th, 2025. The Brambleton Virginia Stake was created from a division of the Ashburn Virginia Stake (organized in 1995), the Gainesville Virginia Stake (organized in 2016), and the Oakton Virginia Stake (organized in 1963). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Algonkian, the Ashburn, the Brambleton, the Broadlands, the Sterling Park, and the Tall Cedars Wards and the Loudoun (Spanish) Branch. There are now 15 stakes in the DC metropolitan area.

There are now 23 stakes in Virginia.

Uganda 

A new district was created in Uganda. The Lira Uganda District was organized from three mission branches located in the city of Lira, including the Adyel, the Lira, and the Odokomit Branches. The first branch in Lira was organized in 2011. The new district is the Church's third district to be created in Uganda within the past four months.

There are now three stakes and five districts in Uganda.

Japan

The Nagasaki Japan District (organized in 1982) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Fukuoka Japan Stake. None of the four branches in the former Nagasaki Japan District were discontinued. The decision was likely made to consolidate the district with the neighboring stake to conserve leadership resources and perhaps for branches in the former district to become wards eventually. Stagnant growth or decline has occurred on Kyushu for decades.

There are now 22 stakes and nine districts in Japan.

Fiji

The Taveuni Fiji District (organized in 1997) was discontinued and consolidated with the Labasa Fiji District (organized in 2017 but which previously operated from 1989 to 2008). The realigned district is now called the Vanua Levu Fiji District. This decision was probably made due to a renewed effort to create a stake on Vanua Levu and surrounding islands. There are now 11 branches in the Vanua Levu Fiji District. No branches were discontinued with the closure of the district in Taveuni. 

There are now four stakes and one district in Fiji.

36 New Missions to be Created in 2024 Analysis: Asia and Europe

This post provides an analysis of new missions to be created in Asia and Europe in 2024, as announced by the Church on November 1st. 

New missions to be created in Asia and Europe in 2024 fall into three categories: reinstated missions that had previously closed (Germany Hamburg, Japan Sendai, Portugal Porto), a second mission in a country that previously had just one mission (Cambodia Phnom Penh East and Thailand Bangkok East), and new missions to be created in the Philippines (Philippines Dumaguete, Philippines General Santos, Philippines Tuguegarao). In 2010, the Church operated 36 missions in Asia, whereas there were 45 missions in Asia as of year-end 2022. However, this increase in the number of missions was primarily due to the Philippines, where the number of missions increased from 16 to 23 during this time period. In Europe, the number of missions decreased from 44 in 2010 to 37 in 2023. The Church in Europe reached an all-time high for the number of missions in 1997 when there were 55 missions. Most of the missions in Europe that have closed in the past 25 years have been in Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Spain. 

The three new missions to be organized in the Philippines is a major accomplishment that has come from significant increases in the number of Filipino Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions. The Philippines Area, which includes just the country of the Philippines, set a goal in May of 2021 to have 4,600 Filipino members serving full-time missions by the end of 2022. In May 2021, there were only 1,900 Filipino members serving full-time missions, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only half of the congregations in the Philippines had a full-time missionary companionship assigned. Therefore, the number of Filipinos serving full-time missions increased by 142% within 2.5 years. In a letter from the area presidency dated November 3rd, 2023, the area presidency stated: 

Brothers and Sisters, we express our deepest gratitude to you for heeding this call of [President Russel M. Nelson] by achieving the area goal to reach 4600 missionary applicants. We recognize the remarkable efforts of parents, leaders, and our dear youth to strengthen the rising generation and gather scattered Israel

CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH EAST 

The Cambodia Phnom Penh East Mission will be created from a division of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission (organized in 1997). The Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission services only the country of Cambodia with its 16.9 million inhabitants. The new mission will likely include one stake and 1-2 districts. With such a small number of stakes and districts in Cambodia altogether at present (two stakes, three districts), the creation of a second mission in Cambodia likely signals efforts by the Church to expand outreach into additional areas of the country. Currently, the Church operates official branches in only six of the 24 provinces in Cambodia. The Church in Cambodia initially experienced rapid growth in the 1990s and 2000s, although annual membership growth rates have since slowed to 3-4%. The Church reported 16,317 Latter-day Saints in Cambodia as of year-end 2022. The first two stakes in Cambodia were organized in 2014, and the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple was announced in 2018 and is currently under construction.

GERMANY HAMBURG 

The Germany Hamburg Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Germany Hamburg Mission (operated from 1938 until 2010). The new mission will likely be organized from the Germany Berlin Mission (organized in 1961), and it is unclear whether any areas of the Germany Frankfurt Mission (organized in 1938) may be included in the new mission. There are 83.3 million people in Germany and three missions (one of which also services Austria and areas of Switzerland). The Church used to operate six missions in Germany between 1991 and 2000. It is unclear why the Church did not reopen previously closed German missions in 2013 when there was a significant increase in the number of full-time missionaries serving, although the decision to organize a fourth mission in Germany may be attributed to greater receptivity and productivity of missions in the country in many areas. The Church in Germany has experienced stagnant membership growth since 2017, with church membership hovering around 40,000 during the past five years. The Church reported 39,748 Latter-day Saints and 14 stakes in Germany in 2022. Local member reports have noted several encouraging developments in Germany in the past couple years, such as an increase in the number of convert baptisms and several branches maturing into wards due to increasing numbers of active members. The Church announced plans to build a temple in Hamburg in April of 2023. Interestingly, only one stake has ever been discontinued in Germany (Neumünster Germany Stake in 2018), and this was what used to be a second stake in the Hamburg area. Since the stake was discontinued, there has been progress with branches becoming wards in the Hamburg Germany Stake, with the stake now having nine wards and six branches, making it one of the largest stakes in Germany. The new Germany Hamburg Mission will probably have 2-4 stakes within its boundaries when it is organized.

JAPAN SENDAI

The Japan Sendai Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Japan Sendai Mission which operated from 1974 until 2019. The new mission will likely be organized from a division of the Japan Tokyo Mission (organized in 1937) and the Japan Sapporo Mission (organized in 1970) and include one stake (organized in Sendai in 1980) and four districts (all organized between 1974 and 1987. The reinstatement of the mission in Sendai will likely help relieve the administrative burden on the Japan Tokyo Mission. Stagnant congregational growth has occurred in northern Honshu for decades. The Church most recently organized a new mission in Japan in 2013 when there were 58 new missions organized worldwide. There are currently six missions in Japan that service the national population of 123 million. The Church reached an all-time high of 10 missions in Japan from 1990 to 1996. The Church in Japan has reported extremely slow membership growth for decades of 0-1% per year, although there has been stagnant membership growth in Japan since 2019. The Church reported 130,251 Latter-day Saints as of year-end 2022 (which was nearly unchanged from the 130,340 Latter-day Saints reported as of year-end 2019).

PHILIPPINES DUMAGUETE

The Philippines Dumaguete Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cebu Mission (organized in 1987), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (organized in 2013), and the Philippines Bacolod Mission (organized in 1974). The announcement of a mission in Dumaguete came as a surprise to me since the Church is relatively small in the Dumaguete area. The Dumaguete Philippines Stake was organized in 2014, and there is only one district that is in relatively close proximity to Dumaguete (Tanjay). It is likely that the Philippines Dumaguete Mission will include one stake and two districts in southern Negros Island. It is unclear what the Church may do to reconfigure the boundaries of other missions in the area, such as which mission will be assigned Bohol Island (one stake, one district) and northeastern Negros Island (one stake, one district). It is my opinion that Bohol Island will likely be assigned to the Philippines Dumaugete, which would result in the new mission having two stakes and three districts. The sole stake on Bohol Island was organized in Tagbilaran in 2015. The Church has experienced slow growth in southern Negros Island and Bohol Island, although there has been progress within the past decade such as organizing the first two stakes and creating the first branches in five cities (one of which was the first branch created on Siquijor Island in 2016). Also, the southern portion of Cebu Island may be assigned to the new mission given its long distance from Cebu City and no currently established branches in this area (municipalities in the extreme southern tip of Cebu Island have a combined population of 287,000 people and no congregations). If the mission includes the provinces of Negros Oriental, Bohol, Siquijor, and the southern tip of Cebu Island, there would be 3.2 million people within the mission boundaries.

PHILIPPINES GENERAL SANTOS

The Philippines General Santos Mission will likely be primarily organized from the Philippines Davao Mission (organized in 1977), although the letter from the Philippines Area Presidency from November 3rd noted that the new mission will result in a realignment of all three current missions on Mindanao (the others being the Philippines Butuan Mission which was organized in 2006 and the Philippines Cayagan del Oro Mission which was organized in 1988). It is probable that the new mission will include at a minimum southern Mindanao Island where there are two stakes (General Santos [organized in 1995] and Digos [organized in 1992] and three districts (Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Marbel) and the Zamboanga Philippines Stake (organized in 1985). It is possible the new mission may also include the Pagadian Philippines District. The new mission will likely include most of the traditionally Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, such as in the Cotabato area and the Sulu Archipelago (the latter of which has no official Church presence). The Sulu Archipelago has a combined population of 2.0 million people, Zamboanga Sur Province has 2.0 million people, and provinces in southern Mindanao near General Santos have 2.5 million people. Thus, the new mission will probably have 6.5 million people within its boundaries. Slow growth has occurred within this area of Mindanao, with no new stakes or districts organized for nearly 30 years. The new mission will likely allow for greater mission outreach in the area which has probably been lesser reached due to greater growth that has occurred in other areas of Mindanao, such as in Davao and in the Philippines Butuan Mission. Moreover, the General Santos Philippines Stake is also close to dividing to create a second stake in the city.

PHILIPPINES TUGUEGARAO

The Philippines Tuguegarao Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cauayan Mission (organized in 1990) and the Philippines Laoag Mission (organized in 2004). A fun fact with this new mission is that a previous Philippines Cauayan Mission President once played an April Fool's Day joke on his assistants and office missionaries that a mission would be organized in Tuguegarao (that was about 5-7 years ago if I remember correctly). The new mission will likely include the two stakes in Tuguegarao (organized in 1989 and 2011), the Ballesteros Philippines Stake (organized in 2019), and two districts (Aparri and Gonzaga). It is also possible the new mission may include the Ilagan Philippines Stake (organized in 2000) and the Roxas Philippines Isabela District, although this stake and this district are within close proximity of Cauayan. It may make sense to relocate the Philippines Cauayan Mission to Santiago to be in a more central location (and also be in the same city where the temple will be built which was announced in October 2022). The announcement of the new mission in Tuguegarao further supports the trend of having temples and missions headquartered within the same cities (the Tuguegarao Philippines Mission was announced in April 2023). The Church has experienced steady growth in the area covered by the current Philippines Cauayan Mission and the Philippines Laoag Mission (of the 11 stakes in the two missions at present, six have been organized since 2011).

There will be 26 missions in the Philippines once the three new missions are organized. There has only been one other year when there has as many new missions organized in the Philippines (1990). The Church has never discontinued a mission in the Philippines. The first mission in the Philippines was organized in 1967. The number of missions in the Philippines increased to two in 1974, three in 1977, four in 1979, five in 1986, six in 1987, eight in 1988, nine in 1989, 12 in 1990, 13 in 1992, 14 in 2004, 15 in 2006, 16 in 2010, 17 in 2011, 21 in 2013, 22 in 2018, and 23 in 2019. The most recently created missions in the Philippines have been the Philippines Cavite Mission (2013), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (2013), the Philippines Legaspi Mission (2013), the Cabanatuan Philippines Mission (2018), and the Philippines Antipolo Mission (2019). The Church reported 853,254 Latter-day Saints in the Philippines as of year-end 2022. Currently, there are 126 stakes and 55 districts in the Philippines (soon to be 128 stakes and 53 districts on December 3rd when districts in Aguilar and Toledo will become stakes). Thus, the average Philippine mission will have five stakes and two districts when the three new missions are organized in 2024. There are 117 million in the Philippines. Thus, the average mission in 2024 will have 4.5 million people within its geographical boundaries.

PORTUGAL PORTO

The Portugal Porto Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Portugal Porto Mission (which has gone through multiple iterations of closing and reopening). The mission was first organized in 1987, closed in 2011, reinstated in 2015, and closed again in 2018. A third mission once operated in Portugal from 1990 until 2002 (Lisbon Portugal North). The Church currently has seven stakes and one district in Portugal. The reason why the Church has decided to open and close the Portugal Porto Mission is likely due to the relatively large number of congregations in Portugal that have made it challenging to administer with a single mission. It seems that this mission has reopened when there are sufficient numbers of full-time missionaries to staff a second mission in Portugal. The Church reported 46,849 Latter-day Saints in Portugal as of year-end 2022, making Portugal the European country with the third most Latter-day Saints after the United Kingdom (186,933) and Spain (63,524). Variable membership growth have occurred for the Church in Portugal in the past decade, although these annual membership growth rates have often ranged from 0-3%. There are approximately 10.2 million people in Portugal.

THAILAND BANGKOK EAST

One of the new missions that I have most anticipated for decades, the new Thailand Bangkok East Mission will be the Church's second mission in Thailand to be organized from a division of the Thailand Bangkok Mission (organized in 1973). The current Thailand Bangkok Mission includes the entire country of Thailand as well as neighboring Myanmar and Laos for a combined population of 134 million people. The new mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand as well as Laos (where there is one branch in Vientiane), whereas the realigned Thailand Bangkok Mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand and three mission branches in Myanmar. Currently, there are four stakes and two districts in Thailand. There were 23,450 Latter-day Saints in Thailand as of year-end 2022. The Church does not publish membership figures for Laos or Myanmar. The first stake in Thailand was organized in Bangkok in 1995, followed by two additional stakes in Bangkok that were created in 2014 and 2016. A stake was created in Ubon in 2015. The creation of the new mission in Thailand will likely help with the expansion of the Church into dozens of unreached provinces. The Church in Thailand has achieved variable membership growth rates in the past decade, although membership growth rates have typically been slow.

36 New Missions to be Created in 2024

Today, the Church announced plans to organize 36 new missions in 2024 due to a significant increase in the number of Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions. New missions that are scheduled to open in on July 1st, 2024, include:

• Argentina Tucumán
• Bolivia Cochabamba South
• Brazil Manaus South
• California Modesto
• Cambodia Phnom Penh East
• Chile La Serena
• Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa South
• Democratic Republic of the Congo Kolwezi
• Dominican Republic Santo Domingo North
• Ecuador Quito West
• Florida Tallahassee
• Germany Hamburg
• Ghana Accra North
• Ghana Takoradi
• Japan Sendai
• Kenya Nairobi East
• Madagascar Antananarivo North
• México Mexicali
• México Puebla East
• Montana Missoula
• Nevada Henderson
• Nigeria Calabar
• Nigeria Port Harcourt North
• Perú Lima Northeast
• Philippines Dumaguete
• Philippines General Santos
• Philippines Tuguegarao
• Portugal Porto
• Sierra Leone Bo
• South Carolina Charleston
• Texas Dallas South
• Texas El Paso
• Thailand Bangkok East
• Utah Salt Lake City East
• Utah Saratoga Springs
• Utah Spanish Fork

This is a major announcement that indicates confidence that the Church has placed on these increased numbers of members serving full-time missions being sustained for years to come. I will provide analysis on these new missions in the coming days. With these changes, there will be 450 missions in the Church - the most ever in the history of the Church. Also, the Church reported that there are now more than 72,000 full-time missionaries serving (of whom nearly 5,300 are senior missionaries).

New Temples Announced in October 2023 - Part I: Asia

Due to the large number of temples announced today, I will be separating my analysis of new temple announcements into separate blog posts by world region.

Laoag Philippines Temple

The Laoag Philippines Temple will be the Church's 13th temple in the Philippines following temples in Manila (dedicated in 1984), Cebu (dedicated in 2010), Urdaneta (announced in 2010), Alabang (announced in 2017), Cagayan de Oro (announced in 2018), Davao (announced in 2018), Bacolod City (announced in 2019), Tacloban City (announced in 2021), Naga (announced in October 2022),  Santiago (announced in October 2022), Tuguegarao City (announced in April 2023), and Iloilo (announced in April 2023). The Philippines is the country with the fewest completed temples (2) with the most temples announced or under construction (11). The new temple will likely have one of the smallest temple districts in the Philippines, as there are only four stakes and two districts that appear likely to be assigned to the new temple (only the Tuguegarao Philippines Temple has a smaller prospective temple district with three stakes and two districts). Travel in the Philippines is often costly and time-consuming which has likely played a role with the announcement of temples in locations with few stakes like Laoag. The Church has operated a stake in Laoag since 1989 and created the Philippines Laoag Mission in 2004. The newest stake to be created in the Laoag area was in Vigan in 2021. There are approximately 850,000 Latter-day Saints in the Philippines organized into 126 stakes and 55 districts. 

Osaka Japan Temple

The Osaka Japan Temple will be the Church's fifth temple in Japan following the Tokyo Japan Temple (dedicated in 1980), the Fukuoka Japan Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Sapporo Japan Temple (dedicated in 2016), and the Okinawa Japan Temple (scheduled for dedication in November 2023). The new temple will probably service six stakes and two districts in southern Honshu and Shikoku. The Osaka Japan Stake was organized in 1972 and the area is serviced by the Japan Kobe Mission. The Church has experienced two significant iterations of consolidating stakes and congregations in the Osaka area during the past 25 years. Today, there is only one stake in Osaka, whereas there used to be four stakes in Osaka in the 1990s. I have considered Osaka as a more likely location for a temple announcement due to distance to Tokyo and several stakes in the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe metropolitan area. The Church in Japan has experienced essentially stagnant membership growth in recent years, and there are currently approximately 130,000 Latter-day Saints in Japan. 

Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia has been on my short list of likely locations to have a temple announced for many years. The new temple will be the Church's first temple in Mongolia. Prior to today's announcement, Mongolia ranked as the country with the second most Latter-day Saints without a temple. There were approximately 12,500 Latter-day Saints in Mongolia as of year-end 2022. The Church in Mongolia is extremely far away from the nearest temples in Seoul, South Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; and Hong Kong, China. The new temple will be one of the most remote temples in the world once completed. The Church first established a branch in Mongolia in 1993 and experienced rapid growth during the 1990s and 2000s. There are now two stakes in Ulaanbaatar which were organized in 2009 and 2016. One district also operates in Darkhan. Slow membership growth and stagnant congregational growth have occurred during the past decade. Mongolia has one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints in the general population among Asian nations, as 0.37% of the Mongolian population was a Latter-day Saint as of year-end 2022 (one Latter-day Saint per 272 people). The new temple will service the two stakes and one district in Mongolia, and it may also service branches and one district in Siberia and the Russian Far East.

20 New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct 20 more temples in the following locations:

• Savai’i, Samoa
• Kahului, Hawaii
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Vancouver, Washington
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Roanoke, Virginia
• Cancún, Mexico
• Piura, Peru
• Huancayo, Peru
• Viña del Mar, Chile
• Goiânia, Brazil
• João Pessoa, Brazil
• Cape Coast, Ghana
• Calabar, Nigeria
• Luanda, Angola
• Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Laoag, Philippines
• Osaka, Japan
• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

With today's announcement, there are now 335 temples that are announced, under construction, or dedicated.

In the coming 1-2 weeks, I will be publishing posts that provide more information about these temple announcements.

New Stakes Created in Nigeria (5), Utah (5), Cote d'Ivoire (2), and Mexico (2); New District Created in Sierra Leone; Stakes Discontined in Japan (3), California (2), Australia, and the United Kingdom; Districts Discontinued in Japan (2) and Cote d'Ivoire

Nigeria

The Church organized five new stakes in Nigeria during the months of May and June. 

The Church organized the Aba Nigeria Osisioma Stake on May 15th from a division of the Aba Nigeria North Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Abayi 2nd, Osisioma 1st, Osisioma 2nd, Osisioma 3rd, Osisioma 5th, and Owerrinta Wards and the Osisioma 4th Branch. The new stake is the Church's fifth stake in Aba. Of the five stakes now in Aba, three have been organized since 2015. Aba is the location of the Church's only operating temple in Nigeria.

The Church organized the Ohafia Nigeria Stake from the Asaga Ohafia Nigeria District (originally organized in 2014) and one branch from the Abakaliki Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Abiriba, Akanu, Amuma, Asaga Ohafia 2nd, Ebem, and Isiama Wards, and the Asaga Ohafia 1st and Edda Branches.

The Akamkpa Nigeria Stake was organized on June 12th from the Akamkpa Nigeria District (organized in 1998). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akamkpa Urban, Awi, Ayeabam, Ikami, Iwuru Central, and Uyanga Wards, and the Akamkpa and Mbarakom Branches. The former district was one of the oldest districts in Nigeria that had not become a stake yet. Only the Jos Nigeria District is older which was organized in 1993.

The Church organized two new stakes in Lagos. The Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake was organized on June 19th from the Lagos Nigeria Ojodu Stake (organized in 2018), whereas the Lagos Nigeria Ikotun Stake was organized from the Lagos Nigeria Egbeda Stake on June 26th. The Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake includes the following six wards: the Gberigbe, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Imota, Itamaga, and Ketu Wards. All but one of the congregations in the Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake operate in the city of Ikorodu where the first branch was organized in 2009. The Lagos Nigeria Ikotun Stake includes the following seven wards: the Akesan, Egan, Ejigbo, Igando, Ikotun, Isolo, and Jakande Wards. There are now eight wards in the Lagos metropolitan area. At least one more stake in Lagos appears likely to divide within the near future, the Lagos Nigeria Yaba Stake, which has 11 wards.

There are now 68 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria. Provided with current stake totals in parentheses, Nigeria is the country with the eighth most stakes following the United States (1,677), Brazil (281), Mexico (224), Philippines (123), Peru (112), Argentina (78), and Chile (74). However, it is important to note that Church membership in Nigeria as of year-end 2021 (211,000) is nearly one-third of Church membership for Chile (603,000) which has only six more stakes than Nigeria. This is primarily due to significantly higher member activity rates in Nigeria compared to Chile and all other countries with 400,000 or more Latter-day Saints on Church records.

Utah

The Church organized five new stakes in Utah between April and June. 

The Eagle Mountain Utah Eagle Valley Stake was organized on April 24th from the Eagle Mountain Utah Central Stake and the Eagle Mountain Utah West Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Cedar Trails, Eagle Crest, Eagle Mountain 6th, Frontier, Heritage, Lake Mountain, Landing, and Summit Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The Lehi Utah Meadow View Stake was organized on April 24th from the Lehi Utah East Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Lehi 4th, Lehi 14th, Lehi 17th, Lehi 34th, Lehi 36th, and Lehi 46th Wards and the Lehi 50th Branch (Care Center). There are now 19 stakes in Lehi.

The St. George Utah Hidden Valley Stake was organized on May 1st from a division of the St George Utah Bloomington Hills Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Bloomington Hills 5th, Desert Hills, Hidden Valley, Highland Hills, Parkway, Price Hills, and White Sage Wards. There are now 20 stakes in St. George. 

The Herriman Utah Mountain Ridge Stake was organized on May 22nd from a division of the Herriman Utah Mountain View Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Juniper Canyon, Meadow Rose, Park House, Saddle Brook, Shadow Run, and South Hills Wards. There are now 11 stakes in Herriman.

The Vineyard Utah Springwater Stake was organized from a division of the Vineyard Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following nine wards and one branch: the Springwater 1st, Springwater 2nd, Springwater 3rd (Spanish), Springwater 4th, Springwater 5th, Springwater 6th, Springwater 7th, Springwater 8th, and Springwater 9th Wards and the Geneva (Care Center) Branch. There are now three stakes in Vineyard.

There are now 626 stakes and two districts in Utah

Cote d'Ivoire

Two new stakes were recently organized in Cote d'Ivoire. Also, one district was discontinued. The Quatre Etages Cote d'Ivoire was organized on May 29th from the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire East Stake and the Dokui Cote d'Ivoire Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Abobo, Agbekoi
Belleville 1st, Belleville 2nd, Plaque 1st, Plaque 2nd, and Quatre Etages Wards. There are now 15 stakes in Abidjan - more than any other metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass.

The Church organized the Gagnoa Cote d'Ivoire Stake on June 19th, 2022 from the Gagnoa Cote d'Ivoire District (originally organized in 2014) and the Divo Cote d'Ivoire District (originally organized in 2015). Mission leaders had worked for approximately two years to prepare the districts to become a single stake. The Divo Cote d'Ivoire district was discontinued when the new stake was organized. Also, the new stake is entirely within the boundaries of the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. The new stake includes the following four wards and eight branches: the Divo, Dougako, Konankro, and Plateau Wards, and the Babre, Baruhio, Garahio, Guiberoua, Lakota, Ouragahio, Soleil, and Zapata Branches. All four wards in the new stake are located in Divo. It appears that updates have not been made to the Church's meetinghouse locator website in regard to which branches in Gagnoa advanced to ward status. One branch was discontinued as part of the creation of the new stake (Plateau 2nd). Gagnoa is the third city outside of the Abidjan metropolitan area to have had a stake organized following Yamoussoukro (2015) and Daloa (2017). 

There are now 18 stakes and 15 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Mexico

Two new stakes were organized in Mexico on June 5th.

The Nealtican México South was organized from a division of the Nealtican Mexico North Stake and the Nealtican Mexico South Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Carranza, Citlalli, Independencia, Prolongación, Yetlaneci, and Zaragoza Wards. There are now three stakes in the small city of San Buenaventura Nealtican which has a population of 13,243. The last time a new stake was created in the city was in 2012. No other city in Mexico with at least 10,000 people has as high of a concentration of Latter-day Saints as San Buenaventura Nealtican.

The Oaxaca México Brenamiel was organized from a division of the Oaxaca Mexico Monte Alban Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Casa Blanca, Cosijoeza, Guelaguetza, Lindavista, Marquesado, and Montoya Wards. The new stake is the Church's first new stake organized in Oaxaca since 2000. There are now five stakes in the city of Oaxaca. 

There are now 224 stakes and 47 districts in Mexico. The Church in Mexico reached an all-time high of 230 stakes in 2015, and the number of stakes declined to 220 in 2018 after massive congregation consolidations across most major cities in Mexico.

Sierra Leone

A new district was organized in rural Sierra Leone in a region known as Sierra Rutile. The Moriba Town Sierra Leone District was organized on June 26th from five mission branches, namely the Matagalemah, Matru Jong, Mogbwemo, Moriba Town, and Mosenesie Junction Branches. Two groups also operate within the new district: Gbangbatok and Mukongi. The first three branches in the area were organized in 2017. The creation of the new district also coincided with the completion of the first Church-built meetinghouse in the area. At least one other meetinghouse is also under construction in the area. 

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

Japan

Three stakes and two districts were discontinued in Japan in two separate events on Hokkaido and in the Osaka metropolitan area. 

On Hokkaido, the number of stakes decreased from three to two and the sole district on the island was discontinued. The discontinued Asahikawa Japan Stake was organized in 1998, whereas the discontinued Kushiro Japan District was organized in 1974. There were also at least three wards and three branches that were discontinued as part of the discontinuation of the stake and district. Unlike essentially every other area of Japan, the Church in Hokkaido had not undergone a significant reorganization of congregations and closure of stakes/districts. For example, 20 years ago there were nearly the same number of wards/branches on Hokkaido as there were prior to April 2022.

In Osaka, two stakes were discontinued, namely the Osaka Japan North Stake (organized in 1977) and the Osaka Japan Sakai Stake (organized in 1982). Also, the Church discontinued the Fukuchiyama Japan District (organized in 1980). The Church has experienced some of the most significant decline in the number of congregations and stakes/districts in the Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto area. There are now only three stakes in the metropolitan area and surrounding regions, whereas there were six stakes and two districts in 2000. At one point, the Church also briefly operated a second stake in Kyoto from 1992-1993. Moreover, the Church in Japan closed its only ward or branch in 13 cities during the past two months—10 of which were in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area. Most of these cities had a ward or branch continuously operating for 40-50 years, and now members must travel to another city to attend church unless member groups may function under the supervision of a nearby ward or branch. However, it is important to note that most of the wards and branches closed as part of this consolidation have had few active members for many years. For example, many of the wards closed in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area have had 50 or fewer active members for at least 5-7 years. 

There are now 22 stakes and 11 districts in Japan. In contrast, the Church in Japan reached an all-time high of 31 stakes and 19 districts in 2000.

California

Two stakes were discontinued in the East Bay area of California. During the month of June, two stakes in the East Bay area closed. The Concord California Stake was originally organized in 1963, whereas the Hayward California Stake was organized in 1956. The decision to discontinue these stakes came as no surprise given they had the minimum number of congregations to function as stakes and that there has been a steady decline in the number of members in the area for decades which has resulted in steady consolidations of wards. There are now 145 stakes in California—down from an all-time high of 162 stakes in 1995.

Australia

The Church in Australia discontinued the Gosford Australia Stake in June, marking only the second time a stake has been discontinued in Australia. The only other time the Church has discontinued a stake in Australia was in 2011 when the Sydney Australia Parramatta Stake was discontinued. Interestingly, the Sydney Australia Parramatta and the Gosford Australia Stake both operated in the same approximate geographical area in northern Sydney. The Gosford Australia Stake was organized only back in 2015. The Gosford Australia Stake had five wards prior to its discontinuation, although it used to have six wards prior to the closure of the Toukley Ward. During the past decade, new stakes have been organized in Australia in 2019, 2018, 2016 (2), 2015 (1), 2013 (3), and 2012 (2). Only one district in Australia has been discontinued in the past decade (Mildura in 2015). Also, the Australian government recently released the 2021 census data which indicated the number of self-identified Latter-day Saints decreased between 2016 and 2021 from 60,864 to 57,868. In contrast, official membership totals for Australia increased from 148,862 to 155,383. Thus, these data suggest that the number of active Latter-day Saints may have decreased during this period, albeit it is also possible that fewer less-active or inactive members on Church records self-affiliated as Latter-day Saints in 2021 versus 2016.  

United Kingdom

The Church in the United Kingdom discontinued a stake for the first time in Church history. The Lichfield England Stake was originally organized in 1977 and was discontinued in June. The stake had eight wards prior to its discontinuation, and there were two wards in the former stake that were also discontinued. Retained wards in the stake were reassigned to the neighboring Birmingham England Stake and the Coventry England Stake. It is important to note that each of these two stakes had only five wards and one branch prior to the closure of the Lichfield England Stake. Thus, the discontinuation of the stake appeared prompted to strengthen these two stakes as there were enough wards in the Lichfield England Stake to continue to operate even after two wards were closed. One ward in the Birmingham England Stake was closed as part of the stake realignment. Only one other ward had closed in the Birmingham England Stake within the past decade (Sheldon). In 2001, there were five wards and two branches in the Birmingham England Stake, seven wards and one branch in the Lichfield England Stake, and six wards and two branches in the Coventry England Stake. Thus, there has not been a significant decline or change in the number of congregations in the Birmingham/Coventry area during the past two decades until the closure of three wards and one stake in June 2022. It is possible that these changes may be due to preparations to free more leadership to staff the future Birmingham England Temple. However, it appears that the greatest contribution to the decision to close the stake has been essentially stagnant membership growth rates combined with probable decreases in member activity in the area during the past couple decades. Nevertheless, the number of active members in several wards within the area were representative for most of the British Isles as of the mid-2010s.

NOTE: Material presented in the current post regarding discontinued stakes and districts was taken from the June 2022 monthly newsletter for cumorah.com.

New Stakes Created in the Philippines (4), Utah (2), Brazil, Cabo Verde, the DR Congo, Finland, Michigan, and Nigeria; New District Created in Brazil; District Reinstated in Canada; Stakes Discontinued in Japan (3) and California (2); Districts Discontinued in Brazil and Moldova

I apologize for the delay with updates on stake/district organizations and discontinuations. I am optimistic that I will been more consistent with these updates in the weeks and months ahead.

The Philippines 

The Church has organized four new stakes in the Philippines.

The Marikina Philippines East Stake was organized on May 23rd from a division of the Antipolo Philippines Stake and the Marikina Philippines Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bagong Nayon, Cogeo, Marikina 6th, Sumulong 1st, and Sumulong 2nd Wards. 

The Cauayan Philippines Stake was organized on May 30th from the Cauayan Philippines District. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Cabatuan, Cauayan Isabela 1st, Cauayan Isabela 2nd, Cauayan Isabela 3rd, and San Mateo Wards, and the Naguilian and Victoria Branches. The original Cauayan Philippines District was organized in 1996.

The Vigan Philippines Stake was organized from the Vigan Philippines District on June 13th. All five branches in the former district were reorganized into wards, including the Cabugao, Santo Domingo, Sinait, Vigan 1st, and Vigan 2nd Wards. The Vigan Philippines District was originally organized in 2002 from a division of the Narvacan Philippines Stake (which was later renamed the Candon Philippines Stake). 

The Tagum Philippines Stake was organized from the Tagum Philippines District on June 27th. Five of the six branches in the former district were reorganized into wards. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Maco, Tagum 1st, Tagum 2nd, Tagum 3rd, and Tagum 4th Wards, and the Kapalong Branch. The original Tagum Philippines District was organized in 1993. The new stake is the Church's third stake in the Philippines Butuan Mission - a mission in the Philippines (organized in 2006) which had only one stake until 2018. There remain six districts in the Philippines Butuan Mission.

There are now 122 stakes and 57 districts in the Philippines. Despite significant progress with dozens of districts becoming stakes in the past decade, the Philippines continues to have the most districts of any country in the Church. Brazil is the country with the second most districts at 39.

Utah

The Church has organized two new stakes in Utah on June 6th.

The Heber City Utah Old Mill Stake was organized from a division of the Heber City Utah Stake, the Heber City Utah East Stake, and the Heber City Utah North Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Cobblestone, Heber 3rd, Heber 4th, Heber 7th, Heber 15th, Old Mill 1st, Old Mill 2nd, and Old Mill 3rd Wards, and the Heber 13th (Spanish) Branch. There are now six stakes in Wasatch County.

The Hyrum Utah West Stake was organized from a division of the Hyrum Utah Stake and the Hyrum Utah North Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Hyrum 1st, Hyrum 3rd, Hyrum 5th, Hyrum 6th, Hyrum 10th, Hyrum 11th, Hyrum 13th, and Little Bear Wards. There are now 38 stakes in Cache County.

There are now 619 stakes and two districts in Utah.

Brazil 

The Church organized a new stake in Brazil on June 6th. The Palhoça Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the São José Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and one branch: the Fazenda do Max, Forquilhinhas, Palhoça, and Pedra Branca Wards, and the Santo Amaro Branch. There are now 10 stakes in Santa Catarina State.

The Church organized a new district in Brazil on May 2nd. The Campo Maior Brazil District was organized from three mission branches in the Brazil Teresina Mission. The new district includes the Campo Maior, Piripiri, and Surubim Branches. Two of the branches in the district (Campo Maior and Surubim) are located in the city of Campo Maior. There are now three stakes and two districts in Piaui State.

The Church discontinued a district in Brazil. The Ipoméia Brazil District was discontinued and branches that pertained to the former district were reassigned to the Chapecó Brazil Stake and the Lages Brazil Stake. The district was originally organized in 1990 and included five branches when it was discontinued. The district was likely discontinued because it had no realistic prospects to become a stake in the foreseeable future, but there appear to be at least two branches which may become wards now that they are within the boundaries of a stake.

Cabo Verde

The Church organized a new stake in Cabo Verde on June 6th. The Assomada Cape Verde Stake was organized from the Assomada Cape Verde District (organized in 2015) and the Praia Cape Verde Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Achada Grande, Achada Mato, Assomada 1st, Assomada 2nd, Praia 2nd, and Tarrafal Wards, and the Calheta, Pedra Badejo, and Ribeirão Manuel Branches. The Church discontinued one branch (Chão Bom) in the district as part of the organization of the new stake in order for one of the units to be large enough to become a ward (Tarrafal). 

There are now four stakes and one district in Cabo Verde.

DR Congo

A new stake was organized in the DR Congo on July 4th. The Kikula Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Likasi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Kakanda, Kakontwe 1st, Kakontwe 2nd, Kelangile, Kikula 1st, and Kikula 2nd Wards, and the Dipeta, Fungurume, and Kambove Branches. The new stake primarily consists of congregations in the western half of the city of Kikula, albeit the new stake also includes congregations in three additional cities (Fungurume, Kakanda, and Kambove). 

There are now 24 stakes and 6 districts in the DR Congo.

Finland 

The Church organized its first new stake in Finland since 1983. The Jyväskylä Finland Stake was organized from three districts and two wards from neighboring stakes in southern Finland on May 16th. Of the five wards in the new stake, three were organized from branches in the former districts. Use of technology and steady or increasing numbers of active members in northern Finland appear primarily responsible for the creation of the new stake. The Church in Finland has one of the highest member activity rates in the developed world (as high as 50% attending Church regularly, 66% of Church-reported membership self-affiliated on the census in 2015) which is attested by the Church operating three stakes in the country even though there are slightly less than 5,000 members on the records. However, the Church closed two branches as part of the new stake’s creation—a significant negative development considering the last time the Church had discontinued a congregation in Finland was in 2006. Nevertheless, the Church in Finland has roughly maintained the same number of congregations in Finland (approximately 30) for decades, whereas the Church in most European nations has experienced a significant consolidation of wards and branches since 2000.

Michigan 

The Church organized a new stake in Michigan - the first time a new stake has been organized in Michigan since the Kalamazoo Michigan Stake was created in 1979. The new stake was organized on May 23rd from the Ann Arbor Michigan Stake, the Bloomfield Hills Michigan Stake, and the Westland Michigan Stake, and it includes the following six wards: the Commerce, Farmington Hills, Howell, Livonia, Northville, and White Lake Wards. The Church in Michigan has experienced stagnant congregational growth and extremely slow membership growth in recent years. The creation of the stake was unusual given that none of the stakes in the Detroit area were large and ready to divide prior to the creation of the new stake. However, on rare occasions the Church has organized new stakes in such situations which has appeared prompted by efforts to provide more leadership mentoring and a lower ratio of members to Church leaders. 

There are now nine stakes and one district in Michigan.

Nigeria 

The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria. The Ijebu-Ode Nigeria Stake was organized on May 30th from the Ijebu-Ode Nigeria District (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Ilese, Imodi, Imushin, Irewon, Isoku, and Sagamu Wards, and the Ago-Iwoye, Igbeba, and Ijebu-Ife Branches. Of the congregations assigned to the new stake, two units were created at the same time the stake was organized (the Imushin Ward and the Igbeba Branch). 

There are now 61 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Canada 

The Church reinstated a district in Canada. The Québec City District was reinstated (originally organized in 1977), and the district was organized from a division of the Longueuil Quebec Stake. Information of the Church's official meetinghouse locator website appears to remain incomplete on which branches are assigned to the reinstated district. However, there are likely at least seven branches assigned to the district (Alma, Charlesbourg, Chicoutimi, Lévis, Québec, Rimouski, and Victoriaville).

There are now three stakes and one district in Québec, and there are now 52 stakes and five districts in Canada.

Japan 

The Church discontinued three stakes in Japan. The Church discontinued the Fujisawa Japan Stake (organized in 1998), the Musashino Japan Stake (organized in 1982), and the Saitama Japan Stake (organized in 1977). Approximately half a dozen congregations closed at approximately the same time as the discontinuation of these three stakes. All three of the stakes were located in the Tokyo metropolitan area and each had six wards (and the Fujisawa Japan Stake also had one branch as well). The Church in Japan has gradually consolidated congregations in the Tokyo metropolitan area over the past two decades, and the decision to discontinue the stakes was likely prompted due to an insufficient number of congregations to continue to operate the status quo number of stakes in the area. The Church in Japan reached an all-time high of 31 stakes in 2000. With the closure of the three stakes, there are now 25 stakes and 13 districts in Japan. Annual membership growth rates in Japan have been less than one percent since 2003.

California

The Church discontinued two stakes in California. The San Diego California North Stake (organized in 1969) and the Santee California Stake (organized in 1985) were discontinued, and remaining congregations in these stakes were reassigned to neighboring stakes. These changes resulted in the number of stakes in the San Diego area decreasing from six to four. Decades of active membership leaving the area combined with an insufficient number of converts joining the Church or members moving to the area to offset these loses has been principally responsible for this decline. The Church most recently had discontinued the San Diego Sweetwater Stake in 2016. 

There are now 149 stakes in California. The Church in California reported an all-time high of 162 stakes in 1995.

Moldova

The Church discontinued its sole district in Moldova. The Chisinau Moldova District (originally organized in 2009) was discontinued, and the Balti and Orhei Branches were also closed. There remain only two branches in Moldova - both of which are located in Chisinau. The Church in Moldova has reported very slow growth since its initial establishment in the late 1990s. There were 430 members on Church records in Moldova as of year-end 2019.

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.