Updated Country Profile - Laos

Click here to access the updated country profile for Laos. The Church in Laos has numbered among the most successful among Asian nations with significant government restrictions on religious freedom. There are two branches in Vientiane and converts regularly join the Church. Convert retention and member activity rates have been consistently good. The Church has also made good progress translating Church materials and scriptures into Lao. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:


Government restricts international missionary outreach, requiring local members to be self-sufficient in ecclesiastical duties and member-missionary work. This has led to intimate involvement of Laotian members in missionary work, and has yielded good convert retention and member activity rates. The two Vientiane branches appear likely to become wards if the Udorn Thailand District becomes a stake. Government recognition may occur in the near future, which would permit the publication of the meetinghouse location in Vientiane. However, government recognition does not appear to currently provide any other benefits to the Church in Laos in regards to proselytism freedoms or expansion into additional cities. Returned missionaries present good leadership development prospects as long as these members do not emigrate. Growth in membership on the outskirts of Vientiane may result in the formation of groups or small branches to serve members in these locations if permitted by government officials. Members who relocate to other cities in the country may also permit the expansion of the Church.

District Discontinued in Thailand

Last Sunday, the Church discontinued a district in Thailand. Organized in 1989, the Khon Kaen Thailand District was consolidated with the Ubon Thailand and Udorn Thailand Districts. The former district had five branches prior to the district realignment. Missionaries report that the area is very close to having two new stakes within the foreseeable future and that the decision to close the Khon Kaen Thailand District was based on helping the two other districts in northeastern Thailand meet the minimum criteria for stakes to operate. Currently the Ubon Thailand District has nine branches and one member group, whereas the Udorn Thailand District now has seven branches (including the Vientiane Branch in Laos).

There are now two stakes and four districts in Thailand.

First Young, Male Missionaries Assigned to Laos

Missionaries serving in the Thailand Bangkok Mission report that the first four young, male missionaries were assigned to Vientiane, Laos on educational and humanitarian assignment.  The Church organized its first branch in Laos in 2003 and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicated Laos for missionary work in 2006.  Senior missionary couples have regularly served in Laos performing humanitarian and development work and have supported the Vientiane Branch.  Missionaries report that the Vientiane Branch currently has approximately 100 active members and has had several members serve missions.  Newly assigned missionaries will also provide some ecclesiastical support to the isolated branch.

Church Growth Updates

New mission in Nicaragua

Missionaries serving in the Nicaragua Managua Mission report that the mission will be split this summer to create a second mission. The mission has seen tremendous success over the years and continues to show impressive results. Missionaries report that 60% of converts have been retained over the past year, much higher from previous years. Hundreds of baptisms occur monthly and the amount of growth has overwhelmed currently mission leadership for a nation with over 64,000 members, 100 congregations, and high inactivity. Nine stakes and six districts currently function.

Mission to be discontinued in Ohio

Missionaries report that the Ohio Cincinnati Mission will be discontinued and combined with neighboring missions this July. I will provide further analysis and background once more information becomes available including official announcement from the Church.

Additional countries added to the Uganda Kampala Mission

Recently arrived missionaries reported that two additional countries have been added to the jurisdiction of the Uganda Kampala Mission. The mission originally included Uganda and Ethiopia when it was created in 2005 and added Rwanda and Southern Sudan in the past couple years. Djibouti and Eritrea have also join the mission, bringing the total of countries served by the mission to six.

Mission realignment in South Africa

The South Africa Durban and South Africa Johannesburg Missions will be realigned in the next week. The Johannesburg mission will lose the southern portion of Free State Province and Lesotho which will fall under the mission in Durban. This decision was likely done due to the rapid increase in baptisms and missionaries serving in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, which baptized over 1,700 converts in 2009. The realignment will allow for greater balance of responsibility for the two missions. Lesotho has also seen increasing success in the past year and a third branch may be created in the near future.

Full translation of the Book of Mormon in Laotian nearing completion

A senior missionary couple serving in Laos report that the first full translation of the Book of Mormon in Laotian is nearly complete. Most Laotian speaking members live in the United States in four congregations. A branch does meet in the capital of Vientiane with around 70 active members.

New branches in Botswana

Branches have been created in two cities in Botswana. Mochudi received its first missionaries at the end of last year and had its first branch organized. Kanye has also received its first missionaries and branch. Increased mission activity in Botswana likely contributed to the mission realignment with the South Africa Johannesburg and South Africa Durban Missions.

New stake to be created in Cote d'Ivoire

Missionaries report that in the coming weeks a fourth stake will be organized in the Abidjan area from a division of the Yopougon Cote d'Ivoire Stake which currently has 11 wards. I will provide more information once it becomes available.

Stakes close to splitting in Mexico

The mission president of the Mexico Leon Mission reported that the Leon Mexico Stake may divide to create a second stake in the city this spring. The Celaya Mexico Stake is also very close to dividing as well but is still struggling to meet certain requirements in order for a second stake to be created in the city.