The Top Nine Countries with the Most Stakes with Only One Temple

Overview 

The following list highlights the nine countries with the most Latter-day Saint stakes that currently have only one temple—either dedicated or announced. Stakes are among the most reliable predictors of temple announcements, as they reflect sufficient membership, activity, and leadership to sustain both stake and temple operations. In recent years, due to the Church’s rapid pace of temple construction, all countries with at least 24 stakes now have multiple temples announced or dedicated. This is not a traditional “Top 10” list, as four additional countries or territories (American Samoa, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Switzerland) each have five stakes and one temple. Including them would extend the list to 13 entries, so this post focuses on the nine countries with the highest stake counts under that threshold. Countries with the Most Stakes and Only One Temple (Dedicated or Announced)

Country	Stakes	Districts	Notes
Côte d’Ivoire	23	8	Most likely to receive a second temple; Yamoussoukro or western Abidjan are likely candidates
Nicaragua	12	4	Low growth in recent years may delay second temple; nearly all stakes are in Managua
Paraguay	11	9	Stakes are concentrated in Asunción
Sierra Leone	11	3	Bo, with 4 stakes, is a strong candidate for a future temple
Zimbabwe	11	2	Bulawayo (3 stakes) is the top prospect for a second temple
Costa Rica	10	1	Nearly all stakes are in San José
France	10	0	Southern France (e.g., Toulouse) could be considered for a future temple
Panama	7	4	Slow growth; second temple unlikely soon as nearly all stakes are in Panama City
Liberia	7	2	Likely remains a one-temple country for the near future, as all stakes are in Monrovia

Outlook 

Among these, Côte d'Ivoire is by far the most promising candidate for a second temple due to its high number of stakes and geographic spread. Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe follow, based on stake density outside the capital. France also presents a realistic medium-term possibility, while other nations may require more growth and geographic diversification to warrant an additional temple.

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.

New Stakes Created in Idaho, Liberia, Michigan, and Ohio; Stakes Discontinued in Washington and Venezuela

Idaho

The Church organized a new stake in the Coeur d'Alene area on February 20th. The Post Falls Idaho Stake was organized from a division of the Coeur d'Alene Idaho Stake and the Hayden Lake Idaho Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Lakeland 1st, Lakeland 2nd, Pleasant View, Prairie Falls, Timberlake, and the White Pines Wards, and the Plummer Branch. There are now three stakes in the Coeur d'Alene metropolitan area.

There are now 137 stakes in Idaho.

Liberia

The Church organized a new stake in the Monrovia metropolitan area on March 13th. The Virginia Liberia Stake was organized from a division of the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Stake (organized in 2016 at the same time when the district was divided to create the Caldwell Liberia District). The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Banjor 1st, Banjor 2nd, Brewersville, Duala, Lagoon, St Paul Bridge, and Virginia Wards, and the Virginia Waterside Branch. The Church also redrew the boundaries of the neighboring Caldwell Liberia Stake and Gardnersville Liberia Stake so the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Stake now includes most of the wards in central and southern Bushrod Island. 

There are now six stakes in Liberia - all of which are located in Monrovia. There is also one district in the country located in Kakata. The creation of a second district in Liberia headquartered in Harbel appears imminent as there are now four branches in the Harbel area.

Michigan

The Church organized a new stake in Michigan on January 16th. The Holland Michigan Stake was organized from a division of the Grand Rapids Michigan Stake and the Kalamazoo Michigan Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Hastings, Holland, Spring Lake, St Joseph, Wyoming 1st, and Wyoming 2nd Wards, and the Allegan and South Haven Branches. The new stake is the Church's second new stake organized in Michigan during the past year. However, prior to 2021, the Church had not organized a new stake in Michigan since the Kalamazoo Michigan Stake was created in 1979. 

There are now 10 stake and one district in Michigan.

Ohio

The Church organized a new stake in eastern Ohio on March 6th. The Zanesville Ohio Stake was organized from a division of Akron Ohio Stake, the Columbus Ohio East Stake, and the Columbus Ohio South Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Athens, Lancaster, New Philadelphia, Newark, and Zanesville Wards, and the Cambridge and Coshocton Branches. The new stake is the Church's second new stake to be organized in Ohio within the past six months as the Dayton Ohio North Stake was created in November 2021. However, prior to 2021, the Church had not organized a new stake in Ohio since 2004.

There are now 16 stakes in Ohio.

Washington

The Church discontinued a stake in Washington State for the second time in the Church's history in the state. The Tacoma Washington South Stake (organized in 2016) was discontinued and the five wards that pertained to the former stake were reassigned to the Tacoma Washington North Stake and the South Hill Washington Stake. The Church discontinued a stake in Washington for the first time in 2020 (Kirkland Washington). 

There are now 60 stakes in Washington.

Venezuela 

For the first time since 2018, the Church discontinued a stake and reorganized the congregations into a member district. The Porlamar Venezuela Stake was reorganized as the Porlamar Venezuela District. The five wards in the stake were downgraded and reorganized into five branches. The Church in Venezuela has experienced significant struggles with growth and stability in its stakes and congregations due to political turmoil for many years. 

There are now 33 stakes and six districts in Venezuela.

Membership Figure Released for Nigeria; Rapid Growth in Liberia

The Church published an article today regarding Apostle Elder D. Todd Christofferson's visit to West Africa. The article indicated that there are approximately 210,000 Latter-day Saints in Nigeria. The Church's most recently released membership statistic for Nigeria was 192,144 members as of year-end 2019. This indicates that Church membership in Nigeria has increased by approximately 9.3% during the past two years, or approximately half the rate of membership growth that the Church has experienced for most years in Nigeria since the early 2010s. Annual membership growth rates have typically ranged from 8-10% since the early 2010s. Congregational growth rates in Nigeria markedly decreased after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from approximately 50-100 new congregations being created every year to approximately 16 in 2020 and 20 in 2021. The Church in Nigeria has typically experienced rapid membership growth since its establishment in 1978, albeit there was a significantly slowdown in annual membership growth rates between 2007 and 2012 during which time annual membership growth rates ranged from 5-6%. Historical statistical data for the Church in Nigeria can be found here.

The Liberia Monrovia Mission reported that there were more than 2,200 convert baptisms during 2021 - the highest number of converts baptized in the mission since its establishment in 2013. To put this number into perspective, the Church in Liberia previously reported its highest net increase in membership for a single year back in 2016 when the Church reported a net increase of 1,460 members. The mission now has 150 missionaries assigned and all wards and branches have at least one missionary companionship assigned. The mission reported that several mission branches have divided in recent weeks, albeit it is unclear which cities had new branches organized. Moreover, the mission also reports plans to open additional cities to missionary work, such as Tubmanburg. Historical statistical data for the Church in Liberia can be found here.

13 New Temples Announced - Analysis - Part I

One week ago, the Church announced plans to construct 13 new temples. This post provides an analysis of the first six of the 13 announced temples. I will provide Part II of this analysis within the next week.

Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple

The Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple will be the Church's second temple in Taiwan. The Church has maintained a presence in Taiwan for more than 60 years. The Church's first temple in Taiwan was dedicated in Taipei in 1984. The Church in Taiwan achieved significantly higher membership and congregational growth rates than other industrialized East Asian nations until the early 2010s. The announcement of the temple in Kaohsiung is a significant development given returned missionary reports have noted significant long-term challenges with leadership development and church growth in southern Taiwan for decades. For example, the Church discontinued the Pingtung Taiwan Stake (located immediately east of Kaohsiung) in 2019 - the first time the Church had ever discontinued a stake in Taiwan. The new temple in Kaohsiung will likely include at least four stakes in the new temple district (and perhaps as many as eight stakes if the four stakes in the Taichung area are included in the district). All of these stakes currently pertain to the Taipei Taiwan Temple district. Returned missionaries report that the greatest centers of strength of the Church in Taiwan are Taipei and Taichung. The Church organized its first stake in Kaohsiung in 1981, but it discontinued the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission in 2009. There are now two missions in Taiwan. I added Kaohsiung to my list of less likely temple locations for future temples in September 2019.

Tacloban City Philippines Temple

The Tacloban City Philippines Temple will be the Church's eighth temple in the Philippines. The Church has maintained a presence in the Philippines for 60 years and reports more than 800,000 members on the records for the country. The Church in the Philippines has achieved an impressive turnaround with growth during the past decade after a decade of low membership growth rates and few new stakes and congregations organized. This has been evident by the number of temples in the Philippines (dedicated and announced) increasing from three in 2011 to eight today. The new temple will be the Church's third temple in the Visayas region of the Philippines after Cebu (announced in 2006 and dedicated in 2010) and Bacolod City (announced in 2019). Other temples recently announced by the Church include Urdaneta (2010), Alabang (2017), Cagayan de Oro (2018), and Davao (2018). The new temple will likely include five stake and six districts on the islands of Leyte, Samar, and Biliran - all of which are currently assigned to the Cebu City Philippines Temple. The Church organized the Philippines Tacloban Mission in 1990, and the Tacloban Philippines Stake was organized in 2007. I added Tacloban City to my list of more likely temple locations for future temples in September 2018.

Monrovia Liberia Temple

The Monrovia Liberia Temple will be the Church's first temple in the West African nation of Liberia. The Church has maintained a presence in Liberia since the late 1980s. The Church in Liberia has experienced two periods of rapid growth: 1987-2002 and 2011-present. Currently, the Church in Liberia has five stakes (all organized since 2016, albeit the original Monrovia Liberia Stake operated from 2000 to 2007). The Church continues to experience rapid membership growth notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently there are approximately 15,000 Latter-day Saints in Liberia. Rapid national outreach expansion has also occurred in the past five years with the number of cities/towns with an official congregation increasing from three in 2008 to nine at present. The new temple will likely include all five stakes and the one district in Liberia - all of which are currently assigned to the Accra Ghana Temple. Monrovia has ranked among the three most likely locations to have a temple announced on my prediction list for more than two years given the large number of stakes in the metropolitan area and continued rapid growth. The Church organized the Liberia Monrovia Mission in 2013. It appears likely a couple new stakes will be organized in Monrovia in the near future.

Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple

The Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is the Church's third temple announced for the DR Congo after Kinshasa (announced in 2011, dedicated in 2019) and Lubumbashi (announced in 2020). Apostle Elder Neil L. Andersen visited the Kasai Region in 2016 (the area in the central DR Congo where Kananga is located) and counseled the members to prepare for a temple in the Kasai Region one day. The Kasai Region has experienced some of the most rapid growth of the Church in modern times. The first stake in the region was organized in 2011, and today there are six stakes. The creation of additional stakes appears imminent given steady growth in the number of congregations. The Church operates a mission headquartered in Mbuji-Mayi to service the Kasai Region which was organized in 2016. Kananga is currently the only city in Kasai with multiple stakes (3), and the first stake in the city was created in 2011. The new temple will likely include the six stake and one district in the Kasai Region, albeit many more stakes will likely be organized by the time a temple is completed. Previously trained construction crews utilized to build the Kinshasa temple will likely be utilized in the construction of the new temple in Kananga. The Kasai Region has been included on my list of likely temples for many years. Currently, the region pertains to the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple.

Antananarivo Madagascar Temple

The Antananarivo Madagascar Temple is the Church's first temple to be announced for Madagascar where there are approximately 13,000 Latter-day Saints. The Church was first established in Madagascar in 1990, and the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission was created in 1998. The new temple will likely service the Church's two stakes and three districts in Madagascar, its district in Mauritius, and its district in Reunion. Currently, Madagascar pertains to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple district. The first stake in Madagascar was organized in 2000. Antananarivo was added to the list of likely locations for new temples in September 2018.

Culiacán México Temple

The Culiacán México Temple is the Church's 17th temple to be announced for México where there are approximately 1.5 million members on Church records. I had included Culiacán on my list of more likely locations to have a temple announced until September 2018 when I transitioned the city to less likely locations for a temple to be announced as a result of concerns with violence in Sinaloa State and many ward/stake consolidations in the region. The Church organized a stake in Culiacán in 1977 and a mission in 1987. Stakes in Sinaloa State currently attend the Hermosillo México Temple. The new temple will likely service six stakes and four districts in Sinaloa and Sonora states. The Church in México has previously dedicated or announced the following temples: the México City México Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua México Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara México Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey México Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana México Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (announced in 2018), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in 2021), and the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in 2021).

13 New Temples Announced

Today, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to construct 13 more temples in the following locations:

• Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Tacloban City, Philippines
• Monrovia, Liberia
• Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Antananarivo, Madagascar
• Culiacán, México
• Vitória, Brazil
• La Paz, Bolivia
• Santiago West, Chile
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Cody, Wyoming
• Rexburg North, Idaho
• Heber Valley, Utah

There are now 265 temples in operation, under construction, or planned. 

I will provide analysis of these new temple announcements in the coming days.

Full-Time Missionaries Temporarily Withdrawn from Liberia

The Church announced yesterday that the remaining 99 young, full-time missionaries in the Liberia Monrovia Mission will be temporarily reassigned to other missions given the deteriorating economic situation in Liberia. On February 2nd, the Church reported that 23 missionaries who served in the mission that were nearing the end of their missions would return home early given the economic situation. Prior to these changes, there were 122 missionaries assigned to the Liberia Monrovia Mission.

The Liberia Monrovia Mission President has reported significant problems with a lack of supplies, particularly with fuel. The mission has been unable to obtain adequate amounts of gasoline to perform basic travel within the mission. As a result, the mission withdrew all full-time missionaries from cities outside of Monrovia earlier this month, including Buchanan, Cotton Tree, Ganta, Gbarnga, Greenville, Harbel, and Totota. This resulted in all missionaries being assigned to Monrovia where they were within close proximity to the mission home and the vast bulk of Church membership in Liberia. The onset of the current economic crisis in regards to the availability of gasoline appears to have occurred suddenly. For example, the mission just weeks ago underwent an exploratory trip in the Robertsport area. Although economic conditions have been poor for multiple consecutive years, these conditions have not significantly interfered with missionary work until the past 1-2 months. For more information about current economic problems, click here.

The Church in Liberia has had a significant history of disrupted missionary efforts due to war, disease, and political and economic turmoil. The original Liberia Monrovia Mission opened in March 1988, but full-time missionaries were reassigned to Sierra Leone in 1989 and the mission closed in 1991 due to civil war. Missionary activity was intermittent in the next two decades due to civil wars. Many Liberian Latter-day Saints fled the country, such as to the United States and Ghana. In Ghana, a congregation was organized specifically to administer Liberian members who lived in the Buduburam Refugee Camp. There are a significant number of Liberian Latter-day Saints in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, some of whom appeared to enter the United States during these civil wars. The Church organized its first stake in Liberia in 2000, but closed the stake in 2007 due to inactivity problems, leadership development challenges, and the departure of many active members to other countries to escape political turmoil and war. Missionaries were again withdrawn due to the Ebola outbreak from August 2014 until September 2015. In late 2017, approximately 60% of the full-time missionary force were Black Africans.

The Church has experienced membership and congregational growth in Liberia during the past decade that has ranked among the most rapid in the worldwide Church. Improvements in local leadership development and member-missionary activity appear primarily responsible for this reversal from slow growth rates to rapid growth rates. For example, one stake president shared that the area presidency's emphasis on preparing youth to serve full-time missions was a major catalyst that led to reestablishment of stakes in Liberia due to a surge in qualified leaders. Membership has nearly tripled from 5,251 in 2009 to likely over 14,000 as of year-end 2019. The number of congregations (i.e. wards and branches) has mushroomed from 12 in 2009 (all branches) to 53 in 2019 (38 wards, 15 branches). There are now five stakes in Liberia - all of which have been organized in Monrovia within the past four years. Sacrament meeting attendance is high throughout the mission and conferences are well attended. For example, the first stake conference of the Gardnesville Liberia Stake had 1,700 in attendance in November 2019 - only a few hundred less than total Church membership for the newly organized stake (most stakes in Liberia have the minimum of 1,900 members when they are first organized). Church attendance for most wards is between 100 and 200. Monrovia is a strong candidate for a future temple announcement given steady growth.

The Church's presence in Liberia has also significantly expanded. For example, the Church only operated in Monrovia from 1987 until 2008 when the first branches were organized in Harbel and Kakata. Additional cities and villages where the Church has organized its first branches include Buchanan (2018), Cotton Tree (2018), Totota (2018), Gbarnga (2019), and Greenville (2019). Member groups also operate in several additional cities, including Ganta, Harper, Kingsville, and Zwedru. Ganta was the most recently opened city to missionary work where the first missionaries opened a member group in October 2019. At most recent report, there were plans to have the group become an official branch due to rapid growth (50 people in attendance for Church meetings).

Although the temporary withdrawal of full-time missionaries will significantly disrupt missionary efforts in Liberia, this crisis provides an opportunity to test local leadership's self-sufficiency and ability to operate with minimal-to-no outside support. The current situation also presents opportunities for local members to find, teach, and prepare prospective members for baptism rather than rely on full-time missionaries for these responsibilities. Local leaders report that they have been given authority to prepare and baptize new converts while the full-time missionaries and mission president are evacuated. Nevertheless, the transfer of all full-time missionaries out of the country presents significant challenges to expand outreach into previously unreached areas as the Church strongly depends on full-time missionaries to accomplish this. Also, the current economic crisis may result in political instability if not properly resolved, and could therefore have long-term impacts on the growth and stability of the Church if another civil war arises. Local Liberian members have expressed the greatest challenge they have had has been in regards to a lack of employment opportunities in the country in order to become more financially self-sufficient. Further deterioration of the economy may result in another wave Liberian members who flee the country in search of better living conditions.

New Stakes Created in Peru (2), Liberia, and Brazil; New Districts Created in Canada, Kiribati, Nigeria, and Uganda; Stake Discontinued in California; District Discontinued in Uruguay

Peru
Two new stakes were organized in Peru.

The Tarapoto Peru Stake was organized from the Tarapoto Peru District on June 16th. All five branches in the former district appear to have become wards in the new stake. These branches include the Aeropuerto, Partido Alto, Shilcayo, Tarapoto, and Yurimaguas Branches. The original Tarapoto Peru District was organized in 1990. The new stake is the Church's first stake in San Martín Region which is inhabited by over 800,000 people.

The Lima Peru Miramar Stake was organized from the Lima Peru Puente Piedra Stake and the Ventanilla Peru Stake on June 16th. Information on which congregations assigned to the new stake remains unavailable. There are now 47 stakes in the Lima metropolitan area.

There are now 108 stakes and 18 districts in Peru.

Liberia
The Church organized a new stake in Monrovia, Liberia on June 16th. The Gardnesville Liberia Stake was organized from a division of the Caldwell Liberia Stake and the Monrovia Liberia Stake. Information on which wards pertain to the new stake remains unavailable. There are now five stakes in Liberia - all of which are located in Monrovia. The Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Stake currently has 11 wards and one branch and appears likely to divide in the near future. The Church has experienced unprecedented growth in Liberia during the past five years as the Church has grown from three districts to five stakes and one district, the number of congregations has increased from 24 to 52, and the number of members has increased from 8,929 to more than 13,275 at present.

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in western São Paulo Brazil. The Ribeirão Preto Brazil South Stake was organized on June 9th. The new stake was organized from a division of the Ribeirão Preto Brazil West Stake, which had 11 wards prior to the creation of the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bebedouro, Jaboticabal, Jardim Iraga, Parque Ribeirão Preto, and Vila Virginia Wards. There are now three stakes in Ribeirão Preto. The Church used to operate four stakes in the city between 1993 and 2001. There has been good progress in the past five years with the creation of new wards and steady increases in the number of active members in the city to the point that a third stake was able to be organized. Unlike the 19990s, wards in the city appear to have an average number of active members for Brazil (i.e. 50-150 per ward), whereas wards in the city appeared to have few active members during the 1990s (likely between 25 and 75).

There are now 274 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

Canada
he Church reinstated a district for Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador District was created from three mission branches in the Canada Halifax Mission: the Bay Roberts, Corner Brook, and St. John's Branches. A member group also appears to operate in Gander. The district operated many years ago and appeared to be discontinued in the early 2000s.
There are now 51 stakes and four districts in Canada.

Kenya
The Church organized a new district in western Kenya. The Kisumu Kenya District was created from the Kisumu Branch. Three new branches were also organized the same day that the district was created, including the Kisumu 2nd, Luanda, and Nyabondo Branches. Member groups appeared to operate in Luanda and Nyabondo prior to the creation of these branches. In fact, the member group operated in Nyabondo for perhaps as long as eight or nine years before it became a branch. A member group may also continue to operate in Sondu. This is the second district organized in Kenya in 2019, with the first district created this year being the Kitale Kenya District.

There are now two stakes and six districts in Kenya.

Kiribati
The Church organized a new district in Kiribati on June 11th. The Southern Kiribati District was organized from eight mission branches in the southern islands of Kiribati. These branches include the Buariki, Buraitan, Kabuna, Matang, Muribenua, Nuka, Tekaman, and Utiora Branches. Of these eight branches, five have been organized since the beginning of 2019. The islands of Tabiteuea, Beru, Nikunau, Nonouti and Onotoa are included in the new district. The Church once used to operate a district for outer islands in Kiribati outside of Tarawa Atoll that was organized in the mid-1990s and included islands north of Tarawa, but the Church closed the district in 2006. The Church has reported rapid growth in these southern outer islands as indicated by Church-reported statistics and government census records from the most recent census in 2015. Some islands in this region of Kiribati have had the number of census-reported members increase from less than five to as many as 40-50 within a five-year time period. Also, most recent figures reported in Church Newsroom articles indicate that membership in Kiribati has surpassed 22,000. If this is accurate, membership has increased by approximately 10% within the first six months of 2019. The recent success of the Church in Kiribati points to the importance of consistently expanding missionary outreach into previously unreached areas to achieve greater growth.

There are now two stakes and three districts in Kiribati.


Nigeria
A new district was organized in Delta State on June 16th. The Sapele Nigeria District was organized from three mission branches within the Sapele metropolitan area. A fourth branch was also organized the same day the district was organized. The first branch in Sapele was organized in 2014 followed by additional branches created in 2015 and 2018. The new district includes the following four branches: the Jesse, Oghara 1st, Oghara 2nd, and the Sapele Branches.

There are now 57 stakes and 18 districts in Nigeria.

Uganda
The Church organized a new district in Uganda on June 16th. The Gulu Uganda District is the Church's first district to ever operate in northern Uganda. The new district is within the homeland of the Acholi people. The new district was created from two missions branches and a third branch organized on the same day as the new district. The new district includes the following three branches: the Bardege, Gulu, and Pece Branches. Significant progress has occurred in the past three years with increases in active membership and strengthening local leadership that has permitted the organization of a third branch and a district in Gulu.

There are now three stakes and three districts in Uganda. All three districts in Uganda have been organized since the beginning of 2019.

California
The Church discontinued a stake in southern California. The Torrance California Stake was discontinued and two of the six wards assigned to the former stake were closed. Retained wards were reassigned to the Palos Verdes California Stake. Active membership has steadily moved away for this area of California over the past two decades, necessitating the closure of the stake and multiple congregations.

There are now 153 stakes in California

Uruguay
The Church discontinued a district in southeastern Uruguay. The Rocha Uruguay District was discontinued and two of the three branches in the former district were closed (Castillos and La Paloma). The Church has reported essentially stagnant growth in this area of Uruguay for many years. The decision to discontinue the district and close these branches appears due to few active members in the district and plans to have the sole remaining branch, the Rocha Branch, become a ward as the congregation was reassigned to the nearby Maldonado Uruguay Stake. At most recent report, the Rocha Branch had approximately 100 active members.

There are now 18 stakes and two districts in Uruguay.

Second Most Populous City in Liberia Opens to Missionary Work

Yesterday, the Church organized its first member group in the Liberian city of Gbarnga. Gbarnga is the second most populous city in Liberia and is inhabited by at least 57,000 people. The mission reported 64 people in attendance for the first meeting of the Gbarnga Group. A single full-time missionary companionship has also been assigned to serve in the city. Gbarnga is the most distant city from Monrovia to have had full-time missionaries assigned. Click here to read the mission president's report about the creation of the new member group.

Earlier this year, the Church in Liberia organized its first branches in two additional cities: Buchanan and Totota. There are now five cities with an official branch, and nine cities with a ward, branch, or member group. Furthermore, rapid congregational growth has occurred in Monrovia during 2018. There are now 38 wards and branches in Monrovia - up from nine branches a decade earlier.

See below for a map of wards, branches, and member groups in Liberia.

New Stakes Created in Nigeria (2) and Brazil; New Districts Created in Ghana and Liberia

Nigeria
Two new stakes have been created in Nigeria.

The Asaba Nigeria Stake was organized from the Nigeria Asaba District on June 10th. The Asaba Nigeria District was originally created in 2006. Information on which seven branches became wards in the new stake remains unavailable. The Asaba Nigeria Stake is the Church's fourth new stake organized within the boundaries of the Nigeria Benin City Mission since January 2018. There are now two stakes in Delta State.

The Aba Nigeria Umuola Stake was organized on June 10th. Information on which congregations are assigned to the new stake remains unavailable. However, it appears that the stake was organized from a division of the Aba Nigeria Ogbor Hill Stake which had 10 wards and 5 branches prior to the creation of the new stake. There are now four stakes in Aba where the Church's sole Nigerian temple operates. There are now six stakes and one districts in Abia State.

There are now 50 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria. The Church in Nigeria now ties with Canada as the country with the eighth most stakes worldwide. Members report that the 100th stake in West Africa will be organized this Sunday in Nigeria in the Ukat Aran area. Several additional stakes will likely be organized in Nigeria before the end of 2018 or in 2019 such as in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Warri, Aba, and Port Harcourt. See below for a map of stakes, districts, and missions in Nigeria.


Brazil
A new stake was created in Ceará State, Brazil. The Fortaleza Brazil Dunas Stake was created from a division of the Fortaleza Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Guararapes, Jardim das Oliveiras, Mucuripe, Nova Aldeota, and Tancredo Neves Wards. There are now 16 stakes in the Fortaleza metropolitan area - the second most stakes in a metropolitan area in Brazil.

There are now 271 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Ghana
A new district was created in the Ghana Kumasi Mission. The Bibiani Ghana District was organized from the following three former mission branches: the Bibiani Estates, Gyedi, and Sefwi Bekwai Branches. The Church first established a presence in Bibani in 2012. The original Bibiani Branch reported that essentially all of its members were active a couple years ago. Two of the branches function in Bibiani, whereas one of the branches meets in Bekwai.

There are now 23 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

Liberia
The Church organized its first district outside of Monrovia on June 10th. The Kakata Liberia District was organized from two former mission branches with nearly 500 people in attendance. The new district includes the following three branches: Kakata 1st, Kakata 2nd, and Kakata 3rd Branches. The Kakata 3rd Branch was organized on the same day as the new district.

There are now four stakes and one district in Liberia.

Two New Stakes in Monrovia, Liberia and the Expansion of the Church Beyond Monrovia

There are many significant growth developments from Liberia that have occurred or will soon occur.

First, the Liberia Monrovia Mission reports that two new stakes will be created in the country this coming Sunday. Both of the remaining districts in Monrovia - the Caldwell Liberia District and the Paynesville Liberia District - will become stakes in a historic conference. The mission reports that there are approximately 5,000 members in these two districts. Once the new stakes are created, there will be four stakes in Monrovia. The Church created its first stake in Monrovia back in 2000, but discontinued the stake in 2007 due to leadership challenges and member inactivity. The Church reestablished a stake in Monrovia in November 2016, called the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Stake. A second stake was created in April 2017 - the Liberia Monrovia Stake.

Second, with both remaining districts in Monrovia advancing into stakes, the mission has begun to look at aggressive expansion into the almost entirely untouched remainder of the country since resources have been freed from the mission that previously supported and supervised member districts in Monrovia. The Church organized branches in Harbel and Kakata back in 2007, and since this time has added only one additional branch to Kakata in 2016. No other cities have had an official LDS presence. However, there are several cities where members have moved over the years that have requested an establishment of an official LDS presence and the assignment of missionaries. I have personally had members in multiple cities in Liberia contact me asking for advice and support such as from Ganta and other areas in the interior. However, these requests have not yet been granted for the most part due to previous struggles with Ebola and political conflict over the years. Nevertheless, the Africa West Area Presidency has recently approved plans for the mission to expand into new areas outside of Monrovia now that the political situation in the country has stabilized.

Third, the mission president visited members and prospective members in Totota and Buchanan in November 2017 and organized official member groups. Over 30 attended the first sacrament meeting in Totota on November 12th and a member group was officially organized. On November 19th, the mission president met with over 40 people who attended the first sacrament meeting in Buchanan and organized an official branch. A former district president from Monrovia is among isolated members who live in Buchanan. The mission found an apartment to lease for full-time missionaries and assigned the first missionaries to serve in Buchanan at the end of November. Missionaries are anticipated to be assigned to Totota within the next month or so. The mission also reports that the area presidency has already approved the creation of official branches for both Buchanan and Totota. These branches appear likely to be created in the immediate future. The mission created an official member group in extreme southeastern Liberia in the town of Harper several months ago where 15-20 members meet for church services every Sunday. The mission set 75 chairs to Harper to help provide adequate seating for the many who have been attending church services there. However, plans to open Harper to missionary work and organize a branch may require more time due to its remote location.

Fourth, the mission also reports plans to organize two new branches in Kakata and/or Harbel, and the creation of one or two member districts. There are approximately 1,000 members who live in the two Kakata branches and the one Harbel branch. The mission has recently averaged approximately 100 convert baptisms a month for the entire country.

These developments highlight the often sudden and quiet process in which the LDS Church grows and expands. Although little progress can occur for many years or even decades, the right combination of variables can lead to sudden and surprising growth such as what has been recently observed in Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria, and currently in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Conditions in Liberia appear highly favorable for additional expansion and growth that likely keeps up with recent rapid growth that began within the past five years.

See below for a map of LDS congregations in Liberia.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Guatemala, Liberia, Mozambique, Texas, and Washington; New Districts Created in Cote d'Ivoire, Fiji, Guyana, and Mexico; Districts Discontinued in Cambodia, Chile, and Peru

NEW STAKES

Arizona
Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in northern Arizona. The Flagstaff Arizona East Stake was organized from a division of the Flagstaff Arizona Stake (renamed the Flagstaff Arizona West Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Doney Park, Flagstaff YSA 1st, Linda Vista, Mount Elden, Switzer Canyon, and Walnut Canyon Wards, and the Sawmill Branch (Correctional Facility).

There are now 113 stakes in Arizona

Brazil
The Church organized its first stake in Roraima State last Sunday. All five branches in the former Boa Vista Brazil District appear to have become wards in the newly organized Boa Vista Brazil Stake. Roraima was the last Brazilian state to not have a stake.

There are now 266 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Canada
The Church organized a new stake in the Edmonton area in Alberta, Canada on April 9th. The Sherwood Park Alberta Stake was organized from a division of the Edmonton Alberta Bonnie Doon Stake and the Edmonton Alberta North Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and four branches: the Cherry Grove, Clarkdale, Fort Saskatchewan, Glen Allan, Nottingham, and Wood Buffalo Wards, and the Lloydminster, St Paul, Tofield, and Vermilion Branches.

There are now 24 stakes in Alberta, and 49 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in the Accra metropolitan area on April 23rd. The Teshie Ghana Stake was organized from a division of the Accra Ghana Christiansborg Stake and the Tema Ghana Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Adjorman, Nungua 1st, Nungua 2nd, Nungua 3rd, Teshie 1st, Teshie 2nd, and Teshie 3rd Wards. There are now 10 stakes in the Accra metropolitan area.

There are now 19 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana.

Guatemala
The Church organized a new stake in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala on March 19th. The  Quetzaltenango Guatemala Santa Fé was organized from a division of the Quetzaltenango Guatemala West Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bougambilias, La Esperanza, Las Américas, San Mateo, and Villa Hermosa Wards, and the San Juan Ostuncalco Branch. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in the Quetzaltenango metropolitan area.

There are now 46 stakes and 16 districts in Guatemala.

Liberia
The Church organized its second stake in Liberia on April 30th. The Monrovia Liberia Stake was organized from the Monrovia Liberia District. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Central Monrovia, Congo Town 2nd, Doe Community, Matadi, and Sinkor Wards, and the Congo Town 1st Branch. The Church initially organized the Monrovia Liberia District in 1989 and the district previously operated as a stake between 2000 and 2007.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Liberia.

Mozambique
The Church organized a new stake in Beira, Mozambique on March 19th. The Beira Mozambique Manga Stake was organized from the Beira Mozambique Manga District and the Beira Mozambique Stake. The new stake includes the following two wards and three branches: the Chingussura and
Mascarenha Wards, and the Chamba, Inhamízua, and Vila Massane Branches. It is likely that all three branches have been advanced into wards but that the official directly has not made these updates yet.

There are now three stakes and zero districts in Mozambique.

Texas
The Church organized a new stake in the Houston area on April 30th. The Conroe Texas Stake was organized from a division of the College Station Texas Stake, Spring Texas Stake, and The Woodlands Texas Stake. The new stake includes the follow five wards and four branches: the Conroe 1st, Conroe 2nd, Crighton, Huntsville 1st, and Montgomery Wards, and the Crockett, Heritage YSA, Huntsville 2nd (Correctional Facility), and Madisonville Branches. There are now 17 stakes in the Houston metropolitan area.

There are now 73 stakes and three districts in Texas.

Washington
The Church organized a new stake in the Seattle area on April 23rd. The Oak Harbor Washington Stake was organized from a division of the Everett Washington and Mount Vernon Washington Stakes. The new stake includes the following seven wards and three branches: the Anacortes, Mount Erie, Mount Vernon YSA, Oak Harbor 1st, Oak Harbor 2nd, Penn Cove, and South Whidbey Island Wards, and the Eastsound, Friday Harbor, and Lopez Branches.

There are now 62 stakes in Washington.

NEW DISTRICTS

Cote d'Ivoire
A new district was organized in Cote d'Ivoire on April 23rd. The Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from a division of the Adzope Cote d'Ivoire District. The new district appears to include the following four branches: the Affrey 1st, Affrey 2nd, Affrey 3rd, and Akoupé Branches. With the exception of the 1990s before stakes were organized in the country, the new district appears to be the first time in the Church's history of Cote d'Ivoire when a district was divided to organize a new district.

There are now 11 stakes and 12 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Fiji
The Church organized a new district in Fiji on the main island of Viti Levu. The Korovou Fiji District
was organized from a division of the Nausori Fiji Stake and Lautoka Fiji Stake. The new district includes the following four branches: the Korovou, Levuka, Nasautoka, and Saioko Branches. The decision to organize the new district was likely due to the large number of member groups that operate on the eastern side of Viti Levu Island. For example, the new district appears to include at least two member groups, Moturiki and Waimaula, whereas there are approximately five additional member groups that appear to operate in the Nausori Fiji Stake.

There are now four stakes and two districts in Fiji.

Guyana
The Church organized a new district in Guyana on April 23rd. The Berbice Guyana District was organized from five former mission branches in the New Amsterdam area, including the Corriverton, East Canje, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, and Rosignol Branches. One former mission branch, the Bushlot Branch, was discontinued when the district was organized. The Church previously operated a district in the area between 2005 and 2010 called the Canje Guyana District. The decision to reestablish the district may indicate improvements in local leadership development after significant leadership challenges and convert retention problems during the brief period of rapid growth in the late 2000s prompted the closure of the district to strengthen individual branches.

There are now two districts in Guyana.

Mexico
The Church organized a new district in Puebla State, Mexico on April 16th. The Puebla México Citlaltépetl District was organized from the Puebla México Amalucan Stake, Puebla México Fuertes Stake, and the Tehuacán México Stake. The new district includes the following six branches: the Citlaltépetl, Grajales, Libres, Serdán, Tecamachalco, and Tlachichuca Branches. Two of the branches were organized at the same time that the district was creaetd.

There are now 230 stakes and 41 districts in Mexico.

DISCONTINUED DISTRICTS

Cambodia
The Church discontinued the Phnom Penh Cambodia Central (Vietnamese) District approximately a couple months ago. The district was originally organized in 2001 and included three Vietnamese-speaking branches that met in Phnom Penh. One of the branches was closed when the district was discontinued. The two remaining Vietnamese branches now report directly to the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. The Church has reported slow growth among the Vietnamese-speaking population in Phnom Penh during the past several years.

There are now two stakes and four districts in Cambodia.

Chile
The Church recently discontinued the Parral Chile District. The four branches that pertained to the former district have since been reassigned to the Linares Chile District. With seven branches, the Linares Chile District may be close to becoming a stake. The Linares Chile District used to operate as a stake between 1988 and 2002.

There are now 77 stakes and 16 districts in Chile.

Peru
The Church discontinued the Juli Perú District a couple months ago. The district was organized in 1995 and previously included three branches. The branches now pertain to the Puno Perú Central Stake.

There are now 101 stakes and 19 districts in Peru.

Second Stake in Liberia

The Church is organizing its second stake in Liberia this weekend according to multiple reports I have received. I have not been able to confirm which district is advancing into a stake, but it appears that it will be the Monrovia Liberia District. The Church reestablished a stake in Liberia in November 2016. There are currently three districts and one stake in Liberia.

I will provide more details on this new stake, as well as other new stakes and districts recently organized in the last couple months, within the near future. I have not posted about new stakes and districts organized in March and April as I am still awaiting details on congregations within several of these organizations.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Iowa, Nigeria, and Thailand; New Districts Created in Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

Brazil
A new stake was created in northern Brazil on November 20th. The Teresina Brazil Planalto Stake was organized from a division of the Teresina Brazil Stake and the Teresina Brazil Horto Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Angelim, Esplanada, Planalto, Poti, and Timon Wards, and the Caxias Branch. There are now three stakes in Teresina metropolitan area.

There are now 265 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

Iowa
A new stake was created in Iowa on November 20th. The Des Moines Iowa Mount Pisgah Stake was organized from a division of the Ames Iowa Stake and the Des Moines Iowa Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Easter Lake, Osceola, Raccoon River, Walnut Hills, and Waukee Wards, and the Centerville, Indianola, Lenox, and Perry Branches.

There are now eight stakes in Iowa.

Nigeria
Two new stakes were organized in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on November 27th. The Port Harcourt Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Port Harcourt Nigeria Stake and the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake, whereas the Port Harcourt Nigeria North Stake was organized from a division of the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake and the Port Harcourt Nigeria East Stake. The Port Harcourt Nigeria South Stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Abo-Ama, Borokiri, Bundu, Diobu 1st, and Township Wards, and the Alase-Ama and LoLo-Ama Branches. The Port Harcourt Nigeria North Stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Choba, Emohua, Eneka, Igwuruta, Omoku, Rukpokwu, and Rumuodumaya Wards, and the Isiodu and Rumuji Branches. There are now five stakes and one district in the Port Harcourt metropolitan area.

There are now 41 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria. Nigeria is now the country with the eleventh most stakes.

Thailand
A new stake was organized in Bangkok, Thailand on November 27th. The Bangkok Thailand West Stake was organized from the Bangkok Thailand West District, the Bangkok Thailand Stake, and the Bangkok Thailand North Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Asoke, Bang Bua Thong, Bang Khae, Bangkok (English), and Thon Buri Wards.

There are now four stakes and two districts in Thailand.

Cote d'Ivoire
A new district was organized in Cote d'Ivoire on November 27th. The Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from a division of the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake and includes three branches: the Agbanou, Bouafle, and Koko Branches. All three branches used to operate as wards in the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake. It is likely that the district was organized to spur greater growth in Bouafle and organize additional branches in the near future. Furthermore, the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake likely required the three congregations in Bouafle to qualify as a stake 18 months ago as at the time there were only four wards in Yamoussoukro. Currently there are seven wards in Yamoussoukro. With one stake and six districts in central Cote d'Ivoire, prospects appear extremely likely that a third Ivorian mission will be organized to service this area of the country. Currently the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission administers central Cote d'Ivoire and includes five stakes and seven districts within its boundaries.

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

Liberia
A new district was organized in Monrovia on November 27th. The Caldwell Liberia District was organized from a division of the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island District. The new district includes the following three branches: Caldwell, Caldwell New Georgia, and Upper Caldwell Branches. The six remaining branches in the former Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island District were upgraded to wards on November 27th when the district became a stake. The new district was likely organized to spur greater growth in this area of Monrovia and to prepare for the organization of additional branches. Local reports indicate that as many as 200 attend some branches in the new district. Area leadership reports plans for "several" additional stakes to be organized in Liberia within the next two years.

There are now three districts and one stake in Liberia.

Sierra Leone
Members in Sierra Leone report that a third district was organized in Bo. The new district's name and the number/names of the branches in the new district are currently unavailable. It appears that this new district was organized on November 27th. With three districts in Bo, one district in Kenema,  and three mission branches in Makeni, Bo may be a likely location for the organization of a second mission in Sierra Leone in the coming years.

There are now six districts and one stake in Sierra Leone.

LDS Stake Reestablished in Liberia

I have confirmed from several full-time missionaries and local members that the Church reestablished a stake in Liberia on November 27th. The new stake appears to have been organized from the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island District. The district had nine branches prior to the organization of the new stake. Most of the branches have appeared to become wards in the new stake.

Prior to the organization of the new stake last Sunday, Liberia was the only country in Africa where the sole LDS stake was discontinued. The Church operated a stake in Monrovia between 2000 and 2007 that administered eight wards and one branch. The stake was discontinued in 2007 and two member districts were organized. Leadership challenges, members fleeing the country due to the Second Liberian Civil War, distance from mission leadership in Ghana, and inactivity problems appear primarily responsible for the discontinuation of the original Monrovia Liberia Stake in 2007.

Significant LDS growth developments have occurred in Liberia during the past five years. The number of official congregations has increased from 13 at year-end 2010 to 28 at present. A separate mission headquartered in Liberia was created in 2013. A third member district was organized in 2014 to accommodate growing numbers of branches in Monrovia. Membership growth has significantly accelerated in the past few years to generally more than 10% a year. The Church organized a second branch in the city of Kakata earlier this year, making Kakata the only Liberian city outside of Monrovia with more than one LDS congregation. Missionaries have reported scores of investigators attending some branches since the reintroduction of full-time missionaries in mid-2016. Full-time missionaries were withdrawn from the country in August 2014.

Additional stake creations appear likely in the immediate future. The remaining two member districts in Monrovia have a sufficient number of congregations and nominal members to become stakes. Furthermore, three new branches were recently organized in these two districts within the past few months.

Liberia was previously the country with the second most members without a stake according to year-end 2015 membership statistics. Only Malaysia has more members than Liberia and no stakes. 

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

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

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

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

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

• Liberia
• Sierra Leone

Continued Progress in West Africa

The Church continues to rapidly grow in West Africa. A report from a senior missionary couple who serves in the area indicates that the Church in 2014 set an all-time record for the number of convert baptisms in the Africa West Area as over 23,000 converts joined the Church during the year. This marks the seventh year in a row that the Africa West Area has set a new record for the number of new converts baptized in a single year. Membership and congregational growth rates in West Africa have been approaching unprecedented levels that are reminiscent of the explosive growth of the Church in Latin America during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Here are some noteworthy LDS growth developments in the Africa West Area:

• Construction has started on a new missionary training center (MTC) in Accra, Ghana. The new facility will triple the capacity of the current Ghana MTC located in Tema, Ghana. The Ghana MTC has experienced steady increases in the number of missionaries it annually trains from less than 300 in the early 2000s to over 1,300 within the past two years.
• The following cities have had the first LDS branch organized within the past two months: 
• Abesim, Ghana
• Aflao, Ghana
• Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire
• Issia, Cote d'Ivoire
• Kugba, Nigeria
• Lakowe, Nigeria
• Snake Island, Nigeria
• The Church has continued to organize new branches in Sierra Leone despite the removal of full-time missionaries due to the Ebola epidemic. The most recently organized branch was the New England Branch in the Bo Sierra Leone East District.
• The Church reported significant net increases in the number of congregations in the following countries:
• Ghana (~40) - a 24% annual increase
• Nigeria (~40) - a 10% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire (~25) - a 35% annual increase
• Sierra Leone (~9) - a 30% annual increase

If membership and congregational growth rates remain stable in West Africa for the next decade, the Church may report the following statistics for year-end 2024. However, membership and congregational growth rates rarely remain stable for as long as a decade:

• Nigeria - 259,000 members, 1,078 congregations
• Cote d'Ivoire - 191,000 members, 1,950 congregations
• Ghana - 165,000 members, 829 congregations
• Liberia - 60,000 members, 63 congregations
• Sierra Leone - 45,500 members, 111 congregations
• Benin - 33,000 members, 152 congregations
• Togo - 24,600 members, 67 congregations

Click here to access statistical profiles on cumorah.com providing detailed statistics on LDS growth trends by country.

Details on New Stakes in Argentina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines; New Districts in Liberia and Sierra Leone

Argentina
On June 1st, the Church created a new stake in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Buenos Aires Argentina Chacabuco Stake was organized from a division of the Buenos Aires Argentina Congreso and Buenos Aires Argentina Liniers Stakes and includes the following five wards: the Almagro, Nueva Pompeya, Parque Chacabuco, Parque Patricios, and Villa Soldati Wards. The new stake is the third new stake to be organized in the Buenos Aires area since 2011. There are now 26 stakes in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.

Currently there are 73 stakes and 33 districts in Argentina.

Cambodia
On May 25th, the Church created its first two stakes in Cambodia. This marks the second time in Church history when a country has had its first two stakes organized on the same day, the other country being Ghana in 1991. The Phnom Penh Cambodia North Stake was organized from the Phnom Penh Cambodia North Distirct and includes the following five wards and one branch: the Pochentong, Teuk Laak, Teuk Thla, Tuol Kok, and Tuol Sang Ke Wards, and the Sen Sok Branch. The Phnom Penh Cambodia South Stake was organized from the Phnom Penh Cambodia South District and includes the following five wards and one branch: the Chaktomuk, Steung Mean Chey 1st, Steung Mean Chey 2nd, Steung Mean Chey 3rd, and Toul Tom Pong Wards, and the Phnom Penh 13th (English) Branch. Two districts continue to operate in Phnom Penh, namely the Phnom Penh Cambodia Central (Vietnamese) and Phnom Penh Cambodia East Districts. As a way of celebrating this historic milestone, my family celebrated by making a cake!

There are now two stakes and four districts in Cambodia.

Cape Verde
On May 25th, the Church organized its third stake in Cape Verde. The Sao Felipe Cape Verde Stake was organized from the Fogo Cape Verde District. Details on which branches became wards are still not available; I will post these as a comment once I obtain this information. The Church continues to experience rapid growth in Cape Verde as evidenced by the Church organizing its first stake in 2012 and its second stake in 2013. The Praia Cape Verde Stake also appears likely to divide at any time as the stake now has 10 wards and five branches.

Cote d'Ivoire
On June 1st, the Church organized a new stake in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake was organzied from the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon Stake (now renamed Niangon North) and includes the following six wards: the Azito, Coprim, Niangon 1st, Niangon 2nd, Sideci 1st, and Sideci 2nd Wards. There are now six stakes in the Abidjan area, with another stake or two likely to be created in the next year. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire is currently experiencing the most rapid LDS growth in the world as membership increased by over 20% in 2013 and the number of congregations in the Abidjan area has nearly doubled within the past three years.

Jamaica
On June 8th, the Church organized its first stake in Jamaica. The Kingston Jamaica Stake was organized from the Spanish Town Jamaica District and includes the following six wards and two branches: the Boulevard, Constant Spring, Linstead, Portmore, Spanish Town 1st, and Spanish Town 2nd Wards, and the Kingston and Old Harbour Branches. There is now one stake and one district in Jamaica.

Mexico
On June 15th, the Church organized a new stake in Estado de Mexico State. The Lerma Mexico Stake was organized from the Metepec Mexico Stake and includes the following five wards: the La Crespa, Lerma, Tecnologico, Tianguistenco, and Totoltepec Wards. There are now 227 stakes and 36 districts in Mexico.

Nigeria
On June 15th, the Church organized a new stake in western Nigeria. The Ibadan Nigeria District became a stake. Details on which branches became wards remains unavailable, but will be posted as a comment to this post once I obtain this information. The establishment of the Ibadan Nigeria Stake is a major LDS growth development in Nigeria as it is the first stake to be organized in the Yorubaland region outside of Lagos and the district was previously one of the oldest districts in the country.

There are now 24 stakes and 21 districts in Nigeria.

The Philippines
On June 15th, the Church created two new stakes in the Philippines. The Dumaguete Philippines District became a stake, although details on which branches became wards remains unavailable. I will post this information as a comment once it becomes available. The Taguig Philippines Stake was also organized from a division of the Makati Philippines East, Parañaque Philippines, and Pasig Philippines Stakes and includes the following six wards: the Bicutan, Bonifacio 5th, Signal Village 1st, Signal Village 2nd, Taguig 1st, and Taguig 2nd Wards.

There are now 90 stakes and 81 districts in the Philippines

Liberia
On June 8th, the Church created its third district in the Monrovia area. The Paynesville Liberia District was organized from the Monrovia Liberia District and includes the following five branches: the Gardnersville, New Georgia, Paynesville 1st, Paynesville 2nd, and Tinker Village Branches. Boundaries for the Monrovia Liberia and Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island Districts were also realigned. There are now three districts in Liberia. The mission president reports that new branches will be organized in the Monrovia area within the near future.

Sierra Leone
On June 1st, the Church organized a new district in Bo, Sierra Leone. The Bo Sierra Leone East District was organized from the Bo Sierra Leone District (now renamed Bo West) and includes the following four branches: the Lewabu, Messima, New Barracks, and Sewa Road Branches. The decision to create the new district has come on the heals of the creation of a second district in the Freetown area (Kossoh Town) and likely indicates plans to organize additional branches. There is now one stake and five districts in Sierra Leone.

Unprecedented Membership and Congregational Growth in West Africa

An article published in the LDS Church News this past weekend provided what appears to be year-end 2013 membership statistics for the seven countries in the Africa West Area with an LDS presence.  The article indicates that there were nearly 20,000 convert baptisms in the Africa West Area.  See below for an analysis of membership growth numbers of these seven countries provided with annual percentage growth for 2013.

• Benin - 1,400+ members - more than 29.5% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire - nearly 23,000 members - no more than 23.6% annual increase
• Ghana - 57,000+ members - more than 8.8% annual increase
• Liberia - 8,000+ members - more than 19.2% annual increase
• Nigeria - 118,000+ members - more than 7.3% annual increase
• Sierra Leone - 13,000+ members - more than 11.5% annual increase
• Togo - 2,300+ members - more than 23.6% annual increase

To emphasize the significance of recent membership and congregational growth in the Africa West Area, I have created graphs for all seven of these countries that display membership and congregational growth trends since the establishment of the Church in each country.

BENIN

COTE D'IVOIRE

GHANA

LIBERIA

NIGERIA

SIERRA LEONE

TOGO

Rapid LDS Church Growth Restarts in Liberia

Full-time missionaries serving in the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission report a recent surge in convert baptisms and church attendance necessitating the creation of five new branches this weekend in the Liberia Monrovia Bushrod Island District.  As a result of the organization of the new branches, the number of branches will double in the district from five to ten.  Missionaries report that proposals are also underway for the organization of additional branches in the the neighboring Liberia Monrovia District to the south which currently has six branches.  Following the creation of the five new branches there will be 18 LDS branches in Liberia.

The LDS Church experienced rapid church growth following its initial establishment in Liberia in the late 1980s as the number of branches increased from two in 1988 to eight in 1990.  By 1995, two districts functioned in Monrovia which were consolidated to create the Monrovia Liberia Stake in 2000.  Church growth slowed dramatically in the 2000s as the number of congregations remained unchanged for nearly the entire decade and annual membership growth rates dropped to as low as 2.6%.  In 2007, the stake was discontinued and the two districts were reorganized due to persistent challenges maintaining local leadership and low member activity rates.  Within the past couple years, full-time missionaries have reported a greater maturation of local leadership, success from reactivation efforts, and higher convert retention due to increased stewardship and focus from the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission.  Since its organization in 2007, the mission has increased the number of full-time missionaries serving in Liberia, reintroduced non-African missionaries, and also just assigned the first full-time sister missionaries to Monrovia.  Missionaries were also assigned to Kakata and Harbel for the first time recently and the Monrovia Liberia District may become a stake in the near future.

The organization of five new branches within a single district at the same time is very uncommon. The only other area of the world in which the LDS Church has experienced as prolific of congregational growth within a small geographical area as the Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island District is in Papua New Guinea in two newly organized districts based in Sogere and Suki. Long-term progress in retaining converts and improving member activity rates in Liberia will be manifest by the organization of a stake within the next few years, steady increases in the number of congregations, and increasing numbers of local members serving full-time missions.

Below is a map of LDS branches in Liberia at present from a newly-created LDS International Atlas which we will be launching on cumorah.com in the near future.


View Branches in Liberia in a larger map