New Temples Announced in April 2025 - Part I: Outside of the United States

Reynosa Mexico Temple

The Reynosa Mexico Temple will be the Church's 27th temple in Mexico and the second temple in Tamaulipas state. Previously dedicated or announced temples include the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2024), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in October 2021), the San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (announced in October 2022), the Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced in October 2022), the Toluca Mexico Temple (announced in October 2022), the Tula Mexico Temple (announced in October 2022), the Cancún Mexico Temple (announced in October 2023), the Chihuahua Mexico Temple (announced in April 2024), and the Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple (announced in October 2024). The new temple will likely be a small temple that serves only three stakes and two districts. There are two stakes in Reynosa, which were organized in 1980 and 2003. Although Reynosa is in close proximity to the McAllen Texas Temple, difficulties crossing the United States border have likely contributed to the Church's decision to announce a temple in Reynosa. The Church reported 1.53 million members, 1,878 congregations, 230 stakes, 43 districts, and 34 missions as of year-end 2024. Growth rates in Mexico have been essentially stagnant or very slow for many years. Mexico has the second-largest number of Latter-day Saints of any country in the world.

Reynosa was not a less likely or a more likely location predicted to have a temple on my temple predictions map. The reason why I had not included it is due to the few number of stakes in the area.

Chorrillos Peru Temple

The Chorrillos Peru Temple will be the Church's 10th temple in Peru following the Lima Peru Temple (dedicated in 1986), the Trujillo Peru Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Arequipa Peru Temple (dedicated in 2019), the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple (dedicated in 2024), the Cusco Peru Temple (announced in April 2022), the Chiclayo Peru Temple (announced in October 2022), the Iquitos Peru Temple (announced in April 2023), the Piura Peru Temple (announced in October 2023), and the Huancayo Peru Temple (announced in October 2023). A temple in southern Lima was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. The new temple will likely serve 10 stakes in the southern Lima metropolitan area, although additional stakes in the Pisco area may also be assigned to the temple. Lima and Manila, Philippines, became the first cities outside of the United States to have three temples dedicated or planned with this month's temple announcements. As of year-end 2024, the Church reported 648,045 members, 797 congregations, 115 stakes, 18 districts, and 15 missions in Peru. Peru is the country with the fifth-largest number of Latter-day Saints in the world.

Rivera Uruguay Temple

The Rivera Uruguay Temple will be the Church's second temple in Uruguay. Rivera is a medium-sized city with approximately 85,000 inhabitants, making it the second-most populous city in northern Uruguay following Salto (population: 114,000). Neighboring Tacuarembó was on my list of less likely locations for new temples. The Church's first temple in Uruguay was dedicated in Montevideo in 2001. The new temple will likely be a small temple that will serve approximately 10 stakes in northern Uruguay (which are assigned to the Montevideo Uruguay Temple district) and southern Rio Grande do Sul State in Brazil (which are assigned to the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple district). The Church created its first (and only) stake in Rivera in 1977, which was the first stake to be created in northern Uruguay. The most recently organized stake in central or northern Uruguay was in Treinta y Tres in 2012. Church growth in northern Uruguay and in Brazil along the Uruguayan border has been stagnant for many years. There were 109,905 members, 18 stakes, two districts, and two missions in Uruguay as of year-end 2024.

Campo Grande Brazil Temple

The Campo Grande Brazil Temple will be the Church's 24th temple in Brazil following the São Paulo Brazil Temple (dedicated in 1978), the Recife Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Campinas Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Curitiba Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Manaus Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2012), the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2019), the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Belém Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Brasília Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2023), the Salvador Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2024), the São Paulo Brazil East Temple (announced in 2020), the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple (announced in April 2021), the Vitória Brazil Temple (announced in October 2021), the Maceió Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Santos Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Londrina Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Teresina Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Natal Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Goiânia Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023), the João Pessoa Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023), and the Florianópolis Brazil Temple (announced in April 2024). Campo Grande was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. The new temple will likely be a small temple that serves at least three stakes—two of which are in Campo Grande and were organized in 1991 and 2009. Additional stakes in Mato Grosso State may also be assigned to the new temple. The remote location appears to be the primary factor that contributed to the announcement of the new temple, as the closest Brazilian temple is located in Brasília over 500 miles away (and the planned Goiânia Brazil Temple is more than 400 miles away).

Porto Portugal Temple

The Porto Portugal Temple will be the Church's second temple in Portugal following the Lisbon Portugal Temple (dedicated in 2019). Porto was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. The new temple will likely serve three stakes—two of which are located in Porto (organized in 1986 and 1989). The Church has headquartered a mission in Porto intermittently over the decades, as it was first organized in 1987, closed in 2011, reinstated in 2015, closed again in 2018, and reinstated once more in 2024. Currently, all stakes in Portugal are assigned to the Lisbon Portugal Temple. The Church reported 48,840 members, 64 congregations, 7 stakes, 1 district, and 2 missions as of year-end 2024. The Church has experienced slow to moderate membership growth rates in Portugal in recent years, although the number of congregations has been relatively stagnant for many years.

Uyo Nigeria Temple

The Uyo Nigeria Temple will be the Church's seventh temple in Nigeria following the Aba Nigeria Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Lagos Nigeria Temple (announced in 2018), the Benin City Nigeria Temple (announced in 2020), the Eket Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2022), the Calabar Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2023), and the Abuja Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2024). Uyo was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. The new temple will likely serve at least six stakes in the Uyo area, where the Church has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The Church created its first stake in Uyo in 2001. The other five stakes likely to be assigned to the new temple district have all been created within the past 10 years. The four temples in southeastern Nigeria—Aba, Calabar, Eket, and Uyo—are in a small geographical area less than 100 miles across, making it one of the greatest concentrations of temples in the world outside of North America. The unprecedented rate of temple growth in Nigeria has been greatly needed to keep up with rapid growth that has been maintained for decades. There were 250,341 members, 840 congregations, and 11 missions as of year-end 2024. Currently, there are 80 stakes and 13 districts—all of which are assigned to the Aba Nigeria Temple.

San Jose del Monte Philippines Temple

The San Jose del Monte Philippines Temple will be the Church's 14th 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), Iloilo (announced in April 2023), and Laoag (announced in October 2023). Nearby Quezon City was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. The new temple will likely serve approximately 18 stakes in the northern Manila metropolitan area and in cities between Manila and Angeles City. Steady growth has occurred in this area of the Philippines. The first stake was created in San Jose del Monte in 2013, followed by a second stake in 2017. New stakes were also created in Baliwag and Camarin in 2019. As of year-end 2024, there were 882,461 Latter-day Saints, 1,324 congregations, 131 stakes, 56 districts, and 26 missions in the Philippines. Moderate growth rates have occurred for the Church in the Philippines during the past couple of decades.

Nouméa New Caledonia Temple

The Nouméa New Caledonia Temple will be the first temple in New Caledonia—an overseas collectivity of France. Nouméa was on my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced. There is only one stake in New Caledonia, which was created in 2012. Slow growth has occurred for the Church in New Caledonia. As of year-end 2024, there were 2,531 members and 9 congregations in New Caledonia. The new temple will likely be a very small temple similar to the Yigo Guam Temple or the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple—both of which are under 7,000 square feet. The remote location appears to be the primary factor that prompted the temple announcement.

Liverpool Australia Temple

The Liverpool Australia Temple will be the Church's seventh temple in Australia following the Sydney Australia Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Adelaide Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Melbourne Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Perth Australia Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Brisbane Australia Temple (dedicated in 2003), and the Brisbane Australia South Temple (announced in April 2024). The announcement came as a complete surprise to me, as there are only nine stakes in the Sydney metropolitan area, and the last new stake to be created was in 2016. Stagnant growth in the number of congregations has occurred in the Sydney area. Traffic is probably one of the primary factors that contributed to the new temple announcement given that the area has not experienced much growth in recent years and there are not even 10 stakes in the metropolitan area (all other metropolitan areas where a second temple has been announced have had at least 10 stakes, and often more than 15). The Church in Australia reported 158,969 members, 296 congregations, 40 stakes, 4 districts, and 5 missions as of year-end 2024.

New Temples Announced in October 2024 - Part I: Outside of the United States

Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple

The Juchitán de Zaragoza Mexico Temple will be the Church's 26th temple in Mexico and second temple in Oaxaca State. Previously dedicated or announced temples include the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2024), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in October 2021), the San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Toluca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Tula Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Cancún México Temple (announced October 2023), and the Chihuahua Mexico Temple (announced April 2024). The new temple in Juchitán de Zaragoza will likely have a small district consisting of three stakes and four districts in southeastern Oaxaca State. Thus, the temple will likely be a small temple given few stakes and districts in the area which are nonetheless far distant from the nearest temples in Oaxaca and Tuxtla Gutiérrez. The Church discontinued many congregations in the Juchitán area in 2017 to create wards that had larger numbers of active members. There are currently 230 stakes, 44 districts, and 34 missions in Mexico. There were 1,876 official congregations in Mexico as of year-end 2023. Church membership in Mexico is at 1.52 million, although membership growth rates have been very slow in recent years. Moreover, member activity rates in Mexico are low overall at approximately 20%. 

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Santa Ana El Salvador Temple

The Santa Ana El Salvador Temple will be the Church's second temple in El Salvador following the dedication of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple in 2011. The new temple will likely service nine stakes in extreme western El Salvador - all of which are assigned to the San Salvador El Salvador Temple. There are four stakes in Santa Ana which were organized in 1979, 1980, 2009, and 2017. The Church has experienced essentially stagnant growth in El Salvador as a whole for many years in regard to membership growth, albeit there were two new stakes created in western El Salvador in 2017 and some branches have matured into wards within the past 5-10 years. The new temple is likely to be a small- to medium-sized temple. 

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Medellín Colombia Temple

The Medellín Colombia Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Colombia following the Bogotá Colombia Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Barranquilla Colombia Temple (dedicated in 2018), and the Cali Colombia Temple (announced in April 2021). The new temple will likely be a small temple that services four stakes and one district - all of which are assigned to the Bogotá Colombia Temple. There are three stakes in Medellín which were organized in 1988, 1996, and 2023. The Colombia Medellín Mission was organized in 2012. The Church in Colombia has experienced slow growth for many years. As of year-end 2023, there were 215,331 Latter-day Saints, 256 official congregations, 31 stakes, 10 districts, and five missions.

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Santiago Dominican Republic Temple

The Santiago Dominican Republic Temple will be the Church's second temple in the Dominican Republic following the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple (dedicated in 2000). The new temple will likely be a small- to medium-sized temple and service seven stakes and three districts in northern Dominican Republic - all of which are assigned to the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple. Steady growth has occurred in the past couple decades in the area, and two new stakes have been organized since 2010. With approximately 150,000 Latter-day Saints, the Dominican Republic was the country with the most members with only one temple prior to today's announcement.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Puerto Montt Chile Temple

The Puerto Montt Chile Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Chile following the Santiago Chile Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Concepción Chile Temple (dedicated in 2018), the Antofagasta Chile Temple (announced in 2019), the Santiago Chile West Temple (announced in October 2021), and the Viña del Mar Chile (announced in October 2023). The new temple will likely be a small temple and service seven stakes and three districts in extreme southern Chile. The area is currently serviced by the Concepción Chile Temple. The Church recently organized a new stake in the Puerto Montt area (Puerto Varas) in March of 2024, and a few branches have become wards recently in the area. However, this region of Chile has historically had little to no growth in the number of congregations for decades. There are currently 79 stakes, 10 districts, and 11 missions in Chile. 

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Dublin Ireland Temple

The Dublin Ireland Temple will be the Church's first temple in Ireland. The Church reported 4,076 members as of year-end 2023. There is one stake in Dublin (organized in 1995) and one stake in Belfast, Northern Ireland (organized in 1974) which appear likely to comprise the new temple district. Currently, the two stakes are assigned to the Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998). Thus, the new temple will likely be a small temple. The Church used to operate a mission in Dublin, Ireland which closed and was consolidated with the mission in Scotland in 2010. Stagnant membership growth has occurred for most years in Ireland in the past couple decades, although there have been a couple years that have had significant growth during this time. The Church recently discontinued the Limerick Ireland District and consolidated it with the Dublin Ireland Stake. There are now six wards and six branches in Ireland. There are seven wards and three branches in Northern Ireland.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Milan Italy Temple

The Milan Italy Temple will be the Church's second temple in Italy following the Rome Italy Temple in 2019. Milan has historically been what appeared to be a more likely location to have a temple announced in Italy before the Rome Italy Temple given there are more stakes in northern Italy than southern Italy and that some of the stakes in northern Italy have operated for more than a decade longer than in southern Italy. Currently, northern Italy is assigned to the Rome Italy Temple. The new temple will likely service 5-6 stakes in northern Italy. The new temple will likely be a small- to medium-sized temple. Milan is the only city in northern Italy that has two stakes (which were organized in 1981 and 2012). Membership growth rates in Italy have been low for many years. There were 28,409 members, 10 stakes, 94 official congregations, and two missions in Italy as of year-end 2023. Italy has undergone a significant transformation in the past 15-20 years from mostly comprising branches and districts to being mostly made up of wards and stakes.

This location was classified as a less likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Abuja Nigeria Temple

The Abuja Nigeria Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Nigeria following the Aba Nigeria Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Lagos Nigeria Temple (announced in 2018), the Benin City Nigeria Temple (announced in 2020), the Eket Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2022), and the Calabar Nigeria Temple (announced in October 2023). As I noted when the Calabar Nigeria Temple was announced, the Church has never announced so many new temples in a country with only one dedicated temple since Mexico had at one point nine temples announced in February 1999 before a second temple was dedicated in March 1999 (which was the Colonia Juarez Mexico Temple). The new temple in Abuja will likely be a small temple and service four stakes (three of which are in Abuja) and three districts in central Nigeria - all of which are assigned to the Aba Nigeria Temple. The first stake in Abuja was organized in 2012 followed by additional stakes in 2016 and 2019. The Church has grown rapidly in central Nigeria within the past decade after decades of slow or stagnant growth. Just a few weeks ago, the Church created its first stake in Jos where a district had operated for more than 30 years. Prospects appear favorable for more stakes to be created in central Nigeria in the foreseeable future, particularly in Makurdi and Gboko, although 1-2 additional stakes appear likely to be created in Abuja within the next few years. The creation of the Nigeria Abuja Mission in 2023 also is likely to significantly accelerate growth in vast areas of Nigeria inhabited by approximately 100 million people where most do not live near an official Latter-day Saint congregation (although it is unlikely that much expansion will occur in the far northern states that are staunchly Muslim and follow Sharia law). Even with today's announcement, prospects appear favorable for more temple announcements in Nigeria in the coming years. Some likely candidates include:

• Enugu (5 stakes, 4 districts)
• Ibadan (8 stakes, 1 district)
  
• Port Harcourt (9 stakes, 2 districts)
  
• Umuahia (6 stakes, 1 district)
  
• Uyo (6 stakes)
• Warri (2 stakes)

The Church reported 232,654 members 810 congregations in Nigeria as of year-end 2023. There are currently 76 stakes, 13 districts, and 11 missions in Nigeria.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Kampala Uganda Temple

The Kampala Uganda Temple will be the first temple to be built in Uganda. Prior to today's announcement, Uganda was the country with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple per 2023 figures (22,138 members). Stakes and districts in Uganda are assigned to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, although Uganda will likely be reassigned to the Nairobi Kenya Temple once it is completed. There are three stakes and three districts in Uganda. There are two stakes in Kampala which were organized in 2010 and 2017. The new temple will likely service members in Uganda, Ethiopia, and perhaps Burundi and Rwanda - the latter two have recently experienced unprecedented growth. The temple will likely be a small temple. Prospects appear favorable for accelerated growth in Uganda given the Uganda Kampala Mission now only services the countries of Uganda and South Sudan. In the past year, the Church has organized many new branches in cities and towns in Uganda that have never had a branch, including in Bukomero, Buwenge, Bweyale, Kalisizo, Kibale, Mbarara, and Soroti.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

Maputo Mozambique Temple

The Maputo Mozambique Temple will be the Church's second temple in Mozambique following the announcement of the Beira Mozambique Temple in April of 2021. The new temple will likely be a small temple and service the three stakes in Maputo as well as two districts (one in Mozambique and one in Eswatini). As I noted in the post regarding today's announcement, this marks the first time the Church has announced two temples in a country that previously has not had any temples (although there was a time in the United States after the destruction of the Nauvoo Temple and before the dedication of the first temples in Utah when temples were announced in Utah that were not completed yet). The temple in Beira remains in the planning stages. Church growth rates in Mozambique have been among the most rapid in the world and have been concentrated in Beira (which now has four stakes) and Maputo. The Church created its first two stakes in Mozambique in 2015. Additional stakes were created in Maputo in 2019 and 2023. There are now eight stakes and two districts in the country - all of which are assigned to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. Church membership increased by 34.1% during 2023 to 24,733. There are now 75 official congregations in Mozambique.

This location was classified as a more likely location to have a temple announced on my most recent temple prediction map.

17 New Temples Announced

Today, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, announced plans to construct temples in the following 17 locations:

• Juchitán de Zaragoza, Mexico
• Santa Ana, El Salvador
• Medellín, Colombia
• Santiago, Dominican Republic
• Puerto Montt, Chile
• Dublin, Ireland
• Milan, Italy
• Abuja, Nigeria   
• Kampala, Uganda
• Maputo, Mozambique
• Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
• Queen Creek, Arizona
• El Paso, Texas
• Huntsville, Alabama
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Summit, New Jersey
  Price, Utah
  

With today's announcement, there will now be 367 temples that are planned or dedicated. I will provide an analysis of each temple announcement in the coming days. Today's announcement marks the first time the Church has announced a temple in a country where a temple has previously been announced but not completed yet (Mozambique). Also, temples in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Summit, New Jersey, will be the Church's first temples to be built in these states. Finally, temples in Dublin, Ireland, and Kampala, Uganda, will be the Church's first temples in these nations.

New Temples Announced in April 2024 Part I: Outside the United States

Uturoa French Polynesia Temple 

The Uturoa French Polynesia Temple will be the Church's second temple in French Polynesia following the Papeete Tahiti Temple. Uturoa (population: 3,663) is a village located on Raiatea - one of the islands in the western Society Islands (Leeward Islands). Only two stakes appear likely to be assigned to the new temple which were organized in 1993 (Raromatai Tahiti Stake) and 2018 (Bora Bora Tahiti Stake). Slow, but steady, growth has occurred on the islands that are likely to be assigned to the new temple. I added Raiatea to the list of less likely locations to have a temple announced in September 2019. As of year-end 2023, there were 29,700 members in French Polynesia. Currently the two stakes in Raromatai and Bora Bora are assigned to the Papeete Tahiti Temple. Islands likely to be assigned to the new temple have a combined population of 36,000 people.

Chihuahua Mexico Temple

The Chihuahua Mexico Temple will be the Church's third temple in Chihuahua State, Mexico, and the 25th temple in Mexico following the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (announced in 2018), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in October 2021), the San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Toluca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Tula Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), and the Cancún México Temple (announced October 2023). I added Chihuahua to my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced in September 2019. The new temple will likely service four stakes and three districts in southern Chihuahua State. There are three stakes in the city of Chihuahua that were organized in 1976, 1987, and 1989. Church growth rates in Mexico have dramatically decreased within the past decade, albeit the Church has begun to experience steady net increases in the number of ward and branches again within the past couple years. There were 1,516,406 Latter-day Saints in Mexico as of year-end 2023. Currently, stakes in southern Chihuahua State are assigned to the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Temple, whereas the three districts are assigned to the Colonia Juarez Mexico Temple. The Church organized the Mexico Chihuahua Mission in 1988.

Florianópolis Brazil Temple

The Florianópolis Brazil Temple will be the Church's 23rd temple in Brazil following the São Paulo Brazil Temple (dedicated in 1978), the Recife Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Campinas Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Curitiba Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Manaus Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2012), the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2019), the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Belem Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Brasília Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2023), the Salvador Brazil Temple (announced in 2018), the São Paulo Brazil East Temple (announced in 2020), the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple (announced in April 2021), the Vitória Brazil Temple (announced in October 2021), the Maceió Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Santos Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Londrina Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Teresina Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Natal Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Goiânia Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023), and the João Pessoa Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023). The Florianópolis/São José metropolitan area has been on my list of more likely temples to be announced for many years, as Florianópolis/São José is the most populous metropolitan area in Santa Catarina State (which was the Brazilian state with the most stakes without a temple prior to the temple announcement). The first stake in Florianópolis was organized in 1985, and two more stakes were later organized in the metropolitan area in 1993 and 2021 (although a previous stake once operated in Monte Cristo on the north side of the metropolitan area from 1993 until it was discontinued in 2001). Currently there are 11 stakes in Santa Catarina State - all of which appear likely to be assigned to the new temple. One district may also be assigned to the new temple (the União da Vitória Brazil District). The Church has experienced significant growth in Santa Catarina State within the past decade, as five stakes have been organized since 2013. Stakes and districts in Santa Catarina State have been assigned to the Curitiba Brazil Temple and the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple. The Church reported 1,494,571 Latter-day Saints in Brazil as of year-end 2023. The Church organized the Brazil Florianópolis Mission in 1993.

Rosario Argentina Temple

The Rosario Argentina Temple will be the Church's seventh temple in Argentina following the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple (dedicated in 1986), the Córdoba Argentina Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Salta Argentina Temple (announced in April 2018), the Mendoza Argentina Temple (announced in October 2018), the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple (announced in 2020), and the Buenos Aires City Center Argentina Temple (announced in October 2022). The new temple will likely service 8-9 stakes and 4-6 districts in Rosario, Santa Fe, and surrounding areas. The Church has experienced slow growth in this area of Argentina. There are three stakes in Rosario that were organized in 1974, 1980, and 1995. The Church reported 481,518 Latter-day Saints in Argentina as of year-end 2023. The Argentina Rosario Mission was organized in 1972. Stakes in Rosario are currently assigned to the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, whereas stakes in Santa Fe are assigned to the Córdoba Argentina Temple.

Edinburgh Scotland Temple

The Edinburgh Scotland Temple will be the Church's first temple in Scotland and fourth temple in the United Kingdom following the London England Temple (dedicated in 1958), the Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998), and the Birmingham England Temple (announced in April 2022). The new temple will likely service the five stakes in Scotland and the one stake in Northern Ireland. Stakes in Scotland and Northern Ireland currently pertain to the Preston England Temple district. The Church operates one stake in Edinburgh that was organized in 1980. However, the oldest stake in Scotland was created in Glasgow in 1962. The Church has reported stagnant membership growth in Scotland for many years. Scotland has ranked among likely locations to have a temple announced for many years due to its sizable membership and distance from the nearest temple in Preston, England. Some of the lowest member activity rates in the British Islands has appeared to have contributed to the delay of a temple announcement for Scotland. Scotland has experienced a decline in the number of wards and branches over the past couple decades. The Scotland/Ireland Mission was organized in 1961. The mission originally only included Scotland, but Ireland was added when the Ireland Dublin Mission was discontinued in 2010. The Church reported 186,350 members in the United Kingdom in 2023. The Church reported approximately 23,000 Latter-day Saints in Scotland as of 2017, whereas there were approximately 26,000 Latter-day Saints in Scotland for most of the 1990s and 2000s.

Brisbane Australia South Temple

The Brisbane Australia South Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Australia following the completion of the Sydney Australia Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Adelaide Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Melbourne Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Perth Australia Temple (dedicated in 2001), and the Brisbane Australia Temple (dedicated in 2003). The new temple will be the first time that the Church has announced a second temple for a single metropolitan area in Oceania. Although Brisbane is the location of the most recently dedicated temple in Australia, the city has experienced tremendous growth within the past two decades in regard to the number of stakes and congregations. There are now 12 stakes in the greater Brisbane area stretching from the Sunshine Coast in the north to the Gold Coast in the south. The Brisbane Australia Temple is located in the heart of downtown Brisbane and services all stakes in Queensland. The new temple will likely service approximately 6-8 stakes in southern Brisbane and the Gold Coast areas. The first stake in Brisbane was organized in 1960, whereas the most recently organized stake in the area was the Brisbane Australia Beenleigh Stake in 2018. The Australia Brisbane Mission was organized in 1973. There were 157,079 Latter-day Saints in Australia as of year-end 2023. Slow membership and congregational growth has recently occurred in the Brisbane area.

Victoria British Columbia Temple

The Victoria British Columbia Temple will be the Church's second temple in British Columbia following the Vancouver British Columbia Temple (dedicated in 2010) and the 11th temple in Canada. The new temple will likely service only two stakes - both of which are located on Vancouver Island. The Victoria British Columbia Stake was organized in 1975, whereas the Nanaimo British Columbia Stake was organized in 1997. Both stakes are assigned to the Vancouver British Columbia Temple and are small in terms of the number of congregations. Although no wards or branches have been discontinued on Vancouver Island within the past 15 or so years, there has been only one branch organized during this time. The Church reported 31,171 members in British Columbia as of year-end 2023. There were 203,339 Latter-day Saints in Canada as of year-end 2023. Church membership increased by 1.25% in 2023 - the highest annual membership growth rate seen since 2012.

Maracaibo Venezuela Temple

The Maracaibo Venezuela Temple will be the Church's second temple in Venezuela following the dedication of the Caracas Venezuela Temple in 2000. Maracaibo has been on my list of the most likely cities to have a temple announced for many years, and Venezuela was the country with the most Latter-day Saints with only one temple prior to the new temple announcement. Former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley proposed a temple in Maracaibo in 1999. There are five stakes in the immediate Maracaibo area (the first stake was organized in 1980), and there are two more stakes in nearby cities. Stakes in the area have had many wards discontinued in the past decade due to active members moving away from Venezuela, and unless members return or large numbers of converts are baptized and retained, multiple stakes will likely consolidate in the near future. The Church opened the Venezuela Maracaibo Mission in 1979. Altogether, the new temple will likely service 12 stakes and three districts. The Church reported 176,623 members in Venezuela as of year-end 2023. This summer, Venezuela will also transfer to the Caribbean area from the South America Northwest Area. All stakes in Venezuela are currently assigned to the Caracas Venezuela Temple.

15 New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct 15 new temples in each of the following locations:

• Uturoa, French Polynesia
• Chihuahua, Mexico
• Florianópolis, Brazil
• Rosario, Argentina
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Brisbane, Australia (south area)
  
• Victoria, British Columbia
• Yuma, Arizona
• Houston, Texas (south area)
  
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• West Jordan, Utah
• Lehi, Utah
• Maracaibo, Venezuela

With today's announcement, there are now 350 temples announced, under construction, or dedicated. Moreover, the number of temples planned or dedicated has doubled since 2016 when four temples were announced in April.

New Stakes Created in Mexico (2), the Philippines (2), Angola, Argentina, California, Chile, Colombia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Utah; Stakes Discontinued in California and Utah; New Districts Created in the Dominican Republic and Mozambique; District Discontinued in Argentina, Serbia, and Slovenia

This is a massive blog post on many new stakes organized. Please let me know if you notice any errors or if I missed any stake/district creations/closures in 2023.

Mexico

Two new stakes were organized in Mexico.

The Los Tuxtla Mexico Stake was organized from the Los Tuxtla Mexico District on November 12th. The district was originally created in 1982. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Isla, Lerdo de Tejada, San Andrés Jardín, San Andrés Mirador, and the Sihuapans, and the Baxcaxbaltepec, Catemaco, and Juan Rodriguez Clara Branches. The new stake was the Church's second new stake organized in Mexico in 2023. 

The Monterrey Mexico Lincoln Stake was organized on December 3rd from the Monterrey México Valle Verde Stake and the Monterrey México Mitras Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Fraile, Los Parques, Modelo, San Bernabé 1st, San Bernabé 2nd, and Villas del Poniente Wards. The Church discontinued the Monterrey México Morelos Stake in 2018 which is nearby the newly organized Monterrey Mexico Lincoln Stake.

There are now 230 stakes and 44 districts in Mexico.

The Philippines

Two new stakes were created in the Philippines - both of which were organized from districts on December 3rd.

The Aguilar Philippines Stake was organized from the Aguilar Philippines District (organized in 2001). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Aguilar 1st, Aguilar 2nd, Bugallon, Mangatarem, and Urbiztondo Wards and the Bantocaling Branch. There are now eight stakes in the surrounding areas of the soon-to-be-dedicated Urdaneta Philippines Temple.

After decades of preparation and work, the Toledo Philippines District was finally organized as a district. Organized in 1990 as a district, the Toledo Philippines Stake is the Church's first stake on the western side of Cebu Island. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Aloguinsan, Balamban 1st, Balamban 2nd, Toledo 1st, and Toledo 2nd Wards, and the Lamac, Lutopan, and Tutay-Pinamungahan Branches. There are now seven stakes and one district on Cebu Island.

There are now 128 stakes and 53 districts in the Philippines.

Argentina

The Church organized a new stake in Argentina. The Corrientes Argentina Stake was organized from the Corrientes Argentina District (organized in 1991) and the Goya Argentina District (organized in 1993). The Goya Argentina District was discontinued when the new stake in Corrientes was organized. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Armenia, Costanera, Goya, Laguna Seca, and Mendoza Al Sur Wards and the Bella Vista Branch. Of the five wards in the new stake, four are located in the city of Corrientes. Also, the two branches in the city of Goya were consolidated into one congregation which was reorganized as the Goya Ward.

There are now 79 stakes and 25 districts in Argentina.

Angola

The Viana Angola Stake was organized from the Luanda Angola Stake (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Cacuaco, Kilamba, Terra Nova, Viana, Vila Pacifica, and Zango Wards and the Cazenga and Luanda Sul Branches. The Viana Angola Stake previously operated as a district from 2016 until 2018 when it merged with the Luanda Angola District to create the first stake in Angola. The Church announced the Luanda Angola Temple in October 2023.

There are now two stakes and one district in Angola. Within the past 2 years, many additional cities have had the first branches organized, including Benguela, Caála, Kuito, Malanje, and Menongue. Also, two new wards and two new branches were organized in the Luanda metropolitan area when the Viana Angola Stake as organized.

California

A new stake was organized in California. The Temecula California North Stake was organized on December 3rd from a division of the Temecula California Stake (organized in 2003). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Chaparral, French Valley, La Paz Ward (Spanish), Lake Skinner, Meadowview, Rancho California, and Temecula YSA Wards. The new stake was the Church's second new stake created in California in 2023. 

The Church discontinued one stake in California in 2023. The El Centro California Imperial Valley Stake (organized in 1980) was discontinued. The stake had only three wards and one branch when it was discontinued, although for many years the stake had four wards and one branch. Thus, the closure of the stake has been long overdue due to few congregations in the stake. There were only two wards and two branches from the El Centro area that remained when the stake was closed, and these units were reassigned to the El Cajon California Stake. 

There are now 147 stakes in California.

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile. The Colina Chile Stake was organized on from the Colina Chile District (organized in 1994). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Batuco, Colina, Lampa, San Martin, and Valle Grande Wards and the Isla Juan Fernández and Til-Til Branches. It does not appear that the Colina Chile District ever previously operated as a stake, as none of the previously discontinued stakes in Chile appeared to include cities and towns within the boundaries of the current Colina Chile Stake. 

There are now 78 stakes and 11 districts in Chile. The new Colina Chile Stake was the fourth new stake organized in Chile in 2023 - the most new stakes created in Chile since 1998.

Colombia

A new stake was organized in Colombia on December 10th. The Medellin Colombia Centro Stake was organized from a division of the Medellin Colombia Stake (organized in 1988) and the Medellin Colombia Belen Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Belén, Buenos Aires, El Prado, Floresta, and Villa Hermosa Wards. The new stake is the first new stake organized in Colombia since 2019.

There are now 31 stakes and 10 districts in Colombia.

Mozambique 

A new stake was organized in Mozambique on November 19th. The Zimpeto Mozambique Stake was organized from a division of the Maputo Mozambique Stake (organized in 2015) and the Matola Mozambique Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the CMC, Circular, Magoanine, Matendene, T-3, and Zimpeto Wards and the Boquisso and Marracuene Branches. There are now three stakes in the Maputo metropolitan area. Five new wards and four new branches were organized in the Maputo area when the new stake was organized, including two wards that were organized from member groups (Boane and Catembe). Also, two branches were reorganized into wards (Beluluane and Circular). 

The Church also organized a new district in Mozambique on November 12th. The Maxixe Mozambique District was organized from three mission branches, and one new branch was also organized when the district was created for a total of four branches in the new district. These branches include the Expansão, Homoine, Inhambane, and Maxixe Branches. The Church organized a branch in Maxixe in 2013, and the first branches were organized in Homoine and Inhambane in 2022. It appears likely that additional districts will be organized in Mozambique in the foreseeable future in Tete and Xai-Xai.

There are now seven stakes and two districts in Mozambique.

Nigeria

The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria. The Ondo Nigeria Stake was organized from the Ondo Nigeria District (organized in 2015). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Adeyemi College Road 1st, Adeyemi College Road 2nd, Ondo 1st, Ondo 2nd, Yaba 1st, and Yaba 2nd Wards. The creation of the new stake stands as a major accomplishment given the few congregations in the area, the relatively recent growth of the Church in Ondo, and the Church having previously operated a district in Akure (discontinued in 2009 and reinstated in 2018) that once included two branches in Ondo.

There are now 71 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria.

Sierra Leone

A new stake was organized in Sierra Leone on December 10th. The Freetown Sierra Leone Hill Station Stake was organized from a division of the Sierra Leone Freetown Stake (organized in 2012) and the Freetown Sierra Leone East Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Hill Station 1st, Hill Station 2nd, Mount Aureol, Tengbeh Town, and Wilberforce Wards and the Regent Branch. There are now six stakes in the Freetown metropolitan area - all of which have been organized since 2012. 

There are now 10 stakes and two districts in Sierra Leone.

Utah

A new stake was organized in Utah on December 10th. The South Weber Utah Pioneer Stake was organized from a division of the South Weber Utah Stake (organized in 1988). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Pioneer, South Weber 1st, South Weber 7th, South Weber 8th, South Weber 9th, and South Weber 10th Wards and the Canyon Meadows Branch. 

A stake was discontinued in Utah. The Midvale Utah East Stake (organized in 1968) was discontinued and had five wards in the stake before its closure. It appears that three of the five wards were discontinued. Retained wards were reassigned to the Midvale Utah Union Fort Stake (which now has six wards).

There were 633 stakes and two districts in Utah as of year-end 2023. 2023 was the year with the most stakes ever discontinued in Utah (seven). Nevertheless, there was a net increase of four stakes for Utah in 2023, as there were 11 new stakes organized during the year. Moreover, two new stakes have been organized in Utah in January 2024 which I will report on in another post.

Dominican Republic

The Church reinstated a previously discontinued district in the Dominican Republic on November 5th. The Monte Plata Dominican Republic District was reinstated (originally discontinued in 2010) and includes the following four branches: the Bayaguana, Gonzalo, Monte Plata, and Sabana Grande de Boyá Branches. These branches have been reassigned to one of the stakes in Santo Domingo or directly to the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission.

There are now 22 stakes and nine districts in the Dominican Republic.

Serbia and Slovenia

The Church discontinued the Beograd Serbia District (organized in 1992) and the Ljubljana Slovenia District (organized in 1992) in late 2023. None of the branches in either Serbia or Slovenia were discontinued when these districts were discontinued. All branches were reassigned to the Adriatic North District (which used to be the Zagreb Croatia District). There are now 13 branches in the realigned district which covers the entire Adriatic North Mission, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Extremely slow membership growth has occurred in the former Yugoslavia for many years. The decision to have all branches in a single district was likely made to help consolidate extremely limited leadership manpower in the area. Altogether, the combined membership of these countries as of year-end 2022 was 1,548, with most members living in Croatia and Slovenia. Thus, the region is unlikely to become a stake for many years or decades given current growth trends.

36 New Missions to be Created in 2024 Analysis: Latin America

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

All new missions to be organized in Latin America in 2024 are new missions that have never previously operated. The Church in Latin America has experienced steady growth in the number of missions with only rare instances when a mission has been discontinued. The number of missions in Latin America has increased from 64 as of year-end 1989 to 103 in 1999, 108 in 2009, 150 in 2019, and 152 at present. There will be 161 missions when the nine new missions are organized in 2024.

ARGENTINA TUCUMAN

The Argentina Tucumán Mission will be created from a division of the Argentina Salta Mission (organized in 1988) and possibly also part of the Argentina Cordoba Mission (organized in 1962). The new mission will probably include four stakes and one district located in Tucumán, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero, and La Rioja Provinces which have a combined population of 3.6 million. There are two stakes in Tucumán that were organized in 1980 and 1994. Provinces likely to be assigned to the new mission have some of the lowest estimated percentages of Latter-day Saints in Argentina (less than 1% of the population). Stagnant congregational growth has occurred in the Tucumán area for many years. Slow membership growth has occurred in Argentina for many years, and annual membership growth rates have been less than 1% for several consecutive years now. As of year-end 2022, the Church reported 474,985 Latter-day Saints and 78 stakes in Argentina. There will be 14 missions in Argentina once the new mission is organized. The Church has only once ever discontinued a mission in Argentina, which was the Argentina Posadas Mission (operated from 2013 until 2019). When the new mission is organized next year, the average Argentine mission will have 3.3 million people within its geographical boundaries.

BOLIVIA COCHABAMBA SOUTH

The Bolivia Cochabamba Mission will be created from the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission (organized in 1977) and possibly the Bolivia La Paz El Alto Mission (organized in 2015). There are currently seven stakes in Cochabamba which were organized in 1979, 1984, 1993, 1995, 2012, and 2017 (2). The new mission will likely include multiple stakes in Cochabamba as well as stakes and districts in southern Bolivia, such in Tarija (two stakes organized in 1996 and 2016), Sucre (organized in 1996), and Potosí (organized in 1995), and three districts in Bermejo, Tupiza, and Yacuiba. It is unclear whether the stake in Oruro (organized in 1980) and the district in Llallagua may be reassigned to one of the missions in Cochabamba. The new Bolivia Cochabamba South Mission will be the Church's sixth mission in Bolivia, and each of the three largest metropolitan areas in Bolivia will have two missions. The average mission will have 2.1 million people once the new mission is organized. Annual membership growth rates in Bolivia have typically ranged from 1.5-2.5% in the past decade. Slow congregational growth has occurred in the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission for many years. There were 221,030 Latter-day Saints and 33 stakes in Bolivia as of year-end 2022.

BRAZIL MANAUS SOUTH

The Brazil Manaus South Mission will be the Church's 37th mission in Brazil. One of the most highly anticipated new missions to be organized, the new mission will be organized from a division of the massive Brazil Manaus Mission (organized in 1990) which at present has 12 stakes and one district. The mission currently has approximately seven million people within its geographical boundaries. Thus, the new mission will likely include approximately 3.5 million people, half of the nine stakes in Manaus, and stakes in Porto Velho (organized in 1996) and Rio Branco (organized in 1995). The first stake was organized in Manaus in 1988 followed by additional stakes in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012. The Church in Brazil has been the country with the second most missions (after the United States) for many years. Once the new mission is organized, the average Brazilian mission will have 5.8 million people within its geographical boundaries. The newest missions to have been organized in Brazil after 2013 include the Brazil Rio de Janeiro South Mission (organized in 2018) and the Brazil Recife South Mission (2020). Annual membership growth rates have slowed significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil to approximately 1% a year. Stagnant congregational growth has occur in Manaus for many years. There are nearly 1.5 million Latter-day Saints, 285 stakes, and 39 districts in in Brazil.

CHILE LA SERENA

The Chile La Serena Mission will be the Church's 11th mission in Chile. The new mission will be organized from a division of the Chile Viña del Mar Mission (organized in 1979) and the Chile Antofagasta Mission (organized in 1988). The new mission will likely include three stakes and three districts in northern Chile. There are two stakes in the La Serena area which were organized in 1988 and 2014 (the latter of which was first organized in 1993 but was discontinued in 2002). The new mission was likely organized to reduce long distances to travel for mission leadership and missionaries in northern Chile. Essentially stagnant growth has occurred for the Church in northern Chile for decades. With the creation of the new mission, the average mission in Chile will have 1.8 million people within its geographical boundaries. The Church most recently organized a new mission in Chile in 2013 (Chile Santiago South). Annual membership growth rates in Chile have typically ranged from 0-1% for the past 20 years. The Church reported 604,302 members and 572 congregations as of year-end 2022. There are currently 77 stakes and 12 districts in Chile.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SANTO DOMINGO NORTH

The Dominican Republic Santo Domingo North Stake will be the Church's fourth mission in the Dominican Republic following the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission (organized in 1981), the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission (organized in 1987), and the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission (organized in 1991). The average mission in the Dominican Republic will now have 2.8 million people within its geographical boundaries. There are 14 stakes in the greater Santo Domingo area. The two missions headquartered in Santo Domingo currently administer six districts and one stake in the southern Dominican Republic. The new mission will probably include 4-6 stakes in northern Santo Domingo as well as one district just north of Santo Domingo that was recently reinstated (Monte Plata). Moreover, the new mission may also include one or two districts currently assigned to the southern Dominican Republic Santiago Mission (Bonao and Cotuí). As of year-end 2022, the Church reported 147,566 Latter-day Saints, 22 stakes, and 8 districts in the Dominican Republic. Slow membership growth has occurred for most years in the past couple decades in the Dominican Republic, especially since 2020. The Church most recently created a stake in Santo Domingo in 2019.

ECUADOR QUITO WEST

The Ecuador Quito West Mission will be the Church's seven mission in Ecuador following the Ecuador Quito Mission (organized in 1970), the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission (organized in 1979), the Ecuador Guayaquil North Mission (organized in 1991), the Ecuador Guayaquil West Mission (organized in 2013), the Quito Ecuador North Mission (organized in 2013), and the Ecuador Guayaquil East Mission (organized in 2020). The new mission will likely be created from a division of the two missions in Quito. There are currently eight stakes in Quito which were organized in 1979, 1981, 1995, 1998 (2), 2009, 2013, and 2017. Currently, the two missions headquartered in Quito service a total of 15 stakes in northern Ecuador. Thus, it is likely that the new Quito Ecuador West Mission will include approximately five stakes - two of which would be outside of Quito in Esmeraldas (a stake which is about to divide) and Santo Domingo. The Church has also expanded into the rain forest interior of northeastern Ecuador in the past couple decades, such as in cities like Coco, Nuevo Loja, and Shushufindi. The average mission in Ecuador will now have 2.6 million people within its geographical boundaries. The Church reported 261,767 members as of year-end 2022, and there are currently 44 stakes and 4 districts. Annual membership growth rates in Ecuador have been approximately two percent for many years.

MEXICO MEXICALI

The Mexico Mexicali Mission will be organized from the Mexico Tijuana Mission (organized in 1990) and perhaps also the Mexico Hermosillo Mission (organized in 1960). There are two stakes in Mexicali which were organized in 1977 and 1987. The new mission will likely also include the San Luis Río Colorado Mexico Stake (organized in 2009). Some districts in the northern portion of the Mexico Hermosillo Mission may be also included in the new mission. The Church in Mexicali has experienced stagnant congregational growth for decades, and it ranks as the Mexico-United States border town within Mexico that has arguably experienced the slowest growth of any city in this region notwithstanding its significant population (854,000 people as of 2020).

MEXICO PUEBLA EAST

The Mexico Puebla East Mission will be organized from a division of the Mexico Puebla South Mission (organized in 1988) and the Mexico Puebla North Mission (organized in 2012). Four new stakes and one new district have been organized within the combined areas of the two Puebla missions since the second Puebla mission was organized. There are currently nine stakes in Puebla, three in Nealticán, two in the Tlaxcala area, and one stake each in Atlixco and Tehuacán. The new mission will likely include 5-6 stakes and 1-2 districts.

With the creation of the two new missions in Mexico, there will be a total of 34 missions in Mexico, thereby resulting in the number of missions tying the previous all-time high for the most missions that have ever operated in Mexico (which was 34 from 2013 until 2018 when the Church discontinued the Mexico Ciudad Obregon Mission [organized in 2013] and the Mexico Reynosa Mission [organized in 2013]). The average mission in Mexico will have 3.8 million people within its geographical boundaries once the two new missions are organized. The Church in Mexico has reported very slow membership growth for many years. There were 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in Mexico as of year-end 2022. There are currently 229 stakes and 44 districts in Mexico.

PERU LIMA NORTHEAST

The Peru Lima Northeast Mission will be the Church's 15th mission in Peru and the seventh mission in Lima. Other mission headquartered in Lima include the Peru Lima South Mission (organized in 1959), the Peru Lima North Mission (organized in 1977), the Peru Lima East Mission (organized in 1988), the Peru Lima Central Mission (organized in 1994), the Peru Lima West Mission (organized in 2010), and the Peru Lima Limatambo Mission (organized in 2019). There are 49 stakes in the greater Lima metropolitan area - more stakes than any other metropolitan area in the world outside of Utah. The Church most recently organized new stakes in Lima in 2019. The six missions in Lima currently service a total of 55 stakes, suggesting that each of the Lima missions will have 7-8 stakes once the seventh mission is organized. The average mission in Peru will now have 2.3 million people within its geographical boundaries. Annual membership growth rates have typically ranged from 1-4% within the past 20 years. The Church reported 630,099 members as of year-end 2022. There are currently 115 stakes and 17 districts in Peru.

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

Utah

Five new stakes were recently organized in Utah.

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

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

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

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

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

A stake was discontinued in Utah.

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

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

Chile

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

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

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

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

There are now 77 stakes and 12 districts in Chile.

Cote d'Ivoire

Two new stakes were created in Cote d'Ivoire.

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

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

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

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

California

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

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

Madagascar

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

There are now four stakes and two districts in Madagascar.

Mexico

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

There are now 228 stakes and 45 districts in Mexico.

Missouri 

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

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

Nigeria

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

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

South Carolina

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

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

Zimbabwe 

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

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

Australia

Two districts were discontinued in Queensland, Australia. 

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

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

There are now 41 stakes and four districts in Australia.

Guatemala

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

There are now 52 stakes and 12 districts in Guatemala.

Federated States of Micronesia

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

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).