28 New Stakes and 11 New Districts Created; Three Stakes and One District Discontinued

Over the past three months, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has experienced an unusually strong period of administrative growth and reorganization, marked by the creation of 28 new stakes and 11 new districts worldwide. In total, 93 new stakes have been organized in 2025—the highest annual total since 2016—while 31 new districts were created during the year, the most since 2015. This recent acceleration reflects continued expansion in high-growth regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, and across sub-Saharan Africa, alongside strategic realignment and consolidation in more mature areas including Utah and Brazil. Collectively, these developments highlight a Church that is rapidly establishing new centers of strength while simultaneously adjusting its administrative footprint to align with shifting demographic and membership trends.

Utah

The Church has organized five new stakes and discontinued three stakes in Utah.

New Stakes 

The Orem Utah YSA 5th Stake was organized on September 21st from the Orem Utah YSA 4th Stake and other stakes in the area. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Orem YSA 16th, Orem YSA 19th, Orem YSA 24th, Orem YSA 25th, Orem YSA 27th, Orem YSA 32nd, Orem YSA 33rd, and Orem YSA 49th Wards. 

The Payson Utah Arrowhead Stake was organized on October 19th from the Payson Utah Mountain View Stake (organized in 1974). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Mountain View 4th, Mountain View 5th, Mountain View 6th, Mountain View 7th, Mountain View 8th, and Mountain View 11th (Spanish) Wards. There are now six stakes in Payson.

The Vineyard Utah YSA Stake was organized on October 19th from the Orem Utah YSA 1st Stake (organized in 1984), the Orem Utah YSA 3rd Stake, and possibly additional YSA stakes in the area. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Orem YSA 6th, Orem YSA 9th, Orem YSA 13th, Orem YSA 31st, Orem YSA 45th, Orem YSA 47th, and the Orem YSA 48th Wards.

The Santaquin Utah South Stake was organized on November 2nd from the Santaquin Utah Stake (organized in 1917) and the Santaquin Utah East Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Foothills, Summit Creek, Summit Ridge 1st, Summit Ridge 7th, and Summit Ridge 8th Wards. There are now four stakes in Santaquin.

The Elk Ridge Utah West Stake was organized on November 16th from the Elk Ridge Utah Stake (organized in 2002). The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Elk Ridge 5th, Elk Ridge 6th, Elk Ridge 8th, Elk Ridge 10th, Elk Ridge 11th, Elk Ridge 13th, and Elk Ridge 14th Wards and the Elk Ridge 9th Branch. There are now two stakes in Elk Ridge.

Discontinued Stakes 

The Salt Lake Riverside Stake (organized in 1940) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Salt Lake Rose Park Stake and the Salt Lake Pioneer Stake. 

 

The Taylorsville Utah Central Stake (organized in 1973) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Taylorsville Utah Heritage Park Stake (formerly the Taylorsville Utah Valley Park Stake). 

 

The Salt Lake Winder West Stake (organized in 1975) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Salt Lake Winder Stake. 

 

These areas of Salt Lake City where these three stakes were discontinued have experienced stagnant growth and congregational decline for many years due to active members moving away and few convert baptisms among non-Latter-day Saint move-ins. It is likely that 1-2 dozen more stakes may consolidate in the Salt Lake metropolitan area in the next decade due to these trends.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

The Church has organized four new stakes and five new districts in the DR Congo.

New Stakes 

The Kasumbalesa DR Congo Stake was organized on November 9th from the Kasumbalesa DR Congo District (organized in 2020). The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Bilanga, Golf, Kasumbalesa 1st, and Kasumbalesa 2nd Wards and the Musoshi and Peage Branches. It is unclear whether all of the information has been updated on the meetinghouse locator in terms of additional branches that may have become wards considering newly organized stakes typically have at least five wards. 

The Kinshasa DR Congo Fer Bois Stake was also organized on November 9th from the division of the Kinshasa DR Congo N'Djili Stake (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Fer Bois 1st, Fer Bois 2nd, Kingasani 1st, Kingasani 4th, Mokali, Mulie, and Sakombi Wards. There are now 18 stakes in Kinshasa - more than any other city on the Afro-Eurasian landmass.

The Luputa DR Congo Katubi Stake was organized on November 23rd from a division of the Luputa DR Congo Stake (organized in 2011 and most recently divided in 2021). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kasakayi, Katubi, Luputa 2nd, Lusuku 1st, and Lusuku 2nd Wards. There are now three stakes in Luputa (the second stake was organized in 2021 and also appears likely to divide soon). 

The Lubumbashi DR Congo Upemba Stake was organized on November 30th from a division of the Katuba Democratic Republic of Congo Stake (organized in 2009) and the Kisanga Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Du Parc, Gecamines 1st, Gecamines 2nd, Katuba 3rd, Salongo, and Upemba Wards. There are now six stakes in Lubumbashi. The other three stakes not involved with the new stake creation were created in 1997, 2017, and 2024.

New Districts 

The Luiza DR Congo District was organized on November 9th from mission branches in the DR Congo Kananga Mission. Two new branches were created when the new district was formed. There are four branches in the district: Kabumba, Luiza, Plaine 1st, and Plaine 2nd. The Church created its first official branch in Luiza in 2023.

The Muanda DR Congo District was organized on November 16th from mission branches in the DR Congo Kinshasa West Mission. One new branch was organized when the district was formed. The new district includes the following three branches: Muanda 1st, Muanda 2nd, and Muanda 3rd. The first branch in Muanda was organized in 2019.

The Boma DR Congo District was organized on November 23rd from mission branches in the DR Congo Kinshasa West Mission. One new branch was organized when the district was formed. The new district includes the following three branches: Boma 1st, Boma 2nd, and Boma 3rd. The first branch in Boma was organized in 2018.

The Kimpese DR Congo District was organized on November 30th from mission branches in the DR Congo Kinshasa West Mission. One new branch was organized when the district was formed which is also the first branch to ever be organized in the city of Lukala. The new district includes the following four branches: Kimpese, Lukala, Madiadia, and Mbuka. The first branch in Kimpese was organized in 2023.

The Tshikapa DR Congo District was organized on December 14th from mission branches in the DR Congo Kananga Mission. Two new branches were created when the new district was formed. There are four branches in the district: Kanzala, Sami, Tshikapa 1st, and Tshikapa 2nd. The Church created its first official branch in Tshikapa in 2024. 

There are now 44 stakes and 10 districts in the DR Congo. At the beginning of 2025, there were 32 stakes and three districts in the country. Moreover, more than 80 new wards and branches have been created in the DR Congo since January 1st - the largest net increase in congregations for any country in the world (excluding the United States) since there was a net increase of 101 congregations in Nigeria in 2017.

Philippines

Four new stakes were created in the Philippines.

The Alaminos Philippines Stake was organized on November 2nd from the Alaminos Philippines District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alaminos 1st, Alaminos 2nd, Bani, Bolinao, and Hundred Island Wards and the Mabini Branch.

The Santa Rosa Philippines Stake was organized on November 2nd from the Calamba Philippines Stake (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cabuyao 1st, Cabuyao 2nd, Santa Rosa 1st, Santa Rosa 2nd, and Santa Rosa 3rd Wards and the Santa Rosa 4th Branch.

The Marbel Philippines Stake was organized on November 30th from the Marbel Philippines District (organized in 1991). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Marbel 1st, Marbel 2nd, San Jose, Surallah, and Tacurong Wards and the Bañga, Isulan, Masiag, and T'Boli Branches. 

 

The Bocaue Philippines Stake was organized on December 7th from the Valenzuela Philippines Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bocaue, Meycauayan 1st, Meycauayan 2nd, Pandi, and Santa Maria Bulacan Wards.

 

There are now 141 stakes and 49 districts in the Philippines. There have been 10 new stakes created in the Philippines since January 1st. 

 

Mozambique

 

Two new stakes and one new district were created in Mozambique. 

 

The Chimoio Mozambique Stake was organized on November 23rd from the Chimoio Mozambique District (organized in 2019). The new stake likely has five wards and one branch, although some of the unit information does not yet appear to have been updated. Currently, the meetinghouse locator reports two wards and four branches: the 7 de Abril and Liberdade Wards and the Baixa, Chimoio, Gondola, and Soalpo Branch. The creation of this new stake was highly unusual because there were only three branches in the district before the stake was organized. Thus, the Church organized three new congregations at the time the stake was created. It is extremely uncommon for the Church to have a district become a stake with only three branches prior to the stake creation. The Gondola Branch is the Church's first branch in the nearby city of Gondola. The two wards that are currently showing on the meetinghouse locator are new congregations that did not previously operate as branches.

 

The Beira Mozambique Aeroporto Stake was organized on November 30th from the Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Aeroporto, Manga Loforte, Maraza 1st, Maraza 2nd, and Mascarenha Wards and the Chota and Cirol Branches. The new stake is the Church's fifth stake in Beira. The first stake was organized in Beira in 2015 followed by additional stakes in 2017, 2023, and 2024.

The Xai-Xai Mozambique District was created on December 14th. The new district includes the following three branches that previously were directly supervised by the Mozambique Maputo Mission: the Chinunguine, Limpopo, and Xai-Xai Branches. The first official branch of the Church in Xai-Xai was created in 2022.

 

There are now 10 stakes and three districts in Mozambique. 

 

Spain

Two new stakes were created in Spain on November 23rd.

The Granollers Spain Stake was organized from a division of the Barcelona Spain Stake (organized in 1982). The new stake includes the following four wards and five branches: the Badalona, Girona, Granollers, and Mataró Wards and the Blanes, Figueres, Olot, Platja d'Aro, and Vic Branches. Most of the branches in the new stake have been organized in the past couple of years. There are now three stakes in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

The Madrid Spain South Stake was organized from a division of the Madrid Spain Central Stake (organized in 2012) and the Madrid Spain West Stake (organized in 1982). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Aranjuez, Arganda del Rey, Leganés, Móstoles, and Toledo Wards and the Alcázar, Ciudad Real, Parla, Talavera, and Valdepeñas Branches. The other stake in Madrid, the Madrid Spain East Stake, was organized in 1999. There are now four stakes in Madrid - tying with Lisbon, Portugal, as the metropolitan area with the most stakes of any metropolitan area in continental Europe. 

 

There are now 17 stakes and one district in Spain.  

 

Brazil

 

A new stake was created and a district was discontinued in Brazil. 

 

The Itacoatiara Brazil Stake was organized on December 14th from the Itacoatiara Brazil District (organized in 1994) and two mission branches. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Itacoatiara, Itaporanga, Maués, Parintins, and Pedra Pintada Wards.

 

The Sousa Brazil District (organized in 2009) was discontinued. There were five branches in the district prior to its discontinuation. Two of the branches were consolidated with the Sousa Branch to create the Sousa ward in the Caicó Brazil Stake (which also had two units discontinued). The decision to discontinue the district appeared motivated by strengthening the Caicó Brazil Stake to meet heightened standards for stakes to operate in Brazil so it was not discontinued. The Church in Brazil has consolidated dozens of wards and branches in the past two years to increase the number of active members per congregation.

 

There are now 289 stakes and 34 districts in Brazil. 

Arizona

A new stake was created in Arizona.

The Heber Arizona Stake was organized on December 7th from a division of the Payson Arizona Stake (organized in 2000) and the Silver Creek Arizona Stake (organized in 1980). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Black Canyon, Buckskin Canyon, Clay Springs, Mogollon Rim, and Pinedale Wards and the Young Branch. 

There are now 120 stakes and three districts in Arizona. 

Canada

A new stake was created in Alberta, Canada. 

The Calgary Alberta Nose Hill Stake was organized on November 9th from the Calgary Alberta North Stake (organized in 1966) and the Calgary Alberta West Stake (organized in 1979). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Arbour Lake, Dalhousie, Mount Pleasant, Panorama, Symons Valley, and Tipton Road Wards. 

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile.

The Antofagasta Chile East Stake was organized on November 23rd from a division of the Antofagasta Chile Stake (organized in 1980) and the Antofagasta Chile La Portada Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Antofagasta Centro, Bolívar, Caliche, Centenario, and Las Rocas Wards. There are now three stakes in Antofagasta. The Church once operated three stakes in Antofagasta from 1993 to 2002 when the Antofagasta Chile Caliche Stake was discontinued.

There are now 81 stakes and nine districts in Chile. 

Republic of the Congo

A new stake was organized in the Republic of the Congo.

The Kintélé Republic of the Congo Stake was organized on November 30th from a division of the Brazzaville Republic of Congo Stake (organized in 2003). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ferme, Kintélé, Makabandjilou, Mikalou, and Nkombo Wards. There are now four stakes in Brazzaville. The other two stakes in Brazzaville were organized in 2014 and 2020.

There are now four stakes in the Republic of the Congo. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho.

The Rexburg Idaho Teton River Stake was organized on December 7th from a division of the Rexburg Idaho Henry's Fork Stake (organized in 2008) and the Rexburg Idaho North Stake (organized in 1945). The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Mill Hollow 2nd, Moran View, Riverside, Salem 1st, Salem 2nd, Salem 3rd, Stonebridge, and Teton River 2nd Wards. There are now 23 stakes in Rexburg.

There are now 147 stakes in Idaho - the second most of any state in the United States.

Kiribati

A new stake was created in Kiribati. 

The Tarawa Kiribati North Stake was organized on October 19th from the Tarawa Kiribati North District (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Abaokoro, Bonriki, Buota, Temaiku 1st, and Temaiku 2nd Wards and the Abatao, Kainaba, Nabeina, and Tearinibai Branches. The Church organized a third stake on Tarawa Atoll in September 2025. 

There are now four stakes and two districts in Kiribati. 

México

A new stake was created in Mexico which is technically a reinstatement of a previously discontinued stake.

The Minatitlán México Stake was organized from the Minatitlán México District (organized in 2018 following the discontinuation of the Minatitlán México Stake and the Minatitlán México Tecnológico Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Buena Vista, Jagüey, Justo Sierra, Manantial, San Pedro, and Tenochtitlán Wards.

There are now 231 stakes and 42 districts in Mexico. 

Peru

A new stake was organized in Peru.

The Huánuco Peru Viña del Río Stake was organized on November 30th, 2025, from the Huánuco Perú Stake (organized in 1990). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cayhuayna, Huánuco Central, Pillco Mozo, Tarapacá, and Viña del Río Wards. There are now three stakes in Huánuco, and the city appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement due to remote location. The other stake in Huánuco was organized in 1995.

There are now 118 stakes and 17 districts in Peru. 

Uganda

A new stake was created in Uganda.

The Gulu Uganda Stake was organized from the Gulu Uganda District (organized in 2019). All six branches in the district became wards, including Bardege 1st, Bardege 2nd, Gulu, Lacor, Laroo, and Pece. The new stake is a major accomplishment considering the Church had struggled for many years with leadership challenges that required significant mission president support. The first branch in Gulu was organized in 2008.

There are now four stakes and four districts in Uganda. 

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created in Zimbabwe.

The Domboshawa Zimbabwe Stake was organized on November 9th, 2025, from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 1999). There are only four wards in the new stake (Domboshawa 1st, Domboshawa 2nd, Domboshawa 3rd, and Hatcliffe), suggesting that additional wards will likely be created in the immediate future.

There are now 12 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Kenya

Two new districts were created in Kenya.

The Bungoma Kenya District was organized on December 7th from a division of the Kitale Kenya District (organized in 2019). The new district includes the following five branches: the Bungoma, Mautuma, Misikhu, Ndivisi, and the Webuye Branches. The Church has experienced rapid growth in western Kenya in the past few years, resulting in the creation of many new branches and now five new districts since 2019. This growth appears to have prompted the creation of the new Kenya Kisumu Mission in 2026. Other districts in the area include Eldoret (organized in 2011), Busia (2019), Kisumu (2019), and Vihiga (2025). More districts are likely to be created soon, such as in Bomet, and the first stake in the region may soon be organized in Eldoret or Kisumu.

The Makindu Kenya District was organized on December 7th from a division of the Kyulu Kenya Stake (organized in 2024). At least two branches appear to pertain to the new district (Makindu 1st and Makindu 2nd). 

There are now four stakes and 10 districts in Kenya. 

Cote d'Ivoire 

A new district was created in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Tiassale Cote d'Ivoire District was organized on December 14th from mission branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the N'Zianouan, Ndouci, Sikensi, and Tiassale Branches. All of these branches have been organized since 2022 in cities that were previously unreached by the Church.

There are now 23 stakes and nine districts in Cote d'Ivoire. 

Ghana

A new district was organized in Ghana.

The Mankessim Ghana District was organized on November 16th, 2025, from the Yamoransa Ghana Stake (organized in 2016). The new district includes the following eight branches: the Ajumako, Denkyira, Mando, Mankessim 1st, Mankessim 2nd, Otuam, Pebi, and Saltpond Branches. The decision to create the district was likely to help prepare the area to become its own stake one day. Previous mission presidents have commented how Mankessim appears likely to have its own stake one day given the growth of the Church in the area.

There are now 31 stakes and 13 districts in Ghana. 

Ethiopia

A new district was created in Ethiopia.

The Addis Ababa Ethiopia Bishoftu District was organized on December 7th. The new district was created from one branch (Debre Zeit) originally assigned to the Addis Ababa Ethiopia District (organized in 2009). The new district includes the following three branches: the Babogaya, Debre Zeit, and Dukem Branches.

There are now two districts in Ethiopia. 

51 New Stakes Created in 2025 Thus Far; New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (4), Colorado, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and the Philippines; New Districts Created in Angola and the DR Congo

The Church has created at least 51 new stakes thus far in 2025 - the highest number of new stakes created during the first half of the calendar year since 2016 when there were a total of 100 new stakes created for the year. See below for a pie chart showing the distribution of new stakes created thus far in 2025 versus the first 50 new stakes created in 2016. As indicated by these pie charts, the distribution of new stakes created in 2025 is remarkably similar to 2016 except with more new stakes created in North America and fewer new stakes created in Latin America in 2025.

Prospects appear likely for many new stakes to be created for the remainder of 2025. For example, one recent report from a senior missionary serving in the Africa Central Area noted that there will be 17 new stakes organized just within this area alone by the end of the year (so far this year, eight new stakes have been organized in the Africa Central Area). To put this into perspective, the Africa Central Area has generally had fewer than five new stakes per year but will reportedly have 25 new stakes in 2025 - approximately half the number of new stakes organized in an average year during the past two decades. 

Now, for an update new stakes recently created:

DR Congo 

Four new stakes and one new district were recently created in the DR Congo. 

Three new stakes were created in the city of Kananga on June 15th where the total number of stakes increased from three to six, as each of the previous three stakes was divided to create a new stake. The new Kananga DR Congo Ndesha Stake is reported to include the following six wards: the Kapanda, Katoka 1st, Kele-Kele, Lulua, Ndesha 3rd, and Tshibandabanda Wards. The new Kananga DR Congo Lukonga Stake includes the following five wards: the Kamilabi, Lukonga 1st, Lukonga 2nd, Ndesha 1st, and the Ndesha 2nd Wards. Information on which wards are assigned to the new Kananga DR Congo Nganza Stake remains unavailable. 

The Church organized its 16th stake in Kinshasa on June 22nd. The Kinshasa DR Congo Kimbwala Stake was organized from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Lukunga Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Kimbwala 1st, Kimbwala 2nd, Lutendele 1st, Lutendele 2nd, Mbudi, and Tshikapa Wards and the Mafuta Branch. Kinshasa now ties with Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, as the metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass with the most stakes (16). Several more new stakes appear likely to be created in Kinshasa in the immediate future from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo N'Djili Stake (11 wards, 2 branches), the Kinshasa DR Congo Ngaliema Stake (11 wards), and the Kinshasa DR Congo Kimbanseke Stake (10 wards). 

Finally, a new district was recently created from three mission branches in the city of Kikwit where the first branch was organized in 2021. The Kikwit DR Congo District includes the following three branches: the Kazamba, the Kikwit, and the Lukolela Branches. The new district is the Church's fourth new district to be organized in the DR Congo in 2025. 

There are now 38 stakes and five districts in the DR Congo. The DR Congo now has the 14th most stakes of any country in the world, having recently surpassed Bolivia (33), Venezuela (33), and Colombia (32). In addition to the three large stakes in Kinshasa that appear likely to divide in the immediate future, six more stakes appear likely to divide in the near future, including:

• Katuba DR Congo Stake (11 wards) 
• Kolwezi DR Congo Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
• Luputa DR Stake (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Mbuji-Mayi DR Congo Stake (9 wards) 
• Mwene-Ditu DR Congo Stake (9 wards, 2 branches - NOTE: this stake divided in June 2024)
• Ngandajika DR Congo Stake (11 wards - NOTE: this stake was just created in March 2023)

Consequently, there may be as many as 47 stakes in the DR Congo by year-end 2026, which would place the DR Congo as the country with the 11th most stakes in the world. 

Colorado

A new stake was created in Colorado on June 8th. The Fruita Colorado Stake was created from a division of the Grand Junction Colorado West Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Adobe Creek, Aspen, Highline, Monument, Rimrock, and Salt Wash Wards. There are now three stakes in Grand Junction (the first stake in the city was created in 1955). The new stake is the Church's first new stake in Colorado since 2017.

There are now 36 stakes in Colorado. 

Papua New Guinea

The Church organized a new stake in Papua New Guinea. The Oro Papua New Guinea Stake was created from the Oro Papua New Guinea District (organized in 2002) on June 22nd. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ititi, Korisata, Popondetta 1st, Popondetta 2nd, and Utukiari Wards. Rapid growth has recently occurred in this area of Papua New Guinea which has had a Church presence for several decades. At the beginning of the conference to create the new stake, 107 new converts were baptized in the Bangoho River. There also appear to be several member groups that operate within the stake, such as in Afore, Kiorata, Sangara, and Warigena (per previously shown meetinghouses on the meetinghouse locator website which are now no longer visible). 

The Church in Papua New Guinea has had an unprecedented year in regard to new stake creations, as stakes were recently organized nine months earlier in Madang (September 2024) and one month earlier in Lae (May 2025). Moreover, local members report that a new stake will be created from the Minj Papua New Guinea District on August 3rd. There are currently five stakes and nine districts in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea has one of the most rural populations in the world (86.3%) which has complicated efforts to create stakes in areas with low population density and limited accessibility due to remoteness. Several additional districts appear likely to become stakes in the foreseeable future, including Gerehu (seven branches), Moveave (eight branches), Rigo (10 branches), and Sogere (11 branches). With each new stake created, the prospects increase for the expansion into unreached areas, as mission resources can be rebalanced from strengthening districts to become stakes to establishing groups and branches in additional communities. Papua New Guinea has enormous potential to become a major powerhouse for the Church in the Pacific considering it is one of the most populous nations in the region with over 10 million people yet remains only 0.38% Latter-day Saint.

Peru

A new stake was created in Peru on June 22nd. The Cañete Perú Stake was organized from the Cañete Perú District (organized in 1997). All five branches in the former district were organized into wards, namely the Cañete, the Imperial, the Mala, the Nuevo Imperial, and the Quilmaná Wards.

There are now 117 stakes and 17 districts in Peru. 

Philippines

A new stake was created in the Philippines on June 22nd. The Siniloan Philippines Stake was created from the Siniloan Philippines District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Pakil 1st, Pakil 2nd, Santa Maria, Siniloan 1st, and Siniloan 2nd Ward and the Infanta Branch. The new stake is the Church's second new stake to be created in the Philippines this year.

There are now 133 stakes and 54 districts in the Philippines. 

Angola 

The Church recently organized a new district in Angola. The Menongue Angola District includes three branches (including one newly organized branch created at the time of the district's formation). The two original branches in Menongue previously were under the direct supervision of the Angola Luanda Mission. The three branches in the new district are the Menongue 1st, Menongue 2nd, and the Menongue 3rd Branches. The Church created its first branch in Menongue in 2022.

There are now two stakes and three districts in Angola.  

New Stakes Created in Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington; New Districts Created in the DR Congo (2) and Colombia; Districts Discontinued in Brazil and Colombia

Cameroon 

The Church created its first stake in the African nation of Cameroon on June 1st. The Yaounde Cameroon Stake was organized from the Yaounde Cameroon District (organized in 2012). Over 900 people attended the meeting to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Anguissa, the Bastos, the Ekounou, the Eleveur, and the Mimboman Wards and the Biyem-Assi, the Messassi, the Obili (English), and the Soa Branches. Reports over the past couple years have noted that the district was close to becoming a stake but continued to need to maintain the minimum standards for the stake to be created. Cameroon is the second African nation thus far in 2025 to have had its first stake organized (the first stake in Tanzania was organized in Dar es Salaam in January). 

There is now one stake and one district in Cameroon. The Church reported 3,327 members in Cameroon as of year-end 2024. 

Chile 

The Church organized a new stake in Chile on May 11th. The Alto Hospicio Chile Stake was organized from the Alto Hospicio Chile District (organized in 2005) which was created when the Church's second stake in Iquique, the Iquique Chile South Stake, was discontinued (originally organized in 1997). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the La Pampa, the Las Américas, the Los Aromos, the Los Cóndores, and the Tarapacá Wards and the Pica and Pozo Almonte Branches. Local leaders are ambitious that a third stake may be created in Iquique one day, although this goal appears unlikely to be reached for many years considering the Iquique Chile Stake has only six wards. The new stake in Alto Hospicio is the first new stake created in northern Chile since 2014.

There are now 80 stakes and nine districts in Chile. 

Colombia

A new stake was organized in Colombia from the Palmira Colombia District (organized in 1986) and the Tuluá Colombia District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Bizerta, Buga, El Recreo, Santa Bárbara, and Tuluá Wards and the Andalucía, El Cerrito, and Zarzal Branches. Several branches were discontinued as part of the process of converting branches into wards, including two branches in Tuluá and one branch in Buga. 

A new district was organized from three mission branches in the Colombia Bogota North Mission. The Casanare Colombia District was organized with three branches, namely the Aguazul, the El Alcaraván, and the Los Helechos Branches.

There are now 32 stakes and nine districts in Colombia. 

Kansas

A new stake was organized in Kansas on June 1st. The Overland Park Kansas Stake was organized from the Lenexa Kansas Stake (organized in 1994) and the Olathe Kansas Stake (organized in 1986). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Heritage Park, Overland Park 1st, Overland Park 2nd, Overland Park 3rd, Paola, and Stanley Wards and the Mound City Branch. The new stake is the first new stake created in Kansas since the Garden City Kansas Stake was organized in 2003.

There are now eight stakes in Kansas. 

Maine

A new stake was organized in Maine on June 8th. The Portland Maine Stake was organized from the Augusta Maine Stake (organized in 1968). The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Cornish, Oxford, Portland, Saco, Topsham, Windham, and Yarmouth Wards and the Casco Bay YSA Branch. The other two stakes and the Saint John New Brunswick Stake were also realigned as part of the new stake creation. The last time a new stake was created in Maine was in 1986.

There are now three stakes in Maine.

Missouri

A new stake was organized in Missouri on June 8th. The Shoal Creek Missouri Stake was created from the Liberty Missouri Stake (organized in 1979) and the Platte City Missouri Stake (organized in 1997). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the New Mark, North Kansas City, Oak Grove, Platte Woods, Smithville Lake, and Tiffany Springs Wards and the San Rafael (Spanish) Branch.

Papua New Guinea

A new stake was organized in Papua New Guinea on May 25th. The Lae Papua New Guinea Stake was organized from the Lae Papua New Guinea District (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Lae, Malahang, Ngasuwampu, Taraka, Wara Kalap, and Yalu Bridge Wards and the Kavieng and Yalu Branches. The creation of the new stake is a major success that would have been unlikely without the creation of the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission in 2013. More information about the creation of the new stake can be found here. The new stake is the Church's second stake to be created in northern Papua New Guinea within the past 12 months.

There are now four stakes and 10 districts in Papua New Guinea. 

Also, the Church's fifth stake in Papua New Guinea, the Oro Papua New Guinea Stake, is scheduled to be organized on June 15th. 

Peru

A new stake was organized in Peru on May 18th. The Lima Perú La Victoria Stake was organized from the Lima Perú Limatambo Stake (organized in 1970), the Lima Perú Magdalena Stake (organized in 1974), and the Lima Perú San Luis Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Balconcillo, the El Porvenir, the Jesús María, the La Victoria, and the Santa Beatriz Wards. 

There are now 50 stakes in the Lima metropolitan area - more than any other metropolitan area in the world outside of the United States.

There are now 116 stakes and 18 districts in Peru. The Cañete Perú Stake will be organized from the Cañete Perú District on June 22nd.

Tennessee

A new stake was created in Tennessee on June 8th from the Chattanooga Tennessee Stake. The new Cleveland Tennessee Stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Athens, Cleveland, Dalton, Dayton, and Ooltewah Wards and the Collegedale Branch. This new stake is the Church's second new stake to be created in Tennessee this year.

There are now 13 stakes in Tennessee.

Utah

A new stake was organized in Utah on June 8th. The Lehi Utah Hardman Farms Stake was organized from a division of the Lehi Utah Holbrook Farms Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Hardman Farms 1st, Hardman Farms 2nd, Hardman Farms 3rd, Hardman Farms 4th, Hardman Farms 5th, and the Hardman Farms 6th Wards.

There are now 25 stakes in Lehi. 

There are now 644 stakes and six districts in Utah. 

Virginia

A new stake was organized in Virginia on June 1st. The Mechanicsville Virginia Stake was organized from the Richmond Virginia Stake, the Richmond Virginia Chesterfield Stake, the Richmond Virginia Midlothian Stake, and the Newport News Virginia Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Chickahominy, Meadowbrook, Mechanicsville, Scotchtown, and Tappahannock Wards and the New Kent and Richmond Branches. 

There are now four stakes in the Richmond metropolitan area.

There are now 25 stakes in Virginia. 

Washington

A new stake was organized in Washington State on June 1st. The Moses Lake Washington Stake was organized from the Moses Lake Washington Stake and one branch from the Spokane Washington West Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Garden Heights, Larson Heights, O'Sullivan, Pioneer, and Ridgeview Wards and the Ritzville Branch. 

There are now two stakes in Moses Lake. 

There are now 62 stakes in Washington State.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Two new districts were recently organized in the DR Congo. 

The Bandundu DR Congo District was organized from three branches that formerly were under the direct supervision of the DR Congo Kinshasa South Mission, namely the Bandundu, Disasi, and Mayoyo Branches. All three branches are located in the city of Bandundu where the first branch was created in 2020.

The Tshitenge Democratic Republic of the Congo District was organized from four branches in the Dibindi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2022) and one recently organized mission branch (Lukalaba). The new district includes the following five branches: the Kabwe, Kambanja, Lukalaba, Sangu, and the Tshitenge Branches. The first branch in this area was created in Tshitenge in 2011 back when Mbuji-Mayi was a district.

Prospects appear favorable for the organization of many additional districts in the DR Congo due to the rapid and unprecedented expansion of the Church into previously unreached areas. Locations that appear likely to have districts organized within the near future include Boma (2 branches), Bukavu (2 branches), Kamanda (2 branches), Kikwit (3 branches), Kimpese (3 branches), Kipushi (2 branches), Luiza (2 branches), Muanda (2 branches), Tshikapa (2 branches), and Uvira (2 branches).

There are now 34 stakes and five districts in the DR Congo. On June 15th, three new stakes will be created in Kananga and one new stake will be created in Kinshasa, thereby bringing the total number of stakes in the country to 38.

Brazil

A district was recently discontinued in Brazil. The Três Rios Brazil District (organized in 2016) was discontinued. The district previously had five branches. Two branches in Três Rios were consolidated to create a ward in the Petrópolis Brazil Stake and one branch was also assigned to this stake. Another branch was reassigned to the Volta Redonda Brazil Stake (Vassouras) and another branch was discontinued (Valença).

There are now 288 stakes and 35 districts in Brazil. 

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 Stakes Created in Utah (5), Idaho (4), the Philippines (2), Argentina, Chile, DR Congo, Ghana, Indiana, Nevada, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Utah (2), Benin, Brazil, Ecuador, Honduras, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and the Philippines; Stakes Discontinued in Australia and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Canada, Chile, Guatemala, and Ireland

With many new stakes organized in the United States recently, the Church surpassed 1,700 stakes in the United States for the first time. As of this post, there were 1,705 stakes and 8 districts in the United States.

Utah 

Five new stakes were created in Utah.

The Salt Lake Utah Central Stake (Tongan) was organized in May 19th from the Salt Lake Utah West Stake (Tongan) which was organized in 2019. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Kearns 9th, the Kearns 13th, the Midvale 14th, the Oquirrh 11th, the Taylorsville 5th, the Taylorsville 6th, and the West Jordan 8th Wards. There are now seven Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah.

The West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows Stake (Spanish) was organized on May 19th from various stakes in the Salt Lake County area. More than 1,000 attended the conference to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Bingham Creek, the Cobble Creek 5th, the Copper Hills 5th, the Mountain View 4th, the Oquirrh Point 5th, the River 9th, the Westbrook 10th, and the Westland 5th Wards - all of which are Spanish-speaking congregations. The new stake is the Church's first Spanish-speaking stake to be created in Utah. There are nearly 180 Spanish-speaking wards and branches in Utah. More information about the creation of the new stake can be found here. This article noted that there are plans to create two more Spanish-speaking stakes and two more Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah in the near future.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Sweetwater Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Eagle Mountain Utah West Stake (organized in 2002). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cedar Valley (Spanish), the Eagle Mountain 2nd, the Eagle Mountain 7th, the Eagle Mountain 11th, and the Sweetwater Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The Mapleton Utah Maple Canyon Stake was recently organized from the Mapleton Utah Stake (organized in 1975) and the Mapleton Utah West Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following nine wards: the Mapleton 4th, the Mapleton 14th, the Mapleton 16th, the Mapleton 22nd, the Mapleton 25th, the Mapleton 28th, the Mapleton 34th, the Mapleton 37th, and the Mapleton 40th Wards. There are now five stakes in Mapleton.

The Washington Utah Coral Canyon Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Washington Utah East Stake (organized in 2008) and the The new stake includes the following eight wards and two branches: the Copperleaf, the Coral Canyon 1st, the Coral Canyon 2nd, the Coral Canyon 3rd, the Highland Park, the Leeds 1st, the Leeds 2nd, and the Sienna Hills Wards and the Washington 10th and Washington 12th (Correctional Facility) Branches. There are now 29 stakes in the St. George metropolitan area.

Two new districts were created in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District and the Wasatch Shoreline Youth District Correctional Facility District were recently organized to accommodate adults and youth who are incarcerated in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District includes the following 11 branches: the Brigham City 27th, the Cache 3rd, the Duncomb Hollow, the Farmington 22nd, the Metropolitan 1st, the Metropolitan 2nd, the Oxbow, the Summit, the Tooele 16th, the Water Tower, and the Weber Branches. The Wasatch Shoreline Youth District includes the following 13 branches: the Alma, the Brigham City 28th, the Cache 4th, the Copper Hills, the Decker Lake, the Farmington Bay, the Lakeside, the Millcreek (in Ogden), the Millcreek (a duplicate name but a different branch located in Cottonwood Heights), the Riverside, the Slate Canyon 12th, the Weber Valley, and the West Ridge Branches. Prior to the creation of the districts, these correctional facility and youth center branches were administered by local stakes or the Great Salt Lake Utah District (Correctional Facility) which was organized in January of 2021.

One stake was discontinued in Utah. The Sandy Utah YSA Stake (created in 2011) was discontinued. Wards in the former YSA stake were reassigned to the Draper Utah YSA Stake and the Murray Utah YSA Stake (which each now have seven wards). This marks the first time a YSA stake has been discontinued in Utah. There are scores of YSA stakes in Utah.

There are now 639 stakes and 4 districts in Utah.

Idaho

Four new stakes were created in Idaho.

The Meridian Idaho Fuller Park Stake was organized on March 17th from the Meridian Idaho West Stake (created in 1997). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Cherry Lane, the Haven Cove, the Meridian 1st, the Meridian 12th, the Parkside, the Peregrine, and the St James Wards. There are now nine stakes in Meridian.

The Idaho Falls Green Valley was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho South Stake (organized in 2014) and the Iona Idaho Stake (organized in 1973). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Deloy, the Discovery, the Iona 6th, the Iona 9th, the Lincoln 1st, the Lincoln 4th, and the Old Mill Wards.

The Idaho Falls Pheasant Grove Stake was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Berkley Park 2nd, the Lincoln 6th, the Lincoln 7th, the Lincoln 8th, the Red Rock 1st, and the Red Rock 2nd Wards. This marks a rare time in Church history when two new stakes were created from portions of a previous stake (Iona Idaho Stake). There are now 20 stakes in the Idaho Falls area (stretching from Ucon to Ammon). Given significant growth in the area, I will be moving Rigby, Idaho from the less likely locations to have a temple announced to the more likely locations to have a temple announced when I update the temple predictions map in September.

The Preston Idaho East Stake was organized on June 9th from the Preston Idaho North Stake (organized 1884) and the Franklin Idaho Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Glendale, the Mink Creek, the Preston 4th, the Preston 5th, the Preston 8th, the Preston 9th, the Riverdale 1st, and the Riverdale 2nd Wards and the Legacy 3rd Branch.

There are now 142 stakes in Idaho.

The Philippines

Two new stakes and a new district were created in the Philippines. 

The Tubod Philippines Stake was created in March 10th from the Placer Philippines District (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Alegria, the Bad-as, the Kitcharao, the Placer, and the Tubod Wards and the Bacuag, the Claver, the Mainit, and Matin-ao Branches. Since its creation in 2006, the Philippines Butuan Mission has had significant success with upgrading many of the districts within its boundaries into stakes. At the time of its creation, the mission had only one stake within its boundaries (Butuan). Now, there are five stakes within the mission located in Butuan (organized in 1989), San Francisco (organized in 2018), Tagum (organized in 2021), Mati (organized in 2022), and now Tubod (organized in 2024). There are four districts remaining in the mission - all of which have enough congregations to become stakes, although only Monkayo and Surigao appear likely to become stakes soon.

The Lapu-Lapu Philippines Stake was created on May 19th. The new stake was created from a division of the Mandaue Philippines Stake (organized in 1989). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cordova, the Lapu-Lapu 1st, the Lapu-Lapu 2nd, the Maribago, and the Marigondon Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Cebu City metropolitan area, and there appear good prospects for the creation of an eighth stake in the foreseeable future from the Talisay Philippines Stake.

The Pandan Philippines District was created on April 14th from the Antique Philippines District and the Kalibo Philippines Stake. The new district includes the following five branches (provided with the year of creation for each branch in parentheses: Buruanga (2022), Culasi (2015), Ibajay (2024), Pandan (2023), and Tibiao (2023). The new district encompasses the northwestern corner of Panay Island which had no church presence until member groups began to be organized approximately a decade ago. 

There are now 130 stakes and 53 districts in the Philippines.

Argentina

A new stake was created in Argentina April 14th. The Buenos Aires Argentina Pilar Stake was organized on April 14th from the Buenos Aires Argentina Escobar Stake (organized in 1996) and the Buenos Aires Argentina Sarmiento Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Del Viso, the Derqui, the Pilar, the Tortuguitas, the Villa Verde, and the Vucetich Wards. There are now 28 stakes in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area stretching from Zárate to La Plata.

There are now 80 stakes and 25 districts in Argentina.

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile on March 24th. The Puerto Varas Chile was organized on March 24th from the Puerto Montt Chile Stake (organized in 1982). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alerce, the Colón, the Frutillar, the Imperial, and the Llanquihue Wards and the Fresia Branch. The Puerto Varas Chile Stake is technically a reinstated stake, as the stake once operated from 1997 until 2002 when it was consolidated with the Puerto Montt Chile Stake. Given remote distance and now two stakes in the area, Puerto Montt appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

A district was discontinued in Chile. The Nueva Tolten Chile District (organized in 2001) was discontinued and consolidated with the Villarrica Chile District which now has seven branches. It is probable that this decision was made to prepare for the creation of a stake in the foreseeable future. 

There are now 79 stakes and 10 districts in Chile.

DR Congo

A new stake was created in the DR Congo on June 9th. The Bondoyi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was created from a division of the Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Areodrome, the Bondoyi, the Kalubey, the Kamisaany, the Peage 1st, and the Peage 2nd Wards. The realigned Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake now has six wards. The first branch was created in Mwene-Ditu in 2008 at the same time as the Ngandajika Branch. However, the Church has grown much more slowly in neighboring Ngandajika, as there is only one stake there which was created in 2023 (which has five wards and two branches). It is also important to note that the population of Mwene-Ditu is much larger than Ngandajika. It only took five years for a second stake to be created in Mwene-Ditu after the first stake was created. If this rate of growth continues, there may be as many as four stakes in the city by 2029. 

There are now 10 stakes in the Kasai Region of the DR Congo - an area which had no stakes in 2010. The first mission in the area was created in 2016 in Mbuji-Mayi followed by a second mission in Kananga in 2023. Both of these cities have had temples announced. The creation of at least two new stakes in Kananga appears likely this year, as the three stakes in the city have a combined 33 wards. Given recent trends in temple announcements, Mwene-Ditu and Luputa each appear likely candidates for temple announcements now, as each city has two stakes and are located in an area of the country that has experienced rapid growth with high convert retention and excellent member activity rates. Moreover, the Church has recently established branches in previously unreached cities in the Kasai Region, including Kamanda and Luiza - both of which had two branches organized in 2023.

Ghana

A new stake was created in Ghana on March 17th. The Ejisu Ghana Stake was created from the Kumasi Ghana University Stake (organized in 2016) and the Kumasi Ghana Suame Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Ejisu, the Kwamo 1st, the Kwamo 2nd, and the Mampong Wards, and the Agona, the Aprade, the Asamang, the Effiduasi, the Onwe, and the Seneagya Branches. Nearly all of the congregations in the new stake were previously part of the Kumasi Ghana University Stake which has experienced significant growth since its creation 8 years ago. There are now five stakes in the Kumasi metropolitan area (six if Konongo is included).

There are now 31 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Indiana

A new stake was created in Indiana on June 2nd. The Columbus Indiana Stake was organized on June 2nd from a division of the Indianapolis Indiana Stake (organized in 1959), the Crestwood Kentucky Stake (organized in 2010), and the Cincinnati Ohio Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Batesville, the Columbus 1st, the Columbus 2nd, the Columbus 4th, the Franklin, the Madison, and the North Vernon Wards. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the Fishers Indiana Stake was the most recently organized stake in the state (organized in 2021).

There are now 13 stakes in Indiana.

Nevada

A new stake was created in Nevada on May 5th. The Logandale Nevada West Stake was organized on May 4th from the Logandale Nevada Stake (organized in 1912). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cottonwood, the Hinckley, the Meadow Valley, the Muddy River, and the Pioneer Wards. The revised minimum standards to create new stakes likely enabled the creation of the new stake due to a relatively small membership in the area but with enough active membership to create a second stake. 

There are now 44 stakes in Nevada.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on March 17th. The Onna Nigeria Stake was organized from a division of the Ikot Akpaden Nigeria Stake and the Ikot Akpatek Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Asong, the Ikot Anang 1st, the Ikot Anang 2nd, the Okom, and Udo Wards and the Ikot Nkan and the Ukpana Branches. There are now 14 stakes and one district in Akwa Ibom State.

A new district was created in Nigeria on May 12th. The Ifo Nigeria District was organized from three mission branches in the Nigeria Ibadan Mission, including the Ifo 1st, Ifo 2nd, and Owode Branches. The first branch was organized in Ifo in 2022, whereas the Owode Branch was created in 2024.

There are now 72 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created in Zimbabwe on June 9th. The Bulawayo Zimbabwe Masiyephambili Stake was organized from a division of the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2005) and the Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Emganwini, theFamona, the Nketa 1st, the Nketa 2nd, and Tshabalala Wards. There are now three stakes in Bulawayo. Given distance from Harare, Bulawayo appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

There are now 10 stakes and 1 district in Zimbabwe.

Benin

A new district was created in Benin on March 31st. The Bohicon Benin District was organized from the Bohicon Branch, and four new branches were created at the special conference to organize the district. These four new branches include the Dassa-Zoume, Parakou, Seme, and Tchaourou Branches (all of which were organized in cities that have never had branches except for the Seme Branch which is located in Bohicon). The conference to organize the new district had hundreds in attendance. The area covered by the new district had less than 100 members in 2019 and had 420 members at the time of the creation of the district. More information about the creation of the new district can be found here.

There are now two stakes and one district in Benin. The creation of 1-2 new stakes in Cotonou appears highly likely in the immediate future, as each of the two stakes have 10-11 wards.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 16th. The Bacabal Brazil District was organized, and it is unclear which branches are assigned to the new district. However, it appears that the new district includes five branches in Bacabal, Codó, Itapecuru Mirim, Pindaré Mirim, and Santa Inês - all but one of which were previously under the direct supervision of the Brazil Teresina Mission. The Church had no presence in any of these cities until approximately 10 years ago, and most of these branches have been organized within the past few years.

There are now 285 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Ecuador

A new district was created in Ecuador on March 17th. The Puyo Ecuador District was organized from three mission branches, including the Macas, Puyo, and Tena Branches. The Macas Branch is the newst branch in the district which was organized in 2023, whereas branches in Puyo and Tena were organized decades ago. The new district is the Church's first district to be organized in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. Several new branches have also been organized elsewhere in eastern Ecuador, and prospects appear good for the creation of districts in Coca and Nueva Loja in the foreseeable future.

There are now 44 stakes and 5 districts in Ecuador.

Honduras

A new district was created in Honduras on May 12th. The Intibuca Honduras was organized from three mission branches, namely the Intibuca, the Jesús de Otoro, and the Marcala Branches, which were all organized in 1996-1997. The branches have historically had very few active members.

There are now 31 stakes and 6 districts in Honduras.

Pakistan

A new district was created in Pakistan on March 17th. The Faisalabad Pakistan District was organized from the Lahore Pakistan District. The new district includes three branches, namely the Faisalabad 1st, Faisalabad 2nd (organized in 2024), and the Mian Channu (organized in 2023) Branches. The Church has experienced significant growth in Mian Channu with church services sometimes including several hundred attendees. The creation of the new district came as a surprised, as the Lahore Pakistan District appeared to be the district closest to become a stake in Pakistan before the district was divided. 

There are now four districts in Pakistan.

Peru

A district was reinstated in Peru on March 24th. The Huaral Peru District was reinstated (the district previously functioned from 2010 until 2013). The district includes the following three branches and one group: the Chancay, the Huaral, and the Valle Hermoso Branches and the Peralvillo Group. The Valle Hermoso Branch and Peralvillo Group were reinstated. Prior to the reinstatement of the district, branches were under the direction supervision of the mission.

There are now 115 stakes and 18 districts in Peru.

Australia

A stake was discontinued in Australia. The Adelaide Australia Modbury Stake was discontinued, and all retained congregations were reassigned to the two remaining stakes in Adelaide. The Church in Adelaide has experienced no growth in regard to the number of congregations in decades, and the stakes were small and appeared likely to be reconfigured into two stakes as a result. 

There are now 40 stakes and 4 districts in Australia.

Canada

A district was discontinued in Canada. The Terrace British Columbia District (organized in 1980) was discontinued, and all four branches in the district were reassigned to the Prince George British Columbia Stake (which now has four wards and eight branches). 

There are now 53 stakes and 3 districts in Canada.

Guatemala

A district was discontinued in Guatemala. The Momostenango Guatemala West District (organized in 1993) was discontinued and all four branches in the former district were reassigned to the Momostenango Guatemala Stake (which now has six wards and four branches). It is possible that this decision was made so some of the larger branches in the former district may become wards or because there was sufficient strength in the Momostenango Guatemala Stake to have the stake administer to these branches rather than the mission.

There are now 52 stakes and 11 districts in Guatemala.

Ireland

A district was discontinued in Ireland. The Limerick Ireland District was discontinued and consolidated with the Dublin Ireland Stake. Two branches in the former district became wards, including the Cork and Limerick Branches, and one ward in the original Dublin Ireland Stake was discontinued (Terenure 2nd). Mission leaders have sought for decades to prepare the Limerick Ireland District to become a stake as it was close at times to meeting the minimum qualifications. Due to the lack of growth in the Dublin Ireland Stake, the reconfiguration of the country into a single stake was likely due to strengthen the stake and also permit the larger branches to become wards. Now, all of Ireland is assigned to the Dublin Ireland Stake.

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.

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).