New Stakes Created in Nigeria (3), North Carolina (2), Utah (2), Alabama, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Idaho, Kentucky, Mozambique, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain; and Uganda; Stakes Discontinued in Taiwan and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Cote d'Ivoire and Honduras

Nigeria

Three new stakes have been created in Nigeria. 

The Nsukka Nigeria Stake was organized on May 24th from the Nsukka Nigeria District (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Achara, Nru, Obollo Afor, Obollo Eke, and Onuiyi Wards and the Enugu-Ezike Branch.

The Lagos Nigeria Gberigbe Stake was organized on May 31st from a division of the Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake (organized in 2022 and which had 10 wards and seven branches immediately prior to the new stake creation). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Adamo, Gberigbe, Imota, Ita Oluwo, and Ladegboye Wards, and the Agbowa, Agura, Igbopa, Ijede, and Mowo Nla Branches. There are now 10 stakes in the greater Lagos metropolitan area. The first stake in Lagos was created in 1997 followed by additional stakes created in 2005, 2011, 2015 (2), 2018, 2022 (2), and 2024.

The Enugu Nigeria North Stake was organized on July 5th from a division of the Enugu Nigeria Stake (organized in 2014). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Abakpa, Emene, New Haven, Nike Lake, Trans Ekulu 1st, Trans Ekulu 2nd, and Ugboezeji Wards. There are now two stakes in Enugu.

With these three new stakes, there are now 84 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria. With these three new stakes, there are now 84 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria. Nigeria now has the sixth-most stakes of any country in the world, even though it ranks tenth in reported Church membership.

North Carolina

Two new stakes were created in North Carolina. 

The Mount Airy North Carolina Stake was organized on May 17th from the Hickory North Carolina Stake (organized in 1982) and the Winston-Salem North Carolina Stake (organized in 1977). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Dobson, Fort Chiswell, Mount Airy, North Wilkesboro, and Pilot Mountain Wards, and the Sparta and Stuart Branches. 

The Raleigh North Carolina East Stake was organized on May 31st from a division of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake (organized in 1962), the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake (organized in 2015), and the Wake Forest North Carolina Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Archer Lodge, Garner 1st, Knightdale 1st, Lake Wheeler, and Raleigh 2nd Wards, and the Lake Benson YSA, Garner 2nd, Knightdale 2nd, and Millbrook Branches. There are now six stakes in the Raleigh–Durham/Research Triangle area.

There are now 23 stakes in North Carolina. Three stakes have been organized in North Carolina since January of this year.

Utah

Two new stakes were created and one stake was discontinued in Utah. 

The Salem Utah Summer Spring Stake and the Washington Utah Long Valley Stake were both organized on June 7th. 

The Salem Utah Summer Spring Stake was organized from a division of the Salem Utah West Stake (organized in 1996) and includes the following six wards: the Salem 10th, Salem 11th, Salem 12th, Salem 13th, Salem 14th, and Salem Park Wards. There are now four stakes in Salem.

The Washington Utah Long Valley Stake was organized from a division of the Washington Utah East Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Long Valley 1st, Long Valley 2nd, Red Waters, Riverbend, and Scenic Sunrise Wards. There are now six stakes in Washington.

The Salt Lake Granger East Stake (organized in 1969) was recently discontinued and consolidated with the Salt Lake Granger North Stake and the West Valley Utah Granger Stake.

There are now 640 stakes and seven districts in Utah.

Alabama

A new stake was created in Alabama on May 17th. The Sipsey Alabama Stake was organized from the Madison Alabama Stake (organized in 2011) and the Tupelo Mississippi Stake (organized in 1991). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cullman, Decatur, Elk River, Florence, and Russellville Wards and the Haleyville Branch. There are now three stakes in the greater Huntsville metropolitan area and northern Alabama.

There are now nine stakes in Alabama.

Canada

A new stake was created in Alberta, Canada on May 24th. The Spruce Grove Alberta Stake was created from the Edmonton Alberta North Stake (organized in 2001) and the Edmonton Alberta Riverbend Stake (organized in 1960). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Devon, Drayton Valley, Onoway, Pioneer, Spruce Grove, and Stony Plain Wards, and the Hinton and Whitecourt Branches. There are now eight stakes in the Edmonton metropolitan area.

There are now 57 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Cote d'Ivoire

A new stake was organized in Cote d'Ivoire on May 24th. The Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from the Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2016) and the Sinfra Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2019). The Sinfra Cote d'Ivoire District was discontinued as part of the process to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Agbanou, Bayota, Bouafle, Dehita, and Koko Wards, and the Bonon, Sinfra 1st, and Sinfra 2nd Branches. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire has for many years now organized new stakes outside of Abidjan through combining two districts to create a single stake, such as in Gagnoa (2022), Man (2023), San Pedro (2024), and Adzope (2025). There are now eight cities outside of Abidjan with stakes, and all of these cities have had their first stakes organized since 2015. Most of these stakes are located in the Yamoussoukro area, making this city a highly likely candidate for a temple announcement. With the creation of the new stake in Bouafle, there remains only one other likely possibility of a new stake being organized from combining two districts, namely from the two districts in Aboisso and Alepe.

There are now 24 stakes and seven districts in Cote d'Ivoire. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

A new stake was organized in the DR Congo on July 26th. The Fungurume DR Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kikula DR Congo Stake (organized in 2021) and the Likasi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Dipeta, Fungurume, Kakanda, Kelangile, Mpala, and Nkolomoni Wards and the Kambove Branch. Four of the wards in the new stake are located in Fungurume where the first branch was organized in 2016. There are now five stakes in the Kolwezi/Likasi area, making a new temple announcement for this area of the DR Congo likely in the foreseeable future. 

There are now 49 stakes and 13 districts in the DR Congo. 

Ghana

A new stake was created in Ghana. The Kpong Ghana Stake was organized on July 12th from the Kpong Ghana District (organized in 2012). Information on which of the eight branches in the new stake have become wards remains unavailable.

There are now 32 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana. 

Guatemala

A new stake was organized in Guatemala on May 31st. The Polochic Guatemala Stake was organized from the Sacsuha Guatemala District (organized in 1990). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the El Estor, La Tinta, Panzos, Sacsuha, and Tucurú Wards, and the Canlun, Santo Domingo, and Teleman Branches. There are now three stakes in the Senahu area among the Q'eqchi' people.

There are now 52 stakes and nine districts in Guatemala. 

Haiti

A new stake was created in Haiti on July 12th. The Artibonite Haiti Stake was organized from the Saint Marc Haiti District (organized in 2012) and portions of the Gonaïves Haiti District (organized in 1999). The new stake has seven congregations within its boundaries, although the Church’s meetinghouse locator still lists all seven units as branches and has not yet been updated to show which branches became wards. The Gonaïves Haiti District has been retained and now includes two branches in Port-de-Paix and one branch in Gros Mornes. It is probable that the district will be renamed the Port-de-Paix Haiti District since none of the branches in the district are in Gonaïves, and both branches in Gonaïves are now part of the new Artibonite Haiti Stake.

There are now six stakes and three districts in Haiti. 

Honduras

A new stake was organized in Honduras on May 31st. The Gulf of Fonseca Honduras Stake was organized from the San Lorenzo Honduras District (organized in 1994) and the Monjaras Honduras District (organized in 2010). The Monjaras Honduras District was discontinued in the process of creating the new stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Guapinol, Marcovia, Monjaras, San Lorenzo 1st, and San Lorenzo 2nd Wards, and the Langue, Nacaome, and Pespire Branches. There are now three stakes in the Choluteca area, making it a likely candidate for a small temple.

There are now 33 stakes and two districts in Honduras. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on May 17th. The Ammon Idaho Centennial Ranch Stake was organized from the Ammon Idaho East Stake (organized in 2017) and the Ammon Idaho North Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Ammon 14th, Ammon 16th, Ammon 18th, Ammon 20th, Black Canyon, Stone Arbor, Thunder Ridge 1st, and Thunder Ridge 2nd Wards. There are now 22 stakes in the Idaho Falls metropolitan area (not including stakes in Rigby).

There are now 150 stakes in Idaho. 

Kentucky

A new stake was created in Kentucky on June 14th. The Bowling Green Kentucky Stake was organized from the Evansville Indiana Stake (organized in 1975), the Hopkinsville Kentucky Stake (organized in 1978), and the Madison Tennessee Stake (organized in 2007). The new stake includes the following four wards and five branches: the Bowling Green 1st, Bowling Green 2nd, Greenville, and Morgantown Wards, and the Bowling Green YSA, Bowling Green 3rd (Spanish), Franklin, Russellville, and Scottsville Branches.

There are now seven stakes in Kentucky. Prior to the creation of the Bowling Green Kentucky Stake, the most recently organized stake in Kentucky was the Elizabethtown Kentucky Stake (organized in 2017). 

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on May 31st. The Maputo Mozambique Magoanine Stake was organized from a division of the Maputo Mozambique Stake (organized in 2015) and the Zimpeto Mozambique Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the CMC, Magoanine, Mahotas, Matendene, and Sommerschield Wards and the Grande Maputo Branch. There are four stakes in Maputo. The number of stakes in Maputo increased from one in 2015 to two in 2019, three in 2023, and four in 2026.

There are now 13 stakes and four districts in Mozambique. 

The Philippines 

A new stake was created in the Philippines on June 7th. The Gingoog Philippines Stake was organized from the Gingoog Philippines District (organized in 1987). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cabuyo-an, Gingoog, Lunao, Medina, and Pangasihan Wards and the Kibungsod Branch. The Gingoog Philippines District was one of the oldest districts in the Philippines prior to the creation of the stake, signaling that the Church in the area has finally reached and sustained the minimum requirements for a stake to be organized. There are now 20 stakes and nine districts in Mindanao.

There are now 142 stakes and 48 districts in the Philippines.

Sierra Leone

A new stake was created in Sierra Leone on July 12th. The Kenema Sierra Leone West Stake was organized from a division of the Kenema Sierra Leone Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Dauda Town, Kenema, Kpayama, Nyandeyama, and Simbeck Wards. The first branch in Kenema was organized in 2003. There are now two stakes in Kenema.

There are now 12 stakes and three districts in Sierra Leone. 

Spain

A new stake was created in Spain on June 21st. The Málaga Spain Stake was organized from the Granada Spain Stake (organized in 2004). The new stake currently has three wards and two branches, including the Fuengirola, Málaga 2nd, and Málaga 3rd Wards, and the Marbella and Torre del Mar Branches. Current listings show three wards and two branches in the new stake, although the ward and branch designations may not yet be fully updated.

There are now 18 stakes and one district in Spain. Spain has more stakes than any other continental European country, whereas the United Kingdom has the most stakes (39) in Europe as a whole. 

Uganda

A new stake was created in Uganda on August 2nd. The Jinja Uganda West Stake was organized from a division of the Jinja Uganda Stake (organized in 2015). Congregations assigned to the new stake appear incomplete on the meetinghouse locator, given that the Jinja Uganda Stake had nine wards and five branches prior to the creation of the new stake, yet the Jinja Uganda West Stake currently has only three wards and two branches assigned (the Jinja, Mpumudde, and Njeru Wards, and the Lugazi and Mbiko Branches). There are now two stakes in Jinja.

There are now five stakes and four districts in Uganda.

Taiwan 

The Taichung Taiwan South Stake (organized in 2015) was recently discontinued. Retained units were reassigned to the Taichung Taiwan East Stake and the Taichung Taiwan West Stake. The Taichung Taiwan South Stake numbered among many of the new stakes organized in the mid-2010s with few active members. Only one other stake has been discontinued in Taiwan, namely the Pingtung Taiwan Stake in 2019.

 

There are now 15 stakes in Taiwan. 

 

Note: Due to the unusually large number of new stakes and districts organized in recent months, I will report on several additional new districts in a future post. These include the Wewak Papua New Guinea District (May 18th, 2026), Kwale Kenya District (May 24th, 2026), Lukalaba Democratic Republic of the Congo District (May 31st, 2026), Maluku Democratic Republic of the Congo District (June 2026), Orellana Ecuador District (June 14th, 2026), and Tsévié Togo District (June 14th, 2026).

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

Overview 

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

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

Outlook 

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

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (3), Brazil (2), Nigeria, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Texas, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Nigeria (2), the Philippines (2), Uganda (2), Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Zimbabwe; Stakes Discontinued in California, Guatemala, and New Zealand; Districts Discontinued in Brazil (3), Japan, Mexico, and South Africa

Please note that I have not included updates for Utah in this Update. I will make a separate post about the recent stake creations and consolidations in this state so I can provide more of an analysis of these developments

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Three new stakes were created in the DR Congo.

The Kasapa DR Congo Stake was created on December 1st from a division of the Lubumbashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 1997) and the Ruashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Hewa Bora, the Joli Site, the Kasapa 1st, the Kasapa 2nd, the Kasapa 3rd, and the Luano Wards and the Aeroport Branch. There are now five stakes in Lubumbashi, the first four of which were organized in 1997, 2009, 2013, and 2017.

The Kinshasa DR Congo Mikonga Stake was created on December 1st from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Mpasa Stake (organized in 2018). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bibwa, the Makanza 1st, the Makanza 2nd, the Mikonga 1st, and the Mikonga 2nd Wards.

The Kinshasas DR Congo Kintambo Stake was created on December 8th from the Kinshasa DR Congo Binza Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Camp Luka, the Laloux 2nd, the Lonzo, the Lubudi, and the Nganda Wards.

There are now 14 stakes in Kinshasa that were organized in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012 (2), 2016, 2018 (2), 2019, 2024 (3). With rapid growth and a large number of stakes and congregations, Kinshasa appears most likely to be Africa's first city to have a second temple announced.

There are now 32 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Brazil

Two new stakes were created in Brazil on December 15th. 

The Bento Gonçalves Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Caxias do Sul Brazil Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following four wards: the Bento Gonçalves, the Cinquentenário, the Farroupilha, and the Progresso Wards. With only four wards, it is highly likely that additional congregations will be organized, as new stakes usually have a minimum of five wards.

The Colombo Brazil Stake was organized from a division of the Curitiba Brazil Boa Vista Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake has the following five wards: the Ana Terra, the Guaraituba, the Jardim Osasco, the Parque dos Lagos, and the Rio Verde Wards. There are now 15 stakes in the Curitiba metropolitan area.

Three districts were discontinued in Brazil.

The Cabo Frio Brazil District (organized in 2017) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Macaé Brazil Stake (organized in 2010) and the Arsenal Brazil Stake (organized in 2009). Two of the five branches in the original district were upgraded to wards (Cabo Frio and Araruama), whereas two branches were discontinued (likely done to have enough active members to create wards in Cabo Frio and Araruama). Most of these branches in the former district were organized at the approximate time when the district was created in 2017.

The Itapetininga Brazil District (organized in 1998) was discontinued, which previously had four branches. The two branches in Itapetininga were consolidated to create the Itapetininga Ward. The Itapetininga Ward and the Tatuí Branch were assigned to the Sorocaba Brazil Stake (organized in 1978), whereas the Cerquilho Branch was reassigned to the Sorocaba Brazil Trujilo Stake (organized in 1995).

The Tupã Brazil District (organized in 1995) The district was consolidated with the Presidente Prudente Brazil District (organized in 1988). The four branches in the district were consolidated into two branches. It is probable that this decision was made to create a future stake from the two districts from ward-sized congregations.

There are now 287 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil. 

Nigeria 

A new stake and two new districts were created in Nigeria. The Makurdi Nigeria Stake was created on December 15th from the Makurdi Nigeria District. It is likely that all five branches became wards in the new stake. The special conference to create the new stake was attended by more than 1,500 people. The Church has experienced rapid growth in the city of Makurdi with regular group baptisms that number upwards of 100 people. The Church created its first branch in Makurdi in 2015, and the Makurdi Nigeria District was organized in 2017.

The Azikoro Nigeria District was created on November 3rd from a division of the Yenagoa Nigeria Stake (organized in 2017). The new district includes the following five branches, two of which were organized when the new district was created: the Agbura, the Amarata, the Azikoro, the Fangbe, and the Ogbia Town Branches.

The Iyahe Nigeria District was created on November 10th from mission branches in the Nigeria Enugu Mission. The new district includes the following there branches: the Iyahe 1st, the Iyahe 2nd, and the Ogoja Branch. The first branch in Iyahe was organized in 2023, whereas the Ogoja Branch was created in 2016.

There are now 77 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

The Philippines

A new stake and two new districts were created in the Philippines. 

The Tumauini Philippines Stake was organized on November 17th from a division of the Ilagan Philippines Stake (organized in 2000) and the Tuguegarao Philippines South Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alinguigan, the Cabagan
Tumauini 1st, the Tumauini 2nd, and the Tumauini 3rd Wards and the San Bernardo Branch.

The Sablayan Philippines District was created on December 15th from a division of the San Jose Mindoro Philippines Occidental District (organized in 1998). The new district includes the following four branches: the Mamburao, the Sablayan, the San Francisco, and the Santa Cruz Branches. All four branches in the new district have been organized since 2011, as the Church did not have official congregations on the northwestern side of Mindoro Island. The decision to create the new district was likely due to distance from San Jose and opportunities for further expansion and growth in western Mindoro. The realigned San Jose Mindoro Philippines Occidental District now has five branches. There are now three districts on Mindoro Island.

The Ubay Philippines District was created on December 8th from a division of the Calape Philippines District (organized in 1995) and the Tagbilaran Philippines Stake (organized in 2015). The new district includes the following four branches: the Guindulman, the Pilar, the Talibon, and the Ubay Branches. The district includes the eastern portion of Bohol Island where a Church presence has been more recently established. There is now one stake and two districts on Bohol.

There are now 131 stakes and 56 districts in the Philippines.

Sierra Leone

A new stake was created in Sierra Leone. The Bo Sierra Leone Durba Stake was organized on October 20th from a division of the Bo Sierra Leone North Stake (created in 2017) and the Bo Sierra Leone East Stake (created in 2019). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Batiama, the Bo, the Bumpewo, the New Site, the Ngegbayama, the Torkpoi Town, and the Yemo Town Wards. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in Bo following the creation of stakes in 2017 (2), and 2019. Moreover, this marks the first time that a new stake was created in Bo solely from the division of stakes and not from districts being organized into stakes (each of the first three stakes in Bo were each created from their own district). Bo has one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints of any city in Africa with at least 100,000 inhabitants, and the city appears highly like to have a temple announced in the near future.

There are now 11 stake and 2 district in Sierra Leone.

Texas

A new stake was created in Texas on December 8th. The Forney Texas Stake was created from a division of the Dallas Texas East Stake (organized in 1977) and the Heath Texas Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Forney 1st, the Forney 2nd, the Kaufman, the Mesquite, the Rio Trinidad (Spanish), and the Skyline Wards and the Forney 3rd Branch. There are now 23 stakes in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area.

There are now 81 stakes and 2 districts in Texas.

Zimbabwe 

A new stake and a new district were created in Zimbabwe. The Harare Zimbabwe Chitungwiza Stake was created from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe East Stake and the Harare Zimbabwe South Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Chitungwiza, the Marondera, the Seke, and the Zengeza Wards and the Dombotombo and Southlea Park Branches. The new stake is the Church's fifth stake in Harare following stakes previously organized in 1999, 2008, 2014, and 2016.

The Masvingo Zimbabwe District was created on September 29th four mission branches in the Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission, including the Masvingo 1st, the Masvingo 2nd, the Zvishavane 1st, and the Zvishavane 2nd Branches. After decades of stagnant growth, this area of southern Zimbabwe has had three of its four branches organized since 2021 (including the first two branches in Zvishavane).

There are now 11 stakes and 2 districts in Zimbabwe.

Uganda

Two new districts were created in Uganda. The Mbale Uganda District and the Busia Uganda District were created on November 17th. The Mbale Uganda District was created from two branches that previously were under the direct supervision of the Uganda Kampala Mission (Mbale and Mugit) and two branches that previously pertained to the Busia Kenya/Uganda District (organized in 2019). The Busia Uganda District was created from a division of the Busia Kenya/Uganda District (now renamed the Busia Kenya District), and the new district includes the following three branches located in the Ugandan side of the city of Busia (Buchicha, Kisenyi, and Sofia). The realigned Busia Kenya District now includes just two branches (Busia and Mundika).

There are now 3 stakes and 4 districts in Uganda.

Botswana

A new district was created in Botswana. The Kanye Botswana District was created on December 8th from a division of the Gaborone Botswana Stake (organized in 2012). The new district includes the following three branches: the Kanye 1st, the Kanye 2nd, and the Lobatse Branches. Two of these branches, Kanye 2nd and Lobatse, were perviously wards in the Gaborone Botswan Stake. It is unclear why these units became their own district, as these cities are with relatively close proximity to Gaborone. Moreover, the Gaborone is only a couple units away from the creation of a second stake, albeit there are now no realistic prospects for a second stake in Botswana unless these branches in the new district are strong enough to become wards and are utilized to create a second stake. It is unclear why the three branches in Francistown are still not organized into its own district despite these congregations operating for over a decade. A lack of sufficient leadership to staff district leadership callings is a likely culprit with a lack of a district in Francistown.

There is now 1 stake and 1 district in Botswana.

Cote d'Ivoire

A new district was created in Cote d'Ivoire. The Dabou Cote d'Ivoire District was created on October 20th from three branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission (Dabou 1st, Dabou 2nd, and Grand Lahou) and the Songon Branch (a former ward in the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake). The first branch in Dabou was organized in 2018.

There are now 21 stakes and 11 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Ghana

A new district was created in Ghana. The Oda Ghana District was created on December 1st. The new district includes the following three branches: the Asene, the Oda 1st, and the Oda 2nd Branches. The Oda 1st and Oda 2nd Branches were previously wards in the Asamankese Ghana Stake (organized in 2017 and which now has five ward and two branches). Distance from Asamankese and good prospects to organize more small congregations in surrounding areas likely influenced the decision to create a separate district in Oda (a member group operated in Kokobeng years ago, although it is unclear if it still operates).

There are now 31 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana.

California

A stake was discontinued in California. The Los Angeles California Santa Monica Stake (organized in 1951) was discontinued. Retained wards were reassigned to the Los Angeles California Stake (organized in 1927), which now has nine wards. The Church has experienced a steady consolidation of stakes in the Los Angeles metropolitan area within the past two decades primarily due to active membership migration.

In California, there are now 147 stakes.

In the United States, there are now 1,709 stakes and 10 districts.

Guatemala

A stake was discontinued in Guatemala. The Guatemala City Utatlán Stake (organized in 1975) was discontinued. The stake had five ward before it was discontinued. Retained wards were reassigned to the neighboring Guatemala City Central Stake. Stagnant growth has occurred in this area of Guatemala for many years.

There are now 51 stakes and 11 districts in Guatemala.

New Zealand

For the first time in Church history, the Church has discontinued a stake in New Zealand. The Hastings New Zealand Stake (organized in 1960) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Hastings New Zealand Flaxmere Stake (organized in 1995 and renamed the Te Matau a Maui New Zealand Stake). The two stakes previously had a combined nine wards and four branches which were reduced to five wards and two branches. Hastings has experienced stagnant growth and decline for decades, and the consolidation was long overdue given the few number of wards in the area. In 2001, the two stakes had a combined 10 wards and one branch, as each stake had only five wards. Most of the Church's growth in New Zealand within the past decade has been in Auckland and Hamilton. It is probable that another stake consolidation will occur in the Wellington area within the foreseeable future, as this area has also experienced stagnant growth for decades, and each of the three stakes in the area have the minimal number of congregations to operate as stakes.

There are now 29 stakes and 2 districts in New Zealand.

Japan

A district was discontinued in Japan.The Matsuyama Japan District (organized 1991) in was discontinued and combined with the Takamatsu Japan District (organized in 1979 and was renamed the Shikoku Japan District). No branches were closed as part of the consolidation of the two districts. The consolidation was likely done to conserve district leadership manpower. Some branches on the island have been close to meeting the qualifications to become wards, but with the increased standards to organize wards announced 1 year ago, prospects appear unlikely for the district to become a stake for some time.

There are now 22 stakes and 10 districts in Japan.

Mexico

A district was discontinued in Mexico. The Madera México District (organized in 1977) was discontinued. The Matachic Branch was discontinued. The remaining three branches are now directly supervised by the Mexico Chihuahua Mission. The branches in the district are small and spread over a large geographical area, which is likely why the district was discontinued.

There are now 230 stakes and 43 districts in Mexico.

South Africa

A district was discontinued in South Africa. The Phuthaditjhaba South Africa District (organized in 2017) was discontinued. The two branches were reassigned to the Ladysmith South Africa District (organized in 2017) which now has six branches. The decision to consolidate the districts was likely due to only two branches in the Phuthaditjhaba South Africa District, and the failure for member groups to become branches in the district. It is unclear whether the new district has any realistic prospects to become a stake in the foreseeable future.

There are now 18 stakes and 9 districts in South Africa.

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: Africa

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

Of the 36 new missions to be organized worldwide in 2024, nine (25%) will be organized in Africa - the most new missions ever organized in Africa in a single year. The total number of missions in Africa will increase from 45 to 54 as a result of the creation of these new missions (a 20% increase). The decision to create these new missions in Africa has been part of a broader trend in allocating larger amounts of missionary resources to Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, in 2023 the Church organized five new missions in Africa (a 12.5% increase from 2022), and all but one of the new missions organized in 2023 were in Africa (missions organized in Africa in 2023 included the Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan North Mission, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kananga Mission, the Nigeria Aba Mission, the Nigeria Abuja Mission, and the South Africa Pretoria Mission). Other recently organized missions in Africa have included the Rwanda Kigali Mission (2022), the Cameroon Yaounde Mission (2020), the Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission (2020), the Mozambique Beira Mission (originally intended to be organized in 2020 but actually created in 2021), Tanzania Dar es Salaam Mission (2020), the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa East Mission (2019), the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission (2018), the Nigeria Ibadan Mission (2018), and the Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission (2018). The Church operated 34 missions in Africa as of year-end 2019. Thus, the number of missions in Africa will have increased by 20 just within a five-year time period. Once the new missions are created in Africa next year, the number of missions in Africa will have doubled within the past 10 years. The population of Africa is estimated to increase from 1.17 billion to 1.49 billion from 2014 to 2024. Therefore, the average African Latter-day Saint mission in 2024 will serve a smaller population (27.7 million) than in 2014 (45 million). The significant increase in new missions in Africa appears attributed to larger number of African Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions and also efforts to redistribute missionary resources from less productive areas to more productive areas of the world. 

See below for a mission-by-mission breakdown for new missions to be organized in 2024. All African nations with at least 100,000 Latter-day Saints will have two new missions organized in 2024.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO KINSHASA SOUTH

The DR Congo Kinshasa South Mission will be the Church's third mission in the massive urban agglomeration of Kinshasa which has a population of 15 million people. The new mission will be organized from the DR Congo Kinshasa West Mission (organized in 1987) and the DR Congo Kinshasa East Mission (organized in 2019). Currently, there are 11 stakes in Kinshasa - most of which have grown quite large and appear likely to divide in the near future. The new mission may indicate plans to create additional congregations and stakes in Kinshasa given there has appeared to be a pause in new unit creations in recent months despite rapid membership growth in the country. Reports I have received have noted plans by area leadership to create additional stakes, although these plans have not yet been announced or implemented. The creation of the new mission will also help to better administer fledgling areas with a relatively recent Church establishment outside of Kinshasa, such as in the far west (e.g, Matadi, Goma, Muanda, Kimpese), west central (Bandundu, Kikwit), and north (Kisangani) areas of the DR Congo. Moreover, there remain many large cities that are entirely unreached by the Church within the boundaries of the current two Kinshasa missions (e.g., Genema, Kisantu, Mbandaka, Mbanza-Ngungu), and a new mission may help to better establish the Church in additional locations. French and Lingala are the most commonly spoken languages in the Kinshasa area.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO KOLWEZI

The DR Congo Kolwezi Mission will be created from a division of the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission (organized in 2010). The new mission will likely include three stakes (two in Likasi, one in Kolwezi). The creation of a second stake in Kolwezi appears imminent, as the stake has grown to 12 wards and 2 branches (the stake was organized in 2019 with seven wards from a member district). The realigned DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission will probably include four stakes (all in Lubumbashi) and one district in Kasumbalesa, although two stakes in Lubumbashi appear likely to divide to create two new stakes in the immediate future. The new mission may help the Church to expand into unreached or recently reached locations in the southern areas of the DR Congo (for example, a member group was recently established in Kamina, and perhaps hundreds of isolated Latter-day Saints and prospective members have self-organized in Kikondja for decades, but are extremely remote and difficult to reach). French and Swahili are commonly spoken in the Kolwezi area. 

There will be seven missions in the DR Congo once the two new missions are organized. 2023 marks the first year the Church has organized two missions in a single year in the DR Congo. The Church organized its first mission in the country in 1987, followed by additional missions in 2010, 2016, 2019, 2023. It is also important to note that some areas of the eastern DR Congo are administered by the Rwanda Kigali Mission (organized in 2022), such as missions branches in Uvira (2), Bukavu, and Goma. No other country in the world that had only one mission in 2009 has had so many new missions organized. As of year-end 2022, there were 102,862 Latter-day Saints in the DR Congo. The population of the DR Congo is projected to be 105.6 million in 2024. Thus, the average Congolese mission will have 15 million people within its boundaries (although this is a bit of an overestimate since this calculation does not include the Rwanda Kigali Mission). The Church has reported some of its highest membership growth rates in the world in the DR Congo in recent years. 

GHANA ACCRA NORTH

The Ghana Accra North Mission will be the Church's third mission in Accra that will likely be organized from the Ghana Accra Mission (organized in 1985) and the Ghana Accra West Mission (organized in 2013). There are 12 stakes in the greater Accra metropolitan area, and the two missions also currently include five more stakes in outlying cities (e.g., Abomosu, Asamankese, Koforidua, Swedru, and Winneba). Three districts are also within the boundaries of the two current missions (Dzodze, Ho, Kpong). The Church has experienced variable growth rates in the Accra area within the past 45 years. The new mission will likely help to better saturate urban areas in Accra with more congregations and full-time missionaries, as well as to help expand into unreached areas in areas surrounding Accra (especially in the Volta Region).

GHANA TAKORADI  

The Ghana Takoradi Mission will be organized from the Ghana Cape Coast Mission (organized in 2005). The new mission will likely include two stakes (one in Mpintsin, one in Takoradi) and two districts (Axim and Tarkwa), although a third stake in the greater Takoradi area appears likely to be organized soon (the Mpintsin Ghana Stake currently has 11 wards and two branches). The new mission will likely conform to the boundaries of the Western Region of Ghana with a population of a mere 2.1 million people, thereby making the Ghana Takoradi Mission the African mission with the smallest population within its geographical boundaries. The new mission may provide for greater mission resources to expand into northern and western areas of Western Region which are minimally reached by the Church, as well as to provide greater saturation of mission resources in Takoradi. The realigned Ghana Cape Coast Mission will also have a comparatively small target population for mission outreach, with perhaps as few as 2.5 million people (making this mission the African mission with the second fewest people within its boundaries). Steady growth has occurred in the current boundaries of the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, with the most significant growth occurring during the first few years of a Church presence in the late 1970s and early 1980s and within the past 10 years. Of the seven stakes in the current boundaries of the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, four stakes have been organized since 2016. 

The Church in Ghana will have six missions in 2024, resulting in the average mission in Ghana having 5.8 million people. However, 14.2 million of the 34.8 million people in Ghana live within the boundaries of the Ghana Kumasi Mission (41%). Excluding the Ghana Kumasi Mission, the remaining Ghanaian missions will have an average of 4.1 million people within their geographical boundaries. The Church previously created missions in Ghana in 1985, 2005, 2012, and 2013. Thus, 2024 will be the first year that two missions have been organized in Ghana in the same year. The Church reported 101,924 Latter-day Saints in Ghana as of year-end 2022.

NIGERIA CALABAR MISSION

The Nigeria Calabar Mission will likely be organized from a division of the Nigeria Uyo Mission (organized in 2002) and the Nigeria Enugu Mission (organized in 1992). The new mission will probably include four stakes (three in Calabar, one in Akamkpa) and one district in Ugep - all located in the Nigerian state of Cross Rivers (population 4.4 million). The Church announced a temple for Calabar last month. Rapid growth has occurred in Cross Rivers State where the first stake was organized in 2002 followed by additional stakes in 2015, 2017, and 2022. It appears likely that 1-2 new stakes may be created in Calabar in the near future due to the steady creation of new wards in the city. The Church previously headquartered a mission in Calabar which was first headquartered in Uyo, although this mission's headquarters later returned to Uyo in 2019. The new Nigeria Calabar Mission may have the smallest population of any Nigerian mission if the mission includes just the 4.4 million people in Cross Rivers State. To put this into contrast, the total population of Nigeria is 229 million, so the Nigeria Calabar Mission may have only 1.9% of the total country population.

NIGERIA PORT HARCOURT NORTH

The Nigeria Port Harcourt North Mission will likely be organized from a division of the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission (organized in 1988). There are seven stakes in Port Harcourt, and the current Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission also includes three additional stakes (two in southern Akwa Ibom, one in Yenagoa) and two districts (both located near Port Harcourt in Rivers State). The current mission boundaries have approximately 10 million people within its geographical boundaries in the Nigerian states of Rivers and Bayelsa, and a very small portion of the Akwa Ibom State. Thus, each mission will likely have approximately five million people. Although initial growth was relatively slow in Port Harcourt in the 1980s and 1990s, the Church has experienced rapid growth for much of the past 10-15, as the number of stakes in the city increased from three in 2011 to seven in 2021. Several stakes appear likely to be organized in the foreseeable future in Port Harcourt due to large numbers of congregations in the city. Although it is within close proximity to Aba, it appears likely that a temple will be announced one day in Port Harcourt given the large concentration of Latter-day Saints in the city and transportation challenges in Nigeria for many members. The Port Harcourt Nigeria Stake was the Church's second stake in Nigeria when it was organized in 1990. Today, there are now 70 stakes in Nigeria. Port Harcourt will the only city in Nigeria with two missions headquartered within it (although this is not the first time two missions have been based in the same Nigerian city, as the Church briefly operated two missions in Lagos approximately 10-15 years ago).

With the creation of these two new missions, there will be 11 missions in Nigeria. Current Nigerian missions were organized in 1980, 1988, 1992, 2002 (2), 2013, 2016, and 2023 (2). Thus, the number of missions in Nigeria in 2024 will be nearly twice the number of missions in 2014. Never has any country on the Afro-Eurasian landmass had as many missions as Nigeria at present (9). Even more impressive, Nigerian missions do not include North American missionaries, and they are staffed primarily by African missionaries. The average mission in Nigeria will have approximately 21 million people in 2024, although this is not a very accurate ratio since the Nigeria Abuja Mission includes approximately 117 million people within its geographical boundaries (most of whom live in states where Sharia Law is practiced and where there is no Church presence). Excluding the Nigeria Abuja Mission, the 10 missions that will operate in the remainder of Nigeria in 2024 will service 11.2 million people per mission on average. The Church reported 221,172 Latter-day Saints in Nigeria as of year-end 2022. Nigeria appears likely to become its own church area given its large Church membership and significant opportunities for growth and expansion with such a large population.

KENYA NAIROBI EAST

The Kenya Nairobi East Mission will be created from a division of the Kenya Nairobi Mission (organized in 1991). Currently, the Kenya Nairobi Mission includes the entire country of Kenya (population: 56.2 million), although the mission historically serviced the entire region of East Africa prior to the creation of the Uganda Kampala Mission (organized in 2005) and then serviced Kenya and Tanzania until the creation of the Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Mission in 2020. Thus, until 2020, the Kenya Nairobi Mission has not been able to exclusively focus its missionary resources on Kenya despite his large population. Currently, there are three stakes and six districts in Kenya. Thus, the new Kenya Nairobi East Mission will probably include 1-2 stakes and three districts. The Church in Kenya has experienced modest growth since its initial establishment in 1979, and the first stake was organized in 2001. Additional stakes were organized in 2016 and 2023. The Church reported 17,438 Latter-day Saints as of year-end 2022. However, membership and congregational growth rates have accelerated in recent years, as membership increased by 9.6% in 2022 - the highest seen in over a decade. Furthermore, the Church has organized 11 new wards and branches in Kenya thus far in 2023, including the first branches in several previously unreached cities in western Kenya. The new mission will allow for greater numbers of missionaries to serve in Kenya to further expand outreach into additional areas unreached at present by the Church, further saturate the Nairobi metropolitan area (population: 6.6 million) with more congregations, and help strengthen districts to become stakes (such as in Eldoret and Kyulu). Many large cities remained unreached by the Church in Kenya. The Church created the Africa Central Area with headquarters in Nairobi in 2020. The Nairobi Kenya Temple is under construction.

MADAGASCAR ANTANANARIVO NORTH

The Madagascar Antananarivo North Mission will be organized from a division of the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission (organized in 1998). The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission currently services several countries in addition to Madagascar (31 million people), including Mauritius (1.3 million people), Reunion (part of France with approximately 1.0 million people), Comoros (868,000 people), and Mayotte (also part of France with approximately 346,000 people). Currently, there are four stakes and two districts in Madagascar. The Church reported 14,353 Latter-day Saints in Madagascar as of year-end 2022, whereas there were less than 1,000 Latter-day Saints each in Mauritius and Reunion. There is no Church presence in Comoros or Mayotte at present. Seychelles remains unassigned to a mission, and it is possible that Seychelles may be assigned to a mission once the new mission is organized. Thus, the new mission will likely have 1-2 stakes assigned, as well as 1-2 mission branches, although it is unclear which missions may be assigned the two districts in Reunion and Mauritius. The new mission may help to expand outreach into the virtually untouched north of Madagascar where there is only one mission branch in Mahajanga. The Church in Madagascar has achieved variable growth rates since the first branch was organized in 1990. The first stake was organized in 1990 followed by additional stakes in 2011, 2022, and 2023. The Antananarivo Madagascar Temple was announced in 2021.

SIERRA LEONE BO

The Sierra Leone Bo Mission will be organized from a division of the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission (organized in 2007) which only services Sierra Leone at present. The new mission has appeared long awaited given the rapid growth of the Church in eastern Sierra Leone which went from zero stakes and four districts in 2016 to four stakes and one district today, with multiple stakes likely to divide in the near future. I have written previously about the remarkable growth of the Church in Bo where Latter-day Saints number among the largest Christian denominations in the city. The new mission will probably include four stakes and one district in eastern and southern Sierra Leone, as well as a two branches in Koidu which appears likely to become a district once 1-2 more branches are organized in the city. The first two stakes in Bo were organized in 2017 followed by a third stake in 2019, whereas the stake in Kenema was organized in 2019. Bo appears to be one of the most likely locations in Africa for a temple announcement in the near future given the growth and size of the Church in the area. The realigned Sierra Leone Freetown Mission will likely include five stakes (all located in Freetown and all organized since 2012) and one district (Makeni). Each mission will likely have 4.5 million people within its boundaries given the population of Sierra Leone is approximately nine million. All large and medium-sized cities have an official ward or branch in the prospective boundaries of the Sierra Leone Bo Mission, and the new mission may help establish the Church in many small cities throughout the region. Sierra Leone is one of the most well-reached countries of the Church in Africa in terms of the percentage of Latter-day Saints in the population (0.34%), and also considering that all cities with at least 30,000 people have at least one ward or branch (except Port Loko). Rapid growth has occurred for the Church in Sierra Leone since 2011, and the Church reported 28,867 Latter-day Saints as of year-end 2022. Currently, Sierra Leone is the country in Africa with the most Latter-day Saints with only one mission. The Freetown Sierra Leone Temple is under construction.

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).