New Districts Created in the DR Congo (2), Ecuador, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Togo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Two new districts were organized in the DR Congo, each of which were created from a single mission branch and multiple new branches organized at the time the district was created.

Lukalaba DR Congo District was organized on May 31st from the Lukalaba Branch which was under the direct supervision of the DR Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission. Three new branches were organized at the time the new district was organized for a total of four branches in the district: Kasansa, Katoto, Lukalaba, and Monzo. A member group also operated within the district at the time the district was organized (Kakona). The first branch to be created in Lukalaba was organized in 2024.

The Maluku DR Congo District was organized on June 7th from the Maluku Branch which was under the direct supervision of the DR Congo Kinshasa South Mission. Two new branches were organized at the time the new district was organized for a total of three branches in the district: Magengenge, Maluku, and Monaco. The Maluku Branch was originally organized in 2023.

The organization of new districts from the division of a single branch into two or more additional congregations is incredibly difficult to predict, and it is unclear whether additional branches in the DR Congo are likely to become districts like Lukalaba and Maluku. However, additional districts appear likely to be organized in the immediate future in the DR Congo due to steady growth and multiple current branches that are not currently within the boundaries of a stake or district. Based on the number of current branches in these areas, possible locations include, these locations include Demba (2), Kalemie (2), Kamina (2), Kenge (2), Menkao (5), and Uvira (2).

Currently, there are 49 stakes and 13 districts in the DR Congo.

Ecuador 

A new district was organized in Ecuador. The Orellana Ecuador District was organized on June 14th from mission branches in northeastern Ecuador. The new district includes the following seven branches: the El Coca, Lago Agrio, Loreto, Nueva Loja, Orellana, Sacha, and Shushufindi Branches. For more information about the historic creation of the first district in this region of Ecuador, click here, as this was explored in a recent monthly newsletter.

There are now 45 stakes and six districts in Ecuador.

Kenya

A new district was organized in Kenya. The Kwale Kenya District was organized on May 24th from a division of the Mombasa Kenya District (organized in 2015). The new district includes the following three branches (two of which have been organized since 2025) south of the Kilindini Port in Mombasa, namely the Likoni, Ujamaa, and Ukunda Branches. The realigned Mombasa Kenya District now has five branches.

There are now four stakes and 12 districts in Kenya.

Papua New Guinea (PNG)

A new district was organized in PNG. The Wewak PNG District was organized on May 18th from a division of the Sepik River PNG District (organized in 2012). Three new branches were organized in the Wewak area, bringing the total number of branches in the new district to four: White Bridge, Wewak 1st, Wewak 2nd, and Yawasoro. For more information about this development, click here to access a previous newsletter article.

There are now six stakes and nine districts in PNG.

Thailand

A new district was organized in Thailand for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Phitsanulok Thailand District was organized on August 30th from two branches in the Chiang Mai Thailand District (Kamphaeng Phet [organized in 2016] and Phitsanulok [organized in 1979]) and one newly organized mission branch (Nakhon Sawan). There are now three districts in the country, all of which are located in northern Thailand. There are also four stakes in Thailand.

Togo 

A new district was organized in Togo, marking the first time a district has been created outside of the capital city of Lomé. The Tsévié Togo District was organized on June 14th, 2026, from the Lomé Togo Agoe Stake (organized in 2023) and several mission branches in the Benin Cotonou Mission (Note: The Togo Lomé Mission was organized the following month). The new district includes the following six branches: the Davie, Kpalime, Notse, Tabligbo, Tsévié, and Zomayi Branches.

There are now three stakes and one district in Togo.

Note: Since the most recent update on new stakes and districts organized, at least seven additional stakes have been created. These include the Justin Texas Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Kimberly Idaho East Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Pocatello Idaho Hawthorne Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Salt River Wyoming Stake (August 23rd, 2026), Eagle Mountain Utah Brandon Park Stake (August 30th, 2026), St Anthony Idaho Juniper Mountain Stake (August 30th, 2026), and Caldwell Idaho Lake Lowell Stake (September 13th, 2026). Due to the unusually large number of new stakes and districts organized in recent months, I will provide a future update on these newly created stakes.

New Missionary Training Center to Open in Bangkok, Thailand

Today, the Church announced plans to open a new missionary training center in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2024. Likely a long-term plan part of the large newly dedicated Bangkok Thailand Temple, the new Thailand MTC will likely service missionaries assigned to serve in Southeast Asia. The missionary training center is reported to provide instruction in English, Thai, and Russia. I am not sure why Russian is one of the languages that is provided for training in this MTC. The Church has never operated an MTC in Thailand before. With the new MTC, there will now be 10 MTCs in the worldwide Church, although there are a couple of unofficial MTCs that functioning in countries without an official MTC (such as in Kinshasa, the DR Congo).

36 New Missions to be Created in 2024 Analysis: Asia and Europe

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

New missions to be created in Asia and Europe in 2024 fall into three categories: reinstated missions that had previously closed (Germany Hamburg, Japan Sendai, Portugal Porto), a second mission in a country that previously had just one mission (Cambodia Phnom Penh East and Thailand Bangkok East), and new missions to be created in the Philippines (Philippines Dumaguete, Philippines General Santos, Philippines Tuguegarao). In 2010, the Church operated 36 missions in Asia, whereas there were 45 missions in Asia as of year-end 2022. However, this increase in the number of missions was primarily due to the Philippines, where the number of missions increased from 16 to 23 during this time period. In Europe, the number of missions decreased from 44 in 2010 to 37 in 2023. The Church in Europe reached an all-time high for the number of missions in 1997 when there were 55 missions. Most of the missions in Europe that have closed in the past 25 years have been in Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Spain. 

The three new missions to be organized in the Philippines is a major accomplishment that has come from significant increases in the number of Filipino Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions. The Philippines Area, which includes just the country of the Philippines, set a goal in May of 2021 to have 4,600 Filipino members serving full-time missions by the end of 2022. In May 2021, there were only 1,900 Filipino members serving full-time missions, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only half of the congregations in the Philippines had a full-time missionary companionship assigned. Therefore, the number of Filipinos serving full-time missions increased by 142% within 2.5 years. In a letter from the area presidency dated November 3rd, 2023, the area presidency stated: 

Brothers and Sisters, we express our deepest gratitude to you for heeding this call of [President Russel M. Nelson] by achieving the area goal to reach 4600 missionary applicants. We recognize the remarkable efforts of parents, leaders, and our dear youth to strengthen the rising generation and gather scattered Israel

CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH EAST 

The Cambodia Phnom Penh East Mission will be created from a division of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission (organized in 1997). The Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission services only the country of Cambodia with its 16.9 million inhabitants. The new mission will likely include one stake and 1-2 districts. With such a small number of stakes and districts in Cambodia altogether at present (two stakes, three districts), the creation of a second mission in Cambodia likely signals efforts by the Church to expand outreach into additional areas of the country. Currently, the Church operates official branches in only six of the 24 provinces in Cambodia. The Church in Cambodia initially experienced rapid growth in the 1990s and 2000s, although annual membership growth rates have since slowed to 3-4%. The Church reported 16,317 Latter-day Saints in Cambodia as of year-end 2022. The first two stakes in Cambodia were organized in 2014, and the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple was announced in 2018 and is currently under construction.

GERMANY HAMBURG 

The Germany Hamburg Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Germany Hamburg Mission (operated from 1938 until 2010). The new mission will likely be organized from the Germany Berlin Mission (organized in 1961), and it is unclear whether any areas of the Germany Frankfurt Mission (organized in 1938) may be included in the new mission. There are 83.3 million people in Germany and three missions (one of which also services Austria and areas of Switzerland). The Church used to operate six missions in Germany between 1991 and 2000. It is unclear why the Church did not reopen previously closed German missions in 2013 when there was a significant increase in the number of full-time missionaries serving, although the decision to organize a fourth mission in Germany may be attributed to greater receptivity and productivity of missions in the country in many areas. The Church in Germany has experienced stagnant membership growth since 2017, with church membership hovering around 40,000 during the past five years. The Church reported 39,748 Latter-day Saints and 14 stakes in Germany in 2022. Local member reports have noted several encouraging developments in Germany in the past couple years, such as an increase in the number of convert baptisms and several branches maturing into wards due to increasing numbers of active members. The Church announced plans to build a temple in Hamburg in April of 2023. Interestingly, only one stake has ever been discontinued in Germany (Neumünster Germany Stake in 2018), and this was what used to be a second stake in the Hamburg area. Since the stake was discontinued, there has been progress with branches becoming wards in the Hamburg Germany Stake, with the stake now having nine wards and six branches, making it one of the largest stakes in Germany. The new Germany Hamburg Mission will probably have 2-4 stakes within its boundaries when it is organized.

JAPAN SENDAI

The Japan Sendai Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Japan Sendai Mission which operated from 1974 until 2019. The new mission will likely be organized from a division of the Japan Tokyo Mission (organized in 1937) and the Japan Sapporo Mission (organized in 1970) and include one stake (organized in Sendai in 1980) and four districts (all organized between 1974 and 1987. The reinstatement of the mission in Sendai will likely help relieve the administrative burden on the Japan Tokyo Mission. Stagnant congregational growth has occurred in northern Honshu for decades. The Church most recently organized a new mission in Japan in 2013 when there were 58 new missions organized worldwide. There are currently six missions in Japan that service the national population of 123 million. The Church reached an all-time high of 10 missions in Japan from 1990 to 1996. The Church in Japan has reported extremely slow membership growth for decades of 0-1% per year, although there has been stagnant membership growth in Japan since 2019. The Church reported 130,251 Latter-day Saints as of year-end 2022 (which was nearly unchanged from the 130,340 Latter-day Saints reported as of year-end 2019).

PHILIPPINES DUMAGUETE

The Philippines Dumaguete Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cebu Mission (organized in 1987), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (organized in 2013), and the Philippines Bacolod Mission (organized in 1974). The announcement of a mission in Dumaguete came as a surprise to me since the Church is relatively small in the Dumaguete area. The Dumaguete Philippines Stake was organized in 2014, and there is only one district that is in relatively close proximity to Dumaguete (Tanjay). It is likely that the Philippines Dumaguete Mission will include one stake and two districts in southern Negros Island. It is unclear what the Church may do to reconfigure the boundaries of other missions in the area, such as which mission will be assigned Bohol Island (one stake, one district) and northeastern Negros Island (one stake, one district). It is my opinion that Bohol Island will likely be assigned to the Philippines Dumaugete, which would result in the new mission having two stakes and three districts. The sole stake on Bohol Island was organized in Tagbilaran in 2015. The Church has experienced slow growth in southern Negros Island and Bohol Island, although there has been progress within the past decade such as organizing the first two stakes and creating the first branches in five cities (one of which was the first branch created on Siquijor Island in 2016). Also, the southern portion of Cebu Island may be assigned to the new mission given its long distance from Cebu City and no currently established branches in this area (municipalities in the extreme southern tip of Cebu Island have a combined population of 287,000 people and no congregations). If the mission includes the provinces of Negros Oriental, Bohol, Siquijor, and the southern tip of Cebu Island, there would be 3.2 million people within the mission boundaries.

PHILIPPINES GENERAL SANTOS

The Philippines General Santos Mission will likely be primarily organized from the Philippines Davao Mission (organized in 1977), although the letter from the Philippines Area Presidency from November 3rd noted that the new mission will result in a realignment of all three current missions on Mindanao (the others being the Philippines Butuan Mission which was organized in 2006 and the Philippines Cayagan del Oro Mission which was organized in 1988). It is probable that the new mission will include at a minimum southern Mindanao Island where there are two stakes (General Santos [organized in 1995] and Digos [organized in 1992] and three districts (Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Marbel) and the Zamboanga Philippines Stake (organized in 1985). It is possible the new mission may also include the Pagadian Philippines District. The new mission will likely include most of the traditionally Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, such as in the Cotabato area and the Sulu Archipelago (the latter of which has no official Church presence). The Sulu Archipelago has a combined population of 2.0 million people, Zamboanga Sur Province has 2.0 million people, and provinces in southern Mindanao near General Santos have 2.5 million people. Thus, the new mission will probably have 6.5 million people within its boundaries. Slow growth has occurred within this area of Mindanao, with no new stakes or districts organized for nearly 30 years. The new mission will likely allow for greater mission outreach in the area which has probably been lesser reached due to greater growth that has occurred in other areas of Mindanao, such as in Davao and in the Philippines Butuan Mission. Moreover, the General Santos Philippines Stake is also close to dividing to create a second stake in the city.

PHILIPPINES TUGUEGARAO

The Philippines Tuguegarao Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cauayan Mission (organized in 1990) and the Philippines Laoag Mission (organized in 2004). A fun fact with this new mission is that a previous Philippines Cauayan Mission President once played an April Fool's Day joke on his assistants and office missionaries that a mission would be organized in Tuguegarao (that was about 5-7 years ago if I remember correctly). The new mission will likely include the two stakes in Tuguegarao (organized in 1989 and 2011), the Ballesteros Philippines Stake (organized in 2019), and two districts (Aparri and Gonzaga). It is also possible the new mission may include the Ilagan Philippines Stake (organized in 2000) and the Roxas Philippines Isabela District, although this stake and this district are within close proximity of Cauayan. It may make sense to relocate the Philippines Cauayan Mission to Santiago to be in a more central location (and also be in the same city where the temple will be built which was announced in October 2022). The announcement of the new mission in Tuguegarao further supports the trend of having temples and missions headquartered within the same cities (the Tuguegarao Philippines Mission was announced in April 2023). The Church has experienced steady growth in the area covered by the current Philippines Cauayan Mission and the Philippines Laoag Mission (of the 11 stakes in the two missions at present, six have been organized since 2011).

There will be 26 missions in the Philippines once the three new missions are organized. There has only been one other year when there has as many new missions organized in the Philippines (1990). The Church has never discontinued a mission in the Philippines. The first mission in the Philippines was organized in 1967. The number of missions in the Philippines increased to two in 1974, three in 1977, four in 1979, five in 1986, six in 1987, eight in 1988, nine in 1989, 12 in 1990, 13 in 1992, 14 in 2004, 15 in 2006, 16 in 2010, 17 in 2011, 21 in 2013, 22 in 2018, and 23 in 2019. The most recently created missions in the Philippines have been the Philippines Cavite Mission (2013), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (2013), the Philippines Legaspi Mission (2013), the Cabanatuan Philippines Mission (2018), and the Philippines Antipolo Mission (2019). The Church reported 853,254 Latter-day Saints in the Philippines as of year-end 2022. Currently, there are 126 stakes and 55 districts in the Philippines (soon to be 128 stakes and 53 districts on December 3rd when districts in Aguilar and Toledo will become stakes). Thus, the average Philippine mission will have five stakes and two districts when the three new missions are organized in 2024. There are 117 million in the Philippines. Thus, the average mission in 2024 will have 4.5 million people within its geographical boundaries.

PORTUGAL PORTO

The Portugal Porto Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Portugal Porto Mission (which has gone through multiple iterations of closing and reopening). The mission was first organized in 1987, closed in 2011, reinstated in 2015, and closed again in 2018. A third mission once operated in Portugal from 1990 until 2002 (Lisbon Portugal North). The Church currently has seven stakes and one district in Portugal. The reason why the Church has decided to open and close the Portugal Porto Mission is likely due to the relatively large number of congregations in Portugal that have made it challenging to administer with a single mission. It seems that this mission has reopened when there are sufficient numbers of full-time missionaries to staff a second mission in Portugal. The Church reported 46,849 Latter-day Saints in Portugal as of year-end 2022, making Portugal the European country with the third most Latter-day Saints after the United Kingdom (186,933) and Spain (63,524). Variable membership growth have occurred for the Church in Portugal in the past decade, although these annual membership growth rates have often ranged from 0-3%. There are approximately 10.2 million people in Portugal.

THAILAND BANGKOK EAST

One of the new missions that I have most anticipated for decades, the new Thailand Bangkok East Mission will be the Church's second mission in Thailand to be organized from a division of the Thailand Bangkok Mission (organized in 1973). The current Thailand Bangkok Mission includes the entire country of Thailand as well as neighboring Myanmar and Laos for a combined population of 134 million people. The new mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand as well as Laos (where there is one branch in Vientiane), whereas the realigned Thailand Bangkok Mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand and three mission branches in Myanmar. Currently, there are four stakes and two districts in Thailand. There were 23,450 Latter-day Saints in Thailand as of year-end 2022. The Church does not publish membership figures for Laos or Myanmar. The first stake in Thailand was organized in Bangkok in 1995, followed by two additional stakes in Bangkok that were created in 2014 and 2016. A stake was created in Ubon in 2015. The creation of the new mission in Thailand will likely help with the expansion of the Church into dozens of unreached provinces. The Church in Thailand has achieved variable membership growth rates in the past decade, although membership growth rates have typically been slow.

Updated Country Profile - Thailand

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Thailand. The Church has maintained a presence in Thailand for over 50 years, yet only about 16% of the 22,700 members in the country appear to regularly attend church. Nevertheless, the Church in Thailand has the largest number of members, stakes, and congregations of any country in mainland Southeast Asia. Moreover, the Church in Thailand during the past decade has achieved significant progress with local leadership development, as evidenced by the number of stakes increasing from one to four, the announcement of a temple in Bangkok, a significant reduction in the frequency of Church employees serving in top local leadership positions (i.e. stake presidencies), and the calling of the first Thai area authority seventy. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:

The Church in Thailand has moderate prospects for intermediate-term growth. However, long-term problems with low convert retention and member activity rates pose significant challenges for long-term growth. The implementation of missionary programs developed in predominately Western Christian areas in non-Christian cultures and a rush to baptize inadequately prepared investigators who have not demonstrated sufficient personal understanding and life implementation of gospel teachings are major causes of high convert attrition in Thailand. Convert retention rates have experienced little improvement since the adoption of the Preach My Gospel program in 2004, as these key challenges remain largely unresolved. More consistent implementation of higher standards for baptism will be necessary if activity is ever to become the norm rather than the exception among Thai converts. Additional research, adaptations, and resources are needed to better convey the relevance and meaning of gospel teachings to the background and understanding of Buddhists and other non-Christians. Additional cities may open for missionary work, particularly nearby Bangkok, along coastal areas between Bangkok and Cambodia, and provincial capitals without current congregations. However, the focus of mission resource allocation will most likely continue to center on building and strengthening centers of strength, particularly in Bangkok and in the two remaining districts in Chiang Mai and Udon Thani. Due to Thailand’s geographic size and large population, a second mission may be organized in coming years to provide greater national outreach and support to other regions of the country.

President Nelson's April 2018 Worldwide Tour: Analysis

The Church announced on March 23rd that President Nelson, Elder Holland, and their spouses will undertake an 11-day international tour that circumscribes the globe from April 10th-23rd. The itinerary for the trip is as follows:

• London, England (April 12th)
• Jerusalem, Israel (April 14th)
• Nairobi, Kenya (April 16th)
• Harare, Zimbabwe (April 17th)
• Bengaluru, India (April 19th)
• Bangkok, Thailand (April 20th)
• Hong Kong, China (April 21st)
• Laie/Honolulu, Hawaii (April 22nd)

I provided some observations about President Nelson's first trip as President of the Church in a recent article published by The Salt Lake Tribune. However, I also want to provide some additional analysis:

First, all but two of the eight cities on the list have temples in operation or that are announced. Three of these cities - Bangkok, Harare, and Nairobi - are located in countries where no temple currently operates but where a temple is announced. An artistic rendering for the Bangkok Thailand Temple was recently released to reveal a stunning 44,000 square foot edifice that has even surprised local Thai members given its size for a country that has only four stakes, two districts, and 21,000 members. The temple appears very large even considering it will likely serve an additional 28,000 members in other Southeast Asian countries. Reports I have received from members in Kenya and Zimbabwe suggest that these temples in these locations may begin construction in the near future. It is possible that the Church may hold temple groundbreaking ceremonies in one or more of these locations as part of the international tour. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem appears more symbolic than functional since there are less than 300 members in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and essentially stagnant growth has occurred for many years. However, it is interesting to note that a temple once functioned in Jerusalem during Old Testament and New Testament times. President Nelson's visit to Jerusalem will be the first in 22 years for a President of the Church since President Hinckley visited Israel in 1996.

Second, an announcement of a temple for India may be likely during this weekend's General Conference or during President Nelson and Elder Holland's visit to India. The Church in India has steadily grown during the past 15 years as membership has increased from 3,428 to 13,141 and the number of congregations has increased from 21 to 44. The Church organized its first stake in India in Hyderabad in 2012 and today has four stakes and three districts. There are also more than 4,000 members and three districts in Pakistan. Currently members in South Asia travel to the Hong Kong China Temple to participate in temple ordinances. However, a future temple in India appears more likely once there is a city with at least three stakes in order to adequate meet temple ordinance worker needs. Currently there are no cities in India with more than one stake.

Third, President Nelson and Elder Holland's trip to Hong Kong may provide opportunities for leadership training and meetings with People's Republic of China (PRC) members albeit such meetings would only be permitted if they were to occur in Hong Kong given prohibitions regarding association with PRC members and foreigners in mainland China. The Church in China has grown significantly since the first branches were organized in Beijing and Shanghai for PRC members in 2004. Most have joined the Church abroad or through family connections within the confides of the law. Today there are branches and member groups in many, if not most, of the 127 cities in mainland China inhabited by one million or more inhabitants. President Nelson also possesses special ties to China and previously studied Mandarin Chinese after feeling prompted to do so at President Spencer W. Kimball's request that members of the Church learn more about the Chinese people in 1979 (click here for more information).

Fourth, President Nelson and Elder Holland's worldwide tour does not include countries with the most Latter-day Saints in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania, nor does it include countries where the Church has reported the most rapid growth during the past 5-10 years. However, the tour does include the two most populous countries - China and India. Thus, emphasis on reaching the world's two most populous nations, in addition to temple building, may be an important theme that emerges from the tour.

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

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

There are now 265 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

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

There are now eight stakes in Iowa.

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

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

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

There are now four stakes and two districts in Thailand.

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

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

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

There are now three districts and one stake in Liberia.

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

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

New Stake in Thailand, New District in Ghana

Thailand
The Church organized a new stake in Thailand on June 14th. The Ubon Thailand Stake was organized from the Ubon Thailand District and includes the following six wards and three branches: the Buriram, Korat, Mahasarakham, Roi-Et, Srisaket, and Ubon Wards and the Kalasin, Surin, and Yasothorn Branches. There are now three stakes and three districts in Thailand.


Ghana
The Church organized a new district in Ghana at the end of May. The Tamale Ghana District was organized from four branches in the Ghana Kumasi Mission located in the city of Tamale. These branches include the Education Ridge, Kalpohin, Kanvilli, and Vitin Branches. The first missionaries were assigned to Tamale in February 2013 and the Church organized the first member groups at that time. Startling successes has occurred in this most northern city in Ghana with an LDS presence. Today there are approximately 200 active members in the city - essentially all of whom are recent converts from northern Ghana. Implementation of a church-planting strategy called the Sunyani Model has been a key ingredient to this unprecedented development.

April 2015 Temple Announcements - Analysis

The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
As soon as President Monson indicated that he was going to announce three temples yesterday morning, I immediately told my wife that one of them would be in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire has experienced some of the most rapid LDS growth worldwide within the past two decades. The number of congregations (wards and branches) mushroomed from 40 at year-end 2010 to 103 in March 2015, the number of stakes has more than tripled from two in 2005 to seven in 2014, the number of cities with an official LDS congregation more than doubled from seven in early 2012 to 18 in early 2015, and annual membership growth rates have steadily increased to as high as 21.4% in 2013. The Church organized a second mission in Cote d'Ivoire in 2014 to accommodate recent trends in accelerating rapid growth. Some stakes within the Abidjan area have had the number of wards double within less than one year. The Church has also implemented effective church-planting tactics when opening cities to missionary work. The Church simultaneously organized six branches in the city of Daloa in early 2014 - a city where no branches previously operated. Lastly, some of the Ivorian stakes have historically numbered among the Church's stakes with the highest percentage of adult members who have submitted family names for temple ordinances within the past year. A case study that examines effective strategies implemented by mission and stake leaders to achieve rapid growth in Cote d'Ivoire can be found here.

Prior to yesterday's announcement, Cote d'Ivoire was the country with the third most members without a temple according to year-end 2013 membership data with 22,576 members.

The Bangkok Thailand Temple
Thai members and returned missionaries have reported efforts for many years to increase the number and activity rate of Thai membership to the point that a temple announcement would become more likely. Former President of the Church Gordon B. Hinckley predicted that a temple would be announced one day in Bangkok during a visit to Thailand in 2000. Thailand and Southeast Asia have pertained to the China Hong Kong Temple district since the temple was completed in 1996. The Church in Thailand has recently achieved several noteworthy church growth developments including significant increases in the number of full-time missionaries serving in the country, sizable increases in the number of Thai members serving full-time missions, improvements in church attendance, accelerating numbers of convert baptisms, the organization of a second stake in Bangkok in 2014, the creation of a new district in Bangkok in 2014, and preliminary plans to organize a stake in the northeastern highlands in mid-2015. A case study that examines recent LDS growth developments in Thailand can be found here. There have also been many significant growth developments within Southeast Asia during the past five years such as the creation of the first two LDS stakes in Cambodia and Indonesia and the organization of new districts in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Prior to yesterday's announcement, Thailand was the country with the eighth most members without a temple according to year-end 2013 membership data with 18,071 members

The Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple
This temple announcement was a major surprise to me. The Church in Haiti has experienced steady growth within the past two decades and today numbers among the most self-sufficient nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Only Haitian natives have served full-time missions in Haiti within the past decade due to safety concerns for foreign missionaries and low living standards. The number of stakes in Haiti doubled in 2012 from two to four - all of which are located in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. A case study that reviews recent LDS growth developments in Haiti can be found here. The reasons why this announcement came as such a surprise to me were the low levels of economic development in Haiti, severe problems with corruption in government, the relatively small size of the Church in the country, and the relatively close proximity of the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple. The Church has usually delayed the construction of temples in nations with similar characteristics until there are five or more stakes within a metropolitan area such as in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The construction of the new temple in Haiti will likely face significant challenges with finding skilled labor, acquiring construction materials, and maintaining adequate security and building maintenance following its dedication.

Prior to yesterday's announcement, Haiti was the country with the seventh most members without a temple according to year-end 2013 membership data with 19,216 members.

In conclusion, yesterday's temple announcements were historically significant. None of these three countries previously had temples announced, under construction, or in operation. The Bangkok Thailand Temple will be the Church's first temple to be built in mainland Southeast Asia where hundreds of millions of people reside. The announcement of the first temple in Haiti suggests that the Church may announce additional temples in countries with an emerging LDS presence where there are low standards of living such as Kenya and Papua New Guinea.

Three New Temples

President Monson announced three new temples this morning in the following locations:

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Port-au-Prince, Haiti

With this mornings announcement, this brings the total number of temples announced, under construction, or in operation to 173. I will provide analysis of this announcement tomorrow.

District Discontinued in Thailand

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

There are now two stakes and four districts in Thailand.

New District in Thailand and Details on the Bangkok Thailand North Stake

Members report that the Church created a new district in Thailand. On June 15th, the Church organized the Bangkok Thailand West District from a portion of the Bangkok Thailand Stake. The new district includes the Asoke, Thonburi and Bangkhae Branches whereas the realigned Bangkok Thailand Stake now includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bangkapi, Bangkok (English), Bangnaa, Sapansung, and Srinskarin Wards, and Samut Prakan Branch. The Church also organized the Bangkok Thailand North District into a stake on June 15th and the new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Bangbuathong, Bangkhen, Chaengwattana (English), Don Muang, Lop Buri, and Rangsit Wards, and Ayutthaya and Pakret Branches. 

There are now two stakes and five districts in Thailand.

New Stake in Thailand

Members and missionaries report that the Church will organize its second stake in Thailand on June 15th from the Bangkok Thailand North District. Thailand previously was the country that had the most members with only one stake. I will provide details on which branches will become wards once this information is available.

Countries with the most Latter-day Saints without an LDS temple

Below is a list of the countries and territories with the most Latter-day Saints without an LDS temple.  The number of members reported by the LDS Church in 2010 and the current number of stakes, districts, and congregations are provided for each nation/territory.  The names of temples which administer these countries/territories currently are also provided.  The list from October 2008 can be found here.

1. Nicaragua

• 71,888 members
• 9 stakes, 6 districts
• 102 congregations
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple 

2.  Democratic Republic of the Congo

• 27,058 members
• 9 stakes, 3 districts
• 103 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

3. Russia

• 21,023 members
• 1 stake, 12 districts
• 115 congregations
• Kyiv Ukraine Temple (1 stake, 11 districts); Helsinki Finland Temple (1 district); Seoul Korea Temple (mission branches in the Russia Vladivostok Mission)

4. Puerto Rico

• 20,785 members
• 5 stakes
• 41 congregations
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple

5. Zimbabwe

• 18,549 members
• 4 stakes, 1 district
• 49 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

6. Papua New Guinea

• 18,336 members
• 2 stakes, 9 districts
• 72 congregations
• Sydney Australia Temple

7. Haiti

• 16,902 members
• 2 stakes, 2 districts
• 33 congregations
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple

8. Thailand

• 16,331 members
• 1 stake, 5 districts
• 36 congregations
• Hong Kong China Temple

9. Cote d'Ivoire

• 15,638 members
• 4 stakes, 1 district
• 39 congregations
• Accra Ghana Temple

10. American Samoa

• 15,159 members
• 4 stakes
• 37 congregations
• Apia Samoa Temple

Updated List of the Countries with the Most Members Without a Temple

Membership, stakes and districts, number of congregations, and temple(s) country is assigned to are provided below. The numbers in parenthesis indicate how many stakes and districts are assigned to the temple (stake, district).

1. Nicaragua

• - 59,886 members
• - 8 stakes, 6 districts
• - 90 congregations
• - Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (8,6)

2. Portugal

• - 38,100 members
• - 6 stakes, 4 districts
• - 75 congregations
• - Madrid Spain Temple (6,4)

3. France

• - 34,638 members
• - 9 stakes, 2 districts
• - 117 congregations
• - Bern Switzerland Temple (5,0), Frankfurt Germany Temple (2,2), London England Temple (1,0), Madrid Spain Temple (1,0)
  

4. Puerto Rico

• - 19,808 members
• - 5 stakes, 2 districts
• - 43 congregations
• - Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple (5,2)

5. Russia

• - 19,583 members
• - 15 districts
• - 129 congregations
• - Helsinki Finland Temple (0,15)

6. Democratic Republic of the Congo

• - 19,313 members
• - 5 stakes, 4 districts
• - 65 congregations
• - Johannesburg South Africa Temple (5,4)

7. Zimbabwe

• - 16,969 members
• - 3 stakes, 2 districts
• - 45 congregations
• - Johannesburg South Africa Temple (3,2)

8. Papua New Guinea

• - 16,060 members
• - 1 stake, 6 districts
• - 53 congregations
• - Sydney Australia Temple (1,6)

9. Thailand

• - 15,457 members
• - 1 stake, 5 districts
• - 39 congregations
• - Hong Kong China Temple (1,5)

10. American Samoa

• - 14,514 members
• - 4 stakes
• - 36 congregations
• - Apia Samoa Temple (4,0)
  

Potential Temple Sites

Below is a list of cities around the world (excluding the continental United States) which I believe are close to having a temple announced in them. I am not claiming that this is a definite list; just predictions of likely future temples. I have them ordered starting from the most likely to be announced as the next new temple. Temple attendance indicated by the number of sessions provided daily, the number of stakes assigned to, and distance of existing stakes to existing temples in the region are some of the tools I use to predict these new temple sites. Furthermore, this list is dynamic and subject to change. The numbers in parenthesis next to the predicted temple are the number of stake and districts that would be probable in the predict temple's temple district. Example: Brasilia (11,3) (11 stakes, 3 districts). The bold number at the end of the line is the number of stakes located in the metropolitan area where the predicted temple would be.

1. Fortaleza, Brazil (16,3) 11
2. Rio De Janiero, Brazil (22,9) 10
3. Trujillo, Peru (20,9) 7
4. Puebla, Mexico (21,3) 8
5. Bangkok, Thailand (1,21) 1
6. Paris, France (9,2) 2
7. Rome, Italy (5,12) 1
8. Concepcion, Chile (18,11) 9
9. Lisbon, Portugal (6,10) 2
10. Arequipa, Peru (17,11) 6

Other temples which are likely to be announced are Brasilia Brazil, Belo Horizonte Brazil, Salvador Brazil, Tarawa Kiribati, Dagupan Philippines, Culiacan Mexico, Managua Nicaragua, Quito Ecuador, Cordoba Argentina, and San Jose Puerto Rico. The United States has many temples which are not too far away for most members. Most likely temple sites in the United States include Kansas City Missouri, Pocatello Idaho and Tucson Arizona.

Countries with the most members without a temple

Here is a list of the top 10 countries which do not have a temple. Information is provided about the number of units in each country as well as a ratio of the number of members per unit. Data is from Dec. 31st, 2006 or more recent. Maps for each country showing stakes and mission districts for countries with a membership over 20,000 and wards and branches for nations with a membership under 20,000 are also provided and are current as of the date of this blog entry. Yellow squares are stakes; green squares are mission districts.
If you click on the map, it will open up in a new window and be much clearer.








1. Nicaragua – 55,369 members

8 stakes
6 districts
46 wards
44 branches
1 mission
615 members per unit

2. Portugal – 38,130 members

6 stakes
4 districts
34 wards
43 branches
2 missions
495 members per unit

3. France – 33,828 members

9 stakes
2 districts
61 wards
63 branches
2 missions
277 member per unit

4. Italy – 22,212 members

5 stakes
9 districts
25 wards
79 branches
3 missions
213 members per unit

5. Puerto Rico – 19,609 members

5 stakes
2 districts
27 wards
15 branches
2 missions
445 members per unit

NO MAP AVAILABLE YET

6. Russia – 19,180 members

0 stakes
15 districts
0 wards
121 branches
8 missions
158 members per unit

7. DR of Congo – 18,276 members

4 stakes
4 districts
43 wards
17 branches
1 mission
305 members per unit

8. Zimbabwe – 16,240 members

2 stakes
2 districts
18 wards
27 branches
1 mission
360 members per unit

9. Papua New Guinea – 15,517 members

1 stake
8 districts
5 wards
48 branches
1 mission
292 members per unit

10. Thailand – 15,108 members

1 stake
5 districts
7 wards
32 branches
1 mission
387 members per unit