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).

Comprehensive Historical Database of United States Church Statistics Released

The completion of a comprehensive historical database of state-by-state Church statistics for the United States is another significant milestone for The Cumorah Foundation. The database includes annual membership totals, congregations (including ward and branch breakdowns when available), stakes, districts, and missions for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Historical membership data are available from 1987–2025, with statistics for congregations, stakes, districts, and missions likewise spanning nearly four decades.

Data were compiled from the retired Deseret News Church Almanac series and the Church’s official Newsroom site where annual state-by-state statistics have been published. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive publicly available compilation of historical Church statistics for the United States ever assembled. The database also includes historical statistics for stakes, districts, and missions that are difficult to locate in a single source and, in many cases, are no longer readily available elsewhere.

State-by-state statistics were published by the Church every other year from 1987 through 1999 and annually thereafter through 2025, with the exception of 2020 when no state-by-state statistics were released due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Empty cells in the database indicate data that were not published or are otherwise unavailable for specific years and statistical categories. Most missing data consist of ward and branch breakdowns for selected years when the Church reported only total congregations. To provide a more complete historical record, ward and branch totals for 2012–2017 were reconstructed by tracking unit creations, consolidations, and closures within individual stakes and districts during the period when the Church did not publish ward-branch breakdowns.

This resource provides valuable data for researchers, historians, journalists, members, and others interested in analyzing long-term trends in Church growth, geographic expansion, congregational development, temple expansion, and organizational change within the United States. Users can identify historical milestones, compare growth patterns among states, examine changes in Church administration over time, and better understand how the Church has developed across different regions of the country.

The database is available for viewing in Google Sheets and may also be downloaded here.

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (3), Mozambique (2), Zimbabwe (2), Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Florida, Honduras, Idaho, Madagascar, México, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Zambia; New Districts Created in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (5) and the United Kingdom; Districts Discontinued in Argentina and Zambia

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Three new stakes have been created in the DR Congo.

The Lubumbashi DR Congo Bel-Air Stake was organized on March 8th from 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: the Bel-Air, Bongonga, Kilobelobe, Kiwele, Neflier, and Nyashi 2nd Wards. There are now seven stakes in Lubumbashi. Rapid growth has occurred in the city in the past couple decades, with the number of stakes increasing from one in 1997 to two in 2009, three in 2013, four in 2017, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

The Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Amba Stake was organized on May 9th from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Ngaba Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kisenso, Lemba 1st, Livulu, Mont Amba, and Plateau Wards. There are now 19 stakes in Kinshasa - more than any other metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass.

The Kisangani DR Congo Stake was organized from the Kisangani DR Congo District (organized in 2023) on May 9th. Information on which of the nine branches in the district have become wards remains unavailable. The new stake is the Church's first stake in the northern DR Congo. The first branch in Kisangani was organized in 2015. 

There are now 49 stakes and 10 districts in the DR Congo. 

Mozambique

Two new stakes and one new district were created in Mozambique. It is important to note that some new wards and branches being created in Mozambique are not being readily updated on the Church's meetinghouse locator website, including branches becoming wards. As a result, some of the information contained below may not include some newly organized units or current information.

Beira Mozambique Chamba Stake was organized on March 15th from the Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake (organized in 2024) and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following four wards and one branch: the Campo do Povo, Chamba, Chingussura, and Zona Verde Wards and the Matadouro Branch. There are now six stakes in Beira. Rapid growth has occurred in the city where the first stake was organized in 2015. The number of stakes in Beira increased from one in 2015 to two in 2017, three in 2023, four in 2024, five in 2025, and six in 2026.

The Nampula Mozambique Mutauanha Stake was organized on March 15th from a division of the Nampula Mozambique Stake (organized in 2021). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Muatala, Murrapaniua, Mutauanha, Namaita, and Substação Wards and the Luaha Branch. The Church's third mission in Mozambique, the Mozambique Nampula Mission, is scheduled to open this summer from a division of the Mozambique Beira Mission.

The Quelimane Mozambique District was organized on April 12th from mission branches in the Mozambique Beira Mission. The new district includes the following three branches: the Coalane, Quelimane, and the Samugue Branch. The Church in Quelimane has experienced numerous setbacks since the first branch was organized in 2005, including the apostasy of leaders and members in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It is unclear whether any of these former members have rejoined the Church or if recent growth in the city (the two other branches were created in 2023 and in 2026) has been due to new converts joining the Church.

There are now 12 stakes and four districts in Mozambique. 

Zimbabwe

Two new stakes were created in Zimbabwe.

The Mkoba Zimbabwe Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Gweru Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following four wards: the Mkoba 1st, Mkoba 2nd, Mkoba 3rd, and Mkoba 5th Wards. There are now two stakes in the city of Gweru.

The Harare Zimbabwe Kuwadzana Stake was organized on May 3rd from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 1999) and the Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Park Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following four wards and four branches: the Kuwadzana 1st, Kuwadzana 2nd, Kuwadzana 3rd, and Mufakose 2nd Wards and the Kuwadzana 4th, Norton, Warren Park, and Whitecliff Branches. There are now seven stakes in Harare. The number of stakes in the city increased from one in 1999 to two in 2008, three in 2014, four in 2016, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

There are now 15 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Argentina

One new stake was created in Argentina. The Tartagal Argentina Stake was organized on April 19th from the Tartagal Argentina District (organized in 1996) and the Oran Argentina District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Orán, Pizarro, Salvador Mazza, Tartagal, and Villa Saavedra Wards, and the Aguaray, Colonia Santa Rosa, Embarcación, Mosconi, and Pichanal Branches. The Oran Argentina District was also discontinued when the new stake was organized.

There are now 81 stakes and 23 districts in Argentina. 

Benin

A new stake was created in Benin. The Cotonou Benin Akpakpa Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the Cococodji Benin Stake (organized in 2021) and the Cotonou Benin Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akpakpa, Avotrou, Finagnon, Jericho 1st, Jericho 2nd, and Porto Novo Wards and the Dowa and Gbegame Branches. There are now three stakes in Cotonou.

There are now three stakes and one district in Benin. 

Brazil

A new stake was created and a district was discontinued in Brazil. Bauru Brazil Jardim Santana Stake was created on March 8th from a division of the Bauru Brazil Stake (organized in 1992) and the Botucatu Brazil District becoming a stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bela Vista, Jardim Santana, Jaú, Marechal Rondon, and Pederneiras Wards and the São Manuel Branch. There are now two stakes in Bauru.

There are now 290 stakes and 31 districts in Brazil. 

Florida

A new stake was created in Florida. The St Augustine Florida Stake was created on March 29th from a division of the Jacksonville Florida South Stake (organized in 2009). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Mill Creek, Palatka, Silverleaf, St Augustine 1st, and St Augustine Shores Wards and the Green Cove Springs and St Augustine 2nd (Deaf) Branches.

There are now 34 stakes in Florida. 

Honduras

A new stake was created in Honduras. The Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras Stake was organized on April 19th from the Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras District (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Dolores, La Entrada, El Dorado, Miraflores, and Santa Rosa Wards, and the Copan Ruinas, Florida, Gracias, Nueva Ocotepeque, and San Marcos de Ocotepeque Branches. 

There are now 32 stakes and four districts in Honduras. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho. The Lewiston Idaho South Stake was organized on March 15th from the Lewiston Idaho Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Grangeville 1st, Grangeville 2nd, Kamiah, Orchards 1st, and Orchards 2nd Wards and the Lewis-Clark YSA Branch.

There are now 149 stakes in Idaho. 

Madagascar

A new stake was created in Madagascar. The Antananarivo Madagascar Ampitatafika Stake was organized on March 1st from a division of the Antananarivo Madagascar Ampefiloha Stake (organized in 2023), the Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry Stake (organized in 2011), and the Antananarivo Madagascar Manakambahiny Stake (organized in 2000). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ambohidrapeto, Ambohimanarina, Ampitatafika, Itaosy, and Tanjombato Wards. There are now four stakes in Antananarivo.

There are now six stakes and one district in Madagascar. 

México

A new stake was created in Mexico. The León México Aeropuerto Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the León México Stake (organized in 1996) and the Guanajuato México District (which became the new stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Guanajuato, Las Torres, Olímpica, Parque del Sur, and Silao Wards. There are now two stakes in León.

There are now 232 stakes and 41 districts in México. 

North Carolina

A new stake was created in North Carolina. The Mebane North Carolina Stake was organized on April 26th from the Durham North Carolina Stake (organized in 1987) and the Greensboro North Carolina Stake (organized in 1961). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Caswell, Elon, Hillsborough, Lake Mackintosh, and Mebane Wards and the Roxboro and Burlington (Spanish) Branches. 

There are now 22 stakes in North Carolina. 

Tennessee

A new stake was created in Tennessee. The Columbia Tennessee Stake was organized on March 22nd from the Franklin Tennessee Stake (organized in 1979) and the Murfreesboro Tennessee Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Columbia, Lawrenceburg, Linden, Spring Hill 1st, and Spring Hill 3rd Wards and the Lewisburg Branch. 

There are now 15 stakes in Tennessee. 

Utah

A new stake was created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Saratoga Springs Utah Mountain View Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Saratoga Springs Utah North Stake (organized in 2004). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Harvest Hills 4th, Harvest Hills 5th, Harvest Hills 6th, Harvest Hills 7th, Wildflower 1st, and Wildflower 2nd Wards. 

Additionally, five stakes were recently discontinued in Utah, bringing the total number of discontinued stakes in Utah in 2026 to nine. Stakes discontinued included the Price Utah North Stake (organized in 1945), Price Utah YSA (organized in 1996), Sandy Utah Alta View Stake (organized in 1984), Taylorsville Utah North Stake (organized in 1973), and Wellington Utah Stake (organized in 1980). Like other recently discontinued stakes, stakes discontinued in the Salt Lake area have been in areas with a steady decline in active membership. The three stakes discontinued in the Price area have appeared to be attributed to essentially stagnant growth or decline for many years coupled with probable efforts to free up members in leadership positions to staff the new temple once it is completed.

There are now 639 stakes and seven districts in Utah. 

Zambia

A new stake was created in Zambia. The Copperbelt Zambia Stake was organized on April 26th from the Kitwe Zambia District (organized in 2005) and the Ndola Zambia District (organized in 2015 and discontinued when the new stake was organized). Information on which of the 11 branches in the two combined districts became wards remains unavailable.

There are now two stakes in Zambia and no districts. 

Kenya

A new district was created in Kenya. The Bomet Kenya District was organized on March 8th. The new district was organized from three branches in the Kenya Nairobi West Mission, including the Bomet, Kapkesosio, and Kyongong Branches. The first branch in Bomet was organized in 2023.

There are now four stakes and 11 districts in Kenya.

Nigeria

A new district was created in Nigeria. The Mangu Nigeria District was organized on March 8th from a division of the Jos Nigeria Stake (organized in 2024). The new district includes the following seven branches: the Chapkwai, Dadin Kowa, Gerkawa, Gindiri, Mabudi, Mangu, and Pankshin Branches. These branches have been primarily organized in villages and small towns in rural areas southeast of Jos. Rapid growth has occurred here, where all branches in the new district have been organized since 2024.

There are now 81 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria. 

Republic of the Congo

A new district was created in the Republic of the Congo. The Nkayi Republic of the Congo District was organized on April 19th from five mission branches in cities between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The new district includes the following branches: the Bouansa, Dolisie, Madingou, Mindouli, and Nkayi Branches. The first branch in this area of the country was organized in 2019 in Dolisie.

There are now five stakes and one district in the Republic of the Congo. 

United Kingdom

Two stakes were discontinued in the United Kingdom. The Poole England Stake (organized in 1982) and the Ashton England Stake (organized in 1982) were recently discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to neighboring stakes. The discontinuation of these two stakes has continued a recent trend of consolidating stakes in England in the past few years, as there were three stakes discontinued in 2023 in the London area and one stake discontinued in 2022 in Lichfield. It is probable that additional stakes may be discontinued in the United Kingdom in the coming months and years, as the Church in the United Kingdom has historically had small numbers of active members per ward or branch and few convert baptisms.

There are now 40 stakes in the United Kingdom.

**Please note that there are some recently organized stakes and districts that I have not yet reported in this post due to the large volume of recent stake and district creations. These will be reported in a future blog post**

Temple Announced for Marysville, Washington

This evening, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build a temple in Marysville, Washington in a devotional with the Marysville Washington Stake. The announcement was shared by Hugo E. Martinez of the United States West Area Presidency. The new temple will likely service approximately eight stakes between Seattle, Washington, and the Canadian border. The new temple is the Church's seventh temple to be built in Washington State following temples in Seattle (dedicated in 1980), Spokane (dedicated in 1999), Columbia River (Richland; dedicated in 2000), Moses Lake (2023), Tacoma (announced in 2022); and Vancouver (announced in 2023; under construction). I had included a potential temple in this general area on my temple prediction map, although I identified Arlington as a more likely candidate. Stakes that are likely to be assigned to the new temple in Marysville are currently part of the Seattle Washington Temple district, which has 31 stakes. This ranks as the 13th-largest temple district in the United States (tied with the Portland Oregon Temple and the Provo City Center Temple). The Church in Washington State has experienced stagnant growth or slight decline in recent years. There were 278,576 members, 473 congregations (425 wards, 48 branches), and 62 stakes as of year-end 2025. In contrast, there were 289,479 members, 544 congregations (476 wards, 68 branches), and 62 stakes as of year-end 2019. This represents a net decline of over 10,000 members and more than 70 congregations, while the number of stakes has remained unchanged. More information on Church statistics for Washington State can be found here. This announcement appears to be part of a broader pattern in which temple construction is increasingly driven by accessibility considerations rather than membership or congregational growth, particularly in developed regions with mature Church infrastructure. This reflects a broader trend in North America and Europe where temple growth continues even in areas with stagnant or declining membership, suggesting a strategic emphasis on member experience and temple access rather than expansion of the Church’s footprint.

With this announcement, there are now 384 temples that are planned or dedicated worldwide. The temple most recently announced prior to today's announcement was the Portland Maine Temple, which was announced in December of 2025.

Milestone of 3,700 Stakes Worldwide Reached; New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (2), Utah (2), Arizona, Ecuador, Idaho, Nigeria, Virginia, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Cuba, the DR Congo, and Tanzania; Five Stakes Discontinued in Utah

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has reached the milestone of 3,700 stakes for the first time in its history. This threshold was achieved following sustained net stake growth in recent years. In 2025, 94 new stakes were organized and only seven were discontinued, resulting in a net increase of 87 stakes (a 2.4% annual increase). Thus far in 2026, at least nine new stakes have been organized, although five stakes have been discontinued. See the table below for the net increase in the number of stakes per year since 2005.

 

Year	Net New Stakes
2005	36
2006	44
2007	45
2008	28
2009	47
2010	31
2011	50
2012	59
2013	45
2014	64
2015	60
2016	92
2017	75
2018	42
2019	54
2020	26
2021	35
2022	23
2023	44
2024	43
2025	87

Stake growth remains one of the most important structural indicators of global Latter-day Saint growth, as the creation of new stakes is typically associated with increases in active membership, leadership development, and long-term institutional stability.Conversely, the discontinuation of stakes typically signals challenges such as declining activity rates, limited leadership depth, and insufficient convert retention or local membership growth to sustain stake-level operations. See below for a graph displaying the total number of stakes per year since 2005.

 

Below are country-by-country updates since my last post on stakes and districts that have been created or discontinued.

DR Congo 

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

The Diulu DR Congo Stake was organized on December 28th, 2025, from a division of the Mbuji-Mayi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2016) and the Dibindi DR Congo Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Bipemba 2nd, Dibindi 2nd, Diulu 1st, Diulu 2nd, Masanka, and Tshikila Wards and the Mpokolo Branch. The new stake is the Church's third stake in the city following the Mbuji-Mayi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2016) and the Dibindi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2022). One interesting note with the creation of this new stake was that it was created between Christmas and New Year's Day — an extremely rare occurrence in modern Church administration and likely a testament to the rapid growth of the Church in the country that necessitated an often inconvenient time of year to create the new stake.

The Ngandajika DR Congo Kabanda Stake was organized on January 11th from a division of the Ngandajika DR Congo Stake (organized in 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kabanda 1st, Kabanda 2nd, Kabidimba, Lunga, and Ngandajika Wards. There are now two stakes in Ngandajika.

The Mbandaka DR Congo District was organized on February 8th from three mission branches in the city of Mbandaka. The first branch in Mbandaka was organized in 2024. The new district is the Church's 10th new district to be created in the DR Congo since May of 2025.

There are now 46 stakes and 11 districts in the DR Congo. To illustrate the rapid growth of the Church in the country, there were only four stakes and three districts in 2005 and 13 stakes and four districts in 2015.

Utah

Two new stakes were created and five stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Hurricane Utah Sky Mountain Stake was organized on January 11th from a division of the Hurricane Utah West Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Sky Mountain 1st, Sky Mountain 2nd, Sky Mountain 3rd, Sky Mountain 4th, Sky Mountain 5th, Sky Mountain 6th, and Sky Mountain 7th Wards. There are now five stakes in Hurricane.

The Lehi Utah Willow Creek Stake was organized on March 1st from the Lehi Utah Willow Park Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Colony Pointe, Green Park, Lehi 44th (Deaf), Meadow Vista, North Pointe (Portuguese), Pioneer Heights, and Willow Creek Wards. There are now 26 stakes in Lehi.

Five stakes were also discontinued in Utah. These stakes include the Murray Utah Little Cottonwood Stake (organized in 1971), the Murray Utah Parkway Stake (organized in 1992), the Salt Lake Granite Park Stake (organized in 1983), the South Salt Lake Stake (organized in 1941), and the Taylorsville Utah North Central Stake (organized in 1984). All five of these stakes are within approximately 7-8 miles of one another in the South Salt Lake, Murray, and Taylorsville areas where the Church has experienced steady decline for decades in active membership and congregation consolidations. Gentrification of urban neighborhoods, the exodus of young families to Utah County and beyond, and non-Latter-day Saints repopulating these historically strong Latter-day Saint strongholds appear to be the primary drivers of this decline. Based on current demographic and activity trends, an additional 1-2 dozen stakes in the greater Salt Lake City area may be discontinued over the next five years. While the number of stakes and congregations in the Salt Lake City area continues to slightly decline, state totals generally have been stable or have slightly increased in recent years.

There are now 643 stakes and seven districts in Utah. 

Arizona

A new stake was created in Arizona on March 1st. The Queen Creek Arizona Frontier Stake was organized from the Queen Creek Arizona North Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Barney Farms, Crismon, Gateway Quarter, Langley Gateway, and Terravella Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Queen Creek.

There are now 121 stakes and three districts in Arizona. 

Ecuador

A new stake was created in Ecuador on February 22nd. The Ibarra Ecuador Stake was organized from the Otavalo Ecuador Imbabura Stake (organized in 1997). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ibarra Central, Iluman, Pucara, San Miguel, and San Roque Wards. Two wards and one branch were discontinued in the three previously operating stakes in Otavalo, resulting in each of the four stakes in the area now having five wards a piece. Otavalo appears to be a likely candidate for its own temple due to relatively high levels of member activity and leadership development for Latin America.

There are now 45 stakes and five districts in Ecuador.

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on February 8th. The Shelley Idaho East Stake was organized from the Shelley Idaho Stake (organized in 1914) and the Shelley Idaho South Stake (organized in 1980). The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Shelley 2nd, Shelley 9th, Shelley 13th, Shelley 14th, Taylor 1st, Taylor 2nd, Taylor 3rd, and Taylor 4th Wards. There are now three stakes in Shelley.

There are now 148 stakes in Idaho. 

Nigeria 

A new stake was created in Nigeria on February 8th. The Ikot Use Ekong Nigeria Stake was organized on February 8th from the Eket Nigeria Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Edo, Idung Offiong 1st, Idung Offiong 2nd, Ikot Use Ekong, and Uquo Wards and the Akai Branch. 

There are now 81 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria. 

Virginia

A new stake was created in Virginia on February 1st. Bella Vista Virginia Stake (Spanish) was organized from various stakes in northern Virginia. The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Bella Vista (Spanish), Little River (Spanish), Loudoun (Spanish), Occoquan River (Spanish), Old Town (Spanish), Potomac River (Spanish), Spring Lake (Spanish), and Sudley (Spanish) Wards and the Cub Run (Spanish) Branch. This marks the first Spanish-speaking stake to ever operate in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The Church in the United States appears to have reconsidered a previous policy reversal that disfavored the organization of Spanish-speaking stakes, which went into effect approximately 10–15 years ago, although all new Spanish-speaking stakes created in the past few years have been in Utah.

There are now 26 stakes in Virginia. 

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created on February 1st. The Bulawayo Zimbabwe Luveve Stake was organized on February 1st from a division of the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2005) and the Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Cowdray Park 1st, Emakhandeni, Gwabalanda, Mpopoma, and Njube Wards, and the Cowdray Park 2nd, Cowdray Park 3rd, and Luveve Branches. There are now four stakes in Bulawayo that were organized in 2005, 2013, 2024, and 2026. Bulawayo appears highly likely to receive a temple announcement in the foreseeable future due to rapid growth and distance from the newly dedicated temple in Harare.

There are now 13 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Cuba

A new district was created in Cuba in January. The Holguín Cuba District was organized from a division of the Havana Cuba District (organized in 2017). The new district includes the following five branches: the Buenaventura, Cabezo, Guaramanao, Holguín 1st, and Holguín 2nd Branches. The first branch in Holguín was created in 2021 and rapid growth has subsequently followed. There are now two branches in Holguín proper and three branches in surrounding small towns and villages. There have been no recent official Church membership figures published for Cuba, but there are likely more than 1,000 Latter-day Saints in this country of approximately 11 million people.

Tanzania 

A new district was created in Tanzania on February 15th. The Dar es Salaam Tanzania Kigamboni District was organized from a division of the Dar es Salaam Tanzania Chang'ombe District (organized in 2022). Five new branches were organized in the district from 2024 until it divided. The new district includes the following three branches: the Chamazi, Kigamboni, and Mbagala Branches. 

There is now one stake and four districts in Tanzania. The first stake in Tanzania was organized in January of 2025.

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

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

Utah

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

New Stakes 

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

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

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

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

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

Discontinued Stakes 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

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

New Stakes 

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

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

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

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

New Districts 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philippines

Four new stakes were created in the Philippines.

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Mozambique

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

There are now 10 stakes and three districts in Mozambique. 

 

Spain

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

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

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

 

There are now 17 stakes and one district in Spain.  

 

Brazil

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

There are now 289 stakes and 34 districts in Brazil. 

Arizona

A new stake was created in Arizona.

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

There are now 120 stakes and three districts in Arizona. 

Canada

A new stake was created in Alberta, Canada. 

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

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile.

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

There are now 81 stakes and nine districts in Chile. 

Republic of the Congo

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

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

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

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho.

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

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

Kiribati

A new stake was created in Kiribati. 

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

There are now four stakes and two districts in Kiribati. 

México

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

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

There are now 231 stakes and 42 districts in Mexico. 

Peru

A new stake was organized in Peru.

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

There are now 118 stakes and 17 districts in Peru. 

Uganda

A new stake was created in Uganda.

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

There are now four stakes and four districts in Uganda. 

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created in Zimbabwe.

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

There are now 12 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Kenya

Two new districts were created in Kenya.

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

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

There are now four stakes and 10 districts in Kenya. 

Cote d'Ivoire 

A new district was created in Cote d'Ivoire.

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

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

Ghana

A new district was organized in Ghana.

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

There are now 31 stakes and 13 districts in Ghana. 

Ethiopia

A new district was created in Ethiopia.

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

There are now two districts in Ethiopia. 

The Portland Maine Temple: Analysis

Yesterday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build a temple in Portland, Maine in a stake Christmas fireside by Elder Allen D. Haynie, the United States Northeast Area President. This marks the first time that the Church has announced plans for a new temple outside of General Conference since the announcement of the Ephraim Utah temple on May 1st, 2021. Moreover, this announcement was also unique since an area president delivered it. Historically, the Church has tended to announce most temples in General Conference, although this has not always been the case; however, all new temples have been announced directly by the First Presidency or the presiding Church leader either personally or by letter. The news release yesterday noted that it is anticipated that additional new temples will be announced in a similar format, although this does not mean that temple announcements in General Conference will be retired. Localized temple announcements bring many advantages, such as delivering news of a new temple within the local time zone and adapting the announcement to the needs and circumstances of the membership to be served by the temple.

Maine (year-end 2024 membership: 11,384) was the state in the United States with the third most Latter-day Saints without a temple prior to yesterday's announcement. There remain only six states without a temple planned or dedicated, including Mississippi (22,297), West Virginia (17,557), New Hampshire (8,713), Delaware (5,865), Rhode Island (4,861), and Vermont (4,647). Mississippi and West Virginia appear the most likely to have a temple announced within the foreseeable future. The Church in Maine has experienced slow growth throughout its history. One in 123 people are Latter-day Saints, or 0.81% of the state population. Membership growth from 4,730 in 1983 to 7,900 in 1995 to 9,807 in 2005 and 10,966 in 2015. There has been a modest improvement in annual membership growth rates in the 2020s (0.6-1.6%) versus the 2010s (0.3-0.8% for most years). Congregational growth has been flat except for a couple branches becoming wards in the past decade. There are three stakes in Maine. The Portland Maine Temple will likely service 6-7 stakes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Isolation from the nearest temple in Boston, Massachusetts appears to be the primary factor that has influenced the decision to build a temple in Maine.  

Portland Maine Temple Announced

Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to construct a new temple in Portland, Maine. The new temple will be the Church's 383rd temple. This marks the first time that a new temple has been publicly announced outside of General Conference since the announcement of the Ephraim Utah Temple on May 1st, 2021.

I will provide an analysis on today's announcement in the coming days.  

New Stakes Created in the Philippines (3), Arkansas, Canada, Idaho, Kiribati, Madagascar, South Carolina, and Texas; New Districts Created in Brazil, Mozambique, and Utah; Stakes Discontinued in California and New Zealand; District Discontinued in Guatemala

Philippines

Three new stakes were created in the Philippines.

The Aparri Philippines Stake was organized from the Aparri Philippines District (organized in 1988) on August 10th. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Aparri 1st, Aparri 2nd, Camalaniugan 1st, Gattaran, and Lal-Lo Wards and the Camalaniugan 2nd and Magapit Branches. The Aparri Philippines District was one of the oldest districts that had not yet become a stake in the Philippines.

The Muñoz Philippines Stake was organized on August 10th from the Guimba Philippines District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Guimba 1st, Guimba 2nd, Muñoz 1st, Muñoz 2nd, and San Antonio Wards and the Guimba 3rd Branch. 

The Tarlac Philippines South Stake was organized on August 24th from the Tarlac Philippines Stake (organized in 1981). The new stake includes the following four wards and one branch: the Capas, Concepcion, Lapaz, and Tarlac 5th Wards and the Dap-Dap Branch.

There are now 137 stakes and 51 districts in the Philippines. 

Arkansas

A new stake was created in Arkansas on September 14th. The Centerton Arkansas Stake was organized from a division of the Bentonville Arkansas Stake (organized in 2014) and includes the following seven wards: the Centerton 1st, Centerton 2nd, Centerton 3rd, Gravette, Grove, Highlands, and Morningside Wards. The Rogers Arkansas Stake was also realigned with the Bentonville Arkansas Stake as part of the new stake creation.

There are now four stakes in northwestern Arkansas. There are now eight stakes in Arkansas. 

Canada

A new stake was created on September 21st in Alberta, Canada. The Beaumont Alberta Stake was organized from a division of the Edmonton Alberta Gateway Stake (organized in 1983) and includes the following seven wards: the Beaumont, Blackmud Creek, Ellerslie, Meadowlark (Tagalog), Rio Vista (Spanish), Wetaskiwin, and Wildrose (Tagalog) Wards. The new stake is the Church's seventh stake in Edmonton and the third new stake organized during the past decade. 

There are now 54 stakes and three districts in Canada. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on August 24th. The Pocatello Idaho Highland South Stake was organized from a division of the Pocatello Highland Stake (organized in 1963). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Highland 1st, Highland 2nd, Highland 6th, Highland 7th, Highland 8th, Highland 10th, and Highland 14th Wards. This is the first new stake in Pocatello since the late 1990s. There are now 11 stakes in Pocatello.

There are now 146 stakes in Idaho.

Kiribati

A new stake was created in Kiribati on September 14th. The Tarawa Kiribati Betio Stake was organized from the Tarawa Kiribati West Stake (organized in 2007). The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Betio 1st, Betio 2nd, Betio 3rd, and Temakin Wards and the Borotiam and Tabontebike-Abaiang Branches. Reports also suggest that the Tarawa Kiribati North District may become a stake in October, although this has not yet been confirmed.

There are now three stakes and three districts in Kiribati.

Madagascar

A new stake was created in Madagascar on August 3rd. The Antsirabe Madagascar Stake was organized from the Antsirabe Madagascar District (organized in 2010). The new stake includes the following four wards and three branches: the Ambohimena, Antsirabe, Mahazoarivo, and Tomboarivo Wards and the Andranomanelatra, Manandona, and Saradroa Branches. Antsirabe is now the third city in Madagascar to have a stake following Antananarivo and Toamasina. 

There are now five stakes and one district in Madagascar. 

South Carolina

A new stake was created in South Carolina on August 24th. The Spartanburg South Carolina Stake was organized from the Greenville South Carolina East Stake (organized in 2003). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Boiling Springs, Gaffney, Inman, Roebuck, Spartanburg, and Tyger River Wards and the Union Branch. There are now three stakes in the greater Greenville area and 11 stakes statewide. 

Texas 

A new stake was created in Texas on September 14th. The Temple Texas Stake was organized from the Waco Texas Stake (organized in 2010). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Belton, Morgans Point, Salado Creek, Temple 1st, and Temple 2nd Wards.

There are now 83 stakes in Texas. 

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on September 14th. The Tubarão Brazil District was organized from a division of what was previously known as the Tubarão Brazil Stake (organized in 1993; now renamed the Criciúma Brazil Stake). The new district includes the following four branches: the Bairro São João, Imbituba, Laguna, and Oficinas Branches. There are now 11 stakes and one district in Santa Catarina State.

There are now 288 stakes and 36 districts in Brazil.

Mozambique

A new district was created in Mozambique on August 17th. The Tete Mozambique District was organized from four Mozambique Beira Mission branches in Tete where the first branch was organized in 2005. The new district includes the following four branches: the Matundo, Moatize, Tete, and Zambeze Branches.

There are now eight stakes and three districts in Mozambique. 

Utah 

A new correctional facility district was created in Utah on August 19th. The Wasatch Range Utah (Correctional Facility) District was organized with correctional facility branches in Salt Lake City, Utah. The new district includes the following six correctional facility branches: the Atherton, Bonneville, Fortitude, Geneva Fields, Glendale, and Orange Street Branches.

There are now six correctional facility districts in Utah.

There are now 644 stakes and seven districts in Utah.

California

A stake was discontinued in California. Organized in 1992, the San Fernando California (Spanish) Stake was discontinued and its units were reassigned to neighboring stakes. As recently as a few years ago, the stake had seven wards and one branch. The decision to consolidate the stake with overlapping stakes was likely rooted in efforts in most areas of the United States to discontinue language-specific stakes and rather have Spanish-speaking congregations assimilate with English-speaking units in the same stakes (a similar decision was made in Houston, Texas several years ago). English-speaking stakes in the area that once covered the San Fernando California (Spanish) Stake have experienced a steady decline in the number of English-speaking congregations for decades.

There are now 145 stakes in California. 

New Zealand 

A stake was discontinued in New Zealand. The Upper Hutt New Zealand Stake (organized in 1977) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Wellington New Zealand Stake which was renamed the Wellington and Hutt New Zealand Stake. Stakes in the Wellington area have had few congregations for many years, and the decision to consolidate the stake was likely to help conserve limited leadership and prepare to support the future Wellington New Zealand Temple. There are now two stakes in the Wellington area. 

There are now 28 stakes and two districts in New Zealand. 

Guatemala 

A district was discontinued in Guatemala. The Chiquimula Guatemala South District (organized in 2024) was discontinued and three of the district’s four branches were reassigned to the Zacapa Guatemala Stake after the San Luis Branch was closed. The district had been organized approximately 18 months ago. The reasons for the district’s early discontinuation remain unclear

There are now 51 stakes and 10 districts in Guatemala. 

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

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

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

Now, for an update new stakes recently created:

DR Congo 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colorado

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

There are now 36 stakes in Colorado. 

Papua New Guinea

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

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

Peru

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

There are now 117 stakes and 17 districts in Peru. 

Philippines

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

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

Angola 

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

There are now two stakes and three districts in Angola.  

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

Cameroon 

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

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

Chile 

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

There are now 80 stakes and nine districts in Chile. 

Colombia

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

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

There are now 32 stakes and nine districts in Colombia. 

Kansas

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

There are now eight stakes in Kansas. 

Maine

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

There are now three stakes in Maine.

Missouri

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

Papua New Guinea

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

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

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

Peru

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

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

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

Tennessee

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

There are now 13 stakes in Tennessee.

Utah

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

There are now 25 stakes in Lehi. 

There are now 644 stakes and six districts in Utah. 

Virginia

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

There are now four stakes in the Richmond metropolitan area.

There are now 25 stakes in Virginia. 

Washington

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

There are now two stakes in Moses Lake. 

There are now 62 stakes in Washington State.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Two new districts were recently organized in the DR Congo. 

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

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

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

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

Brazil

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

There are now 288 stakes and 35 districts in Brazil.