New Stakes Created in Utah (3), the Philippines (2), and Cote d'Ivoire; New Districts Created in Nigeria and Vietnam

Philippines
The Church has organized two new stakes in the Philippines.

The Mandaluyong Philippines Stake was organized from a division of the Makati Philippines Stake and the Manila Philippines Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Mandaluyong 1st, Mandaluyong 2nd, Mandaluyong 3rd, Mandaluyong 5th, and San Juan Wards. A special conference was held as part of the stake organization as the new stake became the Church's 100th operating stake in the Philippines.

The Calasiao Philippines Stake was organized from the Calasiao Philippines District on September 17th. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Calasiao 1st, Calasiao 2nd, Malasiqui 1st, Malasiqui 2nd, and Santa Barbara Wards. There are now four stakes in the greater Dagupan metropolitan area.

There are now 101 stakes and 74 districts in the Philippines.

Utah
The Church in Utah organized two new stakes on September 10th, and one new stake on September 17th.

The South Jordan Utah North Shore Stake was organized from a division of the South Jordan Utah Oquirrh Lake Stake (renamed the South Jordan Utah Eastlake Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards: the North Shore 1st, North Shore 2nd, North Shore 3rd, North Shore 4th, North Shore 5th, and North Shore 6th Wards.

The South Jordan Utah Garden Park Stake was organized from a division of the South Jordan Utah Founders Park Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Garden Park 1st, Garden Park 2nd, Garden Park 3rd, Garden Park 4th, Garden Park 5th, and Garden Park 6th Wards, and the Sagewood Branch (Care Center).

The Morgan Utah West Stake was organized from a division of the Morgan Utah Stake and the Morgan Utah North Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Enterprise, Milton, Morgan 4th, Morgan 6th, Morgan 8th, Peterson, Silver Lake, and Stoddard Wards. The new stake is the first new stake to be organized in Morgan County since 1981.

There are now 589 stakes and one district in Utah.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new stake in Cote d'Ivoire on September 10th. The Anonkoua Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from a division of the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire East Stake and the Abobo Cote d'Ivoire West Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and six branches: the Agnissankoi, Anonkoua 1st, Assomin, Avocatier, and Sagbe Wards, and the Anonkoua 2nd, Anonkoua 3rd, Banco, Bocabo, Celeste, and Sodeci Branches. The new stake is the Church's eleventh stake to be organized in Abidjan. No other metropolitan area on the continental landmass of Africa, Asia, and Europe has as many stakes.

There are now 12 stakes and 13 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new district in Nigeria on September 3rd. The Makurdi Nigeria District was organized from three mission branches in the city of Makurdi, namely the Makurdi 1st, Makurdi 2nd, and Makurdi 3rd Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Makurdi in November 2015.

There are now 43 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Vietnam
The Church organized its second district in Vietnam on September 17th. The Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam District was organized from a division of the Hanoi Vietnam District. Moreover, three new branches were also organized in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas. The new district includes the following six branches: the Binh Duong, Phu My Hung, Quan Sau, Tan Son Nhat, Thao Dien, and Thu Duc Branches. District leadership and branch leadership positions appear minimally staffed at present. The organization of these new branches has appeared to be in response to efforts to reduce travel times to church for members and investigators, and to expand proselytism efforts in the Vietnam Hanoi Mission. Moreover, the mission has also reported an increase in the number of missionaries assigned to the mission. The organization of the new district also coincided with the redesignation of the Hanoi Vietnam District Branch as the Vietnam Hanoi Mission Branch to administer members who reside in areas outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Missionaries report that branches may also be organized in additional cities in Vietnam in the foreseeable future pending government approval.

There are now two districts and 10 branches in Vietnam. In contrast, there were only four branches and one district in Vietnam at the beginning of 2017. Convert baptisms have appeared to occur more frequently in recent months in many of the branches.

New Branch in Vietnam

For the first time since the organization of the Vietnam Hanoi Mission in March 2016, the Church in Vietnam has created a new branch. The District 6 Branch was organized from a division of the Than Son Nhat Branch in Ho Chi Minh City. The new branch services the entire western half of Ho Chi Minh City - an area distant from the two LDS meetinghouses located in the northeastern area of the city. Overcrowding in the Than Son Nhat Branch and a need for a separate congregation that assembles in western Ho Chi Minh City prompted the organization of the new branch. Missionaries report that there are small groups of members who reside outside of the established church centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However, there remain no official LDS congregations outside of these two cities. Prospects appear favorable for the establishment of additional congregations within the near future, especially within Ho Chi Minh City and southern areas of Vietnam.

See below for a map of LDS branches Vietnam.

Three New Missions Announced

Today the Church announced the formation of three new missions in Africa and Asia "on or before July 1, 2016."

Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission will be organized from a division of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Missions. Based on maps provided in the official news release, the new mission will include three stakes (Kananga DR Congo, Katoka DR Congo, and Luputa DR Congo) and two districts (Mbuji-Mayi and Mwene-Ditu). The Church has experienced some of its most rapid growth in the international church in the central DR Congo within the past decade. The Church has significantly expanded its missionary operations in western areas of Central Africa during the past six years. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa initially included the entire DR Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea in early 2010, whereas today the Church operates the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission (organized in 2010) to service the southern DR Congo and Burundi and the Republic of the Congo Brazzaville Mission (organized in 2014) to service the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. The realigned Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission will service all seven stakes in the Kinshasa metropolitan area as well as mission branches in Matadi and Kisangani. The realigned Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission will include three stakes (all in Lubumbashi) and two districts. The country of Burundi will also continue to be assigned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission.

By July 2016, there will be three LDS missions headquartered in the DR Congo.

Nigeria
The Nigeria Owerri Mission will be organized from a division of the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission. Based on maps provided in the official news release, the new mission will include the Nigerian states of Abia and Imo where there was a combined population of approximately eight million people as of 2011. Six stakes and two districts currently operate in Abia and Imo States. The realigned Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission will service the Nigerian states of Bayelsa and Rivers where there was a combined population of approximately eight million people as of 2011. Rapid LDS growth has occurred within the current boundaries of the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission within the past decade. Three stakes and two districts operate in Bayelsa and Rivers States.

By July 2016, there will be six LDS missions headquartered in Nigeria.

Vietnam
The Vietnam Hanoi Mission will be organized from a division of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. The new mission will include the entire country of Vietnam where over 94 million people reside. The Church currently operates one district (Hanoi Vietnam - organized in 2010) that administers the four branches in the country. The Church obtained official recognition from the Vietnamese government in 2014 and has assigned Vietnamese-descent members on full-time missionaries to Vietnam since the mid-2000s. Prospects appear favorable for the establishment of official branches outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City where currently there are no official congregations of the Church.

The Vietnam Hanoi Mission is the first LDS mission ever to be organized in Vietnam.

LDS Presence in Vietnam No Longer Sensitive

The Church has recently reclassified its presence in Vietnam from sensitive to non-sensitive. This change appears attributed to the Church obtaining government recognition earlier this year. Currently the Church in Vietnam reports one district located in Hanoi (organized on December 12th, 2010) and four branches (Hanoi, Hanoi District Branch, Tan Son Nhat, and Thao Dien). Full-time missionaries serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission speculate that larger numbers of missionaries may be assigned and additional cities outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City may open to proselytism within the near future.

Earlier this year the Church reported 1,600 members in Vietnam.

The Church in Vietnam - Government Recognition Milestone Reached; Membership Data Disclosed

In a news release dated May 30th, the Church has announced that the Vietnamese government has recognized the Church's Interim Representative Committee that consists of three native Vietnamese church leaders. This recognition will provide the LDS Church the opportunity to expand its presence into additional locations outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City per approval of government officials. Additionally, the Church reported that there are over 1,600 members who currently reside in Vietnam. This marks the first time that the Church has publicly disclosed its membership numbers for Vietnam since 1997, when there were just a mere 100 members.

Currently Vietnam is assigned to the Cambodia Phnom Pehn Mission and has one member district based in Hanoi that appeared to be organized sometime in the early 2010s. There are currently three branches in Vietnam (two in Ho Chi Minh City, one in Hanoi). A second branch in Ho Chi Minh City began operating in 2013. Only members of Vietnamese ancestry are currently permitted to serve full-time missions in Vietnam.