James Esdras Faust was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death, an LDS Church apostle for 29 years, and a general authority of the church for 35 years.
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. He was the church's chief political strategist, and was dubbed "the Mormon premier" and "the Mormon Richelieu" by the press. He was also a five-time Utah territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress.
Henry Dinwoodey Moyle was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Anthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.
Edwin Bennion "Ted" Cannon was an American attorney who served as a member of the Utah State Senate from 1951 until 1954 as a member of the Republican Party.
Merrill Joseph Bateman is an American religious leader who was the 11th president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1996 to 2003. He is an emeritus general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the LDS Church's 12th presiding bishop in 1994 and 1995. Bateman was the Sunday School General President of the LDS Church from 2003 to 2004, a member of the Church's Presidency of the Seventy from 2003 to 2007, and the president of the Provo Utah Temple from 2007 to 2010.
Mischa Markow was the first missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to preach in present-day Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Latvia and Belgium. He also served as a missionary in Hungary, Germany, and Russia. A Hungarian citizen, Markow joined the LDS Church in Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire after hearing Mormonism taught by Jacob Spori and Joseph M. Tanner. Markow was born at Czernyn, Torontál County, Hungary. Although he was a Hungarian citizen, his father was Serbian and his mother Romanian. Markow first met missionaries of the LDS Church in Alexandria, Egypt. This, however, was on a ship leaving Alexandria. He was baptized on February 1, 1887, in Constantinople, by Jacob Spori. In 1888, Markow headed towards the United States and stopped in Belgium, where he taught and baptized the Esselmann family on the way. Markow arrived in Utah Territory in 1892. The next year, he married Nettie Hansen in the Salt Lake Temple. They had two children. From 1899 to 1901, Markow served as a missionary in Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Germany. In 1903, Markow returned to Europe as a missionary. He was sent by European Mission President Francis M. Lyman to the Russian Empire. He preached to German families in Riga but when he was called to account before the authorities, he followed Lyman's instructions to avoid being sent to Siberia and fled the country instead. For the next two years, Markow served in the Turkish Mission. After returning to Salt Lake City, Markow worked as a barber. He died on January 19, 1934.
Phineas Howe Young was a prominent early convert in the Latter Day Saint movement and was later a Mormon pioneer and a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Phineas Young was an older brother of Brigham Young, who was the president of the LDS Church and the first governor of the Territory of Utah.
Joseph William Billy Johnson was one of the first converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana, and was one of the first stake patriarchs in the country. Prior to his baptism, he had worked for many years to spread the doctrines of the LDS Church to many of his fellow countrymen. He was baptized six months after the 1978 Revelation on Priesthood and among the first to be baptized in the church in Ghana.
John Harris Taylor was one of the seven presidents of Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Janath Russell Cannon was a counselor to Barbara B. Smith in the general presidency of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cannon was also a prominent missionary in the church and was among the first to preach to black people in Africa.
Janne Mattson Sjödahl was a Swedish convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the author of influential commentaries on LDS Church scriptures. Sjödahl was among the first commentators to advance a "limited geography model" for the theorized geography of the Book of Mormon.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was introduced to Ghana, West Africa, in 1962. It was officially organized in 1978, following announcement of the revelation on priesthood. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 101,924 members in 353 congregations in Ghana, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Africa, behind Nigeria. In 2021, Ghana ranked as having the third most LDS Church members per capita in Africa, behind Cape Verde and Sierra Leone.
Anthony Uzodimma Obinna, born in Umuelem Enyiogugu in Aboh Mbaise, in Nigeria, was the first convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Marshall Islands. As of 2022, there were 6,832 members in 13 congregations, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia, behind Kiribati. The Marshall Islands has the second most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the fourth most members per capita of any independent country in the world, behind Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Liberia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Liberia. At year-end 1986, there were fewer than 100 members in Liberia. In 2022, there were 20,335 members in 67 congregations.
Since Mormonism's foundation, Black people have been members; however, the church placed restrictions on proselytization efforts among Black people. Before 1978, Black membership was small. It has since grown, and in 1997, there were approximately 500,000 Black members of the church, mostly in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean. Black membership has continued to grow substantially, especially in West Africa, where two temples have been built. By 2018, an estimated 6% of members were Black worldwide. In the United States, approximately 1% of members are Black.
Three missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started proselyting to white English-speaking people in Cape Town in 1853. Most converts from this time emigrated to the United States. The mission was closed in 1865, but reopened in 1903.The South African government limited the amount of missionaries allowed to enter the country in 1921 and in 1955. Starting around 1930, a man had to trace his genealogy out of Africa to be eligible for the priesthood, since black people were not permitted to be ordained. In 1954 when church president David O. McKay visited South Africa, he removed the requirement for genealogical research for a man to be ordained, stipulating only that "there is no evidence of his having Negro blood in his veins".
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Nigeria. At year-end 1983, there were 2,255 members in Nigeria. In 2022, there were 221,172 members in 769 congregations making it the largest body of LDS Church members in Africa.
Rendell Noel Mabey was a speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, member of the Utah State Senate, and prominent leader of missionaries in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mabey was among the first four LDS missionaries sent to Nigeria, and had previously been president of the Swiss Mission.
