The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in El Salvador

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in El Salvador
San Salvador El Salvador Temple.jpg
Area Central America
Members 129,963 (2023) [1]
Stakes 22
Wards 127
Branches 28
Total Congregations [2] 155
Missions 3
Temples
  • 1 Operating
  • 1 Announced
  • 2 Total
FamilySearch Centers 49 [3]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in El Salvador refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in El Salvador. On March 2, 1951, the first 12 converts in El Salvador were baptized. As of December 31, 2022, there were 129,467 members in 155 congregations in El Salvador. [1] In 2019, El Salvador had the second most LDS Church members per capita in North America, after the United States. [4]

Contents

History

Membership in El Salvador
YearMembership
1960311
19709,961
197915,529
1989*32,000
199984,683
2009102,043
2019128,881
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: El Salvador [1]

In 1948, Arwell L. Pierce, president of the Mexican Mission assigned the first missionaries to preach in El Salvador. In February 1951, a conference was held in San Salvador with church apostle Albert E. Bowen in attendance. One month later, the first converts were baptized at Apulo Beach at Lake Ilopango. In 1965, there were 4,200 members in El Salvador. By 1989, the church in El Salvador was able to use local members called to serve to sustain its missionary force. [5] Church membership grew from the initial converts, and was up to 15,000 by the mid-1980s before growing to 38,000 and further doubling by 2000. [1]

Stakes

StakeOrganizedMission
Ahuachapán El Salvador El Espino Stake19 Nov 2017El Salvador Santa Ana
Ahuachapán El Salvador Stake22 Sep 1991El Salvador Santa Ana
Apopa El Salvador Stake20 Oct 1996El Salvador San Salvador East
Atiquizaya El Salvador Stake11 Aug 1996El Salvador Santa Ana
Chalchuapa El Salvador Stake29 Oct 1995El Salvador Santa Ana
Juayua El Salvador Stake12 Nov 1995El Salvador Santa Ana
Paraiso El Salvador Stake14 Jun 2009El Salvador Santa Ana
San Miguel El Salvador Stake11 Jan 1981El Salvador San Salvador East
San Salvador El Salvador Stake3 Jun 1973El Salvador San Salvador East
San Salvador El Salvador Cuzcatlan Stake3 Jun 1979El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
San Salvador El Salvador Ilopango Stake1 Feb 1976El Salvador San Salvador East
San Salvador El Salvador La Libertad Stake22 Oct 1995El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
San Salvador El Salvador Layco Stake22 Sep 1996El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
San Salvador El Salvador Los Heroes Stake8 Apr 1990El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
San Salvador El Salvador Soyapango Stake8 Apr 1990El Salvador San Salvador East
San Vicente El Salvador Stake26 Feb 1995El Salvador San Salvador East
Santa Ana El Salvador Los Pinos Stake10 Dec 2017El Salvador Santa Ana
Santa Ana El Salvador Modelo Stake14 Dec 1980El Salvador Santa Ana
Santa Ana El Salvador Molino Stake2 Dec 1979El Salvador Santa Ana
Sonsonate El Salvador Stake22 Sep 1991El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
Sonzacate El Salvador Stake12 Jun 2011El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize
Usulután El Salvador Stake17 Apr 1994El Salvador San Salvador East

Missions

MissionOrganized
El Salvador Santa Ana 1 Jul 1976
El Salvador San Salvador East 1 Jul 2013
El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize Mission1 Jul 1990

Temples

The San Salvador El Salvador Temple was announced on November 7, 2007 by the First Presidency. Ground was broken for the temple in September 2008, and was dedicated on August 21, 2011 by Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency. [6]

San Salvador El Salvador Temple.jpg
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Notes:
Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador
18 November 2007 by Gordon B. Hinckley
20 September 2008 by Don R. Clarke
21 August 2011 by Henry B. Eyring
27,986 sq ft (2,600.0 m2) on a 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) site
Announced in a letter dated 7 November 2007 from the First Presidency to priesthood leaders. [7] [8]

The public open house was held from Friday, 1 July 2011, until Saturday, 23 July 2011, [9] following which the temple was dedicated on Sunday, 21 August 2011, in three sessions. [10]

edit
Location:
Announced:
Santa Ana, El Salvador
6 October 2024 by Russell M. Nelson [11] [12]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: El Salvador", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 29 May 2023
  2. Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches
  3. Category:El Salvador Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 18, 2022
  4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics
  5. "Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  6. Walker, Joseph. "Open house begins Friday for San Salvador El Salvador LDS temple". Deseret News . Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  7. Morales, Chris (November 24, 2007), "New temple for El Salvador", Church News , retrieved 2012-10-15
  8. Satterfield, Rick, "San Salvador El Salvador Temple", LDS ChurchTemples.com, retrieved 2012-10-15
  9. "Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for the San Salvador El Salvador Temple", Newsroom (News Release), LDS Church, February 9, 2011, retrieved 2012-10-15
  10. "San Salvador El Salvador Temple Dedicated", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2011-08-11
  11. The 17 new LDS temples include firsts for two countries and two U.S. states, Salt Lake Tribune, 6 October 2024
  12. "The Prophet Announces 17 New Temples at the October 2024 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 6 October 2024