 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in India | |
|---|---|
| Area | Asia |
| Members | 14,961 (2022) [1] |
| Stakes | 4 |
| Districts | 3 |
| Wards | 21 |
| Branches | 24 |
| Total Congregations [2] | 45 |
| Missions | 2 |
| Temples | 1 Under Construction |
| Family History Centers | 20 [3] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has had a presence in India since the 19th century. As of 2019, there were local members, missionaries and multiple meetinghouses of the LDS Church in the country. [4]
Joseph Richards first introduced the faith to India in 1851, when he arrived in Calcutta. There was a small branch organized in Calcutta, but most of the members migrated to USA. As per the church's policy, all members were invited to gather in one place. The main reason was to build the church and strengthen the priesthood leadership. Though many members of the branch migrated to the US, a small group of members continued to have meetings in Calcutta. The branch still exists in Calcutta today.
In the church's history in India, there were early missionaries who visited Madras (now known as Chennai), Bombay (now known as Mumbai), and other places in India who taught the gospel. In fact there were missionaries visiting Taj Mahal in Agra, India and teaching the tourists which was filmed in one of the videos, "The Ancient America Speaks," produced by the church in 1974. There were many events in church history in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The golden history started in 1963 at Coimbatore. This was revealed by John Aki, then president of the Hong Kong China Temple during the year 2011. Some of the first families were sealed in the Hong Kong China Temple by Anthony D. Perkins, a general authority who was the president of the church's Asia Area at that time. Perkins anticipated that church membership in that part of India would grow. [5] The movement increased in India by 1993, when Mormon missionaries began proselytizing in Bangalore. [5]
By the beginning of 2000, there were 2,435 members in four districts and eighteen branches, [4] and in 2005 there were 5,951. [6] By 2013, there were about 10,000 members of the LDS Church in India. [7]
| Year | Membership | Congregations | Districts | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,435 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 5,951 | |||
| 2013 | 10,000 | |||
| 2018 | 13,995 | 45 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022 | 14,961 | 45 | 3 | 4 |
During the church's April 2018 general conference, church president Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be built in Bengaluru, India. This was one of seven new temples announced at the time, and the first to be built in India. [8]
On December 2, 2020, ground was broken to signify the beginning of construction of the Bengaluru India Temple by Robert K. William, a native of India serving as an area seventy. [9]
As of February 2023, the following stakes and districts were located in India:
| Stake/District | Organized | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru India Stake | 12 Dec 1980 | India Bengaluru |
| Chennai India District | 11 Oct 2009 | India Bengaluru |
| Coimbatore India District | 11 Oct 2009 | India Bengaluru |
| Hyderabad India Stake | 1 Mar 1988 | India Bengaluru |
| New Delhi India Stake | 19 Aug 1986 | India New Delhi |
| Rajahmundry India Stake | 20 Mar 2011 | India New Delhi |
| Visakhapatnam India District | 11 Oct 2009 | India New Delhi |
In addition to these stakes & districts, branches with meetinghouses that are not part of a stake or district are located in Goa, Kolkata and Mumbai and are part of the India New Delhi Mission. The India South Branch (Located in the India Bengaluru Mission) and the India New Delhi Mission Branch serves individuals and families not in proximity to a church meetinghouse.
| Mission | Organized |
|---|---|
| India Bengaluru Mission | 1 Jan 1993 |
| India New Delhi Mission | 1 Nov 2007 |
The India Bengaluru Mission covers Southern India, the Maldives, and British Indian Ocean Territory. India New Delhi Mission covers Northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
 |
| edit | |
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Size: | Bengaluru, India 1 April 2018 by Russell M. Nelson [10] 2 December 2020 by Robert K. William 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) on a 1.62-acre (0.66 ha) site | ||
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.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Idaho. Rexburg, Idaho is home to Brigham Young University–Idaho. Idaho has the third most church members of any U.S. state, and the second-highest percentage of members. The LDS Church is the largest denomination in Idaho, with the largest presence in Eastern Idaho.
The U.S. state of Washington has the sixth most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States. The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in Washington, behind the Roman Catholic Church.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Brazil in 1926 with the opening of the South American Mission. Missionary work was focused on small German immigrant colonies in South Brazil. The LDS Church was forced to expand missionary work to Brazilians and Portuguese speakers when non-Portuguese languages were banned in public meetings in 1938. The Brazil Mission was opened on February 9, 1935, with Rulon S. Howells as mission president. The first Portuguese translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1939.
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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".
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