The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast
LDS Church logo - fra.png
(Logo in French)
Flag of Ivory Coast.svg
Area Africa West
Members 63,058 (2023) [1]
Stakes 20
Districts 12
Wards 154
Branches 108
Total Congregations [2] 262
Missions 4
Temples 1 under construction
FamilySearch Centers 27 [3]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Ivory Coast. At year-end 1989, there were fewer than 200 members in Ivory Coast. In 2023, there were 63,058 members in 262 congregations.

Contents

History

Membership in Ivory Coast [4] [1]
YearMembership
1989*200
1995*2,800
19995,402
20049,345
200913,245
201216,248
201743,895
201952,241
202260,162
*Membership was published as a rounded number.

Mormon missionaries first preached in Ivory Coast in 1988. Earlier the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been established by Philippe and Annelies Assard and Lucien and Agathe Affoue. The Affoue family joined the church while studying in France. Philippe Assard joined the Church while studying in Germany, where he married Annelies who was a native of Germany. After they returned to Ivroy Coast in the mid 1980s they got in contact with each other and began holding Church meetings.

The first LDS stake was organized in the late 1990s. During the civil war in the 2000s the number of missionaries in the country was reduced and some areas saw missionaries withdrawn. As of 2018 most full-time LDS missionaries in the country were from either the Congo or countries in West Africa, but there were a very few from other areas.

Plans to build a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Abidjan were announced in 2015. As of 2018 the country had three LDS missions, although two of them also covered Church operations in Senegal and Mali.

Stakes and Districts

Stake/DistrictOrganizedMission
Abengourou Cote d'Ivoire District30 Oct 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon Central Stake3 Dec 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake7 Feb 2010Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake1 Jun 2014Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Selmer Stake1 Mar 2020Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Toit Rouge Stake17 Aug 1997Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Yopougon Attie Stake6 Sep 2015Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West
Abobo Cote d'Ivoire East Stake9 Nov 2014Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Abobo Cote d'Ivoire West Stake27 Aug 2000Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Aboisso Cote d'Ivoire District14 Feb 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Adzope Cote d'Ivoire District21 Feb 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Agboville Cote d'Ivoire District26 Jun 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District23 Apr 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Alepe Cote d'Ivoire District14 May 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Anonkoua Cote d'Ivoire Stake10 Sep 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan North
Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire District27 Nov 2016Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Bouake Cote d'Ivoire Stake5 Jun 2016Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Cocody Cote d'Ivoire Stake20 Aug 2006Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Dabou Cote d'Ivoire District30 Oct 2024Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan West
Daloa Cote d'Ivoire Stake12 Apr 2015Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Dokui Cote d'Ivoire Stake11 Sep 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Duekoue Cote d'Ivoire District24 Feb 2019Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Gagnoa Cote d'Ivoire Stake30 Mar 2014Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Grand-Bassam Cote d'Ivoire Stake12 Jun 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Issia Cote d'Ivoire District21 Jul 2019Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Koumassi Cote d'Ivoire Stake15 Nov 2020Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Man Cote d'Ivoire Stake27 Jan 2019Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Port-Bouet Cote d'Ivoire Stake23 Sep 2012Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
Quatre Etages Cote d'Ivoire Stake29 May 2022Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East
San Pedro Cote d'Ivoire Stake16 Mar 2014Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Sinfra Cote d'Ivoire District27 Oct 2019Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro
Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake24 May 2009Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro

Missions

The Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan North Mission was created in July 2023 by dividing the east mission and adjoining portions of the west mission. [5]

MissionOrganized
Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan East Mission 1 Jul 1992
Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan North Mission 1 Jul 2023
Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission 1 Jul 2014
Côte d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission 28 Jun 2018

Guinea

The Conakry Branch was created on June 18, 2017. [6] Initially it became part of the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission but later came under the Côte d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. The LDS church reported 61 members in 2018. [7]

Mali

Mali has a single congregation, the Bamako Branch, which was created on July 9, 2017. [8] The LDS Church was granted official status in January 2019. [9] The LDS Church reported 50 Latter-day Saint families in Mali that same year and recognition allows missionaries in the country. [10] The branch is administered by the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East Mission as of August 2024, and membership was estimated to be 100 in 2021. [11]

Senegal

In 2016, the first missionaries, humanitarian service missionaries, arrived in Senegal, and on February 20, 2018, the LDS Church received official recognition from the Government. [12] On February 13, 2022, the Dakar Senegal District was created with three branches in the Dakar Area (Dakar, Ouakam, Parcelles) as well as a branch in Saint-Louis. [13] There was 108 members in Senegal in 2018 and is assigned to the Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. [14]

The Gambia

On February 23, 2022, Elder D. Todd Christofferson along with other Church leaders dedicated the Gambia for the Church's preaching. [15] On June 10, 2022, the Banjul Branch was created. The branch at that time consisted of 26 members and two full-time missionaries from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. [16] On October 27, 2024 a second branch was created with more than 100 members in the country and the first branch was renamed. [17]

Temples

Plans to build a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Abidjan were announced in 2015. On Nov. 8, 2018 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the 12 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presided at the ground breaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. Andersen both spoke and gave the dedicatory prayer in French. During his remarks Anderson shared testimonies of the restored gospel from the Assard family. [18]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Open House:
Dedicated:		 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
5 April 2015 by Thomas S. Monson [19]
8 November 2018 by Neil L. Andersen [20] [21]
1-17 May 2025
scheduled for 1 May 2025 on a 0.55-acre (0.22 ha) site

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References

  1. 1 2 "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Cote d'Ivoire", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 10 June 2023
  2. ↑ Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches
  3. ↑ Category:Ivory Coast Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved 6 June 2021
  4. ↑ Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Ivory Coast
  5. ↑ Swenson, Madison (Nov 23, 2022), "Church Opening Six New Missions in 2023", KSL TV 5, retrieved January 13, 2023
  6. ↑ "Church Creates Conakry Branch – First Congregation in Guinea", Newsroom, LDS Church, 23 June 2017, retrieved February 24, 2023
  7. ↑ "Country Resources:Guinea", cummorah.com, retrieved February 24, 2023
  8. ↑ "Meetinghouse Locator", LDS Church, retrieved February 24, 2023
  9. ↑ "2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Mali", US Department of State, retrieved February 24, 2023
  10. ↑ "Church Thanks Mali Government for Formal Recognition", Newsroom, LDS Church, 12 September 2019, retrieved February 24, 2023
  11. ↑ "2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Mali", US Department of State, retrieved February 24, 2023
  12. ↑ Senegal: Chronology, LDS Church, retrieved February 24, 2023
  13. ↑ "Meetinghouse Locator", LDS Church, retrieved February 24, 2023
  14. ↑ "Country Resources:Senegal", cummorah.com, retrieved February 24, 2023
  15. ↑ MacKimm, Danielle (Feb 26, 2022), "LDS Church leaders dedicate The Gambia to their preaching's", KTVX ABC Channel 4, retrieved February 24, 2023
  16. ↑ "Church Leaders Meet With First Lady of The Gambia", Newsroom, LDS Church, 18 August 2022, retrieved February 24, 2023
  17. ↑ "Second Branch of The Church Created in The Gambia", Newsroom, LDS Church, 30 October 2024, retrieved December 15, 2024
  18. ↑ article on groundbreaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
  19. ↑ Walch, Tad (5 April 2015). "3 new LDS temples to be built in Ivory Coast, Haiti and Thailand, President Monson announces". Deseret News . Retrieved 2015-04-05..
  20. ↑ "Groundbreaking Announced for Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Temple". Newsroom. LDS Church. 4 October 2018.
  21. ↑ "Elder Andersen Presides at the Groundbreaking of Abidjan Cȏte d'Ivoire Temple: Sunny day of gladness". Newsroom. LDS Church. 8 November 2018.
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