| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pakistan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Area | Asia |
| Members | 4,000 (2015 estimate) [1] |
| Districts | 3 |
| Branches | 13 |
| Family History Centers | 1 |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pakistan refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Pakistan. The church does not publish how many members are in Pakistan, but it is estimated there are roughly four thousand members in thirteen congregations in Pakistan.[ citation needed ]
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1993* | 130 |
| 2000 | 786 |
| 2005 | 1,653 |
| 2010* | 2,750 |
| 2015* | 4,000 |
| *estimated membership Source: [2] [1] | |
The first members in Pakistan were foreigners. By 1985, there were branches in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. The first Pakistani missionary from the Islamabad Branch began serving in January 1987. [3]
In 1993, approximately 130 members were living in the country and there were two missionary couples serving in Pakistan; one couple in Karachi and the other in Lahore. In 1995, the church was registered with the government and seminary began. [4] Several member's homes and a meetinghouse were damaged by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. [5]
Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, blessed and dedicated the country in August 2007 and met with members in the Pakistan District. [1] A weekday devotional was attended by 475 people. [6]
Selections of the Book of Mormon was first published in 1988, with the full translation completed in 2007. [7]
On November 19, 2015, Ronald A. Rasband traveled to Islamabad where he met with members, missionaries, and a variety of civic leaders. He stated that they thanked the church for their humanitarian relief and hoped the church would become a successful minority religion in Pakistan. [1]
Since 1985, the church has conducted at least 59 humanitarian and development projects in Pakistan. This includes community projects, emergency response, refugee response, and wheelchair donations. [8] The church provided needed humanitarian aid for sufferers of the 2005 earthquake. This included 50,000 blankets, 300,000 pounds of medical supplies, 42,000 hygiene kits, and 1,000 winterized tents were initially sent. With the onset of winter, the church purchased and delivered an additional 150,000 blankets and 5,000 winterized tents in late 2005. [9] The church shipped an estimated 400,000 pounds of food, blankets and other relief aid to Pakistan to assist flood victims after the 2010 Pakistan floods. [10] [11] Local members regularly engage in community projects in their cities.
As of March 2024, Pakistan had the following districts and congregations: [12]
Congregations in a district are called branches, regardless of size. A church Family History Center is located in Lahore.
Pakistan was originally part of the church's Singapore Mission when missionaries arrived in the 1990s. On November 1, 2007, the India New Delhi Mission was organized, which included Northern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan. [13] On November 7, 2010, the Pakistan Service Mission, headquartered in Islamabad, was created. In 2011, there were about 30 Pakistani members serving full-time on missions worldwide — with about 20 of them serving in their own country (constituting the nation's church's entire missionary force). Unlike most countries, these missionaries do not openly proselytize. Instead, missionary work occurs through member referrals. [14]
The church does not have any temples in Pakistan. Pakistan was part of the Hong Kong China Temple district until the completion of the Bangkok Thailand Temple in 2023. The Bengaluru India Temple is under construction, and on April 5, 2020, the Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple was announced by church president Russell M. Nelson. Because of proximity and less rigid visa restrictions and proximity to the airport and transit system, the Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple is expected to make it easier for Pakistani members to access a church temple. [15]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was unofficially established in South Korea as early as World War II due to religious influence by LDS servicemen; however, Korean people did not begin to get baptized until the missionary efforts of LDS servicemen during the Korean War. Kim Ho Jik was the first Korean person to be baptized in the LDS Church on July 29, 1951 in New York. Two of his children were of the first four Korean people baptized in Korea on August 3, 1952. LDS Church presence and missionary work was officially established on April 20, 1956 with the arrival of two missionaries: Don G. Powell and Richard L. Detton. The Korean Mission opened on July 8, 1962 with Gail E. Carr as the first president of the mission. Successful missionary work led to the growth of the LDS Church in the 1960s and 1970s leading to the organization of the first stake in Korea in 1973 and the dedication of the first temple in Seoul on December 14, 1985.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Texas. Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 1.13% in 2007 and 1.21% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey in both years, roughly 1% of Texans self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaysia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Malaysia. In 2019 membership was nine times what it was in 1999 and number of congregations more than doubled during the same time period.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sri Lanka refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Sri Lanka. The first branch was organized in 1978 and has since grown to 5 congregations. Between 2015 and 2019 membership increased by roughly 20%.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Florida refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Florida. The LDS Church represents about 1% of the population of Florida according to the Pew Research Center 2014 Religious Landscepe Survey. Official membership statistics show the church representing about 0.75% of the general population. Florida has the 8th largest membership population in the United States and the largest membership population east of the Mississippi. The LDS Church is the 6th largest denomination in Florida.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Japan in 1901 when the church's first missionaries arrived on August 12. Among them was Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and later became the church's 7th president. Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O. Taylor accompanied Grant. The LDS Church's first baptism in Japan was on March 8, 1902, when Grant baptized Hajime Nakazawa, a former Kannushi. The Book of Mormon was translated three times. The first translation, which took over six years, was completed by Taylor in 1909. It was then recommended that the Book of Mormon be translated into bunshō, a more elegant literary style, which was done by Chōkō Ikuta in 1909, shortly before it was published and distributed. The third translation in 1957 was done by Tatsui Sato. In 1995, the Book of Mormon was translated again into a more colloquial style.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines refers to the organization and its members in the Philippines.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence in Russia before the rise of the USSR, with the first baptisms occurring in 1895. Preliminary missionary efforts began before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the Russian government officially recognized the church in 1991. Membership increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. Missionary efforts were impacted by the 2016 Yarovaya law, which prohibited proselytizing outside of official church property. Current membership statistics are not available for Russia, but the church reported 19,946 members in 2009. As of February 2023, there were three stakes and three missions in Russia. In 2018, Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be constructed in a major city in Russia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Nicaragua. The first convert was baptized in 1954 and the first Nicaraguan mission opened in 1989. As of December 31, 2022, there were 101,361 members in 109 congregations in Nicaragua.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Haiti refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Haiti. The first branch was formed in 1980. As of December 31, 2022, there were 25,525 members in 50 congregations in Haiti.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Federated States of Micronesia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The church's first known missionaries arrived on July 5, 1978. As of December 31, 2022, there were 5,966 members in 23 congregations in FSM. The LDS Church has congregations in every state in the FSM.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Republic of the Congo refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Republic of the Congo. The country was opened to the church's missionaries in 1991. Since then, the church has grown to 11,481 members in 32 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Indonesia. The first small branch was established in 1970. Since then, the LDS Church in Indonesia has grown to more than 7,500 members in 24 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mongolia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Mongolia. The first missionaries arrived in 1992 under request of the Mongolian government in effort to improve higher education in the country following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first small branch was established in 1993. Since then, the LDS Church in Mongolia has grown to more than 12,000 members in 24 congregations. In 2022, Mongolia had the second most LDS Church members per capita in Asia behind the Philippines. In 2023 it was announced that the first temple will be constructed in Ulaanbaatar.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Turkey refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Turkey. As of December 31, 2021, the Church has 658 members and 9 branches in several cities in Turkey. The Church has branches in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana (English), Gaziantep (Turkish), Isparta (Persian), and Antalya (Turkish).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guianas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Guianas, primarily French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. This is part of the Caribbean Area which is more similar culturally and linguistically than the rest of South America.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Romania refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Romania. A small branch was formed in Bucharest in 1991. In 2022, there were 3,082 members in 15 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cameroon refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Cameroon. The first branch was organized in Yaoundé in 1992. In 2022, there were 2,721 members in 15 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belize refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Belize. The first branch was organized in Belize City in 1980. In 2022, there were 5,534 members in 12 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Caucasus refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. When the Church was registered in Armenia in 1995, there were approximately 200 members in that country. In Georgia, converts were not allowed to be baptized until 2003. In 2022, there were 3,546 members in 5 congregations in Armenia, and 252 members in 2 congregations in Georgia. It's unclear how many members are in Azerbaijan as the LDS Church doesn't publish these numbers, but there was a branch of 37 members as of 2011.
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