April Conference 2015, and of course the Annual Statistical Report!

As you can guess, this is one of my favorite parts of April Conference, the Annual Statistical Report:

For the information of the members of the Church, the First Presidency has issued the following statistical report regarding the growth and status of the Church as of December 31, 2014.

Church Units	Number	Increase*	Percent Increase*
Stakes	3,113	63	2.07%
Missions**	406	1	0.25%
Districts	561
Wards and Branches	29,621
Church Membership
Total Membership	15,372,337	341,127	1.92%
New Children of Record during 2012	116,409
Converts Baptized during 2012***	296,803	13,858	4.90%
Missionaries
Full-Time Missionaries****	85,147	2,112	2.54%
Church-Service Missionaries	30,404		new high
Temples
Temples Dedicated during 2014
(Fort Lauderdale Florida, Gilbert Arizona, and Phoenix Arizona)	3		2.13%
Temples Rededicated during 2014 (Ogden)	2
Temples in Operation	144

lds.org/general-conference/statistical-report-2014

* my own calculations

** The Church created 58 last year and has announced 13 more for 2015

*** Highest number of convert baptisms since 1999 (flood earth with Books of Mormon)

**** The maximum was 88,000 hit Oct 2014, Dec 2012 was 59,000

Total Membership growth dipped below 2% for the first time since 1946, however stake growth was the highest since 1998. My analysis is not that the church is choosing smaller stakes, but that foreign computer records are improving and being cleaned up, while the increased missionary force is helping with reactivation and retention and allowing for the best stake and unit growth in years.

Additional analysis here: ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/2015/04/2014-statistical-report and here: cumorah.com/case_studies

The LDS Church creates its first stakes in Zambia

The Church now operates stakes in 85 countries and an additional 5 areas or territories.

This includes 16 new countries that created their first stake in the last 4 years since United Arab Emirates in Apr 2011

Zambia created it's first stake called Lusaka Zambia on March 15th, 2015

There are now 16 countries in Africa with at least one stake established.

Order	COUNTRY	NAME OF STAKE	DATE ORGANIZED
85	Albania	Tirana Albania (3059)	9-Mar-14
83	Armenia	Yerevan Armenia (3027)	16-Jun-13
87	Cambodia	Phnom Penh Cambodia North & South (3077)	25-May-14
88	Jamaica	Kingstown Jamaica (3080)	8-Jun-14
86	Micronesia	Pohnpei Caroline Islands (3062)	16-Mar-14
89	Mozambique	Maputo Mozambique (3119)	14-Feb-15
84	Togo	Lome Togo (3048)	8-Dec-13
91	Vanuatu	Port Vila Vanuatu (3122)	1-May-15
90	Zambia	Lusaka Zambia (3121)	15-Mar-15

During the time President Monson has been the Prophet, (2008-2015) 21 countries have grown enough to have their own stake. That compares to:
Spencer W. Kimball  26 countries (1974 - 1985)
Gordon B. Hinckley 15 countries (1995 - 2008)
David O. McKay 15  countries (1951 - 1969)
All other Prophets had 4 or less, most (seven prophets) had no new countries with a first stake.


There is news of 3 planned stakes being created in 2015 in Vanuatu, the Czech Republic & Benin
Source: ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com

Map of New Stake in Zambia:

Map courtesy of lds.org/maps

Africa temple image from ldschurchtemples.com/maps

It is a 1,620 KM journey (19.5 hour drive) to the Johannesburg, South Africa temple.

Even after the church finishes the planned temple in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo,  a neighbor of Zambia, there is no road route to Kinshasa and it is an 8 hour flight. 

Remember the continent of Africa is larger than the US, China, India, and all of Western Europe combined.

The LDS Church creates its first stake in Mozambique

The Church now operates stakes in 84 countries and an additional 5 areas or territories.

This includes 15 new countries that created their first stake in the last 4 years since United Arab Emirates in Apr 2011

Mozambique created it's first stake called Maputo Mozambique on February 15th, 2015

Order	COUNTRY	NAME OF STAKE	DATE ORGANIZED
85	Albania	Tirana Albania (3059)	9-Mar-14
83	Armenia	Yerevan Armenia (3027)	16-Jun-13
87	Cambodia	Phnom Penh Cambodia North & South (3077)	25-May-14
88	Jamaica	Kingstown Jamaica (3080)	8-Jun-14
86	Micronesia	Pohnpei Caroline Islands (3062)	16-Mar-14
89	Mozambique	Maputo Mozambique (3119)	14-Feb-15
84	Togo	Lome Togo (3048)	8-Dec-13
90	Zambia	Lusaka Zambia (3121)	15-Mar-15

During the time President Monson has been the Prophet, (2008-2015) 20 countries have grown enough to have their own stake. That compares to:
Spencer W. Kimball  26 countries (1974 - 1985)
Gordon B. Hinckley 15 countries (1995 - 2008)
David O. McKay 15  countries (1951 - 1969)
All other Prophets had 4 or less, most (seven prophets) had no new countries with a first stake.

Map of Mozambique:

The Church created a second stake in Mozambique in March - See related post. LDS Church maps from lds.org/maps

It is a 560 KM drive from Maputo, Mozambique to Johannesburg, South Africa. Map image from ldschurchtemples.com/maps

The LDS Church created 5 new stakes in January and February 2015

The LDS Church created 5 new stakes in January and February 2015 (4 of 5 were in the US)

One new stake was created in Mozambique.  There is 1 Stake in Mozambique and 0 temples. This makes the 1st stake in Mozambique. (see separate blog post)


One new stake was created in Arizona.  There are 98 Stakes in Arizona and 5 temples and 1 in progress.

One new stake was created in Texas.  There are 64 Stakes in Texas and 4 temples.

Two new stakes were created in Utah.  There are 576 Stakes in Utah and 14 temples and 3 in progress.

1. Mesa Arizona Eastmark - January 11th, 2015
2. Herriman Utah Pioneer - January 18th, 2015
3. Maputo Mozambique - February 15th, 2015
4. Houston Texas Bear Creek - February 15th, 2015
5. Erda Utah - February 22nd, 2015

Data from ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com, later confirmed at www.deseretnews.com/faith/lds-church-news. Maps at lds.org/maps

There are now 3,120 stakes worldwide, with 1,546 in the US (49.5%) and 1,574 outside the US.

The LDS Church created 11 new stakes in Nov, Dec 2014

The LDS Church created 11 new stakes in November and December 2014 (3 were in the US and 10 were in November)

One new stake was created in Brazil.  There are 253 Stakes in Brazil and 6 temples and 2 temples in progress. This was the 4th new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Cote d'Ivoire.  There are 7 Stakes in the Cote d'Ivoire and 0 temples and 1 temple announced. This makes the 2nd new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Ghana.  There are 13 Stakes in Ghana and 1 temple. This makes the 2nd new stake this year.

One new stake was created in the Philippines.  There are 93 Stakes in the Philippines and 2 temples and 1 temple in progress. This makes the 5th new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Bahrain.  There is 1 Stake in Bahrain and 0 temples. This makes the 1st new stake this year. It was closed in 2011 and reopened this year.

One new stake was created in Nigeria.  There are 26 Stakes in Nigeria and 1 temple. This makes the 4th new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Mexico.  There are 228 Stakes in Mexico and 12 temples and 1 temple in progress. This makes the 2nd new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Taiwan.  There are 12 Stakes in Taiwan and 1 temple. This makes the 1st new stake this year.


One new stake was created in Oklahoma.  There are 8 Stakes in Oklahoma and 1 temple. This was the 1st new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Florida.  There are 28 Stakes in Florida and 2 temples. This makes the 2nd new stake this year.

One new stake was created in Utah.  There are 574 Stakes in Utah and 14 temples and 3 in progress. This was the 8th new stake this year.


54. Bartlesville Oklahoma - November 2nd, 2014
55. Abobo Cote d'Ivoire East - November 9th, 2014
56. Ashiaman Ghana - November 9th, 2014
57. Lake Mary Florida - November 9th, 2014
58. Manama Bahrain - November 14th, 2014
59. Abeokuta Nigeria - November 16th, 2014
60. Kaysville Utah Deseret Mill - November 16th, 2014
61. São José do Rio Preto Brazil South - November 16, 2014
62. Ciudad Juárez México Las Torres - November 23, 2014
63. Taipei Taiwan South - November 30th, 2014
64. Alicia Philippines - December 14th, 2014

Data from ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com, later confirmed at deseretnews.com/faith/lds-church-news.  Maps at lds.org/maps/

There are now 3,115 stakes worldwide, with 1,542 in the US (49.4%) and 1,573 outside the US.

Note: Sorry I got behind with blog updates, I am a professor and it was a bust semester

The LDS Church creates it's second stake in the Middle East

Bahrain

On November 14th, the Church organized its second stake in the Middle East. The Manama Bahrain Stake was organized from the Manama Bahrain District and the Abu Dhabi Stake and includes the following two congregations in non-sensitive countries: the Kuwait Ward and the Bahrain Branch. The new stake likely has four or more wards in Saudi Arabia. The Church does not report the number and location of its congregations in Saudi Arabia due to its sensitive presence in the country. The Church in the Arabian Peninsula has experienced steady membership and congregational growth within the past decade due to Latter-day Saints relocating to the region for employment purposes. The Church originally divided the Abu Dhabi Stake (originally called the Manama Bahrain Stake and before that the Desert Springs Stake) in 2011 to create the Manama Bahrain District.

• From ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com

In the 1990's the only stake was called the Arabian Peninsula Stake. The single stake moved to Manama Bahrain in the early 2000's then downgraded to a district when the stake center was moved to the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Stake) in 2011. Now there are two full functioning stakes there.

Stakes in the Arabian Peninsula / Middle East

Wow ! 

There is one stake in India and one in Armenia.

Phoenix Arizona Temple Dedicated November 2014

The Phoenix Arizona Temple was dedicated on November 5th, 2014 by President Thomas S. Monson.

It is the Church's 144th operating temple. The Phoenix Arizona Temple will be the fifth temple built in Arizona with one more in progress (Tuscon).

The Phoenix Arizona Temple measures 58,000 sq. ft. has 2 ordinance rooms and 4 sealing rooms.

My family and I went to the open house. I have now visited 40 Temples (39 in the US)

The Phoenix Arizona Temple serves members from 16 stakes based in Metro Phoenix and North Central Arizona

Coverage of the dedication service can be found on lds.org

More information and maps and pictures can be found at www.ldschurchtemples.com/phoenix/