First Stake Created in Sierra Leone (Dec 2012) Stake Number 3,000!

The LDS church has created the first stake in the nation of Botswana.  The Stake is called the Freetown Sierra Leone stake, it is the 3,000 stake in the World !

The Church now has established stakes in 82 countries.  This is the 13th new country to open its first stake since President Thomas Monson has become the Prophet, in February 2008.

There are now 72 Stakes in 14 countries in Africa. There are 3 temples (So. Africa, Nigeria & Ghana) with two more under construction (So. Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo {Zaire})

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve organized the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake.

Historic milestone: Sierra Leone stake marks Church's 3,000th

There are now 1,503 stakes inside the US and 1,497 stakes outside the US

Map showing new stake in Freetown and distance to Temple in Accra, Ghana (2004)

12 stakes created in November (Africa, No. So. Central America, Europe, Australia)

There are now 2,998 Stakes, 1,503 inside the US and 1,495 outside the US

Botswana - 1 stake
Brazil - now has 246 stakes, 6 temples & 2 more being built
Guatemala - now has 40 stakes, 2 temples
Spain - now has 11 stakes, 1 temple
Australia - now has 34 stakes, 5 temples
Bolivia - now has 26 stakes, 1 temple
DR Congo - now has 10 stakes, 1 temple being built

Tennessee - now has 11 stakes, 2 temples
Washington - now has 57 stakes, 3 temples

46. Gaborone Botswana - November 4th, 2012
47. Lafaiete Brazil - November 4th, 2012
48. Manaus Brazil Guarany - November 4th, 2012
49. Murfreesboro Tennessee - November 4th, 2012
50. Villa Nueva Guatemala El Frutal - Nov 4th, 2012
51. West Richland Washington - November 4th, 2012
52. Lléida Spain - November 11th, 2012
53. Brisbane Australia Cleveland - Nov. 18th, 2012
54. La Paz Bolivia Copacabana - November 18th, 2012
55. Coomera Australia - November 18th, 2012
56. Hamilton New Zealand Rotokauri - 11/25/2012
57. Kinshasa DR Congo Binza - November 25th, 2012

I like maps and I just found what http://ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/ links to http://www.cumorah.com/ can do - a Google map of any place in the world listing wards in mapped out stake boundaries.   Now http://www.lds.org is great also, but since the lds.org maps needs a login and then you can see your stake members home address in your boundaries.  I love all three approaches !

Here is an example from http://www.cumorah.com/

First Stake Created in Botswana (Nov 2012)

The LDS church has created the first stake in the nation of Botswana.  The Stake is called the Gaborone Botswana Stake, it is the 2,987 stake in the World.

The Church now has established stakes in 81 countries.  This is the 12th new country to get a stake since President Thomas Monson has become the Prophet, in February 2008.

See Church News Article with Pictures

The stake was created with units from the Roodeport South Africa Stake and consists of eight wards or branches.

There are now 70 Stakes in 13 countries in Africa. There are 3 temples (So. Africa, Nigeria & Ghana) with two more under construction (So. Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo {Zaire})

There are now nearly 400,000 baptized member in Africa with a annual growth rate of between 4% and 5% per year and the church is adding about 6 - 12 stakes a year. Only California and Utah have more than 400,000 members

Country	Stakes
Nigeria	22
South Africa	13
Dem Rep Congo (Zaire)	12
Ghana	10
Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire)	5
Zimbabwe	5
Cape Verde	2
Madagascar	2
Botswana	1
Congo (Republic of)	1
Kenya	1
Sierra Leone	1
Uganda	1

Just to compare with Africa's 400,000 members

Rank	Country:	2012
1	Untied States	6,321,416
2	Mexico	1,317,700
3	Brazil	1,209,974
4	Philippines	675,166
5	Chile	577,716
6	Peru	527,759
7	Argentina	412,095
8	Guatemala	239,734
9	Ecuador	211,165
10	Canada	187,982

2 new stakes created in October (Tahiti, Bolivia)

44. Mahina Tahiti - October 14th, 2012
45. Cochabamba Bolivia Sacaba - October 14th, 2012

Almost as many stakes outside the US . . .

and some of my maps from www.lds.org/maps

Calgary Alberta Temple Dedicated Oct 2012

Calgary Alberta Temple was dedicated on 28 October 2012 by Thomas S. Monson.  It is the Church's 140th temple. The Calgary Alberta Temple will be the eighth temple built in Canada and the third built in the Alberta Provence. It is south of the Edmonton Alberta temple (1999 - 67th dedicated) and north of the Cardston Alberta temple (1923 - 6th dedicated and first outside of the United States).  There are 68 dedicated temples in the US and 72 outside.  There were 164 announced as of the end of Oct 2012.

Calgary Alberta Temple Facts

LDS Church Lowers Missionary Service Age (October 2012)

"I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19. I am not suggesting that all young men will—or should—serve at this earlier age. Rather, based on individual circumstances as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available.

As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

President Monson makes historic statement concerning Missionaries being able to serve at a younger age, both Elders and Sisters

Whoa !  We were actually there for the Afternoon Session in the Conference Center with my son and his friend, she immediately called her parents and said she was going.  He is now in Washington, Tacoma and she is in Madrid Spain.

Mormon Newsroom coverage

Missionaries are serving in approximately 160 counties, with other representatives bringing the count to 185 out of the official 193 countries (95.9%)

Two more temples announced at Oct General Conference (AZ, Peru)

"This morning I am pleased to announce two additional temples, which in coming months and years will be built in the following locations: Tucson, Arizona, and Arequipa, Peru. Details concerning these temples will be provided in the future."

- President Monson, Saturday morning session, October General Conference, 2012


Maps from http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/maps/ -  a great LDS Temple informational site.

but as the world knows, Pres. Monson wasn't done with announcements quite yet ...