Areas of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside US and Canada. |
Areas of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in US and Canada. |
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), an area is an administrative unit that typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions. These areas are the primary church administrative unit between individual stakes or missions and the church as a whole.
The areas as they now exist were formed in January 1984.[1] Prior to that time, general authorities served as "area supervisors" and at times resided outside of Salt Lake City.[2] In 1984, 13 initial areas were created; by 1992 there were 22, and by early 2007 there were 31. As of April 2022, there are 23 areas.[3][4][5]
Until 2003, each area had a president and two counselors, all of whom were typically general authorities (area seventies sometimes served as counselors). This three-man body was known as the area presidency. In that year, the church eliminated these presidencies for areas located in the United States and Canada, which were all then placed under the direct supervision of a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, thus freeing more general authorities from specific area assignments. Since these areas were previously administered by area presidencies located at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, the administrative change was not as drastic as it might seem.
In April 2018, the church announced that, effective August 1 of that year, areas in the United States and Canada would once again be supervised by a three-man presidency. This enabled the Presidency of the Seventy to more fully assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in their duties, and to fill other assignments as needed.[6]
The areas outside the United States and Canada continue to be governed by area presidencies that are typically composed of general authorities and area seventies. These presidency members usually reside in a headquarters city located in the geographic boundaries of the area. Area seventies who serve in these presidencies reside in their own homes, which may or may not be in the area headquarters city.
In 2019, church leaders stated that the 10 North American areas would be merged into six (the Idaho Area merged into the North America Central Area; the North America Northwest Area merged into the North America West Area; and the Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, and Utah South areas merged into a single Utah Area.[7]
Also in 2019, a structural change occurred in the administration of the Middle East/Africa North Area. In prior years, two general authorities based at church headquarters were assigned oversight for the area. However, beginning in August 2019, a three-man area presidency was established to oversee the area. Two of them were general authorities at church headquarters, while the second counselor was an area seventy living in the area.
In 2019, church leaders also announced the division of the Africa Southeast Area, into the Africa Central and Africa South areas, effective August 1, 2020.[8] Two months later, W. Christopher Waddell, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, announced in Johannesburg that the new Africa Central Area would be headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.[9]
Then in 2022, additional structural changes affected Europe. The Europe and Europe East areas were split into 3 areas and renamed the Europe Central, Europe East, and Europe North areas. The presidency of the Europe Area became the presidency of the Europe Central Area, with the presidency of the Europe East Area becoming three area seventies. The president and first counselor in the Europe East Area were reassigned to fill the same roles in the Europe North Area, with the second counselor being an area seventy. The area seventy who had been serving as the second counselor in the Europe East Area was designated an assistant to the Europe North Area presidency, specifically overseeing Ukraine and Moldova, which will be separate from a specific area at the current time.[10]
As of April 2022, the church has 17 areas outside North America and six areas inside North America, for a total of 23. With the changes in Europe, the church now has five area seventies serving in area presidencies. Area assignments are generally announced sometime after April's general conference and are effective August 1.[11]
Area | Members | Stakes | Districts | Congregations | Missions | Temples | |||
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O | U | A | T | ||||||
Africa Central | 163,345 | 35 | 20 | 454 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Africa South | 165,935 | 36 | 25 | 470 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Africa West | 444,815 | 134 | 44 | 1,583 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
Asia[a] | 184,136 | 35 | 34 | 409 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Asia North | 241,297 | 38 | 19 | 385 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Brazil | 1,472,521 | 281 | 40 | 2,176 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 20 |
Caribbean | 223,854 | 34 | 23 | 372 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Central America | 822,262 | 133 | 28 | 1,101 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
Eurasian | 9,491 | 3 | 9 | 82 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Europe Central | 223,324 | 64 | 11 | 694 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
Europe North | 282,145 | 67 | 7 | 560 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
Unassigned | 10,799 | 2 | 3 | 48 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Mexico | 1,507,720 | 227 | 47 | 1,863 | 32 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
Middle East/ Africa North[a] | 5,457 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
North America Central[b] | 1,148,849 | 304 | 0 | 2,765 | 20 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 33 |
North America Northeast[b] | 643,071 | 141 | 5 | 1,300 | 17 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 18 |
North America Southeast[b] | 618,465 | 127 | 0 | 1,153 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
North America Southwest[b] | 1,120,569 | 259 | 2 | 2,257 | 22 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 21 |
North America West[b] | 1,300,546 | 273 | 1 | 2,219 | 29 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 24 |
Pacific | 581,988 | 140 | 35 | 1,278 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
Philippines | 853,254 | 125 | 55 | 1,272 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
South America Northwest | 1,503,103 | 250 | 46 | 1,860 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 16 |
South America South | 1,285,696 | 181 | 54 | 1,560 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
Utah[b] | 2,173,560 | 629 | 2 | 5,412 | 10 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 28 |
Temples
O=Operating Temples (includes temporary closures)
U=Temples Under Construction
A=Temples publicly announced to be constructed
T=Total Temples (announced and under construction)
The following details are current as of August 1, 2019, and are taken from the LDS Church Growth Blog, statistical profiles on cumorah.com, and the Facts and Statistics page of the church's official website (www.churchofjesuschrist.org). Ward and branch totals and membership numbers were last updated in 2015.
Africa Central[edit]163,345 Members, 35 Stakes, 20 Districts, 454 Congregations, 11 Missions, 5 Temples[12] | ||
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Missions: | ||
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Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple (announced) Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (announced) |
Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (under construction) |
Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (announced) Nairobi Kenya Temple (under construction) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Africa South[edit]Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa 165,935 Members, 36 Stakes, 25 Districts, 470 Congregations, 11 Missions, 6 Temples[12] | ||
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Area president: Edward Dube[15][16] |
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Cape Town South Africa Temple (site announced) Harare Zimbabwe Temple (under construction) |
Johannesburg South Africa Temple Luanda Angola Temple (announced) | |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Africa West[edit]447,186 Members, 134 Stakes, 44 Districts, 990 wards, 606 branches, 17 missions, 9 temples[18] | ||
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Missions: | ||
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Temples: | ||
Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (under construction) Benin City Nigeria Temple (site announced) |
Calabar Nigeria Temple (announced) Cape Coast Ghana Temple (announced) Eket Nigeria Temple (announced) Freetown Sierra Leone Temple (under construction) |
Kumasi Ghana Temple (site announced) Lagos Nigeria Temple (site announced) Monrovia Liberia Temple (announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Asia[edit]Headquarters: Hong Kong, China 184,136 Members, 35 Stakes, 34 Districts, 409 Congregations, 10 Missions, 9 Temples[12] | ||
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Missions: | ||
Temples: | ||
Bengaluru India Temple (under construction) |
Jakarta Indonesia Temple (announced) Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple (under construction) Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple (under construction) |
Shanghai People's Republic of China Temple (announced) Singapore Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Asia North[edit]241,297 Members, 38 Stakes, 19 Districts, 385 Congregations, 11 Missions, 7 Temples[12] | ||
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Area president: Takashi Wada[19] |
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Busan Korea Temple (announced) |
Osaka Japan Temple (announced) |
Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Temple (announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Brazil[edit]Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil 1,472,521 Members, 281 Stakes, 40 Districts, 2,176 Congregations, 36 Missions, 20 Temples[21] | ||
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Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple (under construction) Goiânia Brazil Temple (announced) João Pessoa Brazil Temple (site announced) |
Londrina Brazil Temple (site announced) Maceió Brazil Temple (site announced) Natal Brazil Temple (site announced) Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple (site announced) |
Salvador Brazil Temple (under construction) Santos Brazil Temple (site announced) São Paulo East Brazil Temple (site announced) Teresina Brazil Temple (site announced) Vitória Brazil Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Caribbean[edit]Headquarters: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 223,854 Members, 34 Stakes, 23 Districts, 372 Congregations, 8 Missions, 3 Temples[12] | ||
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Area president: Eduardo Gavarret[22] |
Second counselor: Moises Villanueva[22] | |
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Central America[edit]Headquarters: Guatemala City, Guatemala 822,262 Members, 133 Stakes, 28 Districts, 1,101 Congregations, 19 Missions, 12 Temples[12] | ||
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Missions: | ||
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Cobán Guatemala Temple (dedication scheduled) Guatemala City Guatemala Temple Huehuetenango Guatemala Temple (site announced) Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (under construction) |
Managua Nicaragua Temple (under construction) Retalhuleu Guatemala Temple (announced) |
San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple (under construction) San Salvador El Salvador Temple |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Eurasian[edit]9,491 Members, 3 Stakes, 9 Districts, 82 Congregations, 6 Missions, 1 Temples[12][23] | ||
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First counselor: Nikolai Ustyuzhaninov (Area Seventy)[15][16] |
Second counselor: Aleksandr A. Drachyov (Area Seventy)[15][16] | |
Missions: | ||
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Russia Temple (announced) |
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Geographic coverage: | ||
Europe North[edit]Headquarters: Birmingham, United Kingdom 282,145 Members, 67 Stakes, 7 Districts, 560 Congregations, 13 Missions, 9 Temples[12] | ||
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Birmingham England Temple (site announced) |
Oslo Norway Temple (site announced) |
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Geographic coverage: | ||
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Unassigned[edit]As of April 2022, Ukraine and Moldova are not assigned to any of the church's areas. Kyrylo Pokhylko, a Ukrainian area seventy and assistant to the presidency of the Europe North Area has responsibility for the work of the church in those nations. 10,799 Members, 2 Stakes, 3 Districts, 48 Congregations, 2 Missions, 1 Temples[12] | ||
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Kyrylo Pokhylko (Area Seventy): Assistant to the Europe North Area Presidency[15][16] |
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Mexico[edit]Headquarters: Mexico City, Mexico 1,507,720 Members, 227 Stakes, 47 Districts, 1,863 Congregations, 32 Missions, 23 Temples[24] | ||
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Missions: | ||
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Temples: | ||
Cancún Mexico Temple (announced) Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced) Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (site announced) Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple |
Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (site announced) Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced) Puebla Mexico Temple (dedication scheduled) Querétaro Mexico Temple (under construction) San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (groundbreaking scheduled) |
Toluca Mexico Temple (site announced) Torreón Mexico Temple (under construction) Tula Mexico Temple (announced) Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Middle East/ Africa North[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 5,457 Members, 2 Stakes, 2 Districts, 33 Congregations, 0 Missions, 1 Temples[12][25] | ||
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Missions: | ||
No Missions |
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Temples: | ||
Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple (announced) |
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Geographic coverage: | ||
North America Central[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 1,148,849 Members, 304 Stakes, 2,765 Congregations, 20 Missions, 33 Temples[12][26] | ||
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Area president: Chi Hong (Sam) Wong[15][16] |
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Burley Idaho Temple (under construction) Casper Wyoming Temple (dedication scheduled) Cody Wyoming Temple (site announced) Colorado Springs Colorado Temple (announced) |
Grand Junction Colorado Temple (under construction) Lethbridge Alberta Temple (site announced) Missoula Montana Temple (announced) Montpelier Idaho Temple (under construction) |
Teton River Idaho Temple (site announced) Tulsa Oklahoma Temple (announced) Wichita Kansas Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
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North America Southeast[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 618,465 Members, 127 Stakes, 1,153 Congregations, 16 Missions, 16 Temples[12][26] | ||
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Charlotte North Carolina Temple (site announced) |
Jacksonville Florida Temple (announced) Knoxville Tennessee Temple (under construction) |
Springfield Missouri Temple (announced) Tallahassee Florida Temple (under construction) Tampa Florida Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
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North America Southwest[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 1,120,569 Members, 259 Stakes, 2 Districts, 1,948 Congregations, 22 Missions, 21 Temples[12][26] | ||
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Austin Texas Temple (site announced) Elko Nevada Temple (under construction) Farmington New Mexico Temple (under construction) Fort Worth Texas Temple (under construction) |
Lone Mountain Nevada Temple (site announced) |
McKinney Texas Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
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North America West[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 1,300,546 Members, 273 Stakes, 1 Districts, 2,219 Congregations, 29 Missions, 24 Temples[12][26] | ||
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Bakersfield California Temple (site announced) Columbia River Washington Temple Fairbanks Alaska Temple (announced) Feather River California Temple Kahului Hawaii Temple (announced) |
Modesto California Temple (under construction) Newport Beach California Temple |
San Jose California Temple (site announced) Tacoma Washington Temple (announced) Vancouver British Columbia Temple Vancouver Washington Temple (announced) Willamette Valley Oregon Temple (under construction) Yorba Linda California Temple (under construction) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Philippines[edit]Headquarters: Manila, Philippines 853,254 Members, 125 Stakes, 55 Districts, 1,272 Congregations, 23 Missions, 12 Temples[28] | ||
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Alabang Philippines Temple (under construction) Bacolod Philippines Temple (under construction) Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple (site announced) Davao Philippines Temple (under construction) |
Iloilo Philippines Temple (announced) Laoag Philippines Temple (announced) Naga Philippines Temple (announced) |
Santiago Philippines Temple (announced) Tacloban City Philippines Temple (announced) Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple (announced) Urdaneta Philippines Temple (dedication scheduled) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
South America Northwest[edit]1,503,103 Members, 250 Stakes, 46 Districts, 1,860 Congregations, 34 Missions, 16 Temples[12] | ||
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Cali Colombia Temple (site announced) Chiclayo Peru Temple (announced) |
Cusco Peru Temple (site announced) Huancayo Peru Temple (announced) Iquitos Peru Temple (site announced) La Paz Bolivia Temple (site announced) |
Piura Peru Temple (announced) Santa Cruz Bolivia Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
South America South[edit]Headquarters: Buenos Aires, Argentina 1,284,696 Members, 181 Stakes, 54 Districts, 1,560 Congregations, 27 Missions, 12 Temples[12] | ||
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Antofagasta Chile Temple (under construction) Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple (under construction) Buenos Aires City Center Argentina Temple (announced) |
Mendoza Argentina Temple (under construction) |
Salta Argentina Temple (dedication scheduled) Santiago West Chile Temple (site announced) Viña del Mar Chile Temple (site announced) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Utah[edit]Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah 2,173,560 Members, 629 Stakes, 2 Districts, 5,412 Congregations, 10 Missions, 28 Temples[12][26] | ||
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Area president: Kevin W. Pearson |
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Temples: | ||
Deseret Peak Utah Temple (under construction) Ephraim Utah Temple (under construction) Heber Valley Utah Temple (under construction) Layton Utah Temple (dedication scheduled) |
Lindon Utah Temple (under construction) |
Red Cliffs Utah Temple (dedication scheduled) Smithfield Utah Temple (under construction) Syracuse Utah Temple (under construction) Taylorsville Utah Temple (dedication scheduled) |
Geographic coverage: | ||
Utah; Arizona (small portion); Idaho (small portion); Nevada (small portion); Wyoming (southwest corner) |