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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paraguay


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paraguay
(Logo in Guarani)
The Asunción Paraguay Temple
AreaSouth America South
Members98,498 (2022)[1]
Stakes11
Districts9
Wards61
Branches72
Total Congregations[2]133
Missions2
Temples
  • 1 Operating
FamilySearch Centers20[3]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paraguay refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Paraguay. The first branch was established in 1948. Since then, the LDS Church in Paraguay has grown to more than 98,000 members in 133 congregations.

History

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Membership in Paraguay
YearMembership
19505
1960132
1970670
19792,984
1989*11,000
199944,632
200974,802
201996,114
202298,498
*Membership was published as an estimate.
Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Paraguay[1]

Pre-Paraguayan Missions

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The LDS Church was organized in 1830 and is a missionary church. Its first missionary took place a month after their initial organization.[4] The first example of a foreign LDS Church in 1837 was in Great Britain, missions were sent across the world by 1854.[4] The Pacific Isles in 1844, France in 1849, Asia and Australia in 1851, and South Africa in 1853.[4]

Though the Mormon faith was always intended to be spread to the whole world, it was not preached in South America until 1925, though there had been an earlier, unsuccessful mission in 1851.[4] Due to language barriers and insufficient funds the 1851 missionaries returned home.[5] Between 1851 and 1925 no other attempts to preach were made.

Paraguayan Missions

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The first LDS Church member to visit Paraguay was Frederick S. Williams, in 1939 who was working as a missionary in Argentina.[6] The first member was baptized in August 1948 and the first official congregation was organised that same year. The LDS Church has grown significantly since then; when the church first appeared in Paraguay there were 5 members, this number has since grown to over 97,000 or roughly 1.4% of the population.[6]

In 2020, the LDS Church temporarily canceled services and other public gatherings in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic which resumed online and/or in person, depending on the congregation.[7]

Stakes and Districts

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Stake Organized Mission
Asunción Paraguay Stake 25 Feb 1979 Paraguay Asunción North
Asuncion Paraguay North Stake 22 Nov 1992 Paraguay Asunción North
Boquerón Paraguay District 2 Oct 1981 Paraguay Asunción North
Caacupé Paraguay District 2 Oct 1981 Paraguay Asunción
Caaguazú Paraguay District 9 May 1995 Paraguay Asunción
Capiatá Paraguay Stake 31 Oct 2004 Paraguay Asunción North
Ciudad del Este Paraguay Stake 2 Jun 1996 Paraguay Asunción
Concepción Paraguay District 2 Oct 1981 Paraguay Asunción North
Encarnacion Paraguay District 2 Oct 1981 Paraguay Asunción
Fernando de la Mora Paraguay Stake 1 Jun 1980 Paraguay Asunción
Fernando de la Mora Paraguay South Stake 15 Jun 1997 Paraguay Asunción
La Paloma Paraguay District 4 Apr 1994 Paraguay Asunción North
Limpio Paraguay Stake 27 Feb 2005 Paraguay Asunción North
Luque Paraguay Stake 11 Feb 2001 Paraguay Asunción North
Luque Paraguay South Stake 22 Oct 2006 Paraguay Asunción North
Ñemby Paraguay Stake 24 Jul 2005 Paraguay Asunción
Paraguarí Paraguay District 20 Nov 1994 Paraguay Asunción
Pedro Juan Caballero Paraguay District 3 Mar 1994 Paraguay Asunción North
Pilar Paraguay District 6 Jun 1997 Paraguay Asunción
San Lorenzo Paraguay Stake 20 Nov 1994 Paraguay Asunción

Missions

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Mission Organized
Paraguay Asunción 1 Jul 1977
Paraguay Asunción North 1 Jul 1998

Temples

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Asunción Paraguay Temple

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Main article: Asunción Paraguay Temple
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Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
Size:
Style: 		Asunción, Paraguay
2 April 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley
3 February 2001 by Jay E. Jensen
19 May 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley
3 November 2019 by D. Todd Christofferson
11,906 sq ft (1,106.1 m2) on a 1.13-acre (0.46 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Eduardo Signorelli

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Paraguay", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 31 May 2023
  2. ^ Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches
  3. ^ Category:Paraguay Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 18, 2022
  4. ^ a b c d Flake, Joel A. (1975). The History of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints in South America. Brigham Young University.
  5. ^ Pratt, Parley P. (1950). Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. pp. 397–401.
  6. ^ a b "Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  7. ^ Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
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