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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madagascar refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Madagascar. In 1990, a small congregation was created in Madagascar. In 2022, there were 14,353 members in 43 congregations.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madagascar
(logo in Malagasy)
AreaAfrica South
Members14,353 (2022)[1]
Stakes3
Districts2
Wards22
Branches21
Total Congregations[2]43
Missions1
Family History Centers10[3]

History edit

Membership in Madagascar[4][1]
YearMembership
1993*100
1995*400
19991,349
20043,088
20094,769
20128,017
20169,190
201912,887
202214,353
*Membership was published as a rounded number.

The first branch of the LDS Church in Madagascar was organized in 1990[5] with Razanapanala Ramianadrisoa as president. Ramiandrisoa had joined the LDS Church in France while studying there in 1986. The first LDS missionaries to enter Madagascar were Fred L. Forsgren and his wife Eileen who arrived in March 1991. The Church was legally recognized by the government of Madagascar in 1993.

Until 1998 missionary work in Madagascar was supervised from South Africa, but a separate mission for Madagascar was organized in 1998. The first LDS Church-built meetinghouse in Madagascar was completed in May 1999.

The Book of Mormon was translated to Malagasy in 2000. Also that year the first stake in Madagascar, the Antananarivo Madagascar Stake was organized with Dominique L. Andriamanantoa as president.[6]

In 2017, an outbreak of pneumonic and bubonic plague caused 80 nonnative missionaries to leave the island.[7] 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.[8]

Stakes and Districts edit

Stake Organized
Antananarivo Madagascar Ampefiloha 22 Oct 2023
Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry Stake 13 Mar 2011
Antananarivo Madagascar Manakambahiny Stake 17 Sep 2000
Toamasina Madagascar Stake 10 Oct 2010
Antsirabe Madagascar District 28 Nov 2010
Tolagnaro Madagascar Stake 18 Mar 2018

Congregations in Madagascar not part of a stake or district include:

  • Ambositra Branch
  • Anjoma Branch
  • Fianarantsoa Branch
  • Madagascar Antananarivo Mission Branch
  • Mahajanga Branch
  • Moramanga Branch
  • Tsianolondroa Branch
  • Tulear Branch

The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission Branch serves families and individuals in Madagascar that is not in proximity of a meetinghouse.

Mission edit

The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission was created on 1 July 1998 as a division of the South Africa Durban and the South Africa Johannesburg Missions.[9] The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission encompasses all of The Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion.

Mauritius edit

The LDS Church reported 566 members in 3 congregations in Mauritius for year-end 2022.[10] The Mauritius District consists of the Flacq Branch, Phoenix Branch, and Rose Hill Branch.

Reunion edit

The LDS Church reported 836 members in 4 congregations and 5 family history centers in Reunion for year-end 2022.[11] The St Denis Reunion District consists of the Le Port Branch, St Denis Branch, St Marie Branch, and St Pierre Branch. Family history centers are located at each of those meetinghouses.[12]

Temples edit

As of February 2023, Madagascar is in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple District. On October 3, 2021, in the Saturday Afternoon session of General Conference, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple.

edit
Location:
Announced:
Size:
Notes:
Antananarivo, Madagascar
3 October 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[13][14]
10,000 sq ft (930 m2) on a 9.8-acre (4.0 ha) site
Site announced on December 11, 2023[15]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Madagascar", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 10 June 2023
  2. ^ Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches.
  3. ^ Madagascar Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved February 22, 2023
  4. ^ Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Madagascar
  5. ^ Mindy Anne Selu, "Measuring Blessings in Madagascar", Liahona, April 2016.
  6. ^ Deseret News Church Almanac, 2005 Edition, p. 370-371
  7. ^ Mims, Bob (October 19, 2017), Mormon missionaries evacuated because of Madagascar plague, The Salt Lake Tribune, retrieved January 29, 2023
  8. ^ Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  9. ^ Mortimer, Wm. James (2000), 1999-2000 Church Almanac, Deseret Morning News, p. 436, ISBN 1573454915
  10. ^ "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Mauritius", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 10 June 2023
  11. ^ "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Mauritius", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 10 June 2023
  12. ^ Reunion Family History Centers Map, familysearch.org, retrieved 10 June 2023
  13. ^ "13 new temple locations announced by President Nelson as conference closes", Church News, Deseret News, 3 Oct 2021
  14. ^ "At the October 2021 General Conference, the Prophet Says the Church Will Build 13 More Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 3 Oct 2021
  15. ^ As verified here.

External links edit