The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast reported 43,895 members in fourteen stakes, twelve districts, 211 congregations (wards and branches), and two missions, as of January 1, 2018.[1][2]

History
The plan of salvation in French

Mormon missionaries first preached in Ivory Coast in 1988. Earlier the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been established by Philippe and Annelies Assard and Lucien and Agathe Affoue. The Affoue family joined the church while studying in France. Philippe Assard joined the Church while studying in Germany, where he married Annelies who was a native of Germany. After they returned to Ivroy Coast in the mid 1980s they got in contact with each other and began holding Church meetings.

The first LDS stake was organized in the late 1990s. During the civil war in the 2000s the number of missionaries in the country was reduced and some areas saw missionaries withdrawn. As of 2018 most full-time LDS missionaries in the country were from either the Congo or countries in West Africa, but there were a very few from other areas.

Plans to build a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Abidjan were announced in 2015. As of 2018 the country had three LDS missions, although two of them also covered Church operations in Senegal and Mali.

On Nov. 8, 2018 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the 12 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presided at the ground breaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. Andersen both spoke and gave the dedicatory prayer in French. During his remarks Anderson shared testimonies of the restored gospel from the Assard family.[3]

In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[4]

Membership History
Year Membership[5]
1989200b
19952,800b
19995,402c
20049,345c
200913,245a
201216,248a
201743,895c
  • a Actual Membership for January 1 of the respective year
  • b Estimated membership for Dec 31 of the respective year
  • c Actual Membership for Dec 31 of the respective year

Stakes and Districts
  • Abidjan Ivory Coast Central Stake
  • Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake
  • Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake
  • Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Toit Rouge Stake
  • Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Yopougon Attie Stake/Abidjan Cote d'ivoire Yopougon Selmer stake
  • Abobo Côte d'Ivoire East Stake
  • Abobo Côte d'Ivoire West Stake
  • Anonkoua Cote d'Ivoire Stake
  • Cocody Côte d'Ivoire Stake
  • Daloa Ivory Coast Stake
  • Dokui Cote d'Ivoire Stake
  • Grand-Bassam Côte d'Ivoire Stake
  • Port-Bouët Côte d'Ivoire Stake
  • Yamoussoukro Côte d'Ivoire Stake
  • Abengourou Ivory Coast District
  • Aboisso Côte d'Ivoire District
  • Adzope Côte d'Ivoire District
  • Agboville Ivory Coast District
  • Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District
  • Alepe Ivory Coast District
  • Bouafle Cote d'Ivoire District
  • Bouake Côte d'Ivoire District
  • Divo Côte d'Ivoire District
  • Gagnoa Côte d'Ivoire District
  • San Pedro Côte d'Ivoire District
  • Soubre Côte d'Ivoire District

Mission

Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple
Main article: Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple

On November 8, 2018, the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson.

171. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple (Under Construction)

Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
 Notes:

Abidjan, Ivory Coast
5 April 2015
8 November 2018 by Neil L. Andersen
Announced by Thomas S. Monson on 5 April 2015[6]

See also

References
  1. "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Cote d'Ivoire", Newsroom, LDS Church, 1 January 2012, retrieved 2013-03-10
  2. "Country information: Ivory Coast", Church News Online Almanac, Deseret News, 1 February 2010, retrieved 2013-03-10
  3. article on groundbreaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple
  4. Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
  5. "Country information: Ivory Coast", Deseret News Church Almanac (multiple almanacs from various years), Deseret News
  6. Walch, Tad (5 April 2015). "3 new LDS temples to be built in Ivory Coast, Haiti and Thailand, President Monson announces". Deseret News. Retrieved 2015-04-05..
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