The information below is a summary of some of the significant travels of Church leaders based on available records and research. Read more about President Russell M. Nelson's 2018 global ministry tour.
England
Joseph F. Smith was the first president of the Church to visit England in 1906. He returned in 1910.
Heber J. Grant visited England as president of the Church in 1937.
David O. McKay visited England as president of the Church on at least two occasions, in 1952 and 1954.
Joseph Fielding Smith visited England as president of the Church in 1971.
Harold B. Lee visited England as president of the Church in 1972.
Spencer W. Kimball visited England as president of the Church on at least one occasion in 1976.
Gordon B. Hinckley visited England as president of the Church on at least two occasions, in 1998 and 2004.
Russell M. Nelson has visited England many times over the years. Perhaps most significantly, he attended the first area conference of the Church in Manchester, England, in 1971. He was there as recently as 2016.
Jeffrey R. Holland served as a missionary in the British Mission in the early 1960s. He has returned a number of times over the years. He served as president of the U.K.-Ireland Area (1990–1991) and then the Europe North Area (1991–1993). He dedicated the historic, rebuilt Gadfield Elm Chapel in 2000. He was there as recently as 2015.
Jerusalem
Harold B. Lee was the first president of the Church to visit Jerusalem, in 1972.
Spencer W. Kimball visited Jerusalem as president of the Church in 1979.
Gordon B. Hinckley visited Jerusalem as president of the Church on at least one occasion, in 2000.
Russell M. Nelson visited Jerusalem in 1992. He has likely visited since then.
Jeffrey R. Holland has visited Jerusalem on several occasions. He traveled there a number of times as president of BYU between 1980 and 1989 to oversee the construction and dedication of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He was there as recently as 2016 for the 175th anniversary of Orson Hyde’s historic journey through the Holy Land.
Kenya
Gordon B. Hinckley was the first president of the Church to visit Kenya, in 1998.
Members of the Twelve have visited Kenya on several occasions, including but not limited to:
James E. Faust, 1991
David A. Bednar, 2014
David A. Bednar, 2017
Russell M. Nelson visited Kenya as recently as 2011.
Jeffrey R. Holland visited Kenya in 1998 with President Hinckley.
Zimbabwe
Gordon B. Hinckley was the first president of the Church to visit Zimbabwe, in 1998.
Members of the Twelve have visited Zimbabwe on several occasions, including but not limited to:
Hugh B. Brown, 1961 (Zimbabwe was called Southern Rhodesia at the time; changed in 1980)
Mark E. Peterson, 1967
James E. Faust, 1991
Quentin L. Cook, 2014
Russell M. Nelson visited Zimbabwe as recently as 2004.
Jeffrey R. Holland has not visited Zimbabwe, as far as we can tell.
India
Gordon B. Hinckley was the first president of the Church to visit India, in 2005.
Members of the Twelve have visited India on several occasions, including but not limited to:
David O. McKay, 1921
Spencer W. Kimball, 1961
Gordon B. Hinckley, 1964
Dallin H. Oaks, 1989
Dallin H. Oaks, 2012
Neil L. Andersen, 2013
Ronald A. Rasband, 2015
Quentin L. Cook, 2017
Russell M. Nelson visited India as recently as 2015.
Jeffrey R. Holland visited India as recently as 2011.
Thailand
Gordon B. Hinckley was the first president of the Church to visit Thailand, in 2000.
Members of the Twelve have visited Thailand on several occasions, including but not limited to:
Gordon B. Hinckley, 1966
David B. Haight, 1974
Ezra Taft Benson, 1968
Neal A. Maxwell, 1995
Russell M. Nelson visited Thailand in 1992. He and Elder Neal A. Maxwell went to pronounce an apostolic blessing on the country amid much political unrest.
Jeffrey R. Holland visited Thailand as recently as 2015.
Hong Kong
Spencer W. Kimball was the first president of the Church to visit Hong Kong, in 1975. He returned in 1980.
Gordon B. Hinckley visited Hong Kong as president of the Church in 1996 and 2005.
Members of the Twelve have visited Hong Kong on several occasions, including but not limited to:
David O. McKay, 1921
Harold B. Lee, 1954
Mark E. Peterson, 1959
Gordon B. Hinckley, 1976
Neal A. Maxwell, 1984
Russell M. Nelson has visited Hong Kong on several occasions, most notably in 1997 when he met with officials of the People’s Republic of China about religious freedom.
Jeffrey R. Holland has visited Hong Kong on several occasions. He was there as recently as 2014 as part of the 65th anniversary of Matthew Cowley dedicating Hong Kong for the preaching of the gospel in July 1949.