Moldova
457
Total Church Membership
2
Congregations
1
FamilySearch Centers
History
Following the Soviet Union’s demise, Moldovans were able to travel abroad. During the mid-1990s a few joined the Church: Vitalii Volosin in Moscow, Russia; Sylvia Vacarciuc in Odessa, Ukraine; and Lilia Carasciuc in southern California.
In September 1995, Paul and Betty Morris arrived in Chisinau, where Paul worked in the U.S. Embassy. In June of that, John Nielson, a private contractor doing development work, arrived in Moldova. And in May 1996, Janet Jasen, a nurse with the Peace Corps, began her tour in Chisinau. These four Latter-day Saints met each week.
Elder Charles A. Didier, a member of the Seventy (one of the highest governing bodies of the Church) and Romania Bucharest Mission president, Robert F. Orton, traveled to Chisinau in September 1997 to meet with Moldovan and American Latter-day Saints and friends. It was announced that the first branch (a small congregation) was shortly to be organized and missionaries were to be assigned to labor in Moldova.
Five weeks after that visit, missionaries arrived in Chisinau. At that time, missionaries could not wear name tags or openly proselyte; rather, they provided service and taught people who had been referred to them by Church members or waited for people to ask them about the Church. On November 11 of that year, five people were baptized in the bathtub of the Morris home, the first baptisms in Moldova. On that same day, a branch was organized with Paul Morris as president.
On December 23, 1998, the first complete translation of the Book of Mormon in Romanian arrived. This “special Christmas gift” was a blessing to the majority of members who could now read the Book of Mormon in their native language.
Africa
Total Church Membership
849,568
Members
2,721
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
6Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,298,181
Members
2,113
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
10Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
507,748
Members
1,296
Congregations
Missions
35Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,637,503
Members
18,423
Congregations
Missions
175Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
120Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
599,065
Members
1,308
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
11Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,320,129
Members
5,629
Congregations