The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica | |
---|---|
Area | Central America |
Members | 52,047 (2021)[1] |
Stakes | 10 |
Districts | 1 |
Wards | 59 |
Branches | 19 |
Total Congregations[2] | 78 |
Missions | 2 |
Temples | 1 |
Family History Centers | 18[3] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Costa Rica. The first branch (small congregation) was organized in 1950. As of December 31, 2019, there were 51,320 members in 79 congregations in Costa Rica.[1]
History
Year | Membership |
---|---|
1950 | 10 |
1960 | 214 |
1970 | 1,698 |
1980 | 4,523 |
1989* | 13,000 |
1999 | 30,118 |
2009 | 36,666 |
2019 | 51,320 |
1989 membership was published as a rounded number. Source: Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Costa Rica, Windall J. Ashton[1] |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2021) |
On July 8, 1946, Costa Rica became part of the LDS Church's Mexican Mission. The first two missionaries, Robert B. Miller and David D. Lingard, arrived in Costa Rica on September 6, 1946. They presented Costa Rican president Teodoro Picado Michalski a copy of the Book of Mormon and began preaching in the country. Due to political unrest, the missionaries left the country in 1948 and 1949. Missionaries returned in 1950 and had their first public meeting on June 7, 1950, with 70 people in attendance. The first branch was organized on August 25, 1950 and the property for the meetinghouse was purchased in 1951.[4]
Stakes and District
As of March 2022, Costa Rica had the following stakes:[5]
- Alajuela Costa Rica Stake
- Cartago Costa Rica Stake
- Guápiles Costa Rica Stake
- Heredia Costa Rica Belén Stake
- Heredia Costa Rica Stake
- Liberia Costa Rica Stake
- Río Claro Costa Rica District
- San José Costa Rica La Paz Stake
- San José Costa Rica La Sabana Stake
- San José Costa Rica Los Yoses Stake
- San José Costa Rica Toyopán Stake
Missions
The Mexico Mission was the first to send missionaries to Costa Rica. On November 16, 1952 the Central American Mission was organized. It was renamed the Central America Mission on June 10, 1970 and then the Costa Rica San Jose mission on June 20, 1974 as more missions were created in Central America. On July 1, 2015, the Costa Rica San Jose West Mission was created with the Costa Rica San Jose Mission being renamed the Costa Rica San Jose East Mission.[6]
- Costa Rica San José East Mission
- Costa Rica San José West Mission
Temples
The San José Costa Rica Temple was dedicated on June 4, 2000 by James E. Faust.
edit | |||
Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: |
San José, Costa Rica 17 March 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 24 April 1999 by Lynn G. Robbins 4 June 2000 by James E. Faust 10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 1.93-acre (0.78 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Álvaro Íñigo and Church A&E Services |
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Costa Rica", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 3 September 2021
- ^ Total Congregations is the sum of wards and branches and does not include member groups which is a smaller and/or more temporary congregation of members than wards and branches.
- ^ Category:Costa Rica Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 18, 2022
- ^ Deseret News 2010 Church Almanac. Country information: Costa Rica. Jim M. Wall. p. 468. ISBN 978-1-60641-619-8.
- ^ "San José Costa Rica Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved March 3, 2022
- ^ Deseret News 2001-2002 Church Almanac. Jim M. Wall. p. 468. ISBN 978-1573459334.
External links
- History of the Church in Costa Rica David R. Crockett
- Antonio Pineda, Convert and Bishop David Grant
- "His Ways" - missionary experience Brandon Martin
- Jose Maria Figueres, President of Costa Rica Stan Pugsley
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Costa Rica) - Official Site
- ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints Visitor site