The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya refers to

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

(LDS Church) and its members in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. In 1981, two small congregations were created in Kenya (Nairobi and Kiboko). In 2022, there were 17,438

members Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

in 57 congregations. On April 2, 2017, church president

Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the re ...

announced that a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

would be built in Nairobi.

History

The first Kenyans baptized into the LDS Church in Kenya were the family of Elizaphan and Ebisiba Osaka, who were baptized in 1979. The first

LDS missionaries Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and commun ...

began serving in Kenya in 1980. There was only one LDS missionary couple from then until 1989, when the couple was withdrawn. Joseph W. Sitati, who joined the LDS Church along with his family in 1985, was designated the lead elder of the church in Kenya at that point. In February 1991, he met with

Daniel arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...

, president of Kenya. Later that month the attorney general of Kenya gave Sitati and a few other church leaders a form signifying the church was officially recognized. In July 1991, the Kenya Nairobi

Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

was organized, with Larry King Brown as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

. The first LDS meeting house was completed in Nairobi in 1994. In 2001 a stake was organized, with Sitati called as

. Sitati later became the first general authority from Kenya. In March 2016, the Nairobi Kenya Stake was divided to form the east and west stake. In 2020, the mission headquartered in Nairobi mission was divided with the creation of the Tanzania Dar es Salaam Mission. In August 2020, the church organized the new Africa Central Area with its headquarters in Nairobi. The new area oversees the church in 18 countries.

Stakes and districts

As of May 2023, the following Stakes and Districts were located in Kenya:

Mission

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

Mission

Temples

On April 2, 2017, Thomas S. Monson announced the intent to construct the Nairobi Kenya Temple in the church's general conference.

References

External links

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Africa South Area
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya, The Churches in Kenya The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Africa 1991 establishments in Kenya

History

Stakes and districts

Mission

Temples

See also

References

External links