The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
in the Philippines (
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
: ''Ang Simbahan ni Jesucristo ng mga Banal sa mga Huling Araw'') refers to the organization and its
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 the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. The Philippines ranks as having the most members of the LDS Church among countries in Asia (most of Asia's LDS Church membership is located in the Philippines) and the fourth most worldwide. In 2021, The Philippines also had most LDS Church members per capita in Asia.


History

The first contact the church had with the Philippines was in 1898 during the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
. Two LDS men, Willard Call and George Seaman, who were part of the United States artillery battery, were set apart as missionaries and began to proselytize after being deployed to the Philippines. However, they met with little success. Active proselytizing stopped at the onset of World War II.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temples
/ref> The first Filipino to join the LDS Church was Aniceta Pabilona Fajardo in 1945, who was introduced to the church by Maxine Grimm, who was in the Philippines with the Red Cross in the aftermath of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The Luzon Serviceman's
District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
was organized during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
under the Japanese
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 ...
for American servicemen stationed in the Philippines. In August 1955, the district was then transferred to the newly organized Southern Far East Mission, under the direction of
Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was t ...
, a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...
. During this time, Smith visited the Philippines. Due to legal issues, the LDS Church could not send
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
to the country. Missionary work, however, was done by LDS servicemen and American residents, including Kendall B. Schaefermeyer, a returned missionary serving in the U.S. Navy. He had baptized four Filipinos by October 1957 and was teaching more than 20 others. During 1960,
Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
, then an Assistant to the Twelve, and
apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and a ...
, visited the Philippines. The purpose of the visit was mainly to see the work of the LDS servicemen groups, but they brought back encouraging reports of the missionary work being done among the native Filipinos. The church obtained official recognition in the Philippines in 1961 when Robert S. Taylor,
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 ful ...
of the Southern Far East Mission, filed the paperwork with the Philippine government. Subsequently, on 28 April 1961 in a meeting with servicemen, American residents, and Filipino members, Hinckley rededicated the country. The first American missionaries (Ray Goodson, Harry Murray, Kent Lowe and Nestor Ledesma) arrived in Manila two months later. One of the first converts after official recognition was the family of José Gutierez, Sr. By the end of 1961, six more were baptized. Due to growth that followed, the Philippines was organized into its own mission by 1967, with Paul S. Rose as the first president. In 1969, the church spread across the islands, having the highest amount of baptisms compared to every other area of the world. This led to the division of the Philippines Mission in 1974 into the Philippines
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and Philippines
Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
missions. The first
stake Stake may refer to: Entertainment * '' Stake: Fortune Fighters'', a 2003 video game * ''The Stake'', a 1915 silent short film * "The Stake", a 1977 song by The Steve Miller Band from '' Book of Dreams'' * ''Stakes'' (miniseries), a Cartoon Netw ...
in the Philippines was formed in Manila on 20 May 1973. In September 2017, the number of stakes in the Philippines reached 100, only the fifth nation in the world to reach that milestone. Church president
Spencer W. Kimball Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day S ...
presided over two area conferences, one in 1975 and another in 1980. During the area conference in 1980, Kimball met with then-
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 ful ...
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
at
Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...
. In 1987, Manila became the headquarters of the church's Philippines/Micronesia Area. Augusto A. Lim, the first Filipino general authority, was called to the
Second Quorum of Seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of Jes ...
in June 1992. In 1987, the
Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
was translated into Tagalog by Ricardo Cruz, with the assistance of Posidio Ocampo and Ananias Bala in the final stages of production. Since then, the Book of Mormon has been translated to several other
languages of the Philippines There are some 120 to 187 languages spoken in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. Almost all are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called C ...
. On June 30, 2021, The LDS Church broke ground for Asia's first "For the Strength of Youth (FSY) Camp" located in
Tanay, Rizal Tanay, officially the Municipality of Tanay ( tgl, Bayan ng Tanay ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 139,420 people. It is located east of Manila, althoug ...
, near Manila.


Notable people

*
Lani Misalucha Lani Bayot Misalucha (; born Lani Dimalanta Bayot; August 3, 1969) is a Filipino singer who performs pop, rock, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, and operatic arias. Her ability to sing across several genres gave her the title "Asia's Nightingale ...
, singer dubbed as "Asia's Nightingale" by
MTV Southeast Asia MTV was a pan-Asian music pay-television channel which launched on 3 May 1995 as a standalone pay television channel. It was owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA. History MTV Asia was officially launched on 3 May 1995 as a 24-hour English-languag ...
. *
Eric Tai Eric Tai (born August 23, 1984) is a Tongan-born Filipino actor, model, TV host, comedian, rugby union player who played for the Alabang Eagles and represented the Philippines national rugby union team in 15s and 7s and professional ''Arena of Va ...
, a Tongan actor from
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, model, TV host, comedian, and rugby union player who played for the
Alabang Alabang is a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines. At one time the area was a farming district, and has since grown from a village to a major commercial center, which includes the Filinvest City and Madrigal Business Park, and a transportation hub ...
Eagles and represented the Philippines national rugby union team in 15s and 7s. *
Jairus Aquino Jairus Reuel Balagtas Aquino (, born April 1, 1999) is a Filipino actor best known for his roles in ''Super Inggo'', ''Kung Fu Kids'' and ''Luv U''. He appeared in several television advertisements before his first television appearance as an ...
, a Filipino actor best known for his roles in
Super Inggo ''Super Inggo'' is a Philippine fantaserye aired on ABS-CBN. Its main character is Budong (Makisig Morales), a 10-year-old kid who dreams of becoming a real-life and full-fledged superhero. Unbeknownst to him, he possesses superhuman strength and ...
,
Kung Fu Kids Kung Fu Kids is a Philippine produced live-action fantasy series which tells the story of seven children of different personalities united by a prophecy. The series used the song Kung Fu Fighting on its series teaser. It aired from January 28 to ...
, and
Luv U '' Luv U '' () is a Philippines, Filipino teen sitcom Television program, series and aired every Saturday Morning on the network's ''Yes Weekend!'' block. The show premiered on February 19, 2012, replacing ''Growing Up (2011 Philippine TV series) ...
. *
Xia Vigor Xiamara Sophia "Xia" Bernardo Vigor (born 23 June 2009) is a British-Filipino child actress and TV host in the Philippines. She was the first grand winner of It's Showtime (Philippine TV program), It's Showtime's segment, ''Mini Me 2'' as mini ...
, Filipina child actress


Missions

*Philippines Angeles Mission *Philippines
Antipolo Antipolo, officially known as the City of Antipolo ( fil, Lungsod ng Antipolo), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 887,399 people. It is the mo ...
Mission (July 1, 2019) *Philippines
Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
Mission *Philippines
Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
Mission *Philippines
Butuan Butuan (pronounced ), officially the City of Butuan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Butuan; Butuanon: ''Dakbayan hong Butuan''; fil, Lungsod ng Butuan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Caraga, Philippines. It is the ''de facto'' ca ...
Mission *Philippines
Cabanatuan Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan ( fil, Lungsod ng Cabanatuan; ilo, Siudad ti Cabanatuan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 327,325 peop ...
Mission *Philippines
Cagayan de Oro Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
Mission *Philippines Cauayan Mission *Philippines
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
Mission *Philippines
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
Mission *Philippines Cebu East Mission *Philippines Davao Mission *Philippines
Iloilo Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
Mission *Philippines
Laoag Laoag, officially the City of Laoag ( ilo, Siudad ti Laoag; fil, Lungsod ng Laoag), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Norte, Philip ...
Mission *Philippines Legaspi Mission *Philippines
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
Mission *Philippines
Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
Mission *Philippines
Olongapo Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...
Mission *Philippines
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
Mission *Philippines Quezon City North Mission *Philippines San Pablo Mission *Philippines
Tacloban Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
Mission *Philippines Urdaneta Mission


Philippines Missionary Training Center

The Philippines has its own Missionary Training Center (MTC), where native Filipinos receive missionary training in their own language. The first MTC was dedicated on October 8, 1983, and was housed in a private rented residence. The second MTC was opened July 13, 1992, and stands across the road from the
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
temple.Church News
/ref> In 2011, the MTC underwent extensive remodeling and was rededicated in May 2012 by
Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...
. Other nations, including those listed below, send missionaries to the Philippines MTC to receive training in their native language.Church News
/ref> * India * Pakistan * Mongolia * Cambodia * Thailand * Indonesia * Taiwan * Hong Kong * Singapore * Vietnam * Malaysia * Bangladesh * Sri Lanka As of January 2017, the MTC
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 ful ...
is Rodolfo A. Carlos.


Temples


Operating


Under Construction


Announced


See also

*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) releases membership, congregational, and related information on a regular basis. The latest membership information LDS Church releases includes a count of membership, stakes, wards, br ...
* Religion in Philippines


References


Additional reading


"The Philippines: Spiritual Strength upon the Isles of the Sea"
''
Liahona Liahona may refer to: *Liahona (Book of Mormon), in the Book of Mormon, a brass ball of "curious workmanship" that provided directions for Lehi and his party while traveling * ''Liahona'' (magazine), a periodical published by The Church of Jesus Chr ...
'', April 2014


External links


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom - Philippines

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Philippines)
- Official Site
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Visitors Site {{DEFAULTSORT:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, The