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

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

As of April 2016, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) reported 728,295 members in 85 stakes and 84 districts, 1,201 congregations (537 wards and 597 branches), 21 missions, and two temples in the Philippines.

Contents

Since August 2016, the church's Philippines Area has included Shayne M. Bowen as president, with Allen D. Haynie and Evan A. Schmutz as counselors.

History

The first contact the church had with the Philippines began in 1898 during the Spanish–American War, when two LDS men named 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. They met with little success. Active proselytizing stopped on the onset of World War II.

The first Filipino to join the LDS Church was Aneleta 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.

The Luzon Serviceman's district was organized during the Korean War under the Japanese Mission for American servicemen stationed in the Philippines. In August 1955, the district was then transferred to the newly organized Southern Far East Mission, which was established by President of the Church Joseph F. Smith. During this time, Smith visited the Philippines. Due to legal issues, the LDS Church could not send missionaries. Missionary work, however, was done by some LDS servicemen and American residents. Kendall B. Schaefermeyer, a returned missionary serving in the U.S. Navy was one in particular. He had baptized four Filipinos by October 1957 and was teaching more than 20 others.

During 1960, Gordon B. Hinckley, then an Assistant to the Twelve, and apostle Ezra Taft Benson, 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 of the Southern Far East Mission, filed the paperwork with the Philippine government. Subsequently, the church rededicated the Philippines. This dedication was done by Hinckley on 28 April 1961 in a meeting with servicemen, American residents, and Filipino members. 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. After the end of the years, six more were baptized.

Due to growth that followed, the Philippines was organized into its own mission by 1967, with the first president being Paul S. Rose. 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 two separate missions, the Philippines Manila Mission and the Philippines Cebu City Mission.

The first stake in the Philippines was formed in Manila on 20 May 1973. As of January 2016, there are 96 stakes in the Philippines.

Church president Spencer W. Kimball presided over two area conferences, one in 1975 and another in 1980. During the area conference in 1980, Kimball met with then-President Ferdinand Marcos at Malacañang Palace. 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 in June 1992.

In 1987, the Book of Mormon 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.

Notable people

  • Lani Misalucha, singer dubbed as "Asia's Nightingale" by MTV Southeast Asia.
  • Eric Tai, a Tongan actor from New Zealand, model, TV host, comedian and rugby union player who played for the Alabang Eagles and represented the Philippines national rugby union team in 15s and 7s.
  • Jairus Aquino, a Filipino actor best known for his roles in Super Inggo, Kung Fu Kids and Luv U.
  • Philippines MTC

    The Philippines has its own Missionary Training Center (MTC) where native Filipinos receive missionary training in their own language. The first one 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 temple. In 2011, the MTC underwent extensive remodeling and was rededicated in May 2012 by Russell M. Nelson. Other nations, as listed below, send missionaries to the Philippines MTC to receive training in their native language.

    The current MTC president is D. Gary Beck. Beck served previously as president of the Philippines Manila Mission.

    References

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