The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Indonesia. The first small branch was established in 1970. Since then, the LDS Church in Indonesia has grown to more than 7,500 members in 24 congregations.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia
The church logo in Indonesian
AreaAsia
Members7,648 (2022)[1]
Stakes2
Districts1
Wards16
Branches8
Total Congregations[2]24
Missions1
Temples1 Announced
Family History Centers6[3]

History
Membership in Indonesia
YearMembers
1974 770
1980 1,411
1989*4,100
1999 5,339
2009 6,393
2019 7,561
2022 7,648
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Indonesia[1]

Ezra Taft Benson, Bruce R. McConkie and other church leaders visited Indonesia in October 1969, and on October 26, Taft Benson dedicated Indonesia for Missionary work.[4] On January 5, 1970, 6 missionaries, the first in Indonesia, from the Southeast Asia Mission arrived in Jakarta. On February 15, 1970, the Jakarta Branch was organized. The Church was officially recognized by the Republic of Indonesia on August 11, 1970. By the end of the year, missionaries were also working in Bandung and Bogor.[5][6]

The Java District was created on 16 November 1972. In 1975, Tjan Hardjiono and Suharto became the first two Indonesians to serve full-time missions in their homeland. On July 1, 1975, the Indonesia Jakarta Mission was created. The first president, Hendrik Gout, was born in Java and had joined the Church in 1953 in the Netherlands.[6] The Book of Mormon was printed in the language of Bahasa Indonesia in 1977.[5] In the mid 1990's missionaries began ministering in Sumatra and Sulawesi.

In January of 2000, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley met with Indonesia’s President Abdurrahman Wahid and members of his cabinet.[7] In April of 2003, Subandriyo became the first Indonesian sustained and set apart to serve as an Area Authority Seventy where he overseed the church’s office in Jakarta as well as supervising construction efforts in Malaysia, Cambodia, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.[8]

Anbrey Rees, left, one of 96 volunteers with the Latter-day Saint Charities aboard USNS Mercy assists a patient while in Indonesia during Pacific Partnership 2012. Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces designed to strengthen maritime and humanitarian partnerships during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific.

On October 26, 2019, nearly 1200 members and friends gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia.[9] On November 21, 2019, Church President Russell M. Nelson visited Indonesia where he met with the Vice President of Indonesia, Ma'ruf Amin. He also met with church members and others later in the day.[10]

Humanitarian Service

The Church has completed several humanitarian projects in Indonesia and has provided aid during and following natural disasters. Members of the church donated more than 20,000 hours of service after the October 2010 Merapi volcano eruptions. Following the 2004 tsunami, Church members from around the world donated money to aid Indonesians, and schools have been built. The LDS Church provided funding, engineering, technical advice and supervision for providing water to 28,000 Indonesians. [11] In addition missionaries and church members are encouraged to voluntarily serve in their communities.

Stakes
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia is located in Indonesia
Jakarta
Jakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta
Surabaya
Surabaya
Medan
Medan
Bali
Bali
Manado
Manado
Stake Centers in Indonesia (February 2023)
Green = Stake
Orange = District
Purple = meetinghouse not part of stake or district

As of February 2023, 2 stakes, a district, and four branches not part of a stake or district were located in Indonesia:[12]

Stake/District/Other Organized Wards Branches Family History Centers
Jakarta Indonesia Stake[13]16 Nov 1972101
Surakarta Indonesia Stake29 Apr 2012612
Surabaya Indonesia District*1 Feb 197832
Bali Branch*23 Mar 20111
Manado Branch*23 Feb 19841
Medan Branch*10 Dec 199511
Indonesia Jakarta Mission Branch*19 Apr 20121
  • All congregations not in a stake, regardless of size, are branches within a mission. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission Branch serves individuals and families in Indonesia not in proximity to a meetinghouse.

In addition, a church Employment Resource Center is located in Jakarta.[14]

Missions

Indonesia was part of the Southeast Asia Mission upon arrival of the first missionaries in 1970. On 1 July 1975, the Indonesia Jakarta Mission was created. Due to government restrictions between 1978 and 1980, the mission was discontinued in December of 1980 and missionary efforts were coordinated by the Singapore Mission. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission was re-opened in July 1985 with Effian Kadarusman as president, who served for four years until 1989 when the mission once became part of the Singapore mission due to government restrictions. The Indonesia Jakarta Mission was re-opened again in 1995.[6]

Temples

Indonesia was part of the Hong Kong China Temple district until the completion of the Bangkok Thailand Temple in 2023. A temple in Singapore was announced to be constructed on April 4, 2021. In the April 2023 General Conference, it was announced that a temple would be constructed in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Location:
Announced:		 Jakarta, Indonesia
2 April 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[15][16]

See also

References
  1. "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Indonesia", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 4 June 2022
  2. Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches.
  3. Indonesia Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 21, 2022
  4. "Native missionaries, sign of Church growth in Indonesia". Church News. Deseret News. March 6, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  5. Craig, Alison (January 1977). "The Saints in Indonesia". Ensign. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  6. "Country information: Indonesia", Church News, Deseret News, January 29, 2010, retrieved May 15, 2021
  7. "2000: 'A remarkable year for the Church'", Church News, Deseret News, December 28, 2000, retrieved May 15, 2021
  8. Stack, Peggy Fletcher (November 19, 2017). "What's it like to be a Mormon in the largest Muslim nation? For starters, you're outnumbered 35,000 to 1 and you still get questions about polygamy". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. "The Church in Indonesia holds Cultural Night from the Archipelago to Commemorate its 50th Anniversary", Newsroom, LDS Church, December 11, 2011, retrieved 14 May 2021
  10. Weaver, Sarah Jane (November 21, 2019). "President Nelson finishes 7-day, 4-country Southeast Asia ministry in Indonesia". Deseret News. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  11. "Indonesian Water Project Brings Clean Water to 28,000 Villagers", Newsroom, LDS Church, December 11, 2011, retrieved 14 May 2021
  12. "Hong Kong China Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved May 13, 2021
  13. Hall, Richard; Avant, Gerry; Stahle, Shaun (eds.). "Indonesia". 2012 Church Almanac. Deseret News. p. 498. ISBN 978-1-60907-002-1.
  14. "Jakarta Indonesia PEF Self Reliance Center". Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  15. Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson urges members to be peacemakers, announces 15 new temples, Salt Lake Tribune, 2 April 2023
  16. "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 15 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2 April 2023
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