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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Singapore refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Singapore.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Singapore
Singapore Stake Center.
AreaAsia
Members3,302 (2022)[1]
Stakes1
Wards6
Missions1
Temples
  • 1 Announced
FamilySearch Centers1[2]

History

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Membership in Singapore[3][1]
YearMembership
19633
1970 100
1976 309
1980 660
1989* 1,400
1999 2,099
2009 2,890
2019 3,439
*Membership was published as an estimated or rounded number.

In May 1963, Gordon B. Hinckley then of the Quorum of the Twelve along with Jay A Quealy, President of the Southern Far East Mission, visited Singapore and found three Latter-day Saints from the British military residing there. Members from Hong Kong also came began holding church meetings in Singapore and by 1964, the number attending had grown to eleven. Missionaries began visiting in the mid 1960s and the first assigned full-time missionaries arrived in March 1968. On October 12 of the same year, the church established its first congregation in Singapore with John McSweeney as President.[4] The Southeast Asia Mission, which included Singapore, was created in November 1969.

In 1970, when approximately 100 Latter-day Saints lived in Singapore, government officials restricted preaching and visas for missionaries. Progress continued through the efforts of local members and the Singapore Mission was created in 1974, with G. Carlos Smith as the mission president. By 1976, church membership in Singapore totaled 309. Singapore was re-opened to full-time missionaries in January 1980. Five years later, church membership in Singapore was 960. By 1990, the church had constructed three meetinghouses, which served approximately 1,300 members.

In August 1992, Jon Huntsman, Jr., a Latter-day Saint who had preached as a missionary in Taiwan, was sworn into office as the United States Ambassador to Singapore. By mid-1993, church membership in Singapore totaled 1,750 in seven congregations.

In 2021, church president Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be built in Singapore.[5]

Stake and Congregations

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Compassvale
 
Jurong
 
Singapore (FHC)
LDS Church Locations as of February, 2023
Green = Stake Center and adjacent Meetinghouses
Purple = meetinghouse
Yellow = Announced Temple
(FHC) = Family History Center
The Singapore Temple is located adjacent to the Jurong meetinghouse

As of February 2023, the Singapore stake consisted of the following congregations:[6]

  • Compassvale Ward
  • Jurong Ward
  • Newton Ward
  • Sembawang Ward
  • Singapore 3rd Ward (Tagalog)
  • Singapore YSA Ward

Mission

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In the 1960s, Singapore was part of the Southern Far East Mission. The Southeast Asia Mission, which included Singapore, was created in November 1969. It was renamed the Singapore Mission on July 24, 1974. The mission was discontinued and transferred to Indonesia Jakarta Mission in July, 1978, but reopened on January 1, 1980.[7] The Singapore Mission is currently the only Mission of the LDS Church in Singapore and ministers to the entirety of Singapore and Malaysia.

Temples

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Singapore 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.

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Location:
Announced:
Size:
Notes:
Singapore
4 April 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[5]
18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2) on a 1-acre (0.40 ha) site
A meetinghouse and arrival center will be constructed on site behind the temple.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Singapore", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 4 June 2023
  2. ^ Singapore Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved 21 August 2022
  3. ^ Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Singapore
  4. ^ Britsch, R. Lanier (1 January 1998). From the East: The History of the Latter-Day Saints in Asia, 1851-1996. Deseret Book. ISBN 1573452688.
  5. ^ a b "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 4 April 2021
  6. ^ "Classic Maps", churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved 15 November 2021
  7. ^ Mortimer, Wm. James (2000), 1999-2000 Church Almanac, Deseret Morning News, p. 424, ISBN 1573454915
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