Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission

Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission

About Argentina

ARGENTINA Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 40,913,000; Members, 399,440; Stakes, 71; Wards, 480;
Branches, 343; Missions, 10; Districts, 36; Temples, 1, announced, 1; Percent LDS, .91, or one in 110; South America South Area.
Located on South America's eastern coast, the Republic of Argentina has a Spanish-speaking population that is 92 percent Roman Catholic, 2 percent Protestant, and 2 percent Jewish.
Latter-day Saints Wilhelm Friedrichs and Emil Hoppe and their families emigrated from Germany to Buenos Aires in the early 1920s, fleeing the economic uncertainties of postwar Europe. Friedrichs soon began publishing gospel messages in local newspapers andin1924asked the First Presidency to send missionaries to work among the Germans of Argentina.
Elders Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve and Rulon S. Wells (who spoke German) and Rey L. Pratt(who spoke Spanish) of the First Council of the Seventy arrived in Buenos Aires on 6 December 1925to begin missionary workin South America. Sbc days later the first latter-day baptisms on that continent were performed in the Rio de la Plata for German immigrants Anna Kullick and her brother Ernst Biebersdorf, their respective spouses, and two young women.
On Christmas Day, Elder Ballard dedicated South America for the preaching of the gospel, prophesying that "the work will go forth slowly just as the oak grows from an acorn... [but] the South American Mission will become a power in the Church." During the next six months, the three General Authorities rented a building in which to hold meetings and distributed thousands of flyers announcing those meetings.
In July 1926, K. B. Reinhold Stoof arrived to replace Elder Ballard as president oftheSouth American Mission, and young elders from the United States soon began to arrive. During the nine years that President Stoof and his family resided in Argentina, missionaries established branches in Buenos Aires and other nearby cities and also launched the preaching of the gospel amongthe German immigrants of southern Brazil.
When the mission was divided in 1935 to form the Argentine and Brazilian missions, missionary work in Argentina was confined to Buenos Aires, home to some 200members of the Church. By that time converts had been made among working-class immigrants from a dozen European countries who were living on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. With the exception of one German branch in Buenos Aires, missionary work and church meetings were conducted in Spanish.
The first LDS chapel was dedicated in the Liniers area of Buenos Aires in April 1938, and branches were established in other major cities such as Quilmes, LaPlata, Rosario, Bahia Blanca, Cordoba and Mendoza. World War 11 interrupted missionary work, but the mission president and the local Saints kept the Church alive until missionaries could once more return to Argentina. By 1949 Church membership had reached 1,000 but the missionaries continued to provide much of the leadership for the 27 branches.
Following the Korean War, with an increased number of missionaries available, new fields of labor were opened, leading to the establishment of the North Argentine Mission in 1962. Membership growth accelerated as local leaders were called and missionaries could devote more of their time to teaching others. In addition, missionary work was launched in neighboring Chile in 1956, with those efforts being supervised by the Argentine Mission during the next three years. By the end of 1960 there were over 4,000 Latter-day Saints in Argentina.
The increasing maturity of the Church was marked in November 1966 by the organization of the first stake in Argentina (which was also the first Spanish-speaking stake in South America and only the second such stake in the Church), with 20 more stakes being established by the end of1980. By that time,there were five missions (two in Buenos Aires and others headquartered in Cordoba, Rosario, and Bahi'a Blanca) and nearly 50,000 Latter-day Saints in Argentina.
Argentina hosted two area conferences attended by President Spencer W. Kimball and other General Authorities in March 1975 and October 1978. Further progress came in1986 with the dedication of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple. Since 1984 Buenos Aires has been the headquarters of the South America South Area.
By December 2000, when the Argentine Saints celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival of LDS missionaries in South America, their country was home to 300,000 members, many of them representing the second and third generations of their families in the Church.
In recent times o fhigh unemployment and political and social upheaval, Argentine Latter-day Saints have drawn upon the strength that comes from Church membership. Church leaders have prepared their people for such challenges by reemphasizing the basic principles of tithing, fast offerings and financial self-sufficiency. Many members planted vegetable gardens and learned to make or recondition clothing. But the Argentine Saints, showing the resilience that comes with their faith, have also reached out to the larger society in which they live, giving many thousands of hours of humanitarian and community service to those around them.
In 2003, membership reached 330, 349. In 2005, membership reached 348, 396. Deseret News 2013 Church News Almanac 423
On 9 Sept 2012, thousands of members gathered under blue skies for the rededication of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency. Tens oft housands more participated in meetinghouses across the country. The temple served as a spiritual haven for nearly a quarter century before it was closed in latter 2009 for major renovation to meet the demands of growing membership in the region. Two wings were added to the original building, dramatically increasing its size while paying respect to its original and distinctive design.

Missionary Blogs

	Elder Peter Barton www.mymission.com/elderpeterbarton	2024
	Elder Robert Ethan Bohanon www.mymission.com/elderrobertethanbohanon	2024
	Sister Ainslee Bosworth www.mymission.com/sisterainsleebosworth	2024
	Elder Hunter Greene www.mymission.com/elderhuntergreene	2024
	Elder Hunter Greene www.mymission.com/elderhuntergreene1	2024
	Elder Hunter Greene www.mymission.com/elderhuntergreene2	2024
	Elder William Lance www.mymission.com/elderwilliamlance	2024
	Elder Ashton Lindley www.mymission.com/elderashtonlindley	2024
	Sister Elizabeth Loutzenhiser www.mymission.com/sisterelizabethloutzenhiser	2024
	Elder Chance Manhart www.mymission.com/elderchancemanhart	2024
	Sister Alexis Mellott www.mymission.com/sisteralexismellott	2024
	Sister Alexis Mellott www.mymission.com/sisteralexismellott1	2024
	Elder Maxwell West www.mymission.com/eldermaxwellwest	2024
	Sister Wn4ouh Wkb www.mymission.com/sisterwn4ouhwkb	2024
	Elder Stephen Weston Garner www.mymission.com/elderstephenwestongarner	2023
	Elder Dallin Hacking www.mymission.com/elderdallinhacking	2023
	Elder Trevor Strock www.mymission.com/eldertrevorstrock	2023
	Sister Olivia Call www.mymission.com/sisteroliviacall	2022
	Elder Daniel Antonio Casas Soto www.mymission.com/elderdanielantoniocasassoto	2022
	Elder Caden Hollingsworth www.mymission.com/Eldercadenhollingsworth	2022
	Elder Tyler Coombs www.mymission.com/eldertylercoombs1	2021
	Elder Matthew Hinckley II www.mymission.com/eldermatthewhinckley	2021
	Elder Joshua McGonagill www.mymission.com/elderjoshuamcgonagill	2021
	Elder Benjamin Neville www.mymission.com/elderbenjaminneville	2021
	Elder Stanley Thurber www.mymission.com/elderstanleythurber	2021
	Sister Kayla Will www.mymission.com/sisterkaylawill	2021
	Sister Kayla Wilp www.mymission.com/sisterkaylawilp1	2021
	Elder Nicolás Coloma Ruiz www.mymission.com/eldernicolscolomaruiz	2020
	Elder Ben Curnutt www.mymission.com/elderbencurnutt	2020
	Elder Edson Céspedes www.mymission.com/elderedsonclimascspedesaliaga	2020
	Elder Trevor Dixon www.mymission.com/eldertrevordixon	2020
	Elder Trevor Dixon www.mymission.com/eldertrevorjamesdixon	2020
	Elder Dayson Durfee www.mymission.com/elderdaysondurfee	2020
	Elder Jacob Ellis www.mymission.com/elderjacobellis	2020
	Sister Sydni Fawson www.mymission.com/sistersydnifawson	2020
	Sister Sydni Fawson www.mymission.com/sistersydnifawson1	2020
	Elder Caleb Glenn www.mymission.com/eldercalebglenn	2020
	Elder Pedro Villanueva www.mymission.com/elderpedrovillanueva	2020
	Elder Anthony Wilson www.mymission.com/elderanthonywilson	2020
	Sister Sage Beesley www.mymission.com/sistersagebeesley	2019
	Sister Sage Beesley www.mymission.com/sistersagebeesley1	2019
	Elder Ryan Bell www.mymission.com/elderryansbell	2019
	Sister Kelsie Campbell www.mymission.com/sisterkelsiecampbell	2019
	Sister Daniela Carrasco www.mymission.com/sistercarrrasco	2019
	Sister Daniela Carrasco www.mymission.com/sisterdanielacarrasco	2019
	Elder Pedro Gabriel Cáceres www.mymission.com/elderpedrogabrielcceres	2019
	Elder Ammon Galvez www.mymission.com/elderammongalvez	2019
	Elder Reese Jones www.mymission.com/elderreesejones	2019
	Elder Justin Peeples www.mymission.com/elderjustinpeeples	2019
	Sister Alexis Reeves www.mymission.com/sisteralexisreeves	2019
	Elder Austin Allen www.mymission.com/elderaustinallen	2018
	Elder Max Christensen www.mymission.com/eldermaxchristensen	2018
	Elder Manuel González www.mymission.com/eldermanuelgonzlez	2018
	Elder David Kidd www.mymission.com/elderkidd	2018
	Elder Chase Stauffer www.mymission.com/elderchasestauffer	2018
	Elder Dallin Tippett www.mymission.com/elderdallintippett	2018
	Elder Crawford eldercrawford.wordpress.com	2017
	Elder J Alexander Jimenez elderalexjimenez.blogspot.com	2017
	President & Sister Rogers comodororivadaviamission.com	2017
	Elder Devin Saunders www.mymission.com/elderdevinsaunders	2017
	Elder Chad Applegate www.mymission.com/elderchadapplegate	2016
	Elder Cameron Christensen www.mymission.com/eldercameronchristensen	2016
	Sister Magdalena Crofts www.mymission.com/sistermagdalenacrofts	2016
	Elder Chase Dworshak www.mymission.com/elderchasedworshak	2016
	Elder Chase Stauffer mymission.com/elderchasestauffer	2016
	Elder Devin Saunders eldersaundersinargentina.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Hayden Taylor haydenheadssouth.com	2016
	Elder Jake Hollingsworth elderhollingsworth.com	2016
	Elder Jarom Bartlett elderjarombartlett.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Kolton Elmer elderkoltonelmer.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Max Christensen maxthethirdmission.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Michael Cole eldermichaelcole.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Samuel Himes elderhimes.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Trenton Behunin eldertrentonbehunin.wordpress.com	2016
	Sister Katie Martin tobringargentinahistruth.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder & Sister Merkley merkleyatendofworld.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Brockton Lamb elderbrocktonlamb.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Jacob Dunford jacobdunford.com	2015
	Elder Michael Sirrine eldermichaelsirrine.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Richard Whitworth elderrichardwhitworth.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Royce Rasmussen www.mymission.com/elderroycerasmussen	2015
	Sister Amy Heath amysargentineadventures.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Jessica Lukow missionsite.net/sisterjessicalukow	2015
	Elder Douglas Emmett missionsite.net/elderdouglassamuelemmett	2014
	Sister Anneliese Carter sisteranneliesecarter.wordpress.com	2014
	Sister Lindsey Kuhn adventargentina.blogspot.com	2014
	Sister Aryn DeMott aryninargentina.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Matthew Dewsnup dewingsomethinggood.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Tres Tarwater eldertarwater.blogspot.com	2013
	Sister Emily Twitchell gotocomodoro.blogspot.com	2013
	Sister Katherine Judd hermanajudd.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Cameron Christensen www.mymission.com/cameronjchristensen	2001

Mission Groups

1.	Misioneros de Comodoro Rivadavia! Group
2.	Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission Group
3.	Mision Comodoro Rivadavia Fieles Marzo 2015

Address

 

Mission President

Claudio Daniel Salerno

Region

South America

Church Statistics

Argentina

Members: 432007
Congregations: 765
Missions: 12
Family History Centers: 107

Languages

Spanish

Population

Chubut—509,108; Santa Cruz—273,964; Tierra del Fuego—127,205