Argentina Mendoza Mission

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.

	Elder Joseph Cano www.mymission.com/elderjosephcano	2024
	Elder Cristian Choquevilca www.mymission.com/eldercristianchoquevilca	2024
	Sister Olivia Doyle www.mymission.com/sisteroliviadoyle	2024
	Elder Cory Hughes www.mymission.com/eldercoryhughes	2024
	Elder Chase Johnson www.mymission.com/elderchasejohnson	2024
	Elder Bailey McIntyre www.mymission.com/elderbaileymcintyre	2024
	Elder Franco Muñiz www.mymission.com/elderfrancomuniz	2024
	Elder Jason Shipley www.mymission.com/elderjasonshipley	2024
	Elder Wade Skinner www.mymission.com/elderwadeskinner	2024
	Elder Andrew Walker www.mymission.com/elderandrewkwalker	2024
	Elder Andrew Walker www.mymission.com/elderandrewwalker	2024
	Elder Ben Brown www.mymission.com/elderbenbrown	2023
	Sister Bailey Chamberlain www.mymission.com/sisterbaileychamberlain	2023
	Elder Addison Ditto www.mymission.com/elderaddisonditto	2023
	Elder Chase Hawkins www.mymission.com/elderchasehawkins	2023
	Elder Ethan Bevans www.mymission.com/elderethanbevans	2022
	Elder Gibson Gaston www.mymission.com/eldergibsongaston	2022
	Sister Sydney Neilson www.mymission.com/sistersydneyneilson1	2022
	Elder Treyton Orton www.mymission.com/eldertreytonorton	2022
	Elder Jesse Thatcher www.mymission.com/elderjessethatcher	2022
	Sister Emily Edwards www.mymission.com/sisteremilyedwards	2021
	Elder Erik Harmon-Davey www.mymission.com/eldererikharmon-davey	2021
	Elder Benjamin Hill www.mymission.com/elderbenjaminhill	2021
	Elder Juan Vergel www.mymission.com/elderjuanvergel	2021
	Elder Dylan Bingham www.mymission.com/elderdylanbingham	2020
	Sister Lia Caldwell www.mymission.com/sisterliacaldwell	2020
	Elder Joseph Felix www.mymission.com/elderjosephfelix	2020
	Elder Micah Graham www.mymission.com/eldermicahgraham	2020
	Elder Aaron Halliday www.mymission.com/elderaaronhalliday	2020
	Elder Ethan Larson www.mymission.com/elderethanlarson	2020
	Elder Ethan Larson www.mymission.com/elderethanlarson1	2020
	Elder Brayden Mecham www.mymission.com/elderbraydenmecham	2020
	Elder Brayden Mecham www.mymission.com/elderbraydenmecham1	2020
	Elder Colby Samuels www.mymission.com/eldercolbysamuels	2020
	Elder Garrett Small www.mymission.com/eldergarrettsmall	2020
	Elder Garrett Small www.mymission.com/eldergarrettsmall1	2020
	Elder Garrett Small www.mymission.com/eldergarrettsmall2	2020
	Sister Julia Stenquist www.mymission.com/sisterjuliastenquist	2020
	Sister Julia Stenquist www.mymission.com/sisterjuliastenquist1	2020
	Elder Connor Benincosa www.mymission.com/elderconnorbenincosa	2019
	Elder Scott Florence www.mymission.com/elderscottflorence	2019
	Elder Michael Bigley www.mymission.com/eldermichaelbigley	2018
	Elder Gavin Crist www.mymission.com/eldergavincrist	2018
	Elder Dustin Gubernick www.mymission.com/elderdustingubernick	2018
	Elder Jaxon Hale www.mymission.com/elderjaxonhale	2018
	Elder Logan Johnson www.mymission.com/elderloganjohnson1	2018
	Elder Rhett Richards www.mymission.com/elderrhettrichards	2018
	Elder Rhett Richards www.mymission.com/httpwwwlrichardsalaschoolsorg	2018
	Elder Grant Amann elderamann.blogspot.com	2017
	Elder Nathan Roderick nathanroderick.blogspot.com	2017
	Mission Alumni mission.net/argentina/mendoza	2017
	Elder & Sister Maseda masedasargentina.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Blake Lawrence elderblakelawrence.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Brayden Wakley missionsite.net/elderbraydenwakley	2016
	Elder Bryce Bingham elderbrycebingham.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder George Sheko eldershekoargentina.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Jayson Benedict elderjaysonbenedict.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Keaton Jorgensen elderkeatonjorgensen.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Matthew McCollum eldermatthewmccollum.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Michael Bigley mymission.com/eldermichaelbigley	2016
	Elder Michael Skonnard elderskon.wordpress.com	2016
	Elder Ryan Hakes elderryanhakes.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Sam Wiggins samsmissionblog.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Robert Oveson www.mymission.com/elderrobertoveson	2016
	Sister Cara Paulson www.mymission.com/sistercarapaulson	2016
	Sister Aubree Matheson hermanamatheson.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Kylie Smoot hermanakyliesmoot.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Makenzie Harris mookieinmendoza.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Sarah Malstrom hermanasarahmalstrom.weebly.com	2016
	Elder Dallin Backstrom dallinisamissionary.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Derek Wengert elderwengert.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Jace Webster webstertheelder.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Jeff Pyne 2yearsinmendoza.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Justin Kidman missionsite.net/elderjustinkidman	2015
	Elder Justin Wilson elderjustinwilson.wordpress.com	2015
	Elder Mattias Malzl eldermalzl.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder W. Larsen Trelease missionsite.net/elderwlarsentrelease	2015
	Elder Cache Grandy www.mymission.com/eldercachegrandy	2015
	President & Sister Goates argentinamendozamission.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Abigail Blair fromabigail.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Casey Quain hermanaquain.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Brandon Perez missionsite.net/elderbrandonperez	2014
	Elder Cordell Rainock elderrainock.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Kohler Chamberlain missionsite.net/elderkohlerchamberlain	2014
	Elder Thaddeus Wright missionsite.net/elderthaddeuswright	2014
	Elder Tyson Gibbons eldergibbonsmendozamission.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Winston Veintimilla missionsite.net/elderwinstonveintimilla	2014
	Sister Courtney Cox my18monthsinmendoza.blogspot.com	2014
	Sister Jamee Bonner hermanabonner.blogspot.com	2014
	Sister Lindsay Sorensen mission.sorensen.cl/lindsay	2014
	Elder Jake Wixom missionsite.net/elderjakewixom	2013
	Elder Brian Passantino elderpassantino.blogspot.com	2012
	Elder Jackson Ostler jacksonsargentinamission.blogspot.com	2012
	Elder Taylor Winget missionsite.net/eldertaylorwinget	2012
	Elder Zachary Lounsbury elderlounsbury.blogspot.com	2012
	Elder Brian Passantino www.mymission.com/elderbrianpassantino	2012
	Sister Brooke Deem www.mymission.com/sisterbrookedeem	2011
	Elder Cole Wharton eldercolewharton.blogspot.com	2011
	Elder Derek Williams missionsite.net/elderdwilliams	2011
	Elder Joseph Galati missionsite.net/elderjosephgalati	2011
	Elder Kyle Jones missionsite.net/elderkjones	2011
	President & Sister Lindahl presandsislindahl.blogspot.com	2011
	Elder Benjamin Hoglund benhoglund.blogspot.com	2010
	Elder Benjamin Steig missionsite.net/eldersteig	2010
	Elder Blake Smith elderblakesmith.blogspot.com	2010
	Elder Jentry Harris www.mymission.com/elderjentryharris	2001
	Elder Wade Y www.mymission.com/elderwadey	2001
	Elder sebastian andres palacio www.mymission.com/mayorsebastianandrespalacio	2001

1.	Mision Argentina Mendoza Facebook Group
2.	Mision Argentina Mendoza (Presidente Lindahl) Group
3.	Mision Argentina Mendoza Hermanas Facebook Group
4.	Ex-Misioneros de Mision Mendoza Facebook Group
5.	Mision Argentina Mendoza (M.A.M.) Facebook Group
6.	Mision Argentina Mendoza – Lima Facebook Group
7.	Companeras de la Mision Mendoza Facebook Group
8.	Mendoza Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group
9.	Mision Argentina Mendoza 1999-2002 Group

Argentina Mendoza Mission