Argentina Salta 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.

	Sister Claire Caldwell www.mymission.com/sisterclairecaldwell	2024
	Elder Aaron Carlson www.mymission.com/elderaaroncarlson	2024
	Elder Spence Cheney www.mymission.com/elderspencecheney	2024
	Elder John Ek www.mymission.com/elderjohnek	2024
	Elder Sterling Fitzgerald www.mymission.com/eldersterlingfitzgerald	2024
	Elder Tate Hensley www.mymission.com/eldertatehensley	2024
	Sister Shannon Hyer www.mymission.com/sistershannonhyer	2024
	Sister Shannon Hyer www.mymission.com/sistershannonhyer1	2024
	Elder Aaron Mavila www.mymission.com/elderaaronmavila	2024
	Elder Arthur Pedro www.mymission.com/elderarthurpedro	2024
	Elder Conner Rowley www.mymission.com/elderconnerrowley	2024
	Elder Canon Schaub www.mymission.com/eldercanonschaub	2024
	Elder Canon Schaub www.mymission.com/eldercanonschaub1	2024
	Sister Mackenzie Scott www.mymission.com/sistermackenziescott	2024
	Elder Kaleb Shirley www.mymission.com/elderkalebshirley1	2024
	Elder Ralph J Smithbay www.mymission.com/elderralphsmithbay	2024
	Elder Dawson Williams www.mymission.com/elderdawsonwilliams	2024
	Elder Luke Douglas www.mymission.com/elderlukedouglas	2023
	Elder Nicholas Gooch www.mymission.com/eldernicholasgooch	2023
	Sister Rebecca Mecham www.mymission.com/rebeccamecham	2023
	Elder Justin Larson www.mymission.com/elderjustinlarson	2022
	Elder Rheim Jones www.mymission.com/elderrheimjones	2021
	Elder Cooper Ashton www.mymission.com/eldercooperashton	2020
	Elder Cooper Ashton www.mymission.com/eldercooperashton1	2020
	Elder Jackson Avery www.mymission.com/elderjacksonavery	2020
	Elder Gabriel Blake Del Papa www.mymission.com/eldergabrielblakedelpapa	2020
	Elder Colten Frost www.mymission.com/eldercoltenfrost	2020
	Sister Dulce Hernandez www.mymission.com/sisterdulcehernandez	2020
	Sister Dulce Hernandez www.mymission.com/sisterdulcehernandez1	2020
	Elder Noah Horn www.mymission.com/eldernoahhorn	2020
	Elder Noah Horn www.mymission.com/noahhorn	2020
	Elder Talmage Peart www.mymission.com/eldertalmagepeart	2020
	Sister Scori Rivera www.mymission.com/sisterscoririvera	2020
	Elder Jacob Bastian www.mymission.com/elderjacobbastian	2019
	Elder Martin Carter www.mymission.com/eldermartincarter	2019
	Elder Martin Carter www.mymission.com/eldermartincarter727	2019
	Elder Elder Ferreira www.mymission.com/elderelderferreira	2019
	Elder Leandro Mendes Ferreira www.mymission.com/elderleandromendesferreira	2019
	Elder Itelvino Geronimo www.mymission.com/elderitelvinogeronimo	2019
	Sister Bridgett Johnson www.mymission.com/elderbridgettjohnson	2019
	Elder Isaac Batman www.mymission.com/elderisaacbatman	2018
	Elder Joseph Antonio Mora Garcia www.mymission.com/elderjosephantoniomoragarcia	2018
	Elder Corey Pergerson www.mymission.com/eldercoreypergerson	2018
	Elder Joshua Abbott www.mymission.com/elderjoshuaabbott	2017
	Elder Isaac Black elderisaacblack.blogspot.com	2017
	Mission Alumni mission.net/argentina/salta	2017
	Sister Jenna Jarvis sistajennajarvis.blogspot.com	2017
	Sister Lisa Magnusson magpadnews.blogspot.com	2017
	Sister Mannewitz hermanamannewitz.blogspot.com	2017
	Elder Noah Vavrinec www.mymission.com/eldernoahvavrinec	2017
	Elder Andrew Moore andrewjohnmoore.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Braden Brundage bradenbrundage.wordpress.com	2016
	Elder Corey Philpot elderphilpot.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Devin Hampton elderdevinhampton.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Jordan Beary elderjordanbeary.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Joshua Abbott mymission.com/elderjoshuaabbott	2016
	Elder Nicolas Sandberg eldersandberg.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Alondra Urena sisterurena.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Carissa Highfill sistercarissahighfill.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Emily Hooke hermanahooke.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Emma Allen hermanaemmaallen.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Michaela Norman hermananorman.blogspot.com	2016
	Sister Pauline Garcia hermanitagarcia.blogspot.com	2016
	Elder Devin Wood www.mymission.com/elderdevinwood	2016
	Elder Alec Dawson elderalecdawson.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Andy Stewart elderandystewart.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Isaac Blake elderisaacblake.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Jaron Trentman missionsite.net/elderjarontrentman	2015
	Elder Rhett Almond missionsite.net/elderrhettalmond	2015
	Sister Ashley Stewart hermanastewart1416.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Carley Rich hermanacarleyrich.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Jessica Hammond sisterjessicahammond.blogspot.com	2015
	Sister Stephanie Dascanio hermanasteffidascanio.blogspot.com	2015
	Elder Landon Willey elderlandon.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Taylor Ball elderball.blogspot.com	2014
	Elder Jackson Murray www.mymission.com/elderjacksonmurray	2014
	Sister Emily Pearson hermanapearson.blogspot.com	2014
	Sister Jessica Howard missionsite.net/sisterjessicahoward	2014
	Sister Morgan Wills hermanawills.tumblr.com	2014
	Elder Kyle Speirs www.mymission.com/elderkylespeirs	2014
	Elder Alex Oczkewicz elderoczkewicz.blogspot.com	2013
	Elder Daniel Hermansen elderdanielhermansen.wordpress.com	2013
	Elder Russell Allphin elderrussellallphin.blogspot.com	2013
	Sister Caitlin Scarlett missionsite.net/sistercaitlinscarlett	2013
	Sister Erika Brown sistererikaelizabethbrown.wordpress.com	2013
	Elder Blake Darby elderdarby.blogspot.com	2012
	Elder Jeremy Rios missionsite.net/elderrios	2012
	Elder Jesse Huston missionsite.net/elderjessehuston	2012
	Elder Byron Ward missionsite.net/elderbyronward	2011
	Elder Jared Carter eldercarter.com	2011
	Elder Jarret Wade elderjarretwade.blogspot.com	2011
	Elder Joshua Dustin dustinmissionaries.blogspot.com	2011
	Elder Nathan Singer nsinger.ldsmissionblogs.com	2011
	Elder Steven Speakman missionsite.net/elderstevenspeakman	2011
	Sister Amanda Castillo amandasmissioninargentina.blogspot.com	2011
	Sister Kara Morris sisterkaramorris.blogspot.com	2011
	Elder Jeffrey Rose theargentinemissionary.blogspot.com	2010

1.	La MAS – Mision Argentina Salta Facebook Group
2.	Mision Argentina Salta 2011-2014 Facebook Group
3.	Mision Argentina Salta 2014-2017 Facebook Group
4.	Rememorando La M.A.S. (Mision Salta) Group
5.	Salta Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group
6.	Mision Salta – Presidente Francisco Vinas Group

Argentina Salta Mission