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South Africa Durban Mission
About South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 49,052,000; Members, 57,546; Stakes, 12; Wards, 78; Branches, 73; Districts, 4; Missions, 3; Temples, 1; percent LDS; .1 or one in 1,020; Africa Southeast Area.
In August 1852, a conference was held in Salt Lake City where Jesse Haven. Leonard I. Smith, and William H. Walker were calledtoservemissionsintheCapeofGoodHope,Africa,aBritishcolony. TheyarrivedinCapeTownon19April1853. A month later, on 23 May. the missionaries ascended The Lion's Head, a mountain near Cape Town, and organized the mission with Haven aspresident. The first convert. Henry Stringer, was baptized on15June 1853.
As people began to join the Church, the missionaries organized branches. The first in Africa was organized on 16 August 1853atMowbray.fourmilesfromCapeTown. Threeweekslater,on7September,asecondbranchwasorganizedat Newlands.sixmilesfromCapeTown. Atthatmeeting.ThomasWeatherheadwassustainedasthefirstlocalbranch president.
Inspiteofagoodbeginning.ChurchgrowthslowedduetoLatter-daySaints'emigrationtoUtah. TheSouthAfrican Mission wasclosed from1865to1903withnoofficial reasonsgiven byChurch authorities.
On 25 July 1903, Latter-day Saint missionaries once again arrived in Cape Town: Warren H. Lyon, who was called to presideoverthemission.GeorgeA.Simpkins[alsospelledSimkins).ThomasL.GriffithsandWilliamR.Smith. Theyfounda fewLatter-daySaintswhohadkeptthefaithduringthelongabsenceofmissionaries. Themissionariesbaptizedtheirfirst convertson16October1904. In1905,PresidentLyonbaptizedanAfticannamedDunn,whosefatherwasaScotsmanand hismotherZulu. ThoughDunndidnotstaywiththeChurch,hewasmostlikelythefirstblackAfticanbaptizedinAfrica.
The first person of color in South Africa to join the Church and remain active in the Church was William Paul Daniels who wasbaptizedon30May1915whilevisitingfamilyinUtah. BeforereturningtoSouthAfrica,DanielsmettwicewithChurch President Joseph F. Smith, who gave Daniels ablessing that someday, perhaps in the next life, he would hold the priesthood.
After returning to South Africa. Daniels felt uncomfortable meeting with the white Church members because of South Africa'sbanonthemixingoftheraces. Themissionpresident.DonMackDalton,assignedmissionariestovisittheDaniels' home eveiy Monday night. Daniels died on 13 October 1936, firm in the faith. Alice Daniels Okkers, William P. Daniels' daughter,wasalivewhenthepriesthoodwasgrantedtoallworthymales. She.too,hadkeptthefaithandwaspresentinthe Salt Lake Temple when her parents' temple work was performed by former South African Mission president Evan P. Wright in 1980.
Following the re-establishment of the South African Mission in 1903, more missionaries were called to serve in southern Africa. MissionaiyworkexpandedthroughouttheareathatisnowSouthAfrica,thoughthemissionariestendedto concentrate their efforts inthecities and towns populated byBritish colonists. Many oftheinhabitants oftheinland settiementsspokeonlyAfrikaans,anobstaclefortheEnglish-speakingmissionaries. InhislastlettertoChurchauthorities, dated 7 April 1908, returning mission President Ralph A. Badger mentioned the two other obstacles facing missionaries in southern Africa: theissue ofrace —missionaries were discouraged from teaching blacks about theChurch until 1978 — andtheimmense sizeofthemission, bothofwhich would concern mission presidents forthenext70years.
Nicholas G. Smith, later called asanAssistant tothe Quorum ofthe Twelve Apostles in1941, presided over the South African Mission from 1913 to1921. When hearrived inCape Town, there were only 15missionaries inthefield. During WorldWar1.missionariesleftSouthAfrica. InOctober1916,SmithpurchasedavillainMowbraythathenamed"Cumorah," whichbecamethe mission homeand Church headquartersfor SouthAfrica.
For the last year and a half of Smith's tenure and the first seven months of Smith's successor. J. Wiley Sessions, the South African Mission president had no missionaries because the government had imposed restrictions on foreign nationals enteringthecountry. PresidentSessionsworkedhardtogainpermissionformissionariestoonceagainlaborinSouth Africa. WiththehelpofU.S.Sen.ReedSmoot,Sessionswassuccessful. Thefirstmissionaiy.GoldenW.Harris,arrivedin October 1921. The government, however, established a quota of 25 LDS missionaries in the mission. Iteventually rose to
564 Deseret News 2013 Church News Almanac
60missionaries by1967, butwould hinder theprogress oftheChurch until itwas lifted inthe1980s.
DuringPresidentSessions'administration,ameetinghousewasbuiltinJohannesburg. Muchofthefundsneededfor constructionweredonatedorraisedbylocalChurchmembers. Thebuildingwasdedicatedon1Februaiy1925andnamed "Ramah." ThisbuildingservedasChurchheadquartersinSouthAfricawhenthemissionofficewasmovedfromCapeTown to Johannesburg in 1960.
To meet the needs ofthe Latter-day Saints scattered throughout South Africa, the mission began publishing the "Cumorah Monthly Bulletin" on15June 1927. Itsname changed briefly to"Cumorah's Southern Cross," and later to"Cumorah's Southern Messenger," a name it retained until publication stopped in1970.
Richard E. Folland, president of the South African Mission from 1938 to 1944, presided over a total of only 50 missionariesduringhisentiretenurebecauseofWorldWar11. Soonafterhisarrival,henoticedthatthemissionarieswere doingmostoftheadministrativeandleadershipwork. OneofFolland'sfirsttaskswastohelplocalmembersassume leadershippositionsinthebranchesanddistricts. On11October1940,becauseofWorldWarII,allthemissionarieswere calledhome. FollandandhisfamilywereaskedtoremaininSouthAfrica. Healsoinstalledlocalofficerstotakechargeof branches.
JuneB.SharparrivedinCapeTowninAugust1944asthenewpresidentofthemission. Becausethewarwasstillraging inEuropeandthePacific,Sharpspenthisfirsttwoyearswithoutanymissionaries. Hetraveledaroundthecountryvisiting branchesandlookingfor'lost"Churchmembers. On16October1946,missionariesarrivedonceagaininSouthAfrica.
Asmentionedearlier,theAfrikaanslanguagewasconsideredoneoftheobstaclesfacingmissionariesinSouthAfrica. In 1949,missionPresidentEvanP. WrightaskedtheFirstPresidencyforpermissiontotranslatetheBookofMormoninto Afrikaans. HeestimatedAfrikaanswasspokenby68percentofwhiteSouthAfricans. By1951,onetractwastranslated into Afrikaans, laying thegroundwork for more AWkaans translations ofChurch literature. The Afrikaans translation ofthe Book ofMormon was introduced tothe South African Latter-day Saints on 14May 1972.
Forseveraldecades,membersinSouthAfricawantedtobevisitedbyGeneralAuthorities. Theirdesireswerefinally realized when David 0. McKay, president ofthe Church, arrived in Cape Town on 9January 1954, the first General Authority to visit the African continent.
In1953,therewereonlytwoChurch-ownedbuildingsinSouthAfrica,CumorahandRamah. LeroyH.Duncan,whowas missionpresidentfrom1953to1957,beganarrangingtohavemanymeetinghousesbuilt. Amission-widebuildingfund was organized in1949 andchapels were constructed inSprings in1954, Port Elizabeth in1956, andDurban in1956. The buildingprogramcontinuedduringthepresidencyof0.LaytonAlldredge,whoservedfrom1960to1964. Heplanned14 new meetinghouses andremodeled four ofthefive existing buildings.
Elder Marion G. Romney oftheQuorum oftheTwelve organized thefirst stake inSouth Africa 22March 1970 with Louis P.Heferaspresident ThenextlandmarkeventinthehistoryoftheChurchinSouthAfricawasthe1978revelationgranting thepriesthoodtoallworthymales. ThemajoritypopulationofSouthAfricawasblackor"coloured." Withtherevelation, the gospel could betaught toall citizens ofSouth Africa. Within six years ofthe revelation, three more stakes were organized: Sandton in1978, Durban in1981, andCape Town in1984.
Upuntil1984SouthAfricanMissionpresidentspresidedoverthewholeofSouthAfrica. Withtheliftingofthe missionary quota, the South African Mission was divided on 1July 1984, creating the South Africa Johannesburg and South Africa Cape Town missions. TheSouthAfrica Durban Mission was createdin 1988.
South African Latter-day Saints had to travel to England orthe United States to attend the temple, until the Johannesburg South Africa Temple was completed and dedicated on 24 August 1985 by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
In 1990, the Africa Area was organized with Richard P. Lindsay ofthe Seventy asfirst Area President. He and his counselors, Robert E. Sackley and JBallard Washbum, also ofthe Seventy, moved to Johannesburg todirect the work ofthe Church throughoutAfrica, whichis the first time General Authorities lived in Africa.
On 4 November 1991, Julia Mavimbella, a member ofthe Soweto Branch who joined the Church in1981, became the first blackwomanelectedbythewhitemembersoftheNationalCouncilofWomentothatorganization. Thisoccurredonlytwo monthsafterthe repealofapartheid.
President Gordon B. Hinckley visited South Africa in February 1998 and held three conferences to meet as many of the SouthAfricanLatter-daySaintsaspossible. Hemetwith5,500membersinJohannesburg,makingitthelargestgathering ofChurchmembersinSouthAfrica. HealsovisitedChurchmembersinDurbanandCapeTown.
During 2003, the 35,000 members oftheChurch inSouth Africa celebrated 150 years since the first missionaries arrived. Ayear of activities and service projects began with 91 members of the Cape Town South Africa Stake gathering on Signal Hill on19April 2003 ontheanniversary.
In 2005, membership reached 42,569.
Atemple was announced for Durban, South Africa, byPresident Thomas S. Monson on1 October 2011.
Missionary Blogs
Elder James Frank
www.mymission.com/elderjamesfrank
2024
Elder Kannon Koster
www.mymission.com/elderkannonkoster
2024
Elder Stephen and Sister Lisa Lindberg
www.mymission.com/elderstephenandsisterlisalindberg
2024
Elder Tyler Rodrigue
www.mymission.com/eldertylerrodrigue
2024
Elder Brayden Black
www.mymission.com/elderbraydenblack1
2023
Elder Kaleb Hall
www.mymission.com/elderkalebhall1
2023
Elder Steven Lakes
www.mymission.com/elderstevenlakes
2023
Elder Ethan Lawlor
www.mymission.com/elderethanlawlor
2023
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur10
2023
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur2
2023
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur7
2023
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur8
2023
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur9
2023
Elder Max Thomas
www.mymission.com/eldermaxthomas
2023
Elder Nathaniel Worsley
www.mymission.com/eldernathanielworsley
2023
Elder Jesse Lowder
www.mymission.com/elderjesselowder
2022
Elder Thomas Austin Barnes
www.mymission.com/elderthomasaustinbarnes
2021
Elder Josh Beckman
www.mymission.com/elderjoshbeckman
2021
Elder Holden Bigelow
www.mymission.com/elderholdenbigelow
2021
Elder Walker Nigbur
www.mymission.com/elderwalkernigbur1
2021
Elder Wyatt Phelps
www.mymission.com/elderwyattphelps1
2021
Elder Dylan Russell
www.mymission.com/elderdylanrussell
2021
Elder Jerrick Stastny
www.mymission.com/elderjerrickstastny1
2021
Elder Wyatt Van Orden
www.mymission.com/elderwyattvanorden
2021
Elder Bryson Zimmerman
www.mymission.com/elderjoshualipscomb
2021
Elder Jacob Andrew
www.mymission.com/elderjacobandrew
2020
Elder Cal Brady Bateman
www.mymission.com/eldercalbradybateman
2020
Elder Scott DeSpain
www.mymission.com/ElderScottDeSpain2
2020
Elder Scott DeSpain
www.mymission.com/elderscottdespain1
2020
Elder Paulo H. Freitas
www.mymission.com/elderphfreitas
2020
Elder Jerrick Stastny
www.mymission.com/elderjerrickstastny
2020
Elder Gregory Tracy
www.mymission.com/eldergregorytracy
2020
Elder Conner Wengreen
www.mymission.com/elderconnerwengreen
2020
Elder raheem francis
www.mymission.com/ElderRaheemFrancis
2020
Elder Daniel Burlaka
www.mymission.com/elderdanielburlaka
2019
Elder Hunter Hinnen
www.mymission.com/elderhunterhinnen
2019
Elder Temoatzin Lopez-Pelaez
www.mymission.com/eldertemoatzinlopez-pelaez
2019
Elder Temoatzin Lopez-Pelaez
www.mymission.com/eldertemoatzinlopez-pelaez1
2019
Elder Braydon Olson
www.mymission.com/elderbraydonolson
2019
Elder Tanner Waite
www.mymission.com/eldertannerwaite
2019
Elder Parker Fullmer
www.mymission.com/elderparkerfullmer
2018
Elder Brett Knutsen
elderknutsen.blogspot.com
2017
Elder LaHue
elderlahue.blogspot.com
2017
Elder London Weiler
elderweiler.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Mikel North
eldermikelnorth.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Justin Ostler
elderjustinostler.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Landon Huff
elderlandonhuff.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Ryan Grange
www.mymission.com/elderryangrange
2017
President & Sister Thompson
ldssouthafricadurban.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Hekoti Chapman
www.mymission.com/elderhekotichapman
2016
Elder & Sister Hind
hindsdowninafrica.blogspot.com
2016
Elder & Sister Nielsen
noblenielsens.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Jonothan Smith
ldssmith.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Parker Eastmond
elderparkereastmond.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Ryan Grange
elderryangrange.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Zachary Preator
elderzacharypreator.blogspot.com
2016
President & Sister Zackrison
facebook.com..Durban..President-Zackrison
2016
Elder & Sister Carlile
carlilesinafrica.blogspot.com
2015
Elder & Sister Cinquini
cinquiniafricamission.blogspot.com
2015
Elder & Sister Edington
bloominginsouthafrica.blogspot.com
2015
Elder Alex Sorenson
elderalexsorenson.blogspot.com
2015
Elder Clay Petrie
elderclaypetrie.blogspot.com
2015
Elder Seth Payne
eldersethpayne.wordpress.com
2015
Elder Brandon Summers
elderbsummers.blogspot.com
2014
Elder Daniel Mills
missionsite.net/elderdanielmills
2014
Elder Matthew Sakurada
missionsite.net/eldermatthewsakurada
2014
Elder Andrew Houghton
missionsite.net/elderandrewhoughton
2013
Mission Alumni
mission.net/south-africa/durban
2013
Elder & Sister Nuzman
nuzmansa.blogspot.com
2012
Elder & Sister Olson
olsonsouthafricadurbanmission.blogspot.com
2012
Elder David Dimene
www.mymission.com/elderdaviddimene
2011
Elder David Tueller
missionsite.net/eldertueller
2011
Elder Paul Fisher
thelifeofelderfisher.blogspot.com
2011
Elder Zachary Tennant
missionsite.net/zacharytennantmyldsmailnet
2011
Elder & Sister Knudsen
randyandbarb.blogspot.com
2010
President & Sister Mann
durbanmission.blogspot.com
2010
Elder Khayalethu Prudent Nojoko
www.mymission.com/elderkhayalethuprudentnojoko
2003
Elder Tylar Parson
www.mymission.com/eldertylarparson
2001
Mission Groups
1.
South Africa Durban Mission Alumni Group
2.
South Africa Durban Mission Facebook Group
3.
Durban Presidents Euvrard/Stevensen Group
Address
PO Box 1741
Wandsbeck 3631
South Africa
Mission President
Tim R. Lines
Region
Africa
Church Statistics
South Africa
Members:
61221
Congregations:
159
Missions:
3
Family History Centers:
69
Languages
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu
Population
Swaziland has approximately 1.23 million people, Lesotho about 2 million, and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal has an estimated 10,456,900 people.
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