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

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pakistan
AreaAsia
Members4,000 (2015 estimate)[1]
Districts3
Branches13
FamilySearch Centers1

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pakistan refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Pakistan. The church does not publish how many members are in Pakistan, but it is estimated there are roughly four thousand members in thirteen congregations in Pakistan.[citation needed]

History

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Membership in Pakistan
YearMembership
1993130
2000786
20051,653
20102,750
20154,000
Estimated membership
Source: [2][1]

The first members in Pakistan were foreigners. By 1985, there were branches in Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. The first Pakistani missionary from the Islamabad Branch began serving in January 1987.[3]

In 1993, approximately 130 members were living in the country and there were two missionary couples serving in Pakistan; one couple in Karachi and the other in Lahore. In 1995, the church was registered with the government and seminary began.[4] Several member's homes and a meetinghouse were damaged by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.[5]

Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, blessed and dedicated the country in August 2007 and met with members in the Pakistan District.[1] A weekday devotional was attended by 475 people.[6]

Selections of the Book of Mormon was first published in 1988, with the full translation completed in 2007.[7]

On November 19, 2015, Ronald A. Rasband traveled to Islamabad where he met with members, missionaries, and a variety of civic leaders. He stated that they thanked the church for their humanitarian relief and hoped the church would become a successful minority religion in Pakistan.[1]

Humanitarian efforts

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Since 1985, the church has conducted at least 59 humanitarian and development projects in Pakistan. This includes community projects, emergency response, refugee response, and wheelchair donations.[8] The church provided needed humanitarian aid for sufferers of the 2005 earthquake. This included 50,000 blankets, 300,000 pounds of medical supplies, 42,000 hygiene kits, and 1,000 winterized tents were initially sent. With the onset of winter, the church purchased and delivered an additional 150,000 blankets and 5,000 winterized tents in late 2005.[9] The church shipped an estimated 400,000 pounds of food, blankets and other relief aid to Pakistan to assist flood victims after the 2010 Pakistan floods.[10][11] Local members regularly engage in community projects in their cities.

Districts and congregations

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As of March 2024, Pakistan had the following districts and congregations:[12]

Faisalabad Pakistan District
  • Faisalabad 1st Branch
  • Faisalabad 2nd Branch
  • Mian Channu Branch
Islamabad Pakistan District
  • Islamabad 1st Branch
  • Islamabad 3rd Branch
  • Rawalpindi Branch
  • Taxila Branch
Karachi Pakistan District
  • Karachi 1st Branch
  • Karachi 2nd Branch
  • Karachi 3rd Branch
  • Karachi 4th Branch
Lahore Pakistan District
  • Gujranwala Branch
  • Lahore 1st Branch
  • Lahore 2nd Branch
  • Sialkot Branch

Congregations in a district are called branches, regardless of size. A church Family History Center is located in Lahore.

Missions

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Pakistan was originally part of the church's Singapore Mission when missionaries arrived in the 1990s. On November 1, 2007, the India New Delhi Mission was organized, which included Northern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan.[13] On November 7, 2010, the Pakistan Service Mission, headquartered in Islamabad, was created. In 2011, there were about 30 Pakistani members serving full-time on missions worldwide — with about 20 of them serving in their own country (constituting the nation's church's entire missionary force). Unlike most countries, these missionaries do not openly proselytize. Instead, missionary work occurs through member referrals.[14]

Temples

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The church does not have any temples in Pakistan. Pakistan was part of the Hong Kong China Temple district until the completion of the Bangkok Thailand Temple in 2023. The Bengaluru India Temple is under construction, and on April 5, 2020, the Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple was announced by church president Russell M. Nelson. Because of proximity and less rigid visa restrictions and proximity to the airport and transit system, the Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple is expected to make it easier for Pakistani members to access a church temple.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Swensen, Jason. "Promise, potential define LDS Church in India, Pakistan". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
  2. ^ "Asia area: Welcome mat is out in several countries", Church News, Deseret News, June 19, 1993, retrieved November 29, 2021
  3. ^ "FYI: For Your Information: Youth in Pakistan". The New Era (magazine). August 1987. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Weaver, Sarah Jane (May 31, 1997), Worldwide seminary, retrieved November 29, 2021
  5. ^ Members impacted by 7.6 quake in Pakistan, October 14, 2005, retrieved November 29, 2021
  6. ^ Stahle, Shaun D. (September 21, 2007), Few, but faithful: Elder Oaks meets members in distant areas of India, Pakistan and Thailand, retrieved November 29, 2021
  7. ^ "Translations of the Book of Mormon", LDS 365, 25 March 2015, retrieved November 29, 2021
  8. ^ "Latter-day Saint Charities - Where we work", Latter-day Saint Charities, retrieved October 14, 2021
  9. ^ Weaver, Sarah Jane (December 1, 2005), Blankets, tents shipped to avert second disaster, retrieved November 29, 2021
  10. ^ Askar, Jamshid Ghazi (September 11, 2010), Mormon church, Islamic Relief team up for Pakistan flood relief, retrieved November 29, 2021
  11. ^ Mikita, Carole (September 14, 2010), Pakistani ambassador thanks LDS Church for humanitarian aid, retrieved November 29, 2021
  12. ^ "Classic Maps", churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved November 15, 2021
  13. ^ "Country information: India". 29 January 2010.
  14. ^ Mormon missions: Did you know ... ?, The Salt Lake Tribune, September 30, 2011, retrieved November 29, 2021
  15. ^ "Church Leaders Visit Dubai Temple Area at Expo 2020", newsroom, LDS Church, October 28, 2021, retrieved November 28, 2021
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