Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions. With the abolishment of regional representatives and the creation of area seventies in 1995, the area became the primary church administrative unit between the stake and the church as a whole.
History
The areas as they now exist were formed in January 1984.[1] Prior to that time, general authorities served as "area supervisors" and at times resided outside of Salt Lake City.[2] In 1984, 13 initial areas were created; by 1992 there were 22, and by early 2007 there were 31. As of August 2008 there were 27 areas.
Administration
Until 2003, each area had a president and two counselors, all of whom were typically general authorities (Area Seventies were sometimes asked to be counselors). This three-man body was known as the area presidency. In that year, the church eliminated area presidencies for all areas located in the United States and Canada. Each of these areas were placed under the direct supervision of one of the seven members of the Presidency of the Seventy, thus freeing more general authorities from specific area assignments. Since these areas were previously administered by area presidencies located at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, the administrative change was not as drastic as it might seem.
The areas outside the United States and Canada continue to be governed by area presidencies that are typically composed of general authorities and area seventies. Rather than living in Salt Lake City, the area presidency members in these areas usually reside in a headquarters city that is located within the geographic boundaries of the area. Area seventies who serve in the area presidencies reside in their own homes, which may or may not be in the area headquarters city. One exception to the area presidency living in the geographic boundaries is the Middle East/Africa North Area which is administered from Salt Lake City. Each area presidency employs an executive secretary to assist in the administration of the area.
The Church now has 16 areas outside North America and 10 areas inside North America for a total of 26. The current assignments became effective 1 August 2010. Area presidency assignments are generally filled by members of the First or Second Quorum of the Seventy. [3][4]
List
The following is an alphabetical list of the areas of the church.[3] The number assigned corresponds to the number on the map in the section below.
Area name |
Area headquarters |
Area president
(Quorum of Seventy) |
First counselor
(Quorum of Seventy) |
Second counselor
(Quorum of Seventy) |
Geographic coverage
(Areas where the LDS Church has no official presence in italics) |
Notes |
Africa Southeast |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
Dale G. Renlund (1st) |
Ulisses Soares (1st) |
Carl B. Cook (1st) |
Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Kenya; Lesotho; Madagascar; Mauritius; Mozambique;Namibia; Rwanda; Seychelles; Somalia; South Africa; Swaziland; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; Ascension Island (UK); Réunion (FRA); Saint Helena (UK); Tristan da Cunha (UK) |
|
Africa West |
Accra, Ghana |
John B. Dickson (2nd) |
Joseph W. Sitati (1st) |
LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. (1st) |
Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; São Tomé and Príncipe; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Sudan; Togo; Western Sahara |
|
Asia |
Hong Kong, China |
Anthony D. Perkins (1st) |
Kent D. Watson (2nd) |
Gerritt W. Gong (1st) |
Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei; Cambodia; China; East Timor; India; Indonesia; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Malaysia; Maldives; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Tajikistan; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam |
|
Asia North |
Tokyo, Japan |
Gary E. Stevenson (1st) |
Michael T. Ringwood (1st) |
Koichi Aoyagi (2nd) |
Japan; Micronesia; North Korea; Palau; South Korea |
|
Brazil |
São Paulo, Brazil |
Claudio R.M. Costa (1st) |
Carlos A. Godoy (1st) |
Jairo Mazzagardi (2nd) |
Brazil |
Official website (Portuguese) |
Caribbean |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
Francisco J. Viñas (1st) |
Wilford W. Andersen (2nd) |
J. Devn Cornish (2nd) |
Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Anguilla (UK); Aruba (NED); Cayman Islands (UK); French Guiana (FRA); Guadaloupe (FRA); Martinique (FRA); Montserrat (FRA); Netherlands Antilles (NED); Puerto Rico (US); Saint Barthelemy (FRA); Saint Martin (FRA); Turks and Caicos Islands (UK); Virgin Islands (UK); Virgin Islands (US) |
|
Central America |
Guatemala City, Guatemala
|
Enrique R. Falabella (1st) |
James B. Martino (2nd) |
Carlos H. Amado (1st) |
Belize; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua; Panama |
|
Chile |
Santiago, Chile |
Lawrence E. Corbridge (1st) |
Jorge F. Zeballos (1st) |
Kent F. Richards |
Chile |
Official website (Spanish).
No change in 2009.[3] |
Europe |
Frankfurt, Germany |
Erich W. Kopischke (1st) |
Gérald Caussé (1st) |
José A. Teixeira (1st) |
Albania; Andorra; Austria; Begium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Republic of Ireland; Italy; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Republic of Macedonia; Malta; Moldova; Monaco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; San Marino; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; Vatican City; Azores (POR); Canary Islands (ESP); Gibraltar (UK); Greenland (DEN) |
|
Europe East |
Moscow, Russia |
Gregory A. Schwitzer (2nd) |
Larry R. Lawrence (2nd) |
Randall K. Bennett (Area Seventy) |
Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Estonia; Georgia; Kazakhstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Montenegro; Russia; Serbia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan |
|
Idaho |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Donald L. Hallstrom (President) |
Idaho; Montana (small portion); Wyoming (small portion) |
|
Mexico |
Mexico City, Mexico |
Daniel L. Johnson (1st) |
Benjamín De Hoyos (1st) |
Octaviano Tenorio (1st) |
Mexico; Cuba |
|
Middle East/ Africa North |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Bruce D. Porter (1st), Paul B. Pieper (1st) |
Algeria; Bahrain; Cape Verde; Egypt; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Syria; Tunisia; United Arab Emerites; Yemen; Gaza Strip; West Bank |
|
North America Central |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Donald L. Hallstrom |
Alberta; Colorado; Illinois; Iowa; Kansas; Manitoba; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Northwest Territories; North Dakota; Nunavut; Saskatchewan; South Dakota; Wisconsin; Wyoming; British Columbia (small eastern sections); Ontario (western half); Michigan (Upper Peninsula) |
|
North America Northeast |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Jay E. Jensen (President) |
Connecticut; Delaware; Ontario; Maine; Massachusetts; New Brunswick; Newfoundland; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Nova Scotia; Pennsylvania; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Rhode Island; Vermont; Virginia (portions); Washington, D.C.; Bermuda (UK); Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FRA) |
No change in 2009.[3] |
North America Northwest |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
L. Whitney Clayton (President) |
Alaska; British Columbia; Oregon; Washington; Yukon; California (small part of north) |
No change in 2009.[3] |
North America Southeast |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Walter F. González (President) |
Alabama; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Louisiana; Mississippi; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Kentucky (small portions); Texas (small portion); Virginia (small portions) |
No change in 2009.[3] |
North America Southwest |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Tad R. Callister (President) |
Arizona; New Mexico; Oklahoma Texas; Arkansas (northwest quarter); California (small portions); Colorado (southwest portion); Kansas (small portion); Louisiana (small portion); Missouri (southwest third); Utah (small portions) |
|
North America West |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
L. Whitney Clayton (President) |
California; Hawaii; Arizona (small portions) |
No change in 2009.[3] |
Pacific |
Auckland, New Zealand |
James J. Hamula (1st) |
Kevin W. Pearson (1st) |
F. Michael Watson |
Australia; Fiji; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Nauru; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; American Samoa (US); Cook Islands (NZ); French Polynesia, including Tahiti (FRA); New Caledonia (FRA); Niue (NZ); Pitcairn Islands (UK); Tokelau (NZ); Wallis and Futuna (FRA) |
Official website |
Philippines |
Manila, Philippines |
Michael John U. Teh (1st) |
Brent H. Nielson (1st) |
Ian S. Ardern (2nd) |
Philippines; Guam (US); Northern Mariana Islands (US) |
No change in 2009.[3] |
South America Northwest |
Bogotá, Colombia |
Rafael E. Pino (1st) |
Juan A. Uceda (1st) |
W. Christopher Waddell |
Colombia; Ecuador; Venezuela |
|
South America South |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Mervyn B. Arnold (1st) |
Marcos A. Aidukaitis (1st) |
Bradley D. Foster (2nd) |
Argentina; Paraguay; Uruguay |
No change in 2009.[3] |
Utah North |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Steven E. Snow (President) |
Utah (northern regions); Idaho (small portion); Wyoming (southwest corner) |
|
Utah
Salt Lake City |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Steven E. Snow (President) |
Greater Salt Lake City; Nevada (small portion) |
|
Utah South |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Steven E. Snow (President) |
Utah (south of Greater Salt Lake City); Arizona (small portion); Nevada (small portion) |
|
Area details
Area |
Membership |
Missions |
Stakes/Districts |
Congregations
(wards/branches) |
Temples |
Africa Southeast |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Johannesburg South Africa Temple |
Africa West |
|
|
|
|
2 |
Aba Nigeria Temple
Accra Ghana Temple |
Asia |
133,563 |
10 |
16 stakes
27 districts |
109 wards
198 branches |
2 |
Hong Kong China Temple
Taipei Taiwan Temple |
Asia North |
|
|
|
|
4 |
Fukuoka Japan Temple
Seoul Korea Temple
Sapporo Japan Temple
Tokyo Japan Temple |
Brazil |
970,903 |
27 |
227 stakes |
1756 |
7 |
Campinas Brazil Temple
Curitiba Brazil Temple
Fortaleza Brazil Temple
Manaus Brazil Temple
Porto Alegre Brazil Temple
Recife Brazil Temple
São Paulo Brazil Temple |
Caribbean |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple |
Central America |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Guatemala City Guatemala Temple
Panamá City Panamá Temple
Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
San José Costa Rica Temple
San Salvador El Salvador Temple
Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple |
Chile |
543,628 |
9 |
76 stakes |
612 |
2 |
Concepcion Chile Temple
Santiago Chile Temple |
Europe |
|
|
|
|
13 |
Bern Switzerland Temple
Copenhagen Denmark Temple
Frankfurt Germany Temple
Freiberg Germany Temple
Helsinki Finland Temple
Lisbon Portugal Temple
London England Temple
Madrid Spain Temple
Paris France Temple
Preston England Temple
Rome Italy Temple
Stockholm Sweden Temple
The Hague Netherlands Temple |
Europe East |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Kyiv Ukraine Temple |
Idaho |
|
|
|
|
5 |
Boise Idaho Temple
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
Meridian Idaho Temple
Rexburg Idaho Temple
Twin Falls Idaho Temple |
Mexico |
1,082,427 |
21 |
|
1936 |
13 |
Ciudad Juárez México Temple
Colonia Juárez Chihuahua México Temple
Guadalajara México Temple
Hermosillo Sonora México Temple
Monterrey México Temple
Mérida México Temple
México City México Temple
Oaxaca México Temple
Tampico México Temple
Tijuana Mexico Temple
Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Temple
Veracruz México Temple
Villahermosa México Temple |
Middle East/Africa North |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
North America Central |
|
|
|
|
15 |
Billings Montana Temple
Bismarck North Dakota Temple
Calgary Alberta Temple
Cardston Alberta Temple
Chicago Illinois Temple
Denver Colorado Temple
Edmonton Alberta Temple
Fort Collins Colorado Temple
Kansas City Missouri
Nauvoo Illinois Temple
Regina Saskatchewan Temple
St. Louis Missouri Temple
St. Paul Minnesota Temple
Winnipeg Manitoba Temple
Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple |
North America Northeast |
|
|
|
|
12 |
Boston Massachusetts Temple
Columbus Ohio Temple
Detroit Michigan Temple
Halifax Nova Scotia Temple
Hartford Connecticut Temple
Indianapolis Indiana Temple
Manhattan New York Temple
Montréal Québec Temple
Palmyra New York Temple
Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple
Toronto Ontario Temple
Washington D.C. Temple |
North America Northwest |
|
|
|
|
7 |
Anchorage Alaska Temple
Columbia River Washington Temple
Medford Oregon Temple
Portland Oregon Temple
Seattle Washington Temple
Spokane Washington Temple
Vancouver British Columbia Temple |
North America Southeast |
329,942 |
13 |
68 Stakes |
452 Wards
191 Branches |
10 |
Atlanta Georgia Temple
Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple
Birmingham Alabama Temple
Columbia South Carolina Temple
Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
Louisville Kentucky Temple
Memphis Tennessee Temple
Nashville Tennessee Temple
Orlando Florida Temple
Raleigh North Carolina Temple |
North America Southwest |
912,820 |
17 |
188 stakes
4 districts |
1505 wards
293 branches |
13 |
Albuquerque New Mexico Temple
Dallas Texas Temple
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple
Gilbert Arizona Temple
Houston Texas Temple
Las Vegas Nevada Temple
Lubbock Texas Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple
Phoenix Arizona Temple
Reno Nevada Temple
San Antonio Texas Temple
Snowflake Arizona Temple |
North America West |
815,441 |
18 |
174 |
1322 wards
174 branches |
9 |
Fresno California Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple
Kona Hawaii Temple
Los Angeles California Temple
Newport Beach California Temple
Oakland California Temple
Redlands California Temple
Sacramento California Temple
San Diego California Temple |
Pacific |
|
|
|
|
10 |
Adelaide Australia Temple
Apia Samoa Temple
Brisbane Australia Temple
Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Melbourne Australia Temple
Nuku alofa Tonga Temple
Papeete Tahiti Temple
Perth Australia Temple
Suva Fiji Temple
Sydney Australia Temple |
Philippines |
572,619 |
15 |
78 stakes |
1075 |
3 |
Manila Philippines Temple
Cebu Philippines Temple
Urdaneta Philippines Temple |
South America North |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Bogotá Colombia Temple
Caracas Venezuela Temple
Guayaquil Ecuador Temple |
South America South |
|
|
|
|
4 |
Asunción Paraguay Temple
Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
Cordoba Argentina Temple
Montevideo Uruguay Temple |
South America West |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Cochabamba Bolivia Temple
Lima Peru Temple
Trujillo Peru Temple |
Utah North |
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
Bountiful Utah Temple
Brigham City Utah Temple
Logan Utah Temple
Ogden Utah Temple |
Utah Salt Lake City |
658,317 |
3 |
178 stakes
1 district |
1346 wards
138 branches |
4 |
Draper Utah Temple
Jordan River Utah Temple
Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
Salt Lake Temple |
Utah South |
|
1 |
|
|
7 |
Manti Utah Temple
Monticello Utah Temple
Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
Payson Utah Temple
Provo Utah Temple
St. George Utah Temple
Vernal Utah Temple |
See also
References