Togo

TOGO
Jan. 1, 2012: Est. population, 6,020,000; Members, 1,555; Districts, 1; Branches, 6; Percent LDS, .01; or one in 7,591; Africa West Area.
Togo became an independent nation on 27 April 1960. Twenty-nine percent of the people are Christian, 12 percent Muslim, while the rest ofthe population are Hindu and Buddhist French isthe official language, while Ewe, Mina, Kabye, and Dagomba are alsospoken.
Africa Area President James 0. Mason organized the Lome Togo group on 15July 1997 with Agnon Ameri Didier as presidingelder. Therewerebythistimeabout25Latter-daySaintslivingthere. InOctober1998,12dancersfromTogo joinedtheChurchwhileatadancefestivalinBountiful,Utah. Duetounrestinthecountry,theyhaddifficultiesreturningto
576 Deseret News 2013 Church News Almanac
their homeland. On19Februaiy1999,TogocameundertheIvoryCoastAbidjanMission. Thatsamemonth,thefirstmissionarycouple,
Demoine A. and Joyce Findlay, began missionary work in Togo and on 21 February1999,the Lome Branch was organized withDieudonneAttiogbeaspresident. InDecember1999,RobertC.andMaril3mWittweretransferredtoTogo. Partof theirassignmentwastoseektoobtainlegalrecognitionoftheChurch. RecognitionwasgrantedinJuly2000. Church Educational System classesbeganto be taught in the late 1990s.
The first Lome Branch conference was held 17 December 2000