Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission

About Argentina

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.

Missionary Blogs

Elder Zachariah Baird
www.mymission.com/elderzachariahbaird
2024
Elder Zachariah Baird
www.mymission.com/elderzachariahbaird1
2024
Elder Mitch Coombs
www.mymission.com/eldermitchcoombs
2024
Sister Katie Everett
www.mymission.com/sisterkatieeverett
2024
Elder Jacob Fales
www.mymission.com/elderjacobfales
2024
Elder Aidan Green
www.mymission.com/elderaidangreen
2024
Elder Nathan Holmes
www.mymission.com/eldernathanholmes
2024
Elder Jason Jones
www.mymission.com/elderjasonjones
2024
Elder Camden Larson
www.mymission.com/eldercamdenlarson
2024
President Craig and Sister Elaine Marsden
www.mymission.com/eldercraigandsisterelainemarsden
2024
Sister Hannah Smithbay
www.mymission.com/sisterhannahsmith
2024
Elder Parker Stratton
www.mymission.com/elderparkerstratton
2024
Elder Will Bindrup
www.mymission.com/elderwillbindrup
2023
Elder Preston Condie
www.mymission.com/elderprestoncondie
2023
Sister Madison Du Bois
www.mymission.com/sistermadisondubois
2023
Sister Katianne Neering
www.mymission.com/sisterkatianneneering
2023
Sister Rachel Smith
www.mymission.com/sisterrachelsmith1
2023
Sister brenda celada
www.mymission.com/celadabrenda
2023
Elder Ethan Bradley
www.mymission.com/elderethanbradley
2022
Elder tes test
www.mymission.com/eldertestest
2022
Elder Kade Bastian
www.mymission.com/elderkadebastian
2021
Elder Alfred Mathew
www.mymission.com/elderalfredmathew
2021
Elder Alfred Mathew
www.mymission.com/elderalfredmathew1
2021
Elder Casey Reese
www.mymission.com/eldercaseyreese
2021
Elder JOAO Aires
www.mymission.com/elderjoaoaires
2020
Sister Emely Hernandez
www.mymission.com/sisteremelyhernandez
2020
Elder Ryker Jenkins
www.mymission.com/elderrykerjenkins
2020
Elder Ryker Jenkins
www.mymission.com/elderrykerjenkins1
2020
Elder Layton Jones
www.mymission.com/elderlaytonjones
2020
Elder Layton Jones
www.mymission.com/elderlaytonjones1
2020
Elder Benjamin Sheffer
www.mymission.com/elderbenjaminsheffer
2020
Elder Benjamin Sheffer
www.mymission.com/elderbenjaminsheffer1
2020
Elder Ford Brian
www.mymission.com/elderfordbrian
2019
Elder Noah Clark
www.mymission.com/eldernoahclark
2019
Elder Enrique Cordoba
www.mymission.com/elderenriquecordoba
2019
Elder Enrique Aramis Cordova Torres
www.mymission.com/elderenriquecordova
2019
Elder Gabriel Fontoura Gabriel
www.mymission.com/eldergabrielfontouragabriel
2019
Sister Annika Bergsma
www.mymission.com/sisterannikabergsma
2018
Sister Lorena De las Nieves
www.mymission.com/sisterlorenadelasnieves
2018
Sister Ainda Kemelly Ferreira
www.mymission.com/sisteraindakemellyferreira
2018
Elder Oscar Gonzalez Duarte
www.mymission.com/fontfontmayorfontfontoscardavidgonzalezduarte
2018
Elder Cristian Rodriguez
www.mymission.com/eldercristianrodriguez
2018
Sister Aidra Kemelly Ferreira Silva
www.mymission.com/sisteraidrakemellyferreirasilva
2018
Elder Preston Vance
www.mymission.com/elderprestonvance
2018
Sister Annika bergsma
www.mymission.com/sisterannikabergsma1
2018
Sister Loren Anderson
www.mymission.com/sisterlorenanderson
2017
Elder Ty Driggs
www.mymission.com/eldertydriggs
2017
Elder Cade Holmes
eldercadeholmes.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Greg Jones
gregjonesorg.wordpress.com
2017
Sister Rayla Mask
www.mymission.com/sisterraylamask
2017
Sister Megan Bartholomew
hermanabinbb.blogspot.com
2017
Elder Brian Frampton
briansargentinamission.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Brock Blazzard
elderbrockblazzard.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Nathan Pitcher
nathanjamespitcher.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Skyler Jolley
elderskylerjolley.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Tyson Legg
eldertysonlegg.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Wesley Bosco
wesleybosco.blogspot.com
2016
Sister Ana Belén Seura Ríos
www.mymission.com/sisteranabelnseuraros
2016
Sister Katherine Long
katelinargentina.blogspot.com
2016
Elder Carter Taysom
eldercartertaysom.blogspot.com
2015
Elder David Laws
thedavidlaws.blogspot.com
2015
Elder Isaac Hoffman
elderisaachoffman.wordpress.com
2015
Elder Ty Driggs
eldertydriggs.blogspot.com
2015
Sister Amy Eubanks
argentinaamy.blogspot.com
2015
Sister Brooke Barker
bbinbb.blogspot.com
2015
Sister Kaitlyn Hill
hermanainbahiablanca.blogspot.com
2015
Sister Nicole Chesler
hermananicolechesler.blogspot.com
2015
Sister Lauren Williams
www.mymission.com/hermanalaurenwilliams
2015
Elder Tanner Hutchens
eldertannerhutchens.blogspot.com
2014
Elder Travis Wheelwright
argentinatjw.blogspot.com
2014
Sister Jessica Pukahi
sisterjessicapukahi.blogspot.com
2014
Sister Larissa Conger
hermanalarissaconger.blogspot.com
2014
Elder Austin Clegg
austincleggmission.blogspot.com
2013
Elder Wyatt Koeven
elderkoeven.weebly.com/wyatt.html
2013
Sister Brittni Vawdrey
brittni-vawdrey.blogspot.com
2013
Elder Quinton Perkins
quintoninargentina.blogspot.com
2012
Elder Travis Hatch
missionsite.net/travishatch
2012
Elder Jacob Banks
missionsite.net/elderbanks
2011
Elder Joshua Warten
elderjoshwartenasmission.blogspot.com
2011
Elder Max Vaterlaus
eldervater.blogspot.com
2011
Elder Nick Gaughan
eldernick.blogspot.com
2011
Sister Alison Tingey
hermanatingey.blogspot.com
2011
Sister Kassidy Seegmiller
sisterseegmiller.blogspot.com
2011
Sister Samantha Lapray
sisterlapray.blogspot.com
2011
Elder Kyle Hauser
elderkylehausersmission.blogspot.com
2010
Elder Diego A Jimenez
www.mymission.com/elderdiegojimenez
2010
Sister Laurel Benson Udall
www.mymission.com/eldermichellelindaudall
1998
Elder Juan Davison
www.mymission.com/elderjuandavison
1995
Elder Nathan Mecham
www.mymission.com/eldernathanmecham
1992
Elder Dale Ostler
www.mymission.com/elderdaleostler1
1981

Address

Chacabuco 1755
8000 Bahia Blanca
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Mission President

Robert Hymas

Region

South America

Church Statistics

Argentina

Members: 432007
Congregations: 765
Missions: 12
Family History Centers: 107

Languages

Spanish

Population