Mission Timeline |
November 3, 1831, the Lord commanded the saints to, "Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands" (D&C 133:8).
April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were in the Kirtland Temple when, "Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north." (D&C 110:11).
October 1, 1843, Joseph Smith calls a missionary to open the Empire of Russia. He was called "to introduce the fullness of the gospel to the people of that vast empire...to which is attached some of the most important things concerning the advancement and building up of the Kingdom of God in the last days, which cannot be explained at this time." (James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol. 1, p. 190) Due to unfaithfulness, this missionary never served.
"...someday out on the plains of Ukraine...our men shall be knocking at doors and bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ." (Oscar A. Kirkham, Conference Report, October, 1948, p. 131)
1990
October 7 - Elders Ivan Stratov and Brian Bradbury arrive in Kiev to officially begin missionary work in Ukraine. The first member, Valeri Stavichenko, is baptized in Kiev on November 25, 1990.
1991
July - The Ukraine Kiev Mission is formed from the Austria Vienna East Mission and headed by President Howard L. Biddulph. He commutes back and forth from Austria until February of 1992 when they are able to officially move the mission to Kiev.
September 12 - The country of Ukraine is dedicated by Elder Boyd K. Packer in a secluded park in Kiev that overlooks the Dnepr River. On this spot stands a monument to Prince Volodymyr who, in 988 AD, "baptized Kiev" and converted the Ukrainian people to Christianity.
1992
March - The city of Donetsk (population approx. 1.5 million) is opened by Elders Gregory Christianson, Gregory Rossiter, Rory Allen, and Robin Curtis from the Kiev mission.
August - The city of Gorlovka (population approx. 550,000) is opened by Elders Karl Mueller and Nathan Coulter.
September - President Howard W. Hunter comes to Ukraine and conducts the first real mission conference on Ukrainian soil.
October - The city of Kharkov (population about 2 million) is opened by Elders Chris Carpenter, Russ van der Werf, Ed Quinlan, and Kendall Simpson.
November - There are a total of 16 missionaries and 3 branches in Donetsk.
December - Elder and Sister Holbrook arrive in Donetsk. Their job is to prepare Donetsk to split from the Kiev mission. They locate places for both the mission home and the mission office, start priesthood leadership training for the local leaders, and begin looking for sites to build branch meeting houses.
1993
March - The city of Makeyevka (population approx. 500,000) is opened by Elders Higbee, Genta, Morford and Kennison.
May - The city of Dnepropetrovsk (population approx. 2 million) is opened by Elders Chris Carpenter, Russ van der Werf , Cory Clegg, and Tim Lunt.
July 3 - The Ukraine Donetsk Mission is officially formed with the arrival of President Leo Merrill. Within a couple of weeks Elders Thomas Abbott and Russell van der Werf are chosen as the Assistants to the President.
1994
September - The city government in Dnepropetrovsk bans all proselyting by LDS missionaries within the city. The ban lasts until April 1997.
November - A joint mission conference with the Kiev mission is held in Kiev. The area presidency speaks.
1995
Summer - The first two groups of members make the three days bus trip to the Freiburg, Germany temple.
July - Due to visa problems, the number of missionaries in the mission hits a low of 35 (including President and Sister Merrill).
September - The first two districts in the mission are formed. One in Kharkov, and one in Donetsk.
October - Elder Bruce Porter of the Seventy visits the mission and meets with members and missionaries in several cities.
November - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland tours the mission. A meeting is held in the Krupskaya Library in Donetsk for all the missionaries, and at the Yunost youth center for the members. Buses bring members from Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.
December - The city of Mariupol is opened for missionary work.
1996
July - President Aleksandr Manzhos replaces Leo Merrill as president of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission.
August - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is officially registered in Ukraine.
September - A new office and meeting place is acquired in the Center of Donetsk, by the Belyi Lebed (White Swan) shopping center. The Church rented and refurbished 2 floors of a large building. The place is rented for two years.
October - The city of Zaporozhye (population approx. 890,000) is opened.
1997
April - Dnepropetrovsk is again open for proselyting by native Ukrainian missionaries.
Summer - In celebration of the sesquicentennial of the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake valley, a handcart, made by hand in Siberia, tours all the Russian speaking missions, including the Donetsk mission, where members of the church fill it with their testimonies, as well as local souvenirs. The event gets widespread media attention, as do the associated youth conference and service projects. The handcart is later pulled into the Salt Lake valley as part of the re-enactment of the arrival.
1998
July - The first chapel constructed by the church in Ukraine is dedicated in Donetsk. Two branches of the church meet there, the new chapel also houses the mission office.
August - The Church officially announces that a small temple will be built in Kiev, Ukraine. This will be the first temple in the former Soviet Union, and will serve all of Ukraine and Russia, plus many other Eastern European countries. This is in fulfillment of the prophesy of Pres. Packer in his dedicatory prayer that: ". . . in due time the spires of temples will be seen across this great land."
1999
July - President David M. McQueen replaces Aleksandr Manzhos as president of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission.
November - Mission tour with President and Sister Hancock. Elder Eyring visits Donetsk
December - Lots of worry about Y2K. Due to registration problems the majority of the missionaries in Kharkov have to move to Donetsk.
2000
January- No Y2K problems
February - Missionaries return to Kharkov
May - Elder Oaks visits Donetsk Sister Menlov (Primary General President) and President and Sister Didier visit Donetsk
July - Elder Clark Henry Pixton dies from head injuries suffered during a fall
November - Mission tour with President and Sister Callister
2001
April - Receive official word that the Crimea and the Kherson Oblast are now part of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission
September - The world as we knew it changed on 9-11-2001
October - Elder Holland visits Donetsk
November - Sister Smoot (Relief Society General President) and President and Sister Callister visit Donetsk
December - Mission tour with President and Sister Orton
2002
January - President Orton dedicates the Mariupol Chapel Elder Manzhos dedicates the Petrovsky Chapel
February - President Hilbig dedicates the Semferopol Chapel
April - President and Sister Kay H. Christensen called to preside over the Ukraine Donetsk Mission
~Chris Williams and Pres. McQueen