- Mission History -

Mission Facts

• Elder Parley P. Pratt, his wife, Phebe Soper, and Elder Rufus Allen were the first missionaries to South America in Valparaiso, Chile in 1851.  There work was challenging because none of the three spoke Spanish and there were no Church literature translated in Spanish.  No permanent mission was established at that time.
• The second effort came 75 years later, in 1925, when the First Presidency assigned Andrew Jenson and Thomas S. Page to tour South America to review the possibility of opening it to missionary work.  Their report was favorable and the Council of the Twelve gave unanimous approval to organize a mission.
• On December 25, 1925, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, Elder Rulon S. Wells, and Elder Rey L. Pratt (grandson of Parley P. Pratt) met in a park (named the Third of February) in Buenos Aires, Argentina and dedicated the land for missionary work. Elder Ballard offered the prayer, saying, in part,

"And now, O Father, in virtue of the authority of the blessing
and calling of thy servant,the President of the Church, and
by virtue of the authority of the Holy Apostleship which
I hold, I turn the key and open the door to the preaching
of the gospel in all of these South American nations; and
do rebuke and command to be stayed every power that
would oppose  the preaching of the gospel in these lands."

• Elder Ballard prophesied some eight months later:

"The work of the Lord will grow slowly for a time just as an oak
grows slowly from an acorn. It will not shoot up in a day
as does the sunflower that grows quickly and then dies.  But
thousands will join the Church here.  It will be divided into
more than one mission, and will be one of the strongest in the
Church.  The work here is the smallest it will ever be.  The
South American Mission will become a power in the Church."

• The first recorded missionary work in Uruguay was in 1940 when Argentine missionary Rolf R. Larson represented the Church in South America basketball championship in Montevideo.  In repeated interviews, he identified himself as Mormon.
• Three years later, Frederick S. Williams, a former Argentine mission president, was stationed in Montevideo with his business.  The Montevideo Branch was organized June 25, 1944, by Frederick S. Williams.
• The Uruguay Mission was opened on Aug 31, 1947.  Frederick S. Williams was called as the first mission president.
• By the end of the year there were 24 missionaries serving in Uruguay.
• The first converts in Uruguay were Avelino Juan Rodriguez and his wife, Maria Esther.  They were baptized by Pres. Williams on Nov. 4, 1948.
• In 1949, the First Presidency authorized opening missionary work in Paraguay, Asuncion as part of the Urguayan Mission.
• The Montevideo Stake was organized on Nov. 12, 1967.  There were 14,800 members in the country at that time.
• In March of 1975, an area conference was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  This conference was held for Spanish-speaking Saints of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay.  President Kimball, along with other General Authorities, visited both Uruguay and Paraguay prior to this conference.
• By 1993, there were 61,000 members; 11 stakes; 51 wards, 80 branches; 1 mission; and 8 districts.  Estimated population was 3,200,000 with 1.9% LDS, or one person in 52.
• Current General Authorities who served as missionaries in Uruguay include Elder Richard G. Scott, Elder Gene R. Cook, and Elder F. Burton Howard.
• President Ariel O. Fedrigotti (he was second counselor  in the Montevideo Uruguay West Stake in the 1975) relates the following story regarding the faith of the Uruguayan Saints:

He shared the story of a terrible drought that racked the country
in 1973, killing the cattle and the crops, and creating such
an energy shortage that there were restrictions against using electricity.  
The stake president and mission president called a nationwide fast
beginning Saturday night.  The members came in raincoats under
sunny Sunday skies, fasted together, paid fast offerings, had special
prayers, and went to sleep Sunday night waiting for the answer.

"On Monday it was cloudy. On Tuesday it began raining.  It rained without
stopping for four or five days--until we began to think we would have
to fast again.  The government lifted the electrical restrictions on Saturday.  
Many members have since expressed to me their strong testimonies of
fasting and prayer."

Sources: 1995-96 Church Almanac, Deseret News, p. 298-299;
Ensign, February 1975, p.20, 30-31

Additional South American Church History

Stakes

Source: 1995-96 Church Almanac, Deseret News, p. 299

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