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As of January 1, 2012, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 5,863 members in two districts, 18 branches〔(LDS Meetinghouse Locator )〕 in Liberia.〔(LDS Newsroom (Statistical Information) )〕 ==History== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) gained a formal presence in Liberia on 3 July 1987 with the arrival of J. Duffy Palmer and his wife Jocelyn Palmer as the first full-time missionaries of the LDS Church in that country. The origins of the LDS Church in Liberia go back about two years farther. Joe C. Jarwhel received the address of a missionary at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah from a fellow Liberian who had just returned from a visit to Salt Lake City for a police convention. Jarwhel sent a letter seeking more information about the LDS Church; this letter was forwarded to John K. Carmack, who was at the time president of the LDS Church's International Mission. Carmack sent Jarwhel a copy of the Book of Mormon. Jarwhel was a school teacher and used the Book of Mormon in his teaching. Jarwhel's associate John Tarsnoh also learned of the Book of Mormon and created an organization called the Temple of Christ's Church, which began teaching the doctrines found in the book. Sometime in 1986, Thomas Peihopa, a Latter-day Saint from New Zealand who was employed in Monrovia, came in contact with this group. Peihopa taught them more of the doctrines of the LDS Church. Due to the preparation for preaching that was laid by Jarwhel, Tarsnoh and Peihopa, the Palmers were able to quickly establish the LDS Church when they arrived in Liberia. Tarsnoh was baptized on 22 August 1987 and 47 others, mainly fellow members of his Temple of Christ's Church, were baptized in the next week. The following day two branches of the church were organized, one presided over by Peihopa and the other presided over by Steven Wolf, an American citizen working in Monrovia on a military assignment. The country was not formally dedicated for the preaching of the gospel until the next month by Apostle Marvin J. Ashton. In February 1988, Joseph Forkpah became the first Liberian citizen to serve as a branch president. In March 1988, the Liberia Monrovia Mission was organized with J. Duffy Palmer as president. As civil war broke out in 1990, missionaries were transferred to Sierra Leone. Most of these missionaries were Liberians, but conditions were so bad in the country that it was felt to be safer to send them elsewhere. In 1991, the Monrovia mission was combined with the Ghana Accra Mission. Dr A. Tarr, who had been a member less than four years and had been serving as the first counselor in the district presidency, became the presiding leader of the Church in Liberia with the departure of the mission president and most foreign nationals. In 1999 missionaries were able to return to Liberia. At the height of the civil war in 1992 about 70% of the members of the Church had fled the country. Church leaders instructed those remaining to only hold small gatherings. Over the next seven years many Church members returned, most of the eight branches that had existed at the time the war broke out were reorganized, and 43 Liberians managed to serve full-time missions in other countries, primarily Sierra Leone and Ghana. In June 2000 the Monrovia Liberia Stake was organized with Toby wleboe Tweh Sr. as president. Tweh had been among the members of Tarsnoh's Temple of Christ Church prior to joining the LDS Church. In June 2007, the Monrovia Stake was discontinued and divided into two mission districts. The next July a new mission, the Freetown Sierra Leone Mission, which covered Sierra Leone and Liberia, was organized. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Liberia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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