The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Ecuador. The first missionaries arrived on October 31, 1965. Since then, the LDS Church in Ecuador has grown to more than 275,000 members in more than 300 congregations. Ecuador ranks as having the 5th most members of the LDS Church in South America and 9th worldwideThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics

History

The first Mormon missionaries from the Andes Mission arrived in Quito, Ecuador in October 1965. Their efforts included teaching indigenous Otavalans, and in 1980 the Book of Mormon was published in Kichwa.

Elder Spencer W. Kimball of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles believed that teaching descendants of ancient Andean Indians will serve the purpose of fulfilling God's promise to bring the Book of Mormon to the Lamanites. Over the next few years, Kimball visited Ecuador a few times to preach the gospel. The church established a strong presence in Quito, Guayaquil, and among indigenous Otavalans.

In January 1966, Missionaries held the very first sacrament meeting in Guayaquil and they arrived Otavalo in March 1966. Within weeks of their arrival, printed notices were surrounded among nearby Ibarra warning the local residents to avoid Latter-day Saints and a few other proselytizing sects.

The inaugural branch meeting was held in March, attended by the missionaries and Manuel Macías Caseras in Otavalo. Within the year, the branch grew to more than 18 members.

On August 1, 1999, the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple was dedicated by church president Gordon B. Hinckley. On April 3, 2016, a second temple was announced to be built in Quito. On May 14, 2026 a third temple was announced to be built in Otavalo, Ecuador.

Stakes and districts As of July 2026, Ecuador had the following stakes and districts: Stake/DistrictOrganized Mission Temple DistrictAmbato Ecuador Stake10 Dec 1995Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorBabahoyo Ecuador Stake15 May 2005Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorCuenca Ecuador Stake23 Nov 1997Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorDurán Ecuador North Stake16 Mar 1980Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorDurán Ecuador South Stake31 May 1992Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorEl Triunfo Ecuador District17 Nov 2002Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorEsmeraldas Ecuador Stake22 Oct 1995Ecuador Quito WestQuito EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Alborada Stake26 Feb 2023Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Centenario Stake18 Aug 1991Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador El Cisne Stake11 Feb 1996Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador El Salado Stake4 Jun 1978Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Fortin Stake3 Sep 2017Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Garcia Moreno Stake30 Apr 1989Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Huancavilca Stake6 Dec 1992Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Juan Montalvo Stake18 May 2014Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Kennedy Stake11 Feb 1996Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador La Pradera Stake2 Sep 2007Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Las Orquideas Stake18 Aug 1991Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Prosperina Stake16 Mar 1980Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Puerto Liza Stake7 Sep 1997Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Puerto Nuevo Stake4 Mar 1979Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorGuayaquil Ecuador Via Daule Stake8 Jun 1997Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorIbarra Ecuador Stake22 Feb 2026Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorIpiales Colombia District8 Jun 1975Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorLibertad Ecuador Stake13 Jun 2004Ecuador Guayaquil WestGuayaquil EcuadorLoja Ecuador District7 May 1991Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorLos Chillos Ecuador Stake31 May 2009Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorLos Chillos Ecuador San Rafael Stake3 Sep 2017Ecuador Quito South Quito EcuadorMachala Ecuador Puerto Bolívar Stake23 Sep 2018Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorMachala Ecuador Stake2 Dec 2018Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorManta Ecuador Stake25 Feb 1996Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorMilagro Ecuador Stake5 May 1991Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorOtavalo Ecuador San Pablo Stake6 Dec 1981Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorOtavalo Ecuador Imbabura Stake19 Jan 1997Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorOtavalo Ecuador Imbaya Stake9 Oct 2016Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorOrellana Ecuador District14 Jun 2026Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorPortoviejo Ecuador Stake13 Jan 1981Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorPuyo Ecuador District17 Mar 2024Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorQuevedo Ecuador North Stake26 Apr 1981Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorQuevedo Ecuador South Stake7 Sep 1997Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil EcuadorQuito Ecuador Stake22 Aug 1979Ecuador Quito WestQuito EcuadorQuito Ecuador Calderón Stake19 Apr 1998Ecuador Quito NorthQuito EcuadorQuito Ecuador Chillogallo Stake21 May 1995Ecuador Quito WestQuito EcuadorQuito Ecuador Colón Stake10 Jan 1981Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorQuito Ecuador La Ofelia Stake25 Jan 1998Ecuador Quito WestQuito EcuadorQuito Ecuador Turubamba Stake20 Oct 2013Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorRiobamba Ecuador Stake21 May 2023Ecuador Quito SouthQuito EcuadorSamborondón Ecuador Stake19 Aug 2018Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorSanta Rosa Ecuador Stake23 Sep 2018Ecuador Guayaquil SouthGuayaquil EcuadorSanto Domingo Ecuador Stake3 Sep 1995Ecuador Quito WestQuito EcuadorVentanas Ecuador District9 Nov 1994Ecuador Guayaquil EastGuayaquil EcuadorVinces Ecuador District21 Oct 1992Ecuador Guayaquil NorthGuayaquil Ecuador The Ipiales Colombia District has congregations in Ecuador.

Missions MissionOrganizedEcuador Guayaquil East29 Jun 2020Ecuador Guayaquil North1 Jul 1991Ecuador Guayaquil South1 Jul 1978Ecuador Guayaquil West1 Jul 2013Ecuador Quito South*1 Aug 1970Ecuador Quito North1 Jul 2013Ecuador Quito WestJune 2024

The Ecuador Mission was renamed the Ecuador Quito Mission on 20 June 1974. It was later renamed Ecuador Quito South Mission in June 2024.

Temples

See also

Religion in Ecuador

References

External links ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints Visitor site The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official site Ecuador Facts & Statistics Newsroom