The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Ivory Coast. At year-end 1989, there were fewer than 200 members in Ivory Coast. In 2025, there were 71,182 members in 274 congregations.

History

Mormon missionaries first preached in Ivory Coast in 1988. Earlier the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been established by Philippe and Annelies Assard and Lucien and Agathe Affoue. The Affoue family joined the church while studying in France. Philippe Assard joined the Church while studying in Germany, where he married Annelies who was a native of Germany. After they returned to Ivroy Coast in the mid-1980s they got in contact with each other and began holding Church meetings.

The first LDS stake was organized in the late 1990s. During the civil war in the 2000s the number of missionaries in the country was reduced and some areas saw missionaries withdrawn. As of 2018 most full-time LDS missionaries in the country were from either the Congo or countries in West Africa, but there were a very few from other areas.

Plans to build a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Abidjan were announced in 2015. As of 2018 the country had three LDS missions, although two of them also covered Church operations in Senegal and Mali.

Stakes and Districts Stake/DistrictOrganized MissionAbengourou Cote d'Ivoire District30 Oct 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan NorthAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon Central Stake3 Dec 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North Stake7 Feb 2010Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South Stake1 Jun 2014Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Selmer Stake1 Mar 2020Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Toit Rouge Stake17 Aug 1997Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbidjan Cote d'Ivoire Yopougon Attie Stake6 Sep 2015Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestAbobo Cote d'Ivoire East Stake9 Nov 2014Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastAbobo Cote d'Ivoire West Stake27 Aug 2000Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan NorthAboisso Cote d'Ivoire District14 Feb 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastAdzope Cote d'Ivoire Stake2 Feb 2025Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan NorthAlepe Cote d'Ivoire District14 May 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastAnonkoua Cote d'Ivoire Stake10 Sep 2017Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan NorthBouafle Cote d'Ivoire Stake24 May 2026Cote d'Ivoire YamoussoukroBouake Cote d'Ivoire Stake20 Aug 2023Cote d'Ivoire YamoussoukroCocody Cote d'Ivoire Stake20 Aug 2006Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastDabou Cote d'Ivoire District30 Oct 2024Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan WestDaloa Cote d'Ivoire Stake22 Oct 2017Cote d'Ivoire DaloaDokui Cote d'Ivoire Stake11 Sep 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastDuekoue Cote d'Ivoire District24 Feb 2019Cote d'Ivoire DaloaEbimpé Cote d'Ivoire Stake16 Mar 2025Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan NorthGagnoa Cote d'Ivoire Stake19 Jun 2022Cote d'Ivoire YamoussoukroGrand-Bassam Cote d'Ivoire Stake12 Jun 2016Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan SouthIssia Cote d'Ivoire District21 Jul 2019Cote d'Ivoire DaloaKoumassi Cote d'Ivoire Stake15 Nov 2020Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan SouthMan Cote d'Ivoire Stake15 Oct 2023Cote d'Ivoire DaloaPort-Bouet Cote d'Ivoire Stake23 Sep 2012Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan SouthQuatre Etages Cote d'Ivoire Stake29 May 2022Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan EastSan Pedro Cote d'Ivoire Stake22 Sep 2024Cote d'Ivoire DaloaTiassale Cote d'Ivoire District14 Dec 2025Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan WestYamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake12 Apr 2015Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro

Missions The Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan North Mission was created in July 2023 by dividing the east mission and adjoining portions of the west mission.

MissionOrganizedCôte d'Ivoire Abidjan East Mission1 Jul 1992Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan North Mission1 Jul 2023Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan South Mission1 Jul 2026Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission1 Jul 2014Côte d'Ivoire Daloa Mission1 Jul 2026Côte d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission28 Jun 2018

Guinea The Conakry Branch was created on June 18, 2017. Initially it became part of the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission but later came under the Côte d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. An estimated 300 members living in Guinea in 2023. As of November 2025, there were three branches that make up the Conakry Guinea District, namely Conakry 1st Branch, Conakry 2nd Branch, and Coyah Branch. The Africa West Area Branch serves individuals and families outside the Conakry metro who are not in proximity to a meetinghouse.

Mali Mali has a single congregation, the Bamako Branch, which was created on July 9, 2017. The LDS Church was granted official status in January 2019. The LDS Church reported 50 Latter-day Saint families in Mali that same year and recognition allows missionaries in the country. The branch is administered by the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East Mission as of August 2024, and membership for the country was estimated to be 123 in 2023.

Senegal

In 2016, the first missionaries, humanitarian service missionaries, arrived in Senegal, and on February 20, 2018, the LDS Church received official recognition from the Government. On February 13, 2022, the Dakar Senegal District was created with three branches in the Dakar Area (Dakar, Ouakam, Parcelles) as well as a branch in Saint-Louis. Senegal is assigned to the Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. As of 2023, there was 257 members in Senegal. On October 24, 2025, the LDS Church announced the Senegal Dakar Mission would be created in July 2026. In July 2026, the Senegal Dakar Mission was created. This mission encompasses Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, The Gambia, and Western Sahara.

As of May 2026, the following congregations existed in Senegal Dakar Branch Keur Massar Branch Ouakam Branch Parcelles Branch Saint-Louis Branch Saly Branch Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Dispersed Members Unit. The Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Dispersed Members Unit serves members and families not in proximity to a meetinghouse. The remaining branches are part of the Dakar Senegal District.

The Gambia On February 23, 2022, Elder D. Todd Christofferson along with other Church leaders dedicated the Gambia for the Church's preaching. On June 10, 2022, the Banjul Branch was created. The branch at that time consisted of 26 members and two full-time missionaries from the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. On October 27, 2024, a second branch was created with more than 100 members in the country and the first branch was renamed. As of November 2025, the LDS Church reported two congregations along the Gambia West Coast, namely Brusubi Branch and Kanifing Branch with the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Dispersed Members Unit serving individuals and families in the rest of the country.

Temples

Plans to build a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Abidjan were announced in 2015. On Nov. 8, 2018 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the 12 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presided at the ground breaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. Andersen both spoke and gave the dedicatory prayer in French. During his remarks Anderson shared testimonies of the restored gospel from the Assard family.article on groundbreaking for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast

Bron en licentie