BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Two small, monumentlike markers commemorating a prayer for and a prophecy about the preaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout South America can be found in Buenos Aires.
Both feature words pronounced in Buenos Aires by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an early 20th century Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In late 1925, he offered a prayer dedicating South America for the preaching of the gospel; then in 1926, he followed with a prophecy of the Church’s growth from then on — small and slow at first, but increasing in size and strength.
His phrase “as an oak grows slowly from an acorn” has been repeated and acknowledged in the decades since.
A marker honoring the dedicatory prayer is found in Buenos Aires’ sprawling Tres de Febrero Park in the city’s northern Palermo neighborhood near the expansive Rio de la Plata. The larger monument commemorating the prophecy is located on the grounds of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, in the capital city’s southwest suburb of Ciudad Evita, with a distance of some 12 miles separating the two.
However, the true monuments of that prayer and prophecy are not made of stone — rather, they are the more than 4.3 million Latter-day Saints currently residing across the 13 South America nations, as well as past generations of their ancestors who helped establish and fortify the Church. The true monuments of the Church’s growth and strength over the past century are also the more than 100 missions spread across South America — and the current and past missionaries who have served — as well as the 56 total temples dedicated, under construction or announced for South America.
The markers
A small marker located in the 400-hectare (989-acre) Tres de Febrero Park commemorates the prayer offered by Elder Ballard on Christmas Day 1925, when he and two other Church leaders — Elder Rey L. Pratt and Elder Rulon S. Wells — knelt under a willow tree in the park to dedicate South America for the preaching of the gospel. The exact location is not known, with the site of the tribute is a protected location just inside in the fenced gardens of the Sívori Museum, across from the Paseo del Rosedal [Rose Garden Walk].
The marker was placed in November 2015 in conjunction with a visit to Argentina by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was accompanied to the park by Elder Walter F. González, a General Authority Seventy who was then president of the Church’s South America South Area.
A plaque on a sizable rock bears a profile image of Elder Ballard, the title of “May peace be upon these nations” and an excerpt from the dedicatory prayer:
“Bless the presidents, governors and leading officials of these American countries that they may kindly receive us and give us permission to open the doors of salvation to the peoples of these lands. May they be blessed in administering the affairs of their several offices that great good may come unto the people, that peace may be upon these nations that Thou hast made free through Thy blessings upon the valiant liberators of these lands, that righteousness may obtain and full liberty for the preaching of Thy gospel prevail.”
The monument’s place also notes that in a small meeting in the same park in February 2014, the late Elder M. Russell Ballard — a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and grandson of Elder Melvin J. Ballard — offered a prayer specifically on the preaching of the gospel in Argentina.
A larger monument sits on the grounds of the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, acknowledging the prophetic statement of Elder Melvin J. Ballard during a small testimony meeting in Buenos Aires on July 4, 1926.
The text on the marker reads: “The work of the Lord will grow slowly for a time here 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 Kingdom [Church].”
That marker was placed in 2000, in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the 1925 dedicatory prayer.
The area leaders
South America is included in four of the Church’s 23 global administrative areas. The South America South Area covers the countries of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The South America Northwest Area oversees Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The Brazil Area administers the affairs of the Church in that country, with Brazil accounting for nearly half of South America’s 6.89 million square miles (17.84 million square kilometers). And the northern nations of Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname are part of the Caribbean Area, with Venezuela joining its coastal neighbors in that administrative area beginning in August.
Four General Authority Seventies with strong ties to South America serve as presidents of the four areas. Three are native sons — Elder Jorge F. Zeballos of the South America Northwest Area, from Chile; Elder Joni L. Koch of the Brazil Area, from that country; and Elder Eduardo Gavarret of the Caribbean Area, from Uruguay, who will return as a counselor in the South America South Area in August.
The fourth is an adopted son of South America — Elder Craig C. Christensen, who first came to South America as a full-time missionary in Chile nearly a half-century ago. He concludes a three-year assignment next month as president of the South America South Area.
“My life changed as a young missionary in Chile,” he told the Church News. “I grew to love the people and had many deeply meaningful experiences. The Church in 1976–77 was in its first generation, yet growing — still an ‘acorn.’”
He recalled knowing Ricardo Garcia Silva, the first baptized convert in Chile in 1956, since Garcia and his family lived in Elder Christensen’s second area of missionary service. The country had just emerged from a military coup, and the missionaries were welcomed and loved, he added.
“The rest of the South America South Area was similar in many ways. Argentina and Uruguay had more strength and experience among members, yet the work was very similar, mostly driven by missionaries.”
As a General Authority Seventy and member of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Christensen had been to South America on a number of assignments. But he looked forward to returning three years ago to lead the South America South Area.
“I was anxious to reconnect and to be a witness to the progress made over time,” he said. “The members here are mature and multigenerational — like a mighty oak tree — and the strength of the Church is obvious on many fronts. Everywhere we travel, we are known and respected and have a presence with government and other religious leaders with whom we collaborate on many issues. As is the case throughout the world, we are ever present in times of needs, disasters and humanitarian issues.
Citing the creation of seven new stakes across the area in the past several months as evidence of the work moving forward, Elder Christensen said: “All four countries are becoming strongholds and are exemplary. It has been a pleasure to serve here.”
Elder Zeballos’ roots also are tied to Chile — he joined the Church in 1968 at age 12. But from those roots have spread a life of service and a sense of appreciation across South America.
“Throughout my youth, my perception of the Lord’s work was limited to what I could observe in my country,” he said, noting that as the years went by — especially in fulfilling positions of ecclesiastical responsibility — he came to know and understand Elder Melvin J. Ballard’s prophecy of the Church’s growth in South America.
“As I have served for a total of 12 years in the presidencies of the Chile, South America South and South America Northwest areas, I have been an eyewitness to its fulfillment.”
Elder Zeballos added: “I can only see a vibrant and bright future for the Church and its members in the years ahead. New generations, including thousands of returned missionaries, are taking advantage of the educational opportunities present to them. This will enable them to better serve the Church in the future, as well as have a greater influence in society.”
Building an ever-increasing number of temples “is a wonderful reflection of the growth and strength of the Church in our South American countries and the best evidence of the fulfillment of Elder Melvin J. Ballard’s prophecy,” he said.
Brazil is setting an exemplary pace for its South America neighbors in membership, missions and temples. “Our main responsibility is to earn these blessings of so many temples across the country and continue to pursue the vision of bringing many more to where the ordinances are performed — in sacrament meetings and in the temple,” said Elder Koch.
One way to do that is to start a focus on the retention of new coverts at the moment they are found and starting to be taught, not beginning the fellowshipping after baptism, he said. Another way is “including more of the rising generation in our sacrament meetings and temple ordinances so they can feel the power of godliness being manifested.”
Elder Koch told the Church News that “the realization of Elder Ballard’s prophecy is a powerful element that strengthens testimony and builds faith for the future among the Saints in our nation.”
Brazil is still consolidating its economic and geopolitical position in the world, and the country’s population is projected to continue growing for several more decades, he said. “In this environment, we foresee the Church becoming even more established through the multigenerational cycle, with hundreds of thousands new converts.”
The countries
Below is a brief look at the start of the Church in each country, as well as a glance at some Church statistics. The membership numbers are through the end of 2023, the missions include those starting in July 2024 (marked with #), and the temple information is as of June 8, 2024.
Argentina
Beginnings: German immigrants Wilhelm Friedrichs and Emil Hoppe began preaching the gospel in Buenos Aires in 1923.
Members: 481,518
Missions: 14 — Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires East, Buenos Aires North, Buenos Aires South, Buenos Aires West, Comodoro Rivadavia, Córdoba, Mendoza, Neuquén, Resistencia, Rosario, Salta, Santa Fe, Tucumán#.
Temples: 7 — Dedicated: Buenos Aires (1983) and Córdoba (2015). Scheduled for dedication: Salta (June 16, 2024) and Mendoza (Sept. 22, 2024). Under construction: Bahía Blanca (since April 2022). Announced: Buenos Aires City Center (2022) and Rosario (2024).
Bolivia
Beginnings: Missionaries serving in the Andes Mission arrived in Bolivia in November 1965 and baptized the first convert the next month.
Members: 225,140
Missions: 6 — Cochabamba North, Cochabamba South#, La Paz El Alto, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz North.
Temples: 3 — Dedicated: Cochabamba (2000). Under construction: Santa Cruz (since this month). Announced: La Paz (2021).
Brazil
Beginnings: Missionaries began preaching in German in southern Brazil in 1928, with Portuguese proselytizing beginning in the 1930s.
Of note: Brazil had South America’s first stake, in 1966, and its first temple, in 1978.
Members: 1,494,571
Missions: 37 — Belo Horizonte, Belém, Brasília, Campinas, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Curitiba South, Feira de Santana, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Fortaleza East, Goiânia, João Pessoa, Juiz de Fora, Londrina, Maceió, Manaus, Manaus South#, Natal, Piracicaba, Porto Alegre North, Porto Alegre South, Recife North, Recife South, Ribeirão Preto, Rio de Janeiro North, Rio de Janeiro South, Salvador, Santa Maria, Santos, São Paulo East, São Paulo Interlagos, São Paulo North, São Paulo South, São Paulo West, Teresina, Vitória.
Temples: 23 — Dedicated: São Paulo (1978), Porto Alegre (2000), Recife (2000), Campinas (2002), Curitiba (2008), Manaus (2012), Fortaleza (2019), Belém (2022), Rio de Janeiro (2022) and Brasília (2023). Scheduled for dedication: Salvador (in October 2024). Under construction: Belo Horizonte (since 2023). Scheduled for groundbreaking: Ribeirão Preto (June 22, 2024) and Londrina (Aug. 17, 2024). Announced: São Paulo East (2020), Vitória (2021), Maceió (2022), Santos (2022), Goiânia (2023), João Pessoa (2023), Natal (2023), Teresina (2023) and Florianópolis (2024).
Chile
Beginnings: Parley P. Pratt of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles served a mission in Chile in 1851 and 1852, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that missionaries again arrived, with the Santiago Branch organized in 1956.
Members: 607,583
Missions: 11 — Antofagasta, Concepción, Concepción South, La Serena#, Puerto Montt, Rancagua, Santiago East, Santiago North, Santiago South, Santiago West and Viña del Mar.
Temples: 5 — Dedicated: Santiago (1983) and Concepción (2018). Under construction: Antofagasta (since 2020). Announced: Santiago West (2021) and Viña del Mar (2023).
Colombia
Beginnings: Elder Spencer W. Kimball of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles traveled with a small group of missionaries to Bogotá in May 1966.
Members: 215,331
Missions: 5 — Barranquilla, Bogotá North, Bogotá South, Cali, Medellin.
Temples: 3 – Dedicated: Bogotá (1999) and Barranquilla (2018). Announced: Cali (2021).
Ecuador
Beginnings: The first four missionaries were sent to Ecuador in September 1965, with Elder Kimball visiting Quito in October 1965. Later that month, nine people were baptized.
Members: 264,802
Missions: 7 — Guayaquil East, Guayaquil North, Guayaquil South, Guayaquil West, Quito, Quito North, Quito West#.
Temples: 2 — Dedicated: Guayaquil (1999) and Quito (2022).
French Guyana
Beginnings: The country’s first converts were baptized in France and then returned to their homeland — Charles Fortin in 1980 and Rosiette Fauvette in 1981 — to begin Sunday meetings together in Fortin’s home in Cayenne.
Members: 507
Guyana
Beginnings: Missionaries held the first sacrament meeting in the country in September 1988, with attendees including the Majid Abdulla family, baptized previously in Canada. The Church gained official recognition the following year.
Members: 6,934
Mission: 1 — Georgetown.
Paraguay
Beginnings: The first convert in Paraguay was baptized in 1948, the same year the country’s first official congregation was organized.
Members: 100,121
Missions: 2 — Asunción and Asunción North.
Temples: 1 — Asunción (2002).
Peru
Beginnings: In 1956, an official branch was organized, missionaries began preaching and a building was purchased to serve as the country’s first meetinghouse.
Members: 637,180
Missions: 15 — Arequipa, Chiclayo, Cusco, Huancayo, Iquitos, Lima Central, Lima East, Lima North, Lima Northeast#, Lima South, Lima West, Limatambo, Piura, Trujillo North, Trujillo South.
Temples: 9 — Dedicated: Lima (1986), Trujillo (2015), Arequipa (2019) and Lima Los Olivos (2024). Announced: Chiclayo (2022), Cusco (2022), Huancayo (2023), Iquitos (2023) and Piura (2023).
Suriname
Beginnings: Expatriate Latter-day Saints living in Suriname held worship meetings as early as the late 1960s; however, the first converts weren’t baptized until Easter Sunday 1989, with a branch organized that same year.
Members: 1,848
Uruguay
Beginnings: The first congregation was organized in 1944 for North Americans working in the country.
Members: 108,060
Missions: 2 — Montevideo and Montevideo West.
Temples: 1 — Dedicated: Montevideo (2001).
Venezuela
Beginnings: Elder Marion G. Romney of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organized the first branch in November 1966; missionaries were sent from the Costa Rica Mission to Venezuela, with the first convert baptized in February 1967.
Members: 176,623
Missions: 4 — Barcelona, Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.
Temples: 2 — Dedicated: Caracas (2000). Announced: Maracaibo (2024).
