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

Members in China will carefully follow China’s guidelines on activities and travel. Members are encouraged to be prudent, safe and strictly comply with local requirements. Please follow publicly available information on current conditions and requirements.

We can always provide comfort, hope and encouragement to each other. Appropriate, safe and permitted contact with each other can be a source of mutual peace and love.

All members should be prudent, safe and strictly comply with laws and local requirements. Please monitor carefully publicly available information on conditions and any changes to current requirements.

Please contact the China Administrative Unit (CAU) Director who is a local Chinese leader and helps take care of and directs the local members and local member congregations in China. He lives in Beijing. His email is: caudir@churchofjesuschrist.org. He will welcome you, answer your questions, connect you with your local leaders in China, provide times and places for Sunday meetings, and establish your Church membership in the right place.

Yes. Local members meet on Sundays in various cities around China, led by local priesthood leaders, with local families and members of all ages, professions, and family situations.

In fundamental spirit, Church scriptures, doctrines, and the gospel friendship of the Latter-day Saints are the same everywhere. Around the world, including in China, meeting places may be larger or smaller, rented, and closer or farther to where members live. But Chinese members returning to China will find a warm spirit, close feelings one to another, and mutual support, service, and love.

Please let Chinese members returning to China know that they may have Church members among their family, friends, and acquaintances in China. Having much in common with other Chinese Church members will be a joy, comfort, and blessing. Please invite new Chinese members who are thinking of returning or planning to return to China at any point to contact their current bishop/branch president. For questions related to returning to China, Chinese members may contact the CAU Director.

New Church members everywhere are happy about what they feel and have found. They naturally want to learn everything they can about the gospel and the Church. They welcome being able to read God’s scriptures, to explore churchofjesuschrist.org and other digital Church resources, and to attend Sunday meetings weekly with Church members. For some questions, your current bishop/branch president will have the answers. For questions related to your return to China, you may contact the CAU Director.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches its members everywhere to lead Christ-like lives of faith, virtue, compassion, and integrity as indicated in the 13 Articles of Faith. One important tenet is for members to obey, honor and sustain the laws of the land. In countries around the world, including in the People’s Republic of China, the Church teaches members to be good citizens and good parents.

The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China guarantees freedom of religious belief to its citizens. Religious practices, however, are subject to a variety of rules and regulations. It is important to understand these rules and regulations and how the Church works to follow them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not one of the five recognized religions in China. Overall, because members of our Church have worked to follow government regulations, the Church has a good reputation and is respected.

The Church follows established official guidelines for the activities of its members in China. Within established guidelines, Church members are able to pursue personal individual belief and practice.

Within guidelines, family members may be able to attend Sunday meetings, be taught, and be baptized. Please contact the CAU Director for further information.

Not at present. Please contact the CAU Director for guidelines and further information.

Please do not distribute any Church literature or other religious materials; please do not seek to attend Church meetings with foreign Church members, and please do not set up religious-based social media accounts, blogs, microblogs, WeChat public number, video site internet accounts, etc., that could be misunderstood as trying to promote the Church in China. Church members can take only one copy of each Church magazine or Church material for personal use in China. To avoid any misunderstanding, please do not send Church magazines or Church materials by mail or through the internet.

After education or employment, Chinese baptized overseas returning to China have had Sunday meetings since the late 1990s.

Yes.

Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan Church members who live in China can attend local Church meetings. Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan Church members who travel to China for business or tourist purposes should attend Church meetings with foreign members.

No. Presently, there are no Church meetings held jointly with both foreign expatriate passport holders and local PRC Chinese members. The one exception is that PRC Chinese members who are married to foreign expatriate passport holders, and their children, may attend Church meetings held by foreign expatriate passport holders.

Of course. It is natural for relationships among friends to continue. Friendships and associations with foreigners are not restricted in China, though Church meetings for foreign and local Church members are held separately in China, and local and foreign Church members do not meet together for Church. When a new Chinese member joins the Church, please include in their baptism record their home address in China, WeChat account and mobile number. This will help everyone keep in touch. Please do not send email or other messages to those who are not members of the Church or whom you do not know personally. Obey the rules of internet usage. For example, some social websites are not allowed to be used in China.

Church members can take only one copy of each Church magazine or Church material for personal use in China. To avoid any misunderstanding, please do not send Church magazines or Church materials by mail or email.

This is natural when students and others are moving about all the time. Having a social or other point of contact set before the holiday or break can give everyone a method and time for continuing communication.

The scriptures – Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price – are all available in Chinese. Church magazines and basic Church curriculum are available in Chinese. Chinese materials can also be accessed through Gospel Library App.

Sometimes seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. Invite Chinese members preparing to return home to find out as much as they can from the CAU Director, current bishop/branch president, local Chinese members, and others. This way returning Chinese members can feel confident and know what to expect.

Please help new members prepare for their coming transitions, for example, by emphasizing the importance of continuing to live the Word of Wisdom. Please be understanding and kind, and follow good judgment as you counsel together.

Yes, in countries outside China where large numbers of Chinese members live, Church leaders can organize Institute classes, Young Single Adult conferences or devotionals, outings or activities around Chinese holidays (such as the lunar New Year), etc. With appropriate Church leader coordination, these activities can be organized on a ward/branch, stake or multi-stake, or even a country or area basis.

New Church members everywhere need gospel friends, Church opportunities to serve and grow, and continued spiritual nourishment. New Chinese members appreciate opportunities to feel the faith and fellowship of Church members each Sunday at Church. They like to meet other Chinese Church members. Continuing to study and deepen their testimony of the Book of Mormon is important.

Everyone wants a happy and eternal family. In the quiet reflective moments – a beautiful sunrise, a baby’s smile, a challenge such as death – we sense there is order and meaning in life beyond what we see. In those moments, God’s existence, life’s purpose and direction, etc., become clear. Humble reflection and contemplation deepen our love for God, and the love we feel from God. Studying, asking with real intent, and listening with an open heart can deepen faith, and our willingness and desire to follow the truth we feel.

Church leaders everywhere are considerate of student examination, study, and work circumstances when arranging Church activities and service opportunities. Church leaders also know different individuals enjoy different activities – social, athletic, gospel-living, hobbies, etc. Sharing food, holidays, and other special occasions enriches everyone.

Chinese Church members meet in organized Sunday meetings with local Chinese leaders in various locations throughout China. As is true in every country, some Church members live farther from meetings places and need to travel for Sunday meetings. Faith and sacrifice bring blessings. The love and concern of local Chinese Church leaders and fellow members are not limited by distance or geography.

For foreign expatriates (foreigners entering China on a foreign passport) please see Meetinghouse Locator in churchofjesuschrist.org for several international district meeting locations and contact information. For other questions, please email bcidclerk@gmail.com. Your email will be directed to an expatriate Church leader who can provide Sunday Church times and places where expatriate Church members are permitted to meet. If you are an expatriate member moving to China, you will be directed to an expatriate priesthood leader for the area in which you plan to live. Please remember, in China, expatriate members and local Chinese members meet separately. (Hong Kong or Taiwan Church members, please refer to the related question above: “Do Hong Kong or Taiwan members attend Church with foreign or local Chinese members in China?”)

Expatriate members living in or visiting China should be aware of the unique limitations on religious activities in China. While China permits freedom of religious belief, all religious activities in China need to comply with relevant laws and regulations. Some of the key limitations of which you should be aware include: members may not engage in active or passive proselyting among China nationals; only individuals who hold foreign passports, and their spouses, may attend meetings or other activities with expatriate members in China; expatriate members are not permitted to participate in religious activities with Chinese nationals, whether or not they are members of the Church; and religious materials may not be disseminated to Chinese nationals in China. Observing these guidelines helps support our efforts to build a foundation of trust with government authorities and enables us to continue to meet together as the government now permits us to do.

Thank you for your faith and dedication. Appropriately implemented, online proselyting can help hasten the work of salvation.

However, online proselyting should not cross international borders into countries where the Church has chosen or agreed not to proselyte. This currently includes the People’s Republic of China.

Please refer PRC citizens living outside of China interested in learning more about the Church to the Church website china.churchofjesuschrist.org.

To help establish the Church in ways appropriate to local circumstance, missionaries involved with online proselyting which crosses international borders should refer international online investigators to the mission and missionaries where the online investigators live.

This united effort to teach international investigators where they live will promote local friends, opportunities to serve, and long-term gospel nurturing.

It will also promote needed coordination in cases where online investigators may move to different locations, including between locations where the Church is free to proselyte and locations where the Church has chosen or agreed not to proselyte.

Online proselyting should not cross international borders into countries where the Church has chosen or agreed not to proselyte. This currently includes the People’s Republic of China.

Generally, online proselyting by missionaries or members should not cross international borders into countries where the Church has chosen or agreed not to proselyte. This currently includes the People’s Republic of China.

Guidelines for those who desire to share the gospel with family or friends that are provided on china.churchofjesuschrist.org should be applied in these situations.

Encourage new members to contact the CAU Director. He will help them contact their local leaders. If there is a new member that has special needs or circumstances, you may also contact the CAU Director with that information.

Online proselyting should not cross international borders into countries where the Church has chosen or agreed not to proselyte. This currently includes the People’s Republic of China.