Sixty New Stakes Created in 1976

“For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened.” (D&C 82:14.)

Zion’s stakes are being strengthened as the Church exhibits steady growth throughout the free world. During 1976, sixty new stakes were created, bringing to 798 the total number of stakes at year’s end. Sixteen of the new stakes were created from former mission areas. Of these sixteen, seven were formed in It’s a Young Church in … Mexico, two each were in Canada, England, and Germany, and one each was in Hong Kong, Taipei, and the United States.

In mid-January of 1977, the 800th stake of the Church was created with the organization of the Veracruz Mexico Reforma Stake.

The number of stakes formed during 1976 was one less than the number created in 1975, but almost three times the number created just five years ago. In 1972, twenty-nine stakes were formed, just five more than the previous year. In 1973, thirty-seven stakes were created; in 1974, the number had increased to forty-four.

Last year, two Mexico missions grew so rapidly that three new stakes were created from each of them. From the Mexico Hermosillo Mission sprang the Tijuana Mexico Stake, the Hermosillo Mexico Stake, and the Ciudad Obregon Mexico Stake. From the Mexico Torreon Mission came the Torreon Mexico Stake, the Chihuahua Mexico Stake, and the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Stake. The seventh stake was the Ciudad Victoria Mexico Stake, created from the Mexico Monterrey Mission.

Across the Atlantic, the Liverpool England Stake and the Preston England Stake were formed from the England Leeds Mission. In Germany, the Frankfurt Germany Stake came from the Germany Frankfurt Mission, and the Stuttgart Germany Servicemen Stake was formed from the servicemen’s districts in the Germany Munich Mission and the Kaiserslautern Germany Servicemen Stake.

Around the globe, the Hong Kong Stake was formed from the Hong Kong Mission, and the Taipei Taiwan Stake was formed from the Taiwan Taipei Mission (Ensign, June 1976, p. 87.)

In eastern Canada, the London Ontario Stake was created from the Canada Toronto Mission, and the Ottawa Ontario Stake from the Canada Montreal Mission.

The only stake formed from a mission in the United States was the Montpelier Vermont Stake from the Massachusetts Boston Mission.

Although all the foregoing stakes were created from areas formerly administered by missions, the total growth picture also includes those stakes that were created by the division of existing stakes.

These new stakes, in the order that they were formed throughout the year, are: Palos Verdes California, Tempe Arizona South, Fairfax Virginia, Farmington New Mexico East, San Salvador El Salvador East, Salem Oregon North, St. Paul Minnesota, Mesa Arizona Salt River, Gainesville Florida, Topeka Kansas, Blythe California, Fairview Heights Illinois, Orem Utah East, Santiago Chile Republica, San Antonio Texas East, St. George Utah College, Hartlepool England, Toronto Ontario East, Camarillo California, Salt Lake Granger South, Eugene Oregon West, Dortmund Germany, Chula Vista California, Rio de Janeiro Brazil Niteroi, Monterrey Mexico Roma, Monterrey Mexico Anahuac, Sandy Utah Crescent West, Kennewick Washington, Lawton Oklahoma, Grants Pass Oregon, Guatemala City Guatemala Las Victorias, Leeds England, Fort Worth Texas North, Logan Utah University Third, Glendora California, Santa Ana California, Lima Peru Lamanite, Lima Peru Central, Lyman Wyoming, Quilpue Chile, Santiago Chile Nunoa, Columbus Ohio East, Lancaster California, Madero It’s a Young Church in … Mexico, and Ogden Utah Terrace View.