“1978—A Record-Breaking Year for Forming New Stakes,” Ensign, Mar. 1979, 76–77
1978—A Record-Breaking Year for Forming New Stakes
A record number of new stakes were formed during 1978, as the total number of stakes reached 990 in December. 105 stakes were formed during the year, an increase over the 86 formed during 1977.
The period of fastest stake growth came between April and June 1978, when 44 stakes were formed. During the last quarter of 1978, 26 new stakes were formed. Only one of the stakes formed in 1978—the Guayaquil Ecuador Stake—was the first in any country.
A milestone during 1978 was the creation of five newly named stakes in England. New British stakes are London England Hyde Park, London England Wandsworth, Maidstone England, St. Albans England, and Staines England. Two stakes, London England and London England North, were absorbed into the new stakes. Four stakes were reorganized.
Another milestone was the creation of the 900th stake, the Spanish Fork Utah Palmyra Stake on March 19. The creation of the Church’s 1000th stake has been scheduled for February 17–18, 1979, in Nauvoo, Illinois.
The number of new stakes increased by nearly 10.4 percent in 1978, slightly down from the 10.9 percent increase in 1977. The 1976 increase was 8.3 percent, and the 1975 increase 9.2 percent.
During the last quarter of 1978, new stakes formed were Mobile Alabama, Mexico City Mexico Linda Vista, Clearfield Utah North, Vista California, Sandy Utah Cottonwood Creek, Sandton South Africa, Araraquara Brazil, Pocatello Idaho South, Sandy Utah Granite, BYU 113th and 114th, Thayne Wyoming, Great Falls Montana East, Montrose Colorado, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Vancouver Washington West, Winnipeg Manitoba, Sandy Utah Crescent South, Salt Lake Hunter Central, Corona California, El Dorado California, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania East, Killeen Texas, Novo Hamburgo Brazil, Chandler Arizona, Sorocaba Brazil, and Kearns Utah East.
The Mobile, Araraquara, and Winnipeg stakes were formed from missions, and the other stakes were formed from existing stakes.
The first number after each state or country gives that area’s total number of stakes. The second number is the number of new stakes organized there in 1978. Ecuador (in bold type) acquired its first stake in 1978.