Albania: Church Chronology

1992 • Tirana, AlbaniaFour senior humanitarian missionary couples arrived in Tirana. Later, four proselytizing missionaries also arrived.

July 25, 1992 • TiranaBlendi Kokona was the first person to accept baptism in Albania.

April 23, 1993 • TiranaFifty-five Albanian Latter-day Saints gathered at Monument of Heroes Park for the dedication of Albania for the preaching of the gospel by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

February 6, 1995 • TiranaThe Church received official recognition from the government of Albania.

June 5, 1998 • TiranaSix children and their parents attended the first Primary activity under the leadership of Rosalba Grimci, Primary president in the Tirana First Branch.

November 1999 • TiranaAfter years of work by lead translators Brikena Ribaj and Juventila Sinamati, the Albanian language edition of the Book of Mormon became available.

March 2000 • TiranaLeonard Tako was called as president of the Tirana Albania District.

February 21–March 4, 2001 • Salt Lake City, Utah, USAEleven Albanian members traveled to Salt Lake City to receive temple ordinances and record the temple endowment ceremony into Albanian.

August 11, 2004 • TiranaThe Albanian edition of the triple combination of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price was published.

2006 • Durrës, Albania

The first Church meetinghouse was built for the Durrës Branch.

June 2009 • AlbaniaElder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with Albanian president Bamir Topi and attended the opening ceremony of a Church-supported school that was created to educate the Roma ethnic minority group in Tirana.

February 2010 • Shkodër, AlbaniaAfter catastrophic floods in northern Albania, Church members and missionaries responded quickly to aid thousands of people forced to evacuate from villages and farms.

March 9, 2014 • TiranaThe Tirana Albania Stake was created, with Medlir Mema as president.

September 2014 • DurrësAlbania’s First Lady, Odeta Nishani, met with Church leaders and members in the Durrës meetinghouse. Primary children sang “I Am a Child of God” and presented her with flowers.

November 20, 2015 • Elbasan, AlbaniaThe Church received the Mother Teresa Award for humanitarian work in Albania.

March 15, 2017 • ElbasanYouth of the Elbasan Branch partnered with the Albanian Red Cross to donate blood for children with thalassemia.

February 2018 • Tirana, Durrës, and Pogradec, AlbaniaChurch member Aubrie Mema curated a photographic exhibition, Modern Iconography, showcasing sources of spiritual strength and inspiration. Blerina Agalliu, Church director of public affairs in Albania, opened the exhibition in the gallery of the National Historical Museum.

April 2018 • TiranaMore than 350 Church members from the Tirana Albania Stake and South Adriatic Mission gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dedication of Albania for the preaching of the gospel. They met for a musical celebration event and held a service at the dedication site.

December 24, 2018 • TiranaUnder the leadership of the Tirana stake Relief Society presidency, members of the Relief Society prepared a lunch for women from the Center for Abused Women, with delicious food, a musical program, and gifts.

December 2019 • Durrës, Bubq, and Ishem, AlbaniaChurch volunteers met with local government officials and delivered food packages and other supplies to residents affected by the earthquake that struck on November 26, 2019.