A History of the Church in

Armenia

Overview

In the late 19th century, communities of Armenian Latter-day Saints in parts of the Ottoman Empire, such as Aintab, Aleppo, and Zara, worked to build Zion in the face of significant persecution. Increased turbulence in the early 20th century caused Latter-day Saint Armenian congregations to dwindle due to emigration, reassimilation into other religious communities, and violence. Émigrés in the United States translated the Book of Mormon into Western Armenian, published in 1937.

In 1989, following a devastating earthquake, Church officials sent representatives to consult with the government about building a concrete plant. In 1991, humanitarian couples with construction expertise arrived in Yerevan to work on the plant. Some local Armenians who worked with the couples eventually formed the nucleus of the Yerevan Branch. In 2000, the Eastern Armenian translation of the Book of Mormon was published. In 2010, Armenian members headed every congregation in the country.

In the 21st century, building and rebuilding on these legacies of sacrifice and faith, the Latter-day Saints set examples of Christlike love in their communities, heeding the Savior’s call to “lift up an ensign of peace” (Doctrine and Covenants 105:39).