Serbia: Chronology

1841 • SerbiaOrson Hyde passed through Serbia on his mission to Jerusalem.

May–July 1899 • Beograd, Serbia, and Bečkerek, Austro-Hungarian Empire

Mischa Markow preached in Beograd, becoming the first missionary to preach in Serbia, but he was soon banished. Markow also preached in Bečkerek (now Zrenjanin, Serbia) but was again banished.

1918 • BeogradEviza Arbić Vujičić, who had joined the Church in Budapest, settled in Beograd.

August 14, 1933 • BeogradMatej Spaček became the first person baptized in Yugoslavia.

March 26, 1972 • Salt Lake City, UtahKrešimir Ćosić, who had joined the Church while studying at Brigham Young University, was set apart as a special missionary to Yugoslavia by Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His assignment was to build up the Church in his homeland over the course of his basketball career.

February 2, 1975 • BeogradKrešimir Ćosić and members from various parts of Yugoslavia held a sacrament meeting at Hotel Palace.

1975 • AustriaGustav Salik, who was born in Zrenjanin, Serbia, and living in Brazil, was called to Austria with the task of opening a mission in Yugoslavia. Salik spent two years petitioning the government of Yugoslavia for clearance to open the mission, but he was unable to secure it.

September 9, 1977 • BeogradDušan Tabori became the first convert baptized in Serbia since 1933.

September 1981 • Montréal, CanadaRadmila Ranović, the first full-time missionary called from Serbia, began her service in the Canada Montréal Mission.

November 6, 1983 • BeogradKrešimir Ćosić organized the Beograd Branch with Ivo Stipica as branch president.

1990 • BeogradThe Church was represented at the International Book Fair in Beograd, a tradition that continued for at least a decade.

1991–95 • SerbiaDuring the Yugoslav wars, supplies were sent from the bishops’ storehouse to the people of Serbia and other former Yugoslav republics. Latter-day Saints from across Europe also developed projects to send aid to the region.

February 4, 1992 • SerbiaThe government of Serbia granted the Church legal recognition.

August 18, 1992 • Novi Sad, SerbiaThe Novi Sad Branch was organized.

November 10, 1992 • BeogradThe Beograd Serbia District was organized.

April 1996 • SerbiaAfter a segment of a press conference about the Church’s humanitarian assistance in Serbia aired on local television, Serbia’s minister of religion invited missionaries to return to the country after a 10-month absence.

March 23, 1997 • Sremska Mitrovica, SerbiaThe Sremska Mitrovica Branch was organized with Radomir Vučenović as president.

October 10, 1998 • Zagreb, CroatiaDuring a missionary conference, a day of fasting and prayer was held for Serbia as political tension rose between the Yugoslavian government and NATO.

January 1999 • BeogradDragomir Savić was called as president of the Beograd Yugoslavia District. He led the Church in Serbia during the difficult period of NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia and the nearly three-year absence of missionaries.

February 27, 2001 • SerbiaElder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Serbia for the preaching of the gospel.

2007 • Salt Lake CityThe Book of Mormon was published in Serbian.

October 11, 2015 • Čačak, SerbiaA Church group was organized in Čačak, meeting with support from the Beograd Branch.