# The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Ecuador. The first missionaries arrived on October 31, 1965. Since then, the LDS Church in Ecuador has grown to more than 250,000 members in more than 300 congregations. Ecuador ranks as having the 5th most members of the LDS Church in South America and 9th worldwide

## History

The first Mormon missionaries from the Andes Mission arrived in Quito, Ecuador in October 1965.
Elder Spencer W. Kimball of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles believes that teaching descendants of ancient Andean Indians will serve the purpose of fulfilling God's promise to bring the Book of Mormon to the Lamanites. Over the next few years, Kimball visited Ecuador a few times for preaching gospel. The church established a strong presence in Quito, Guayaquil, and among indigenous Otavalans.
In January 1966, Missionaries held the very first sacrament meeting in Guayaquil and they arrived Otavalo in March 1966. Within weeks of their arrival, printed notices were surrounded among nearby Ibarra warning the local residents to avoid Latter-day Saints and a few other proselytizing sects.
The inaugural branch meeting was held in March, attended by the missionaries and Manuel Macías Caseras in Otavalo. Within the year, the branch grew to more than 18 members.
On August 1, 1999, the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple was dedicated by church president Gordon B. Hinckley. On April 3, 2016 a second temple was announced to be built in Quito.

## Stakes and districts

| Stake/District | Organized | Mission | Temple District |
| Ambato Ecuador Stake | 10 Dec 1995 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Babahoyo Ecuador Stake | 15 May 2005 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Cuenca Ecuador Stake | 23 Nov 1997 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Durán Ecuador North Stake | 16 Mar 1980 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Durán Ecuador South Stake | 31 May 1992 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| El Triunfo Ecuador District | 17 Nov 2002 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Esmeraldas Ecuador Stake | 22 Oct 1995 | Ecuador Quito West | Quito Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Alborada Stake | 26 Feb 2023 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Centenario Stake | 18 Aug 1991 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador El Cisne Stake | 11 Feb 1996 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador El Salado Stake | 4 Jun 1978 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Fortin Stake | 3 Sep 2017 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Garcia Moreno Stake | 30 Apr 1989 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Huancavilca Stake | 6 Dec 1992 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Juan Montalvo Stake | 18 May 2014 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Kennedy Stake | 11 Feb 1996 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador La Pradera Stake | 2 Sep 2007 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Las Orquideas Stake | 18 Aug 1991 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Prosperina Stake | 16 Mar 1980 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Puerto Liza Stake | 7 Sep 1997 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Puerto Nuevo Stake | 4 Mar 1979 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Guayaquil Ecuador Via Daule Stake | 8 Jun 1997 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Libertad Ecuador Stake | 13 Jun 2004 | Ecuador Guayaquil West | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Loja Ecuador District | 7 May 1991 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Los Chillos Ecuador Stake | 31 May 2009 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Los Chillos Ecuador San Rafael Stake | 3 Sep 2017 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Machala Ecuador Puerto Bolívar Stake | 23 Sep 2018 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Machala Ecuador Stake | 22 Mar 1992 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Manta Ecuador Stake | 25 Feb 1996 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Milagro Ecuador Stake | 5 May 1991 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Otavalo Ecuador Stake | 6 Dec 1981 | Ecuador Quito North | Quito Ecuador |
| Otavalo Ecuador Imbabura Stake | 19 Jan 1997 | Ecuador Quito North | Quito Ecuador |
| Otavalo Ecuador Imbaya Stake | 9 Oct 2016 | Ecuador Quito North | Quito Ecuador |
| Portoviejo Ecuador Stake | 13 Jan 1981 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Quevedo Ecuador North Stake | 26 Apr 1981 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Quevedo Ecuador South Stake | 7 Sep 1997 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador Stake | 22 Aug 1979 | Ecuador Quito West | Quito Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador Calderón Stake | 19 Apr 1998 | Ecuador Quito North | Quito Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador Chillogallo Stake | 21 May 1995 | Ecuador Quito West | Quito Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador Colón Stake | 10 Jan 1981 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador La Ofelia Stake | 25 Jan 1998 | Ecuador Quito West | Quito Ecuador |
| Quito Ecuador Turubamba Stake | 20 Oct 2013 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Riobamba Ecuador Stake | 9 Jun 1992 | Ecuador Quito South | Quito Ecuador |
| Samborondón Ecuador Stake | 19 Aug 2018 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Santa Rosa Ecuador Stake | 19 Sep 1994 | Ecuador Guayaquil South | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Santo Domingo Ecuador Stake | 3 Sep 1995 | Ecuador Quito West | Quito Ecuador |
| Ventanas Ecuador District | 9 Nov 1994 | Ecuador Guayaquil East | Guayaquil Ecuador |
| Vinces Ecuador District | 21 Oct 1992 | Ecuador Guayaquil North | Guayaquil Ecuador |

## Missions

| Mission | Organized |
| Ecuador Guayaquil East | 29 Jun 2020 |
| Ecuador Guayaquil North | 1 Jul 1991 |
| Ecuador Guayaquil South | 1 Jul 1978 |
| Ecuador Guayaquil West | 1 Jul 2013 |
| Ecuador Quito South* | 1 Aug 1970 |
| Ecuador Quito North | 1 Jul 2013 |
| Ecuador Quito West | June 2024 |
* The Ecuador Mission was renamed the Ecuador Quito Mission on 20 June 1974. It was later renamed Ecuador Quito South Mission in June 2024.

## Temples

* = Operating
* = Under construction
* = Announced
* = Temporarily Closed
| 58. Guayaquil Ecuador Temple Official website News & images | 58. Guayaquil Ecuador Temple Official website News & images | |
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Guayaquil, Ecuador 31 March 1982 by Spencer W. Kimball 10 August 1996 by Richard G. Scott 1 August 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m$^2$) on a 6.2-acre (2.5 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Rafael Velez Calisto, Architects & Consultants and Church A&E Services | Guayaquil, Ecuador 31 March 1982 by Spencer W. Kimball 10 August 1996 by Richard G. Scott 1 August 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m$^2$) on a 6.2-acre (2.5 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Rafael Velez Calisto, Architects & Consultants and Church A&E Services |
| 175. Quito Ecuador Temple Official website News & images | 175. Quito Ecuador Temple Official website News & images | |
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: | Quito, Ecuador 3 April 2016 by Thomas S. Monson 11 May 2019 by Enrique R. Falabella 20 November 2022 by Quentin L. Cook 36,780 sq ft (3,417 m$^2$) on a 3.96-acre (1.60 ha) site | Quito, Ecuador 3 April 2016 by Thomas S. Monson 11 May 2019 by Enrique R. Falabella 20 November 2022 by Quentin L. Cook 36,780 sq ft (3,417 m$^2$) on a 3.96-acre (1.60 ha) site |