Côte d’Ivoire: Chronology

1970s–1980s • Côte d’Ivoire Saints from abroad living in Côte d’Ivoire held Sunday School meetings, sometimes joined by neighborhood Ivorian children.

1980 • France and GermanyThe first known Ivorian converts were baptized in Europe: Lucien Y. Affoué in Lyon, France, and Philippe C. Assard in Bonn, Germany.

1984 • Côte d’IvoireLucien and Agathe Affoué returned with their family to Côte d’Ivoire. Unable to find other Church members, the Affoués held private meetings in their home.

March 20, 1986 • Frankfurt, GermanyBefore Philippe and Annelies Assard returned to Côte d’Ivoire, Elder Russell C. Taylor of the Seventy gave Philippe a blessing, asking him to be a shepherd over the handful of scattered members in the country.

January 7, 1987 • Abidjan, Côte d’IvoireElder Russell C. Taylor visited Saints in Côte d’Ivoire, the first General Authority to visit the country.

September 4, 1987 • AbidjanElder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Côte d’Ivoire for the preaching of the gospel.

November 28, 1987 • Côte d’IvoireFelix Gnambi and Severin Adoupoh Niangui became the first converts baptized in Côte d’Ivoire.

April 22, 1988 • AbidjanBarnard and Cherry Silver arrived as the first Church representatives to serve in Côte d’Ivoire. They assisted local members and pursued legal recognition for the Church.

June 1988 • Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire A Church unit was organized in Bouaké after the Affoué family moved there. Lucien presided over the unit, while Agathe led the Relief Society and Young Women organizations and Clarice Affoué was called as a Primary teacher.

July–December 1988 • Côte d’IvoireRelief Society sisters resolved to visit all female investigators and members in the country and succeeded in visiting every home each month.

January 1, 1989 • AbidjanPhilippe C. Assard was called to preside over members in Abidjan.

October 1989 • AbidjanThe first district in Côte d’Ivoire was organized.

March 10–11, 1990 • AbidjanAbout 200 Saints gathered for the first official district conference in Côte d’Ivoire. During the conference, the Plateau Dokui Branch, the country’s fourth branch, was organized.

April 19, 1991 • AbidjanThe Church was granted legal recognition by the Ivorian government.

August–September 1991 • AbidjanSister Elaine L. Jack, Relief Society General President, visited the sisters in Abidjan. This was the first visit by a General Auxiliary Presidency member.

1991 • Côte d’IvoireWith 85 students enrolled, the first seminary and institute classes were held.

1991 • Côte d’Ivoire

Eighteen young men participated in a missionary preparation program. They were eventually called to serve as full-time missionaries in Côte d’Ivoire, beginning in November of that year.

May 1993 • AbidjanThe Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan Mission was organized.

October 30, 1993 • AbidjanOver 300 youth attended the first youth conference in Côte d’Ivoire.

February 6, 1996 • AbidjanConstruction began on the Yopougon meetinghouse, the first Church-built meetinghouse in Côte d’Ivoire.

August 17, 1997 • AbidjanThe Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Stake, the country’s first stake, was organized, with Philippe C. Assard as president.

August 30, 1998 • AbidjanMamadou Zadi was called as the country’s first patriarch.

October 6–7, 2001 • AbidjanGeneral conference was broadcast in Côte d’Ivoire for the first time via a live internet feed.

January 11, 2004 • Accra, GhanaPresident Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Accra Ghana Temple, making it possible for many members from Côte d’Ivoire to attend the temple for the first time.

November 12–13, 2004 • Côte d’Ivoire Because of dangerous conditions after a French base was bombed, all non-African missionaries were evacuated to Ghana.

July 1, 2005 • AbidjanNorbert K. Ounleu and his wife, Valerie, began presiding over the Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan Mission. Ounleu was the first Ivorian to serve as a mission president.

April 5, 2008 • Côte d’IvoireNorbert K. Ounleu became the first Ivorian to be called as an Area Seventy.

April 2011 • Côte d’IvoireWith the outbreak of the Second Ivorian Civil War, foreign missionaries were transferred to surrounding missions, and Ivorian missionaries returned to their homes or stayed with members until it was safe to travel.

2013 • Côte d’IvoireThe Cocody Côte d’Ivoire Stake was recognized for having the highest percentage of adults who had submitted names for temple work of any stake in the world. Two other Ivorian stakes were in the top 25 stakes in the world by this measure.

February 2013 • AbidjanElder Quentin L. Cook spoke to a gathering of thousands of Saints and investigators.

2014 • Côte d’IvoireBy the end of the year, Church membership in Côte d’Ivoire exceeded 25,000.

2015 • AccraPhilippe C. Assard was called to serve in the Accra Ghana Temple presidency, with his wife, Annelies, serving as assistant to the matron.

April 5, 2015 • Salt Lake City, UtahPresident Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a temple in Abidjan.

April 12, 2015 • Yamoussoukro, Côte d’IvoireThe Yamoussoukro Côte d’Ivoire Stake was organized, with Koffi Philippe Kouame as president. This was the first stake outside of the Abidjan region.

August 2015 • Côte d’IvoireMembers and missionaries in Cote d’Ivoire participated with members across Africa in Mormon Helping Hands service projects in their local communities.

September 2, 2017 • Abidjan

Saints from all over the country celebrated the 20th anniversary of the organization of Côte d’Ivoire’s first stake.

October 22, 2017 • Daloa, Côte d’IvoireThe Daloa Côte d’Ivoire Stake was organized. This was the country’s 12th stake.