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 Germany

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

1984 • Côte d’Ivoire

Lucien 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, Germany

Before 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’Ivoire

Elder Russell C. Taylor visited Saints in Côte d’Ivoire, the first General Authority to visit the country.

September 4, 1987 • Abidjan

Elder 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’Ivoire

Felix Gnambi and Severin Adoupoh Niangui became the first converts baptized in Côte d’Ivoire.

April 22, 1988 • Abidjan

Barnard 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’Ivoire

Relief Society sisters resolved to visit all female investigators and members in the country and succeeded in visiting every home each month.

January 1, 1989 • Abidjan

Philippe C. Assard was called to preside over members in Abidjan.

October 1989 • Abidjan

The first district in Côte d’Ivoire was organized.

March 10–11, 1990 • Abidjan

About 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 • Abidjan

The Church was granted legal recognition by the Ivorian government.

August–September 1991 • Abidjan

Sister 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’Ivoire

With 85 students enrolled, the first seminary and institute classes were held.

Ivory Coast: Missionaries

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 • Abidjan

The Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan Mission was organized.

October 30, 1993 • Abidjan

Over 300 youth attended the first youth conference in Côte d’Ivoire.

February 6, 1996 • Abidjan

Construction began on the Yopougon meetinghouse, the first Church-built meetinghouse in Côte d’Ivoire.

August 17, 1997 • Abidjan

The Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Stake, the country’s first stake, was organized, with Philippe C. Assard as president.

August 30, 1998 • Abidjan

Mamadou Zadi was called as the country’s first patriarch.

October 6–7, 2001 • Abidjan

General conference was broadcast in Côte d’Ivoire for the first time via a live internet feed.

January 11, 2004 • Accra, Ghana

President 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 • Abidjan

Norbert 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’Ivoire

Norbert K. Ounleu became the first Ivorian to be called as an Area Seventy.

April 2011 • Côte d’Ivoire

With 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’Ivoire

The 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 • Abidjan

Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke to a gathering of thousands of Saints and investigators.

2014 • Côte d’Ivoire

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

2015 • Accra

Philippe 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, Utah

President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a temple in Abidjan.

April 12, 2015 • Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire

The 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’Ivoire

Members and missionaries in Cote d’Ivoire participated with members across Africa in Mormon Helping Hands service projects in their local communities.

Ivory Coast: 20th Anniversary

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’Ivoire

The Daloa Côte d’Ivoire Stake was organized. This was the country’s 12th stake.