Liberia: Chronology

1950s and 1980s • Monrovia, LiberiaChurch members from abroad occasionally held meetings in their homes while living in Monrovia.

Temple of Christ Church

1985 • Liberia

Joe C. Jarwleh began writing letters to Salt Lake City and sharing the Book of Mormon with fellow members of Temple of Christ Church, a Christian group he had helped found.

1985–87 • New Kru Town, LiberiaChurch members Thomas “Kiwi” Peihopa and Harvey D. Brown began meeting with the members of Temple of Christ Church, teaching them the restored gospel, and seeking official recognition for the Church in Liberia.

February 6, 1987 • MonroviaAll known members in the country and many people from Temple of Christ Church attended a social at the home of Steven and Barbara Wolfe, American members of the Church living in Liberia.

May 12, 1987 • MonroviaThe Church was officially recognized in Liberia.

July 3, 1987 • MonroviaJ. Duffy and Jocelyn Palmer, the first missionary couple assigned to Liberia, arrived. Other missionaries soon followed.

August 22, 1987 • MonroviaForty-seven converts, most of them from the Temple of Christ Church, were baptized at Kontiki Beach.

August 23, 1987 • New Kru Town and Congo Town, LiberiaChurch units were organized in New Kru Town and Congo Town. The newly baptized members were confirmed, and the men were ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.

September 2, 1987 • MonroviaElder Marvin J. Ashton dedicated Liberia for the preaching of the gospel.

December 2, 1987 • New Kru Town and Congo TownWith more than 300 members baptized since August, the New Kru Town and Congo Town groups became branches.

March 1, 1988 • MonroviaThe Liberia Monrovia Mission was organized, with J. Duffy Palmer as president.

March 13, 1988 • MonroviaJoseph Forkpah, the first Liberian to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, was ordained an elder.

1988 • LiberiaThe Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Gospel Principles became the first Church publications in the Kpelle language.

February 12, 1989 • MonroviaThe Monrovia Liberia District was created, with David M. Tarr as district president.

November 1989 • MonroviaChurch leaders directed members to begin meeting in home-group meetings as part of a pilot program.

December 24, 1989 • MonroviaRebel fighters invaded Nimba County, the first actions in the First Liberian Civil War.

1990 • MonroviaPrince Nyanforh, John Gaye, Marcus Menti, Taylor Selli, Joseph Forkpah, Roverto Chanipo, Dave Gonquoi, and Joseph Meyers—the first Liberians to serve as full-time missionaries—were called to the Liberia Monrovia Mission.

July 16, 1990 • MonroviaFleeing the civil war, the eight Liberian missionaries arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

February 21, 1991 • LiberiaDue to civil war, the Liberia Monrovia Mission was discontinued, and many branches were closed.

March 1, 1992 • MonroviaLiberian Saints attended a conference in Monrovia; six branches were reinstated.

August 1992 • MonroviaThe Monrovia Liberia District was reorganized.

1993–95 • LiberiaLeaders in the Monrovia Liberia District called local members as district missionaries. Many Liberian Saints also served full-time missions outside of Liberia.

1995 • LiberiaRadio Monrovia began broadcasting Music and the Spoken Word, the weekly Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast.

July 19, 1997 • LiberiaThe first elections since 1985 were held in Liberia.

April 1999 • LiberiaFighting broke out in northern Liberia in what would develop into the Second Liberian Civil War.

July 4, 1999 • LiberiaMore than 1,700 Church members from 13 branches attended a district conference.

June 11, 2000 • MonroviaThe Monrovia Liberia Stake was organized, with Toby Wleboe Tweh as president.

August 2003–January 2006 • LiberiaA transitional government presided as the country recovered from the Second Liberian Civil War.

2006 • LiberiaLDS Charities launched initiatives in Liberia for maternal and newborn care and clean-water access.

April 15, 2007 • MonroviaDue to the large number of Church members who left Liberia during the civil war, the Monrovia Liberia Stake was discontinued and replaced by two districts.

October 27, 2007 • LiberiaSaints in Liberia participated in the first All-Africa Mormon Helping Hands Day. This began an ongoing, annual tradition of community service throughout the continent.

August 2010 • West AfricaOver 11,000 youth from Liberia, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone held celebrations commemorating the 180th anniversary of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

Elder Holland meeting stake presidents

February 11–12, 2012 • Monrovia

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland presided at a two-day conference with Saints and missionaries in Liberia.

June 25, 2013 • Monrovia The Liberia Monrovia Mission was reorganized.

March 2014–June 2016 • LiberiaAn epidemic of Ebola swept through the population of Liberia, killing more than 4,500 people. Missionaries from the Liberia Monrovia Mission were evacuated and reassigned from August 2014 until September 2015.

October 2014 • LiberiaSaints in Liberia participated in Church relief efforts in response to the Ebola epidemic.

2014–17 • LiberiaStakes were organized in Paynesville, Caldwell Island, Bushrod Island, and Monrovia.