Mozambique: Church Chronology

1990s • MozambiqueMozambicans, baptized while living in various other countries, returned to Mozambique and began sharing the gospel.

1992 • Eastern AfricaIn response to the devastating drought, the Church sent aid to Mozambique, Somalia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.

1993 • Dondo, MozambiqueA group of investigators was organized in Dondo, a suburb of Beira, with David Holsinger, an American member, as group leader.

February 4, 1995 • Maputo, MozambiqueA group was formed in Maputo, with Samo P. Gonçalves, who was baptized in Portugal, as group leader. Gonçalves was given the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordained an elder.

February 1996 • MaputoThe Church received official recognition from the government of Mozambique.

June 1996 • Beira, MozambiqueA group was organized in Beira.

September 8, 1996 • MaputoThe Maputo Mozambique Branch was organized, with Samo P. Gonçalves as president.

February 27, 1997 • Johannesburg, South AfricaSamo and Carolina Gonçalves were sealed in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. They were the first Saints from Mozambique to attend the temple.

June 15, 1999 • MaputoMissionaries from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission arrived in Mozambique.

dedication of Mozambique

October 29, 1999 • Maputo

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Mozambique for the preaching of the gospel.

December 1999 • MaputoJorge Chene Mounga, the first Mozambican to serve as a full-time missionary, was called to the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. Elder Mounga served most of his mission in Mozambique.

April–July 2003 • Beira and MaputoDistricts were organized in Beira on April 13, with Augusto Cherequejanhe as president, and Maputo on July 27, with Samo P. Gonçalves as president.

August 21–23, 2003 • JohannesburgTwelve members from the Beira district traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the temple.

December 20, 2004 • MozambiqueThe Mozambique Maputo Mission was created.

April 30, 2005 • BeiraThe Beira meetinghouse, the first Church-built meetinghouse in Mozambique, was dedicated.

September 2–7, 2005 • MaputoWith financial support from the Church, Saints in Mozambique assisted in a nationwide campaign to administer measles and polio vaccinations.

May 7, 2006 • MaputoThe first family history center was created in the Maputo meetinghouse.

February 15, 2015 • MaputoThe Maputo Mozambique Stake was created, with João Carlos Da Costa Castanheira as president.

March 2019 • MozambiqueSaints in Beira helped to reconstruct homes and clean up streets following the destruction of Cyclone Idai. Members of the Maputo Mozambique Stake also donated life-sustaining essentials and assisted the government with shipping relief supplies to Beira.

April 23, 2020 • BeiraRelief Society sisters in Beira donated more than 6,000 handmade masks to the local community to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

April 4, 2021 • Salt Lake CityThe construction of the Beira Mozambique Temple was announced in general conference.