Trinidad and Tobago: Church Chronology

1976 • Port of Spain, TrinidadTrinidadian Elizabeth Rogers Dopson, commonly known as Liz Rogers, married Emil Paul Dopson and joined the Church in England. When Liz and her family returned to Trinidad in 1976, she wrote to Church President Spencer W. Kimball and requested that missionaries be sent.

June 2, 1977 • Cedros, TrinidadLucy Josephine Payne was the first person baptized in Trinidad.

June 15, 1980 • Port of SpainThe Trinidad Branch (later the Port of Spain Branch) was organized.

1981 • Port of SpainLocal members Lucy Payne and Basil Borde represented the Church at a Senate meeting to seek official government recognition, but the application was denied.

December 18, 1982 • Port of SpainA “Meet the Mormons” open house was held at the City Hall auditorium, with about 500 people attending. Relief Society sisters baked more than 3,000 cookies. The mayor of Port of Spain, Councilor George Neehall, welcomed invited guests.

November 1984 • Port of SpainJudy Jattan left for missionary service in Canada.

September 1987 • Port of SpainChurch members organized a health fair. The fair shared the Latter-day Saint lifestyle with members of the public, resulting in numerous missionary referrals.

April 12, 1988 • Trinidad and TobagoAfter many years of negotiation with the government and with 1,100 members already in the country, the Church and the government of Trinidad and Tobago came to an official arrangement allowing large-scale full-time missionary work in the country.

group of people standing outside building

February 22, 1990 • St. Augustine, Trinidad

Latter-day Saints gathered to participate in a ceremony in which Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the republic for the preaching of the gospel.

July 27, 1990 • Port of SpainA coup attempt against the government caused members and missionaries to stay off the streets and live off whatever food storage they had.

May 15, 1994 • San Fernando, TrinidadThe San Fernando meetinghouse was dedicated.

November 12, 1995 • Port of SpainNearly 400 people attended an all-island conference to dedicate the Port of Spain Branch meetinghouse.

March 6, 1996 • Port of SpainThe Port of Spain Trinidad District was created.

August 1999 • Port of SpainThe Port of Spain Trinidad District hosted a young single adult conference, which brought together 70 young people from several countries in the West Indies Mission.

May 20, 2002 • St. Anns, Port of SpainNearly 900 Latter-day Saints gathered to hear Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. While in Trinidad, he also met with the prime minister, Patrick Manning.

August 2007 • Scarborough, TobagoThe Tobago Branch (later the Scarborough Branch) was organized, with Patrick Ramkissoon as president.

March 1, 2009 • Trinidad and TobagoThe Port of Spain Trinidad Stake was organized, with Emrol Ian Gould as president.

2010 • Trinidad and TobagoAmos Victor Henry was called as patriarch of the Port of Spain Trinidad Stake.

February 2010 • Sangre Grande, TrinidadDuring Carnival, the young men of the Sangre Grande Ward traveled to the Matura riverside, where they enjoyed camping, fishing, and firesides.

2012 • Arima, TrinidadYouth aged 12–17 and young single adults in the Arima Branch enjoyed a year of growth and camaraderie through activities such as learning to sew, participating in a hash in the mountains of Arouca, and observing sea turtles laying eggs.

April 5, 2013 • ArimaBranch members staged the musical production Savior of the World, reflecting the Savior’s earthly life and work of atonement. In the following year, the production became a stake-wide event.

November 1, 2014 • Trinidad and TobagoLatter-day Saints participated in an International Day of Service across Trinidad and Tobago, contributing work such as serving in homeless shelters and cleaning a home for the aged.

July 25, 2015 • San FernandoThe San Fernando Ward Relief Society held a ward cook-off competition.

May 24, 2018 • Trinidad and TobagoChurch members opened their homes and hosted visiting leaders Cristina B. Franco, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, and Rebecca L. Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.