“Prophecy and Patience: 100 Years of the Church in South America,” Liahona, Dec. 2025.
Prophecy and Patience: 100 Years of the Church in South America
“As an oak grows slowly from an acorn,” the Church in South America has grown steadily and significantly over the past 100 years.
Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (center) dedicated South America for the preaching of the gospel in December 1925. This photograph was taken at the dedication site in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about six months later.
Left to right: mission president Reinhold Stoof and his wife, Ella; Elder Ballard; Elder Rey L. Pratt of the Seventy; missionary J. Vernon Sharp.
“I want to say to you before the Lord that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap,” the Prophet Joseph Smith boldly proclaimed to a gathering of priesthood holders in Kirtland, Ohio, during the spring of 1834. “You don’t comprehend it.”
Crammed in a small log cabin, the audience listened intently as the Prophet detailed the future growth of Christ’s restored Church.
“It is only a little handful of priesthood you see here tonight,” Joseph explained, “but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.”
For those in attendance, the Prophet’s words seemed nearly unimaginable. Never before had they considered that the Church could one day cover the entirety of a continent as distant and vast as South America.
The First Attempt
Included among those present with the Prophet that day in 1834 was the Apostle Parley P. Pratt. In late 1851, he embarked on an ambitious mission with his pregnant wife, Phoebe, and missionary companion, Rufus C. Allen. Driven by a desire to see the Prophet Joseph’s promise realized, the group landed in Valparaíso, Chile, to begin the preaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in South America.
The complicated economic and political situation at the time, combined with not having the Book of Mormon translated into Spanish, made missionary work difficult. On top of this, the Pratts’ newborn son, Omner, born in Chile, passed away shortly after their arrival. After only a few months, Parley concluded that the moment was not right for the Church to take hold in South America. But he remained convinced that one day the Lord’s words would all be accomplished.
A Prayer and a Remarkable Prophecy
While Parley never returned to South America, his grandson Rey L. Pratt played a pivotal role in establishing the Church there. He and Rulon S. Wells accompanied Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to Argentina in 1925 to open a mission. A few years earlier, members from Germany had settled in the bustling city of Buenos Aires and started teaching their friends and neighbors.
Within a week of Elder Ballard and his companions’ arrival in the city, they baptized the first converts on the continent. Then, early on Christmas morning, they gathered under a grove of willow trees in a park. At the direction of Heber J. Grant, the President of the Church, and through the apostolic authority he held, Elder Ballard offered a prayer to dedicate South America for the preaching of the gospel.
“I turn the key, unlock and open the door for the preaching of the gospel in all these South American nations,” he prayed, “and rebuke, and command to be stayed, every power that would oppose the preaching of the gospel in these lands.”
Finding more people interested in their message, however, proved difficult. The missionaries spent countless hours contacting people in the streets and handing out thousands of tracts, hoping to attract attention to their meetings.
Having had only limited success, Elder Ballard uttered a remarkable prophecy about the future of the Church in South America shortly before he returned home. To a small handful of Saints he testified that “the work will grow slowly for a time, just as an oak grows slowly from an acorn.” But unlike a sunflower that shoots up in a day, “grows quickly and thus dies,” the gospel would spread gradually. “Thousands will join here,” he pronounced. “The work here is the smallest that it will ever be.” Elder Ballard further predicted that the mission “will be divided into more than one mission and will be one of the strongest in the Church.”
Taking the Gospel Far and Wide
At the time, Elder Ballard’s declaration about the destiny of the Church in South America seemed almost as unbelievable as Joseph Smith’s prophecy uttered decades earlier. Nevertheless, as Elder Ballard prophesied 100 years ago, the Church through the decades has extended across the continent in the Lord’s time.
From Argentina, missionaries eventually crossed over into the neighboring nations of Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. From there the work expanded into other countries. In locations like Guyana, Paraguay, and Venezuela, Latter-day Saints from foreign lands were instrumental in introducing the faith. In still other places, the message of the restored gospel managed to arrive years before either members or missionaries.
Such was the case with the Fandiño family, who lived on the Caribbean coast in Ciénaga, Colombia. One day while visiting the local market, Margarita Fandiño found and purchased a used copy of the Book of Mormon. Accepting it as scripture, the family read and highlighted meaningful verses until Margarita’s daughter Kellys shared the book with her local youth Bible study group. To her surprise, the pastor seized the Book of Mormon and burned it. Only years later would missionaries enter the city of Ciénaga and teach Margarita and her family about their beloved book and the Restoration.
On the opposite end of the continent, in the world’s southernmost city of Ushuaia, Argentina, the promise of eternal families caught the attention of Amanda Robledo and her husband, Ricardo. Following the death of her mother, Amanda visited different denominations, hoping the teachings of Jesus Christ could heal her heart. When missionaries later found the couple and taught them that families could be sealed together, Ricardo felt the Holy Spirit and sought baptism. Amanda was similarly touched but remained uncertain due to rumors she had heard. Eventually, her love for her family and desire to be with them forever convinced her to join the Church and be bonded to them through temple ordinances.
Sacrifices for Temple Blessings
Even as the restored gospel spread across the continent, the blessings of the house of the Lord remained out of reach for most members in South America. Until the completion of the São Paulo Brazil Temple in 1978, only those able to travel to the United States or Europe had the privilege of making eternal covenants and participating in ordinance work for others. Saints throughout South America contributed to the temple’s construction by laboring at the site, selling valuables, and donating savings.
Shortly after the dedication of the temple, Efraín and Maria Ondina Rodríguez from Arequipa, Peru, made the trek to São Paulo. Complications at international border crossings and the outbreak of a revolution turned their trip into nearly a monthlong journey. Despite encountering many difficulties, through faith and determination they were united as eternal companions. For others, attending the temple required fording raging rivers and crossing the towering Andes mountains to be sealed together forever as families.
Traveling to the house of the Lord also demanded great sacrifices for Latter-day Saints in Brazil. Manaus, located along the banks of the Amazon River, was a week’s trip from São Paulo. Reaching the temple entailed an expensive and extended journey through the jungle on a boat for three or four days and then three more days by bus. Along the way, Saints from Manaus faced food and water shortages, vehicle breakdowns, and even robberies, obstacles which were overcome only through miracles and assistance from fellow members. For those who made the voyage, the spiritual peace they received outweighed any setbacks suffered.
As sacred temple covenants have become increasingly available, these experiences and others have become a rich heritage of faith for all Saints in South America.
Growth of the Kingdom
Prophecies about the Church in South America are being fulfilled before our eyes. The kingdom has indeed spread across the continent as the Prophet Joseph Smith foresaw. Over four million members live in South America, and congregations can be found in every country there. Today there are over 30 operating temples, with many more announced or under construction.
The seed planted by Elder Melvin J. Ballard a century ago has indeed borne fruit. The South America Mission that he predicted would be divided one day has become over 100 separate missions. Like an oak tree with deep roots, the Church in South America now has a strong trunk that will enable it to extend its branches ever further. Looking back over the past 100 years in South America shows how Heavenly Father continues to keep His promises made through His prophets.