New stakes were recently formed in southwest MO and northwest AR. There was a major influx of members from CA, AZ, and UT in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The number of convert baptisms have amounted to only a few each year in that area over the last 40 years. The number of those converts who have remained active is virtually zero.

One of the buildings in the 1980s housed two very large wards. That town, and most of southwest MO, has doubled in population since then and the number of wards in that building is now down to one. The population of Rogers, AR has more than tripled in that same time and the "growth" has been from TBMs moving in for work.

In all of these stakes there has been rearranging of ward and branch boundaries to create new wards and branches. The Joplin Stake used to have the honor of having the most units of any stake in the world. At one point it had 12 units making it the equivalent of roughly three Utah stakes.

The only "growth" has been and continues to be from move ins and births. There is a substantial percentage of those BIC in that area that have become inactive or left the church completely.

12 wards/branches in a stake is not unusual. Ready to be split, but not unusual. Typical stake is 8 units.

Most stakes that I have been in have five wards.

Regardless, the point is that these new stakes were not formed by creating new wards and branches. They were formed by moving boundaries.

my current stake has 12 units. they are land locked and building poor so there is no room for another stake.

Lets not forget all the LDS performers in Branson, Missouri. They have their whole families performing with them. There are 4-5 wards in the Branson area alone which is basically a small town. That is located in SW Missouri.

"SIX" probably makes up an entire ward all by itself.

Branson guy Wrote:
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> Lets not forget all the LDS performers in Branson,
> Missouri. They have their whole families
> performing with them. There are 4-5 wards in the
> Branson area alone which is basically a small
> town. That is located in SW Missouri.

Well shut my mouth ;) That is true. Branson has been booming for Mormonism. Also, looking at the number of wards added per year, there is growth in the church so it must be somewhere. The birth rate among Mormons is still well above replacement and above the average for the US. Therefore, Mormonism should continue to grow in general across the US.

Mormonism, per the number of wards, seems to be adding somewhere between 40,000-60,000 solid members per year worldwide.

Branson even invented a spanish speaking ward. Hard to imagine there would be so many immigrants or people that don't speak english in a small town in rural america. I can see it in a larger town but BRANSON, MISSOURI ?

They invented one where I live too.I live in small town rural america. Isn't English supposed to the language of the land(unofficially of course)!??

Branson guy Wrote:
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> Branson even invented a spanish speaking ward.
> Hard to imagine there would be so many immigrants
> or people that don't speak english in a small town
> in rural america. I can see it in a larger town
> but BRANSON, MISSOURI ?


Branson, MO does not constitute small town rural America. It is a tourist destination and the vast majority of the economy is based on entertainment and tourism. Branson is visited by roughly 8,000,000 tourists every year. A non-trivial percentage of the attendance in the Branson 1st and 2nd Wards plus the Branson West Ward are tourists. After all, TBMs often attend church even while on vacation.

This is the case with many of the non-LDS churches in Branson and in the local area. It is not uncommon for these churches to have significantly more attendees on any given Sunday than are on the records of the local churches.

The Spanish-speaking population in SW MO is substantial and continues to grow. That community has been an integral part of the population since the early 1990s at least.

Your moniker indicates you live in Branson but I wonder if that is truly the case if you are unaware of the realities of the Branson economy. The endless, miles long traffic jams in and around Branson during the ever lengthening tourist season would be impossible for a local to ignore.

Pittsubrg I never said I lived in Branson. I do however go on vacation there.

Not where I live.