Many people outside of Utah presume that the Beehive State's entire population is Mormon, so why would there be a need for LDS missionaries?
In fact, barely half of Salt Lake City's residents are members of the state's predominant church, and the Salt Lake Valley's LDS missions are reportedly among the most successful in the country. So much so that the Utab-based faith has just announced that it is creating two new missions in the valley — on the west side and in the central section.
"LDS missions in Utah are among the highest baptizing in the church," writes Matt Martinich at a website about LDS growth. "The decision to create additional missions in a state already headquartering five LDS missions to service less than 3 million people ... appears linked to meeting the teaching needs for the large number of investigators in the state."
And most potential converts in Utah, he writes, are referred by members.
The LDS Church also announced this week the creation of new missions in Medellin, Colombia; Kumasi, Ghana; Puebla, Mexico; Xalapa, Mexico; Reno, Nev.; Port Vila, Vanuatu; and west Moscow.
That brings the number of LDS missions from 340 to 347, according to a website the keeps track of LDS growth.
Peggy Fletcher Stack
