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Mormonism in Brazil

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Definition and Introduction

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) was first officially established in Brazil in the late 1920s. Extremely slow growth occurred during the first three decades of proselytism, followed by rapid growth between the early 1960s and late 1990s. Today the Church in Brazil ranks as the country in the world with the third most members, second most stakes, second most missions, and second most congregations. Brazil is the Portuguese-speaking country with the most Latter-day Saints and the second highest percentage of Latter-day Saints in the general population after Cabo Verde. Nevertheless, the Church reports a more limited presence in Brazil in comparison to most Latin American countries. Moreover, low member activity rates and convert attrition have posed significant challenges for growth.

History

Missionary work in Brazil began when President Reinhold Stoof, president of the South American Mission, traveled to Brazil to visit the German...

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Correspondence to Matthew L. Martinich .

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© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Martinich, M.L. (2019). Mormonism in Brazil. In: Gooren, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_415-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_415-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-08956-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08956-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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