Nigeria Then and Now by Lynne Hansen
From Wiki
Nigeria Then and Now
Aba 1966
Aba 2015
Invitation to teach in Nigeria
LDS mission in Austria 1961-63
BYU Hawaii A.A. 1961
BYU Provo B.A. 1965
Peace Corps journey to Nigeria
Teaching English to boys in Aba
We organized a school library
My house near school
(Phillip Benjamin, houseboy, in doorway)
Unbelievable sign in front of an Aba house
Met women of great faith in Aba
Unbaptized “Mormons” in Aba, 1966
THEN in broader perspective
1950s:
Letters from West Africa to Church headquarters requesting literature and missionaries
1960s:
More letters from West Africa than from the rest of the world combined. Missionary visas unavailable.
LaMar Williams got temporary visas in 1961, 1963 and 1965; visited 30 groups, 16,000 converts in Nigeria and Ghana (most were unaware of other groups); none were baptized.
Many conversions through dreams and spiritual experiences
Anthony Obinna
When Obinna came upon the September 1958 Readers Digest he said, “There was an article entitled ‘The March of the Mormons’ with a picture of the Salt Lake Temple. It was exactly the same building I had seen in my dreams.”
Obinna and his 1971 congregation
Obinna baptism
First baptism in Nigeria 1978
Temple in Logan, Utah 1997
Events leading to the LDS Church NOW in Nigeria
1978
June: Church President announced revelation extending priesthood to all worthy males.
November: two couples (Mabey, Cannon) got resident visas; first missionaries to Nigeria.
1979
1,700 had been baptized in 35 branches
1988
First Nigerian stake created, in Aba
2005
First Nigerian temple dedicated, in Aba
First LDS Baptisms in West Africa September 1978
LDS Church statistics THEN and NOW
Joseph Sitati: First African General Authority
Sitatis with Apostle Nelson, wife
Elder Sitati at General Conference
Humanitarian Work
Annual neonatal resuscitation training in Nigeria
Helping Hands in Nigeria
Aba
Port Harcourt
Lagos
Bwari Market, Abuja
Church sponsors Law and Religion Conference and Course Held in Lagos
Nigerian youth empowered by mentors
Largest source of family history in Nigeria is in Oral History held by Village Elders
Digitizing Family History Records
2015 Church starts digitization of Nigerian historical records
100,000,000 documents (Births, Deaths, and Marriages)
Over 100 locations across Nigeria
20 cameras for 12 years
Church has 46 Family History Centers
Book of Mormon in African languages
“And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people.” D.&C. 133:37
Aba stake choir at interdenominational concert at Aba temple: December 2014
For information on Mormons in Nigeria NOW, see
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/country/nigeria
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