Paraguay is a landlocked country in the center of South America with a population of mixed Spanish and Indian descent, and its official languages are Spanish and Guarani. Its population is 87% Roman Catholic.
The Church was first brought to Paraguay when Samuel J. Skousen, who worked in the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion, introduced the gospel to Carlos Alberto Rodriguez and his wife, Mafalda, who were later baptized. On 26 July 1948, the first branch was organized in Asuncion with Skousen as president. In 1949 the First Presidency gave President Frederick S. Williams of the Uruguay Mission permission to open Paraguay for missionary work. The first missionaries did not enter the country until 9 January 1950, and their first baptism was not until 1951. Later that year two branches were organized.
At the time the Paraguay Mission was created in 1977, there were 2,063 members in the country. Two years later, on 25 February, the first stake was organized in Asuncion with Carlos Ramon Espinola as president. By 1980 there were only 2,232 members of the Church in Paraguay, but growth escalated during that year when almost an entire colony of Chulupi (Nivacle Indians) were baptized. In 1990 there were about 12,000 members in the country, but by 1995 the number doubled to 24,000 because of an increase in missionary work. On 1 July 1998 a second mission was created, and by the beginning of the year 2000 there were 44,632 members in 6 stakes and 123 wards and branches. In the April 2000 general conference President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the construction of the Asuncion Paraguay Temple.
[Year-end 2005: Est. population, 6,347,000; Members, 61,308; Stakes, 9; Wards, 56; Branches, 87; Missions, 2; Districts, 11; Temples, 1; Percent LDS, .9, or one in 109; Source: 2007 Church Almanac.]
SOURCES
“The Church in Uruguay and Paraguay.” Ensign 5 (February 1975): 30-32.
Curbelo, Nestor. “Acts of Faithfulness Write Story of Church Growing in Paraguay.” Church News, 27 May 1995. 10.
———. “‘Heart’ of South America Opening to Gospel.” Church News, 27 May 1995. 8.
“Paraguayan Indians—Branch Thrives in Jungle.” Church News, 27 November 1983. 4.
REBECCA JACKSON
From Arnold K. Garr, Donald Q. Cannon, and Richard O. Cowan, eds., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 895. Used with the permission of the Deseret Book Company. Copies prohibited by law.