Facts and Statistics

The first Church meetings held in Portugal were among the United States Armed Forces stationed there in the early 1970s. Later in 1974, Church President Spencer W. Kimball visited Portugal and received confirmation that the Church would be recognized and that missionaries could begin work in the country.

In November 1974, Elder William Grant Bangerter of the Seventy arrived in Lisbon to preside over the newly created Portugal Lisbon Mission. Four missionaries were transferred from a mission in Brazil to begin the work. The earliest Church meetings were held in the home of a Canadian embassy member living in Portugal.

By July 1975, there were 100 Portuguese Latter-day Saints, and by July 1978, membership had reached 1,000. Today more than 38,000 Church members live in Portugal, organized into dozens of local congregations. These congregations, called wards and branches, serve as the center for all local Church activities, including Sunday worship services and classes for children, youth and young adults, and men and women. Weekday activities provide opportunities for additional instruction, social events, and cultural offerings such as dancing, musical and theatrical performance and sports.

High ideals are taught with strong emphasis on family life, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and commitment to high moral principles that characterize Latter-day Saint beliefs. Converts come from a wide age range and from all socioeconomic groups.

Humanitarian services totaling millions of dollars have been given worldwide. Relief without regard to race, nationality, or religion is given. Food, clothing, medical supplies, and economic aid continue to alleviate the suffering of deprived people. European nations, and more recently, Eastern Europeans receive special assistance.

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