The Mormon Church today

at the end of 2005

Church Membership
Total membership: 12,560,869
United States(approx.): 5,778,000
Non-U.S.(approx): 6,782,869
Male: 47 %
Female: 53 %
Increase of children: 93,150

Membership Distribution (31 December 2004):
Canada – 169,633
United States – 5,599,177
Mexico – 1,013,071
Caribbean – 138,511
Central America – 527,511
South America – 2,904,085
Europe – 440,945
Asia – 865,987
Africa – 220,798
South Pacific – 396,104

Church Units(2005)
Stakes: 2,701
Districts: 643
Missions: 341
Wards/Branches: 27,087
Nations and territories: 170

Mission Field
Full-time missionaries: 52,060
Converts: 243,108
Languages: 175

Mormon Temples
Total: 131
Operating: 122
Announced/under construction: 9
Temples dedicated in 2005: 4

The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ
Over 120,000,000 copies distributed since 1830
Approximately 4,686,231 copies distributed in 2003
106 languages in print

The Mormon Church is currently divided up into regional units of various sizes. The most basic organizational unit is known as a ward and is placed under the direction of the local bishop, who has been delegated the authority to preside over that particular ward. A group of wards is known as a stake and is led by a stake president.

Above the stake level are regions, followed by areas, which have their own appointed leaders. The world is also divided into units known as missions, which are under the direction of mission presidents. A geographical mission is the area to which Mormon missionaries are called and where they will serve. Missions can be so large that they contain a number of countries, or so small they include only a portion of a city. (Santiago, Chile, is comprised of four missions.) Additionally, there are a number of auxiliary programs which operate at ward, stake, and Church-wide levels. These include the women’s Relief Society, the Young Women’s and Young Men’s Organizations, and the Primary Organization for children under age 12.