Mormon Life - Eastern Europe tag

LDS Church among 18 churches added to Hungarian recognition list

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:36:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of 18 churches that have been added to the list of formally recognized churches by Hungary's new coalition government.

A spokesperson for the LDS Church verified that the recognition has taken place, but said the church would not be commenting on it.

Kyiv Ukraine Temple receives construction award

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:09:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

The Kyiv Ukraine Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has received first place for the best religious building constructed in Ukraine in 2010.

Oklahoma missionaries featured in local news

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:50:00 -0700

source: enidnews.com/

An Enid couple spending two years as missionaries are finding themselves, in the words of one of them, speechless in Hungary.

Dr. Michael and Janice Scott, Enid residents for 20 years, left for Budapest in August. However, their first stop was Provo, Utah, for 10 days of language training.

“Janice and I help with English classes a couple of days a week,” Michael Scott said in an email.

The Book of Mormon: Messages from Heaven

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:07:00 -0700

source: lds.org

Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine Celebrate 20 Years of the Church

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:52:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

This year marks 20 years since the official establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in three Eastern European countries—Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine.

Although the Church already had a presence in each country, the governments of Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine didn’t officially recognize the Church until 1991.

Bulgaria In October 1988, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Hans B. Ringger of the Seventy visited Bulgarian leaders hoping for an opportunity to become established there. But at that time, government policies did not allow the establishment of new religious groups.

Church responds following Turkey earthquake

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:21:00 -0600

source: news.lds.org

On October 23, 2011, a 7.2 magnitude quake struck the city of Van and the town of Ercis, near the Iranian border, in Turkey's Kurdish heartland. An aftershock 6.0 magnitude quake stuck shortly thereafter.

At least 239 people have been killed, and more than 1,000 have been injured. Hundreds more are missing and feared dead, as many residents remain trapped in the rubble.

New triple combination published in Estonian

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:27:00 -0600

source: news.lds.org

A new triple combination edition of the scriptures, featuring the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price bound together in one volume, is now available in Estonian.

The new volume is available immediately from local Church distribution centers, from the Online Store, and online at the scriptures section of LDS.org. This edition brings the number of publication languages for the triple combination to 43.

Ambassador thankful for Church's humanitarian work

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:20:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Once a Kosovo refugee, Avni Spahiu is now an ambassador to the United States from that nation who on Nov. 16, expressed his gratitude to a General Authority for the humanitarian service given by the Church during the dark days of a decade ago.

The expression came on Nov. 16, while the ambassador was a guest lecturer at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Ross "Rusty" Butler, UVU international vice president, who hosted Mr. Spahiu's visit, related the story.

Historic moments for the Church in Ukraine

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:16:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

When Ivan Stratov received his call to serve in the Finland Helsinki East Mission he had no way of knowing he would become so much a part of Church history that his name would show up in the Deseret News Church Almanac.

In the 2010 edition, on page 593 under the heading "Ukraine," the first paragraph reads: "The first missionaries to enter Ukraine were Elders Ivan Stratov and Brian Bradbury; both were transferred from the Finland Helsinki East Mission. They were accompanied by President Dennis B. Neuenschwander of the Austria Vienna East Mission. They arrived on 7 October 1990 with a list of Ukrainian referrals. They quickly made enough contacts to gather 17 people for a fireside held in the Writers' Union Hall, where the first sacrament meetings were later held."

A second event in Church history in which Elder Stratov took part occurred on Sept. 12, 1991, as he stood among the 41 people gathered on a hillside in Kyiv (then spelled Kiev) overlooking the Dnieper River as Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a prayer of dedication on the land of Ukraine and blessings upon its people.

Albanian Mormon convert tells all of her love for the Savior

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:06:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

"Amen" was the sole word I siphoned from a flood of sound the first time Sister Topalli Hanci spoke to me. It seemed I had barely touched Albanian soil before I was lifted up again in the arms of this riotously staunch member of the Church.

Somewhere between her rapid Albanian and exultant gestures, I caught the pulse of her greeting. She loved the Church and the missionaries. She communicated this to me because she loved Jesus Christ. She swept me up like a force of nature then surged on, leaving me to reel and wonder and echo another amen.

In this confusion, I whirled my head and met a missionary's knowing smile. "You look like someone who's met Sister Hanci." I think each missionary in Albania has the experience that is Sister Hanci in common.