The Church in Nicaragua
The first Latter-day Saint branch in Nicaragua was organized in 1954. Latter-day Saints in the country supported each other through natural disasters like the 1972 Managua earthquake, years of civil war, and major social changes. Plans to build a temple in the country were announced in 2018.
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History of the Church in Nicaragua
In the 1950s, several Latter-day Saints moved to Managua, Nicaragua, and began holding meetings in their homes and inviting local people to attend. In 1954, José Guzmán and his daughter Nora Esperanza were baptized, and a branch was organized in Managua shortly after. Other converts soon followed. As the work progressed in Nicaragua, additional branches were organized, and a district was created in 1958.
On December 23, 1972, a massive earthquake struck Managua, leaving many Saints without homes and many more without employment. Members helped distribute more than 20 tons of relief supplies sent by the Church and held meetings in their homes. In the following months, members worked together to rebuild their homes, provide food, and secure new employment.
In 1977, political conflicts in Nicaragua led to violence. North American missionaries, falsely accused of orchestrating anti-government plots, were evacuated. Church-owned meetinghouses were confiscated. While some Nicaraguan Saints fled the country, those who remained held meetings in their homes, finding “in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy” (2 Corinthians 8:2). Local members accepted calls as missionaries, and the Church continued to grow. In March 1981, a stake was organized in Managua.
In the late 1980s, relations between the Church and the government improved, and meetinghouses were returned to the Church. In the decades since then, the Church and the government of Nicaragua have developed a strong working relationship and have worked on several joint humanitarian aid projects. In April 2018, the construction of a temple in Managua was announced during general conference.
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Notes
- Espinoza Horm, Eduardo José. Interview. Managua, Nicaragua, September 22, 2019. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Gooren, Henri, “Latter-day Saints under Siege: The Unique Experience of Nicaraguan Mormons.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 40, no. 3 (Fall 2007): 134–56.
- Managua Branch General Minutes, 1956–1971. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Ortega, Marlin. A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nicaragua, 2010. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Ortiz-Ortiz, Juana de Arco. Interview. Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Jan. 13, 2011. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- “Reyna Aburto’s Story—Part 1: Heartbreak and Hope” (video), youtube.com.
- Searle, Don L, “Nicaragua: Hungering for the ‘Beautiful Fruit,’” Ensign, Sept. 2006, 48–51.