Encompassing most of east Asia, the People’s Republic of China has a population that speaks Mandarin Chinese, Yue, Wu Minbei, Minnan, and Xiang. The population includes atheists, and traditional Confucians, Buddhists, and Taoists.
Church History in China[]
Early History in China[]
Brigham Young discussed the possibility of sending missionaries to China as early as 1849, and by late 1852 three brethren, Hosea Stout, James Lewis, and Chapman Duncan, had accepted calls to serve there. They sailed from San Francisco on 9 March 1853 and arrived in Hong Kong on 28 April. A civil war, the Tai-ping Rebellion, was then underway in China’s interior, making it unsafe for the elders to labor beyond Hong Kong. They also struggled to learn the language. The trio barely only had means to sustain themselves and could not afford language tutors. Negative articles in the press and a chilly reception from the small English-speaking population also impeded their efforts. The missionaries sailed from Hong Kong on 22 June 1853, less than two months after their arrival. The Church made no further efforts to do missionary work in China during the 19th Century.
In 1910, Alma O. Taylor, president of the Japan Mission, was assigned to visit China to investigate the prospect of again sending missionaries. He and Frederick A. Caine visited and observed conditions in Beijing, Shanghai, and other places. Taylor recommended against engaging in missionary activity at that time because of unstable political conditions, which culminated a short time later in the collapse of the Ching Dynasty.
Recent History in China[]
Except for Hong Kong and Macau, the Church is not allowed to do missionary work in the People’s Republic of China. On 12 March 1991 Elder Dallin H. Oaks, speaking at a BYU devotional, addressed the question of when China will be open for missionary work: “I state my belief that China is already ‘open’ – it is we who are closed. . . . We must understand their way of thinking, . . . observe their laws, and follow their example of patience. We must deserve to be their friends. . . . our Father in Heaven . . . will bring His purposes to pass in that great nation ‘in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will'” (D&C 88:68).
Hong Kong China Temple[]
The Hong Kong China Temple is the 48th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 1st temple built in China. It is located in the quiet residential district of Kowloon Tong, a suburb of Hong Kong on the Kowloon Peninsula. The striking edifice, inspired by Hong Kong colonial architecture, features vertical columns of art glass, ornamented exterior walls, and a captivating water feature outside the enclosed temple grounds. Across the street from the temple is a three-story Church facility containing a meetinghouse, mission offices, housing facilities, and a distribution center.
Shanghai China Temple[]
The Church's announcement of a temple in Shanghai, People's Republic of China (PRC) was a major surprise given that the Church operates under significant legal restrictions in the PRC, and there remains no stakes in the PRC at present. As noted by President Nelson's comments, difficulties with travel for PRC to the Hong Kong China Temple, combined with its current closure amid major renovations, appeared to in part prompt this announcement.
The Church organized its first branches for PRC members in 2004 and today has a presence in most of the major cities. There appear to be at least 10,000 Latter-day Saints in the PRC, the vast majority of whom are likely PRC citizens. Shanghai is one of the three major Church centers in the PRC for both foreign and PRC citizens, the others being Beijing and Guangzhou. There are eight member districts in the PRC for PRC citizens, and four member districts in the PRC for foreign members.[1][2]
See Also[]
- China List of Stakes of the Church
- China.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
- ChurchNews 2010 Almanac: China -
- LDSChurchGrowth.BlogSpot.com -
References[]
Sources:
- China Mission, Manuscript history and historical reports, Church Archives;
- Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan, Unto Every Nation: Gospel Light Reaches Every Land, 2003; “Polynesians Win Hearts in China,” Ensign, January 1991;
- Malan R. Jackson, One Hundred Years on the Periphery: The Church in China, 1852-1955, 2001;
- The Church in China: Culture Text, 1980s;
- R. Lanier Britsch, From the East: The History of the Latter-day Saints in Asia, 1851-1996, 1998;
- Spencer W. Kimball, “‘The Uttermost Parts of the Earth,'” Ensign, July 1979;
- Telephone conversation with David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University, 12 July 2004;
- “Elders Maxwell, Nelson Welcomed in China,” Church News, 29 April 1995;
- “Elder Nelson is Named Honorary Professor by Chinese Medical College,” Church News, 29 September 1985;
- Gerry Avant, “President Hinckley Visits China,” Church News, 1 June 1996.