LDS Church decreases number of missionaries in Russia

LDS Church Announces Change In Missionary Dress Code
Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Photo: Intellectual Reserve

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 5, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday it is reassigning some of its missionaries, now called volunteers, called to Russia.

The LDS Church released the following statement Monday morning:

The Church has reassigned 30 volunteers in the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) who were originally called to serve in Russia. These volunteers were reassigned to serve in different missions in Russia or to other Russian-speaking missions in Eastern Europe. The remaining 47 volunteers currently in the MTC will proceed to their originally assigned missions in Russia.

With recent changes in the law, volunteers in Russia may not proselyte publicly, but instead focus on supporting the Church and its members, and on engaging in community and humanitarian service. This has decreased the number of volunteers needed and has made it necessary to adjust some assignments.

The Church continues to operate its seven missions within Russia—seeking to comply with every requirement of Russian law—and will continue to call additional volunteers as required to support the Church there.

These assignment changes involve volunteers from multiple missions in Russia and are intended to place volunteers where they are needed most. It does represent a slight decrease in the number of volunteers serving in Russia.

The LDS Church announced in July it would restrict missionary work in Russia after the new law in that country that limits proselytizing.

The law prohibits “sharing faith in homes, online, or anywhere but recognized church buildings” according to Christianity Today. The LDS Church released a prepared statement on the news.

“The Church recognizes a new law will take effect in Russia on July 20, 2016 that will have an impact on missionary work,” it said. “The Church will honor, sustain and obey the law.

The law, signed by President Vladimir Putin as part of a counter-terrorism effort, severely limits religious missionary activities. People who preach, pray or disseminate materials in private residences can be deported and fined as much as $15,000 under the new law.

The new measures, which took effect July 20, also open the door for increased social media and phone surveillance, and added punishment for online extremism.

LDS missionaries have worked in Russia since the early 1990s. The LDS Church has more than 22,000 members in Russia, according to Mormon Newsroom.

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