July 20th, 2025, 6pm MDT
Two small monumental markers commemorating prayers and prophecies about the gospel sermons of Jesus Christ throughout South America can be found in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Both feature words pronounced in the city by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an apostle of the Latter-day Saints Church of Jesus Christ in the early 20th century. On Christmas Day, 1925, he offered a prayer to South America to sermon the gospel. Then, on July 4, 1926, he continued with a prophecy of the Church’s growth that followed. It’s small and slow at first, but it’s increased in size and strength.
His phrase, “Oaks grow slowly from acorns,” has been repeated and recognized over the decades since.
The church celebrates this year’s centenary and celebrates a series of events and celebrations in most South American countries. (See the coverage linked below.)
A marker to honor dedicated prayers is located in the vast Torres de Febrero Park in Buenos Aires. A large monument commemorating the prophecy is located on the grounds of the Argentine Temple of Buenos Aires. A distance of approximately 12 miles separates the two.
But the true monument of prayer and prophecy is not made of stone. Rather, they are nearly 4.4 million Latter-day Saints currently living in 12 South American countries and one territory, and are ancestors of past generations who helped establish and strengthen the church. A true monument of church growth and strength over the past century is the over 100 missions and present and past missionaries who have served in South America, as well as 61 total temples announced for construction or for South America.
Below is a graphic showing the total national breakdown of membership, stakes, missions and temples.
memberStakesmissionTemplesouth america4.39 million73110461Argentina481,51880147Bolivia 225,1403363Brazil1,494,57128737twenty fourChile607,58379116Columbia215,3313154Ecuador264,8024472French Guiana507Guyana6,8341Paraguay100,1211121Peru637,1801151510Suriname1,848Uruguay108,0601822Venezuela176,6233342
Note: Membership and interests from newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics as of the end of 2024. Mission as of July 1, 2025. As of July 3, 2025, the temple was under construction or announced.
