The Church in Turkey

It should be noted that much of what I am about to report is second hand hearsay and I have no official documents to back up the current happening with the Church in Turkey.


I saw earlier this evening @emiliescribbles reporting on Twitter, "Found out today the LDS Church is opening its first-ever mission in Turkey. Eight missionaries will be there in two weeks."


I checked the Church's website about the Church in Turkey and found this: "In 1884, the Church established the Turkish Mission and sent Jacob Spori, born in the Swiss Alps, to preach in Turkey." http://newsroom.lds.org/country/turkey


"The Book of Mormon was translated into Turkish in 1906 and shipped to Constantinople, but it was delayed by customs and did not reach the missionaries serving in Turkey until late 1908. On 28 July 1909, Wilford Booth, president of the Turkish Mission, received word that due to increasing violence in the region, the mission should be closed. Booth and the missionaries left shortly thereafter." http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58669/Country-information-Turkey.html


I contacted a friend I work with, whose dad was, up until recently, the presiding authority in Turkey.  As I understand it, the Church has been unable, until now, to get recognition from the government, which would allow the work to move forward more efficiently.


My friend told me that his father told him that he heard they are expanding a mission in Bulgaria to include Turkey and that they are sending the first four missionaries on February 14, 2012.