Facts and Statistics

In 1884, Church missionary Thomas Biesinger traveled from Vienna to Prague to preach the gospel in Bohemia. Arrested for preaching, he spent 68 days in jail preceding his banishment from the country. Before he left the country, he baptized and confirmed Anthon Just, who had testified against him at his trial. Elder Biesinger returned to Czechoslovakia in 1928 at the age of 84. This time, he successfully obtained legal permission for the Church to operate. The Czechoslovakia Mission was organized July 24, 1929, with seven members in the nation. The Church received publicity over the radio and at a cultural fair in 1931, where missionaries handed out more than 150,000 tracts. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible, was translated and published. A young convert, Josef Roubicek, kept the Church intact after missionaries left during World War II. He added 28 members and published a mission newsletter. Missionary work resumed in 1946 until it was closed again in 1950.

In May 1989, Czech members under the leadership of Jiri Snederfler filed a petition for government recognition. Government recognition of the Church was granted in February 1990. The Czechoslovakia Prague Mission was reorganized in July 1990. By then, there were more than 200 members. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed in Prague in 1991. In 1993, Czech broadcasters visited Salt Lake City and broadcasted a nationwide feature on the Church in their country. The Brigham Young University (owned by the Church) Folk Dancers performed in Ladao in August 1997, and their performance was taped for broadcast.

During the 1997 floods in Moravia, more than 120 missionaries and scores of Church members lent their efforts to help individuals recover from the disaster. In addition, the Church sent large amounts of food, clothing, bottled water, and medical supplies to aid the relief effort.

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