Challenges Facing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia

Earlier this fall, Elder Subandriyo (Area Authority Seventy for the LDS Church) asked if I would be willing to write a short essay about the status of Mormons in Indonesia for the Indonesian Journal called Maarif (http://maarifinstitute.org/). This special edition of the journal focuses on the status and rights of minorities in Indonesia. The Institute used the publication of this special edition as a call for greater religious freedom in Indoneisa. The title of the special edition is: Country, Religion and the Protection of Minorities. The title of my contribution is: Challenges Facing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indonesia. It focuses on the challenges of getting visas for foreign missionaries, on getting permission to build chapels (particularly in the Jakarta suburbs of Bekasi and Tangerang) and on the challenges of being accepted by other Christian communities (particularly in the city of Manado). It also highlights the many humanitarian projects of the LDS Church in Indonesia and the good will that exists between the LDS Church and the Indonesian government. Thanks to Setiaman Zebua for translating it and to Tatok Brahmantyo for helping to prepare and submit it.The essay stems from my research for a book I am in the depths of writing on the history of the LDS Church in Indonesia. (click on the images below to enlarge them for easier reading)