The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint

From a humble beginning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Budapest blossomed. The first missionaries, Thomas Biessinger and Paul Hammer, arrived in 1885. Their stay was short, only a month. Yet, the seeds of faith were sown. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found its first Hungarian convert in Mischa Markow in 1887. He was baptized in Constantinople, now Istanbul. Years later, in 1897, Mihály Marjalaky, a Hungarian who had joined the Church in Wyoming, returned to his homeland to serve a mission. He preached in Debrecen, his birthplace. Markow also returned, serving a three-year mission starting in 1899. He found success in Temesvár, baptizing many ethnic Germans and Hungarians. This led to the organization of the first Latter-day Saint congregation in Hungary in 1901, located in Temesvár. A second congregation followed in Brassó (now Brasov, Romania) in 1905. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faced opposition. Authorities resisted their efforts, rejecting petitions for meetings and recognition. Missionaries primarily preached in German. However, in 1909, John Ensign Hill learned Hungarian to share the gospel in the local language. He held the first Hungarian-language Latter-day Saint meeting on November 28, 1909, and performed the first baptism in Hungarian on January 10, 1910. A breakthrough came in 1911 when authorities allowed public meetings in Brassó. The Supreme Court even overturned lower court decisions against recognizing the Church. Sadly, this recognition was withdrawn the next year, and Hungarian-speaking missionary work was suspended in 1913. World War I brought further challenges. Missionaries were recalled from Europe in 1914, including those serving in Hungary. Though over 100 members had been baptized by then, many emigrated to the United States, and organized activity ceased for over seventy years. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was reintroduced to Hungary on April 19, 1987. Russell M. Nelson, then an Apostle, dedicated Hungary for missionary work on Gellért Hill in Budapest. Official recognition followed in 1988, with missionaries returning soon after. In October 1989, Thomas S. Monson dedicated the first Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Hungary. President Nelson was also present. The Hungary Budapest Mission was created in 1990. The Budapest Hungary Stake, the nation’s first, was organized in 2006. Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints thrives in Hungary, a testament to the perseverance and dedication of its members.