Curious about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bucharest? This story begins long before the church had a physical presence here. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had some presence in Romania from 1899 to 1913. A missionary with a Romanian mother preached here. His name was Mischa Markow.
Most early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints then emigrated to the west. The LDS Church was reintroduced in 1990. A small branch was formed in Bucharest in 1991.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine Orson Hyde traveling along the Danube River in 1841. He was on his way to Palestine. He was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. He traveled between Vienna and Galati now Galați Romania.
In 1899 Mischa Markow preached in Bucharest. Several people joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Markow was jailed for preaching. He was later banished from the city. He traveled to Timișoara and Brașov. He organized branches in these cities.
In January 1904 Hugh J Cannon created the Austro-Hungarian Conference. He was the president of the Church’s German Mission. The conference included branches in Temesvar Brasso and Vienna Austria. Members met for decades. Between 1903 and 1913 Brasov had thirty convert baptisms. Forty-eight missionaries served in the city. In 1913 the conference closed. Missionaries were removed from the area.
Contact was made between World War I and World War II. Missionary work did not resume until 1990. Russell M Nelson visited Bucharest in 1987. He talked with government officials about sending humanitarian missionaries to Romania. Nelson returned in 1990. He made plans for humanitarian relief. He visited Cismigiu Park. Nelson blessed and dedicated the country.
The first humanitarian missionaries arrived in September 1990. The first proselyting missionaries arrived in December 1990. The first female proselyting missionaries arrived in October 1991.
Romania’s first branch was organized in July 1991 in Bucharest. Octavian Vasilescu was the president. Another branch was organized in Ploiesti in 1993. The church obtained missionary visas. It gained legal standing through the Liahona Association. Two districts were organized in Romania in early 1995.
The church’s seminary and institute classes began in 1996. The Romanian translation of the Book of Mormon was released in December 1998. By 2000 there were branches in many cities. These included Constanta Pitești Ploiești and others.
The first two church-owned meetinghouses were dedicated in May 2000. They were located in Bucharest and Ploiesti. Romania became part of the Europe Central Area in 2000. Young Romanian Latter-day Saints gathered for a youth conference in 2001.
As of 2019 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claimed 3064 members in 15 congregations in Romania. In 2023 there were 3103 members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has three FamilySearch Centers in Romania.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bucharest has a history of faith hope and service. Its members have contributed much to their communities. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to grow and bless lives in Romania.