The story of the Church in Paraguay has been written on the pages of history though acts of faithfulness of the early missionaries and members.
Perhaps the first Latter-day Saint to visit Paraguay was Frederick S. Williams, there on government business in 1939."I had never seen a happier, more pleasant people in my life," he wrote. "We heard them singing in the houses we passed and on the streets. . . . Asuncion was a delight to my soul. I fell in love with the Guarani people and wondered how long it would be before they were permitted to hear the gospel."
Brother Williams would later be instrumental in opening the work in Paraguay.
The first members to live in Paraguay were a former missionary from the Argentina mission, Samuel Skousen, who returned to South America after World War II in service of the U.S. government, and his wife.
Brother Skousen was first stationed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with two other former missionaries, Rolf L. Larson and Pierce Brady.
While in Rio de Janeiro, the Skousen family met a young man, Carlos Alberto Rodriguez, and his fiancee, Mafalda Figueiras, and taught them about the Church. This couple later married and settled in Asuncion. About the same time, the Skousen family was transferred to this city and they continued their contact with the young couple. The Rodriguez family attended a conference in Buenos Aires and later asked to be baptized into the Church. On Aug. 21, 1948, Brother Skousen baptized Brother Rodriguez. His wife was baptized a few months later, waiting until giving birth to their first child.
A branch with Brother Skousen as president was organized in Asuncion on July 26, 1948. In October 1949, Frederick S. Williams, then president of the Uruguay Mission, received authorization from the First Presidency to begin missionary work in Paraguay. Near the end of the year, four missionaries were prepared and sent to Asuncion. They rented a building at 157 Mayor Bullo Street where they lived and held the first Church meetings. A short time later, one of the missionaries, Elder Keith J. Morris, was called to preside over the Paraguay District. In 1951, the missionaries baptized Sister Klara Ans de Krisch, the first convert after the official beginning of missionary work here.
The Church grew slowly at first, although by 1951 two branches had been organized. In 1956, the Moroni, Amambay, Sajonia, Villarica and Encarnacion branches were organized in the Paraguay District. In 1977, the Paraguay Asuncion Mission was created under Pres. Mearl Kay Bair and two years later, the first stake was created. The Asuncion Stake, with Carlos Espinola as president, was created Feb. 25, 1979.
A year later, the Fernando de la Mora stake was created. Twelve years passed before another stake was created. Then in 1992, the Asuncion North stake was organized, followed two years later by the San Lorenzo stake.
During the last five years, the number of districts has increased from six to nine, and the membership from 12,400 to 20,200.