The land was dedicated in October 1969 by Ezra Taft Benson and Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. The first missionaries in Indonesia arrived from the Singapore Mission in January 1970. In 1980, the government restricted foreign missionaries and for the next twenty years, all missionaries were Indonesians. A new episode of Church history in Indonesia began with the visit of President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Boyd K. Packer to Jakarta in January 2000. President Hinckley was personally invited to visit the country by the President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid. In January 2001, the Church received approval from the Indonesian Department of Religious Affairs to once again have overseas missionaries to support the programs and development of the Church in Indonesia. The first group of foreign missionaries arrived in April 2001. Foreign missionaries were pulled out after September 11, 2001, but have been serving in the country since 2003.
The Indonesia, Jakarta mission consists of 2 Stakes, and 1 District. There are 22 wards and branches mostly on Java with one branch on Medan and one branch on Manado. The mission is also divided into three missionary zones sharing the same geographical boundaries as the Stake and District.
There are over 6,000 members of the Church in Indonesia, but only half are active. There are around 70 full-time missionaries, and a few missionary couples involved with member support, mission office, humanitarian projects, career development, implementing PEF (perpetual education fund) and family history. Some of the humanitarian projects have been clean water, wheel chairs, neonatal resuscitation, and disaster relief.
Proselyting in Indonesia
Missionaries cannot go door to door, but can do street contacting as a way of finding interested and prepared families. Missionaries are allowed to talk to anyone about religion. However, those who are Islamic and active in their faith should not be actively proselytized. Therefore, in addition to following the approved methods of proselyting as explained in the Missionary Handbook and Preach My Gospel, it is appropriate to remember the following rules:
1. Do not press the issue if someone is not interested.
2. Always be courteous and polite, and leave a positive impression.
Time Difference
The time difference between Indonesian Time and Mountain Daylight Time is 14 hours. When it is 10:00 PM in Indonesia, it is 8:00 am in Salt Lake City. The time difference between Indonesian Time and Mountain Standard Time is 13 hours. When it is 10:00 PM in Indonesia, it is 9:00 AM in Salt Lake City.
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