An article by Washington Post London bureau Chief Mary Jordan explores the reasons behind the 10% annual growth rate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria.
Jordan spent a week in Lagos, charting the lives of members of the Church who had recently converted to Mormonism.
The resulting article, “The New Face of Global Mormonism,” is replete with vivid descriptions of the economic and environmental hardships in Africa contrasted by members’ conversion stories in their own words. In her article, Jordan introduces us to Zion Osandu Ndukwe.
"I'm a changed man," Ndukwe said, sitting on a bed that took up most of his apartment. "I used to drink. I had girlfriends outside my marriage. I don't do that anymore, and I feel better. The Mormon Church contributed 100 percent to the change."
Adesina J. Olukanni, Church public affairs director from Africa says, “Jordan truly captures the positive impact of the gospel in people’s lives. She seems to fully understand that major life changes for good occur when individuals become members, a concept not often thoroughly explained in other published stories about the Church.”
Jordan also discusses Church growth in other parts of the world and attributes some of that growth to the Church’s expanded use of the Internet to disseminate information about its doctrines and its members.
The link to the Washington Post article also contains video of African members Jordan met during her visit to Lagos.