Latter-day Saints help celebrate 100 years of Christianity in Cambodia
Church members and missionaries were among the thousands who attended event marking a century of Christianity in Southeast Asian country
Sister missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attend the 100-year celebration of Christianity in Cambodia on Jan. 27, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were among thousands who helped mark 100 years of Christianity in Cambodia earlier this year.
“We have been blessed by a government that allows us to practice our religion freely,” Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission President Veasna Neang said in an interview with local news organizations, reported the Church’s Cambodia Newsroom. “We have missionaries who leave their homes and serve all over the world. We have many American and Khmer missionaries who serve here.”
Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission President Veasna Neang participates in an interview during the 100-year celebration of Christianity in Cambodia on Jan. 27-28, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
They share a message of the gospel and of living prophets today, President Neang said.
More than 95% of Cambodia’s 16.8 million people are Buddhist, which is the state religion, according to the World Factbook. About 2% are Muslim and 0.3% are Christian.
There are more than 16,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambodia in 28 congregations.
The first Christian missions to Cambodia date back to 1555-56 by a friar of the Dominican Order, but the effort wasn’t considered a success, according to news reports. It was in 1923 when missionaries with the Christian and Missionary Alliance arrived and were able to establish a mission and continue efforts to translate the Bible.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received legal recognition on March 4, 1994. Many Cambodian refugees living in the United States began joining the Church in the 1970s, according to ChurchofJesusChrist.org. A temple is being built in Phnom Penh and ground was broken in September 2021.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke at the celebration on the Koh Pich Theater grounds with nearly 10,000 people. “This gathering is a demonstration of the progress of Christianity in Cambodia under the shade of peace,” Sen said at the Jan. 27 event.
Prime Minister Hun Sen greets the audience of nearly 10,000 Christians at the 100-year celebration of Christianity in Cambodia on Jan. 27, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Four Church leaders were invited to sit on the stand, including Phnom Penh North Stake President Bunhouch Eng; Sophornn C. Touch, counselor in the Phnom Penh South Stake presidency; Phnom Penh Cambodia East District President Sokha P. Tay; and Samnang Sea, president of the Cambodia Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Malachi Horn, a full-time missionary serving in Cambodia, was also interviewed. When asked about the benefits of Christianity to Cambodia, he said: “Christianity can help develop a loving culture, and that looking forward, Christ can continue to bless this country. He can bless us with knowledge and education and bring hope and joy into our lives.”
Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather for the 100-year celebration of Christianity in Cambodia on Jan. 27-28, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LINK: https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/5/29/23736095/cambodia-latter-day-saints-help-celebrate-100-years-of-christianity
THE CHURCH NEWS
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