From the beginning, Latter-day Saint communities in Singapore have been a cosmopolitan mix of people from Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian, European, and other ethnic and national backgrounds. Singapore has drawn this diverse community of Latter-day Saints, all with unique gifts to share, because it is a hub of southeast Asian commerce, education, and culture.
After decades of war and civil unrest in the South Asia area, efforts to spread the gospel to these countries began in earnest in the late 1960s. Tight government restrictions on foreign missionary visas established in 1970 created a Church culture in which local members, many of them new converts, assumed significant responsibilities of leadership and missionary work. By 1977 most new converts had been introduced to the gospel by other members. Indeed, Singaporean Saints have “[been] not weary in well-doing … laying the foundation of a great work,” learning that “out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33).
Over the decades the Church’s relationship with the government has improved significantly and Church members have earned a reputation as hardworking citizens who put family first. Their energetic family history efforts have led them to send many names to the nearby Hong Kong and Taipei temples for sacred ordinances. In November 2019, when President Russell M. Nelson visited Singapore, he praised their efforts and said he prayed for a day when the Singapore Saints would have a temple of their own.
