In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, individual congregations are referred to as “wards.” Wards, in turn, are organized into groups called Stakes that are roughly equivalent to a Catholic diocese. The name Stake refers to the imagery used by Isaiah in reference to Zion, or the Kingdom of God, comparing it to a tent that is supported and fixed to the ground by stakes.

Watch this interesting 3 minute video that shows the growth of LDS Stakes throughout the world from the year 1847 through 2004. The video moves quickly through each year displaying a flash of light on the world map as each stake is established and then leaves a tiny red dot at the location. The presentation is set to the LDS hymn “The Spirit of God.”

See it embeded here on the blog, or on Google Video .