LDS church leaders meet Bulgarian ambassador at Temple Square

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed Georgi Panayotov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States, to the Church Administration Building on Temple Square on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

Ambassador Panayotov has been serving in his current role since May 2022. He has previously held various positions within Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NATO’s foreign affairs department. Additionally, he served as the permanent representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations.

During his visit to Utah, Ambassador Panayotov's itinerary includes visits to Welfare Square, the FamilySearch Library, Brigham Young University, and the Provo Missionary Training Center. He is also scheduled for a dinner with Elder David A. Bednar from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially registered in Bulgaria in 1991. The Book of Mormon was published in Bulgarian in 1999. Meetinghouses were dedicated in Sofia and Plovdiv in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Currently, approximately 2,400 Latter-day Saints reside across seven congregations in Bulgaria.

For further historical information about The Church of Jesus Christ in Bulgaria, additional resources are available online.