Recently the Tallmadge Ward formed a new Nepali group that will meet in a separate sacrament meeting to hear the gospel and worship on Sunday in their own language. The story of how so many Nepali people ended up here in Ohio started a long time ago when thousands of Nepalis migrated from their home country of Nepal to the neighboring country of Bhutan. The Bhutanese king promised them farming land and they lived there as farmers for many years, but when a new king came to power he wanted the Nepali people to assimilate into their country including learning the native language and following their religion of Buddhism. The majority of Nepali people’s religion is Hindu or Kirat, with some Christians as well. When many did not comply, the king kicked them out of the country, but at that point the country of Nepal recognized them as Bhutanese, so they became refugees.
Since the 90s they have lived in refugee camps in Nepal and been sent all around the world with refugee status. Since then they have come to America and slowly gathered to Ohio because of the great community and job opportunities for them here. There are now four congregations of Nepali speaking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world – branches in Kathmandu, Nepal and Salt Lake City, a group in Columbus and now here in Tallmadge, Ohio. It’s said that there are over 30,000 Nepali people living in the Akron area concentrated in the North Hill area.
The Nepali culture is unique and beautiful with their language, music, dancing, and food that is wonderful to understand and learn more about and we are happy that the Nepali group can be a part of the Akron Ohio Stake of Jesus Christ’s restored church.
Akron Ohio Stake News 