1995
Languages Spoken
March 1995


“Languages Spoken,” Ensign, Mar. 1995, 79

Languages Spoken

In 1830 the Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Church with himself and five other men as its first members. Those six members spoke English.

But within three decades the gospel was being preached across the oceans to people who spoke a variety of different languages. Today, Church members speak almost 140 different languages!

The following chart lists the top ten tongues spoken as first languages by members of the Church. Other languages rounding out the top twenty include French, German, Hiligaynon,* Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Pangasinan,* Bikolano,* Tahitian, and Laotian.

English

4,885,164

Spanish

2,354,533

Portuguese

506,921

Tagalog*

103,191

Japanese

100,758

Samoan

78,911

Cebuano*

70,544

Korean

64,992

Ilokano*

62,137

Tongan

55,941

  • These languages spoken in the Philippines.