The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming explained

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming
Area: Central
Members:67,797 (2022)
Stakes:19
Wards:143
Branches:29
O:1
U:1
A:1
Fhc:46

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Wyoming. The church's first congregation in Wyoming was organized in 1877.[1] It has since grown to 67,797 members in 172 congregations.

Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 11.5% in 2014 which is the third highest in the United States, behind Utah and Idaho. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, 9% of Wyomingites self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.[2] The LDS Church is the largest denomination in Wyoming.[3]

Stakes are located in Afton, Casper (2), Cheyenne (2), Cody, Evanston (2), Gillette, Green River, Kemmerer, Laramie, Lovell, Lyman, Riverton, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Thayne, and Worland.

The Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission was created in 2015 to cover church historical sites in the area, but the mission was discontinued in 2021.

History

The Willie and Martin handcart companies of 1857 became trapped in the winter snows and approximately 200 of the 1,075 in the companies died, but others were saved by Utah rescue parties.

In 1877, members settled the Star Valley area, and in 1878, Brigham Young Jr. dedicated the spot as a gathering place for the members.[4]

County Statistics

List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives:[5]

CountyCongregationsAdherents% of Population
Albany92,8037.7
Big Horn133,90133.4
Campbell62,2474.9
Carbon51,5389.7
Converse27235.2
Crook11281.8
Fremont103,6189.0
Goshen14953.7
Hot Springs155111.5
Johnson14375.1
Laramie94,4564.9
Lincoln239,55652.8
Natrona94,8096.4
Niobrara1843.4
Park93,18011.3
Platte13083.6
Sheridan51,4525.0
Sublette21,40713.7
Sweetwater157,97218.2
Teton31,4186.7
Uinta2210,06447.7
Washakie31,12913.2
Weston13575.0

Stakes

As of January 2024, Wyoming was home to the following stakes:

StakeMissionTemple District
Afton WyomingIdaho PocatelloStar Valley Wyoming
Bridger Valley Wyoming StakeUtah Salt Lake CityOgden Utah
Casper Wyoming EastColorado Fort CollinsFort Collins Colorado
Casper WyomingColorado Fort CollinsFort Collins Colorado
Cheyenne Wyoming EastColorado Fort CollinsFort Collins Colorado
Cheyenne WyomingColorado Fort CollinsFort Collins Colorado
Cody WyomingMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Craig Colorado StakeColorado Denver SouthVernal Utah
Driggs Idaho StakeIdaho Idaho FallsRexburg Idaho
Evanston Wyoming SouthUtah Salt Lake CityOgden Utah
Evanston WyomingUtah Salt Lake CityOgden Utah
Gillette WyomingMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Green River WyomingUtah Salt Lake CityVernal Utah
Kemmerer WyomingUtah Salt Lake CityStar Valley Wyoming
Laramie WyomingColorado Fort CollinsFort Collins Colorado
Lovell WyomingMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Montpelier Idaho South StakeIdaho PocatelloStar Valley Wyoming
Riverton WyomingColorado Fort CollinsBillings Montana
Rock Springs WyomingUtah Salt Lake CityVernal Utah
Sheridan WyomingMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Thayne WyomingIdaho PocatelloStar Valley Wyoming
Worland WyomingMontana BillingsBillings Montana

Missions

As of 2023, no missions were headquartered in Wyoming. However, Wyoming is served by four missions headquartered outside the state.

Missiondata-sort-type=dateOrganized
Colorado Fort Collins Mission1 July 2013
Idaho Idaho Falls1 July 2013
Montana Billings Falls11 November 1950
Utah Salt Lake City Mission1 July 2013

Temples

On October 1, 2011, the Star Valley Wyoming Temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson. A second temple to be built in Casper was announced on April 4, 2021, by Russell M. Nelson. Nelson announced a third temple, to be built in Cody, on October 3, 2021.

Communities

Latter-day Saints had a significant role in establishing and settling several communities within the "Mormon Corridor", including the following in Wyoming:

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statistics and Church Facts Total Church Membership . 2022-07-26 . newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org . en.
  2. Web site: Adults in Wyoming: Religious composition of adults in Wyoming. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. 2021-05-21.
  3. Web site: The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report. Thearda.com. May 21, 2021.
  4. Book: Jenson, Andrew . Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . 1941 . Deseret News, printer . 857–858.
  5. Web site: The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report. Thearda.com. February 1, 2022.