The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Louisiana refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Louisiana. The first small branch was established in 1842. It has since grown to 29,727 members in 52 congregations.
Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.64% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, less than 1% of Louisianans self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[3] The LDS Church is the sixth-largest denomination in Louisiana.[4]
On January 4, 1841, Joseph Smith received a letter from Elam Ludington and Eli G. Terrill of New Orleans, who requested an elder to assist the members of the church who were living there. "Send us Peter, or an Apostle to preach unto Jesus," they wrote, and enclosed $10 to help defray expenses. The group may have been among those from the sailing ship Isaac Newton, which arrived from London on December 21, 1840.
Harrison Sagers arrived at New Orleans on March 28, 1841. He preached to large crowds but was troubled by mobs. At one point, he was protected from a mob by a group of courageous women who circled him in his defense. He baptized several people. Additional missionaries were sent from Nauvoo to assist Sagers in his duties.
By November 1841, New Orleans became the principal port of arrival for Latter-day Saints from Europe. Over the next few years, 17,463 individuals immigrated by way of this port city. From 1844 to 1855, due to outbreaks of major epidemics, New York became the port of arrival for the church immigrants, and the New Orleans and Lafayette branch functioned in New Orleans.
No other known missionary efforts took place in Louisiana until February 16, 1896, when missionaries were assigned to the Louisiana Conference, part of the Southern States Mission. Joseph A. Cornwall arrived in Louisiana on September 10 of the same year. By the end of 1897, he and his companions had baptized their first converts. On March 12, 1899, the Red Rock Branch was formed. John R. Jones, a sawmill owner, befriended the missionaries and protected them from opposition. Alexander Colman Wagley was baptized on September 4, 1898, and he became the first president of the Red Rock Branch.[6] David A. Broadbent, president of the Louisiana District from 1898 to 1899, reported 110 people had been baptized by June 16, 1899.
In October 1899, a mob threatened a missionary under the medical care of Jane Holt Clark, a midwife. She confronted the mob with a shotgun and said, "I brought a good many of you into the world, and I can take you out again just as easily." The mob dispersed.
A wagon train of members from Pride traveled to and settled at Corleyville in Sabine Parish. They organized a branch on November 12, 1916 and erected meetinghouse around 1920. By June 1935, the Many Branch had been organized, and its meeting house was built by December 6, 1941.
Howard and Marion Bennion arrived in New Orleans in the 1920s and organized a branch in their apartment in 1924. The branch struggled in the early 1930s, but due to an increased effort from the local members, the New Orleans branch began to grow. One hundred people celebrated the New Orleans Branch centennial in 1944.[7] Due to the influx of Latter-day Saint servicemen who came during World War II, the branch had grown to 300 members by 1948. A meetinghouse was established in January 1951 and then dedicated on November 16, 1952. That same year, meetinghouses were dedicated in Hammond, Williamson, and Lake Charles. The New Orleans Stake, Louisiana's first, was organized on June 19, 1955, by Harold B. Lee and Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve.
↑ Stake located outside Louisiana with congregation(s) meeting in Louisiana
Missions
Since World War II, Louisiana has been included in the Texas-Louisiana, Gulf States, and the Louisiana Shreveport missions. The Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission was organized in 1975.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States October 14, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley May 8, 1999 by Monte J. Brough July 16, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley November 17, 2019 by Quentin L. Cook 10,890sqft (1,012m2) on a 6.3-acre (2.5ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Paul Tessier & Associates and Church A&E Services.
The Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple is the 94th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arkansas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Arkansas. The first branch in Arkansas was organized in 1890. It has since grown to 35,405 members in 73 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tennessee refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Tennessee. The first branch in Tennessee was organized in 1834. It has since grown to 57,422 members in 112 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mississippi refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Mississippi. The first small branch was established in 1842. It has since grown to 22,189 members in 49 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alabama refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Alabama. The first small branch was established in 1842. It has since grown to 39,832 members in 76 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Georgia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Georgia. The first branch in Georgia was organized in 1876. It has since grown to 89,285 members in 164 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Carolina refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in South Carolina. The first small branch was established in 1882. It has since grown to more than 44,000 members in 79 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alaska refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Alaska. The first congregation of the Church in Alaska was organized in 1938. It has since grown to 33,574 members in 81 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Delaware refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Delaware. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 5,613 members in 12 congregations.
The U.S. state of Washington has the sixth most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States. The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in Washington, behind the Roman Catholic Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the state of Indiana since 1831. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.68% in 2018. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 1% of Hoosiers self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church is the 13th largest denomination in Indiana.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its first congregation in North Dakota in 1919. In 2022, there was 11,487 members in 26 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Jersey refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in New Jersey.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wisconsin refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Wisconsin. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.44% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, less than 1% of Wisconsinites self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church. The LDS Church is the 10th largest denomination in Wisconsin.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kansas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Kansas. The first congregation of the church in Kansas was organized in 1895. As of 2022, it has grown to 39,356 members in 74 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in West Virginia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in West Virginia. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.92% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 2% of West Virginians self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church is the 9th largest denomination in West Virginia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Maine refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Maine. Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.81% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 2% of Mainers self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rhode Island refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Rhode Island.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lesser Antilles refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean Area and is part of three missions. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 9,959 members in 34 congregations in the Lesser Antilles.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guianas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Guianas, primarily French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. This is part of the Caribbean Area which is more similar culturally and linguistically than the rest of South America.
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