The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montana

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Flag of Montana.svg
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montana
MTempleFront.jpg
Area NA Central
Members 52,446 (2024) [1]
Stakes 13
Wards 92
Branches 43
Total Congregations135
Missions 1
Temples 2 Operating
1 Announced
3 Total
Family History Centers 50 [2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montana refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Montana. The church's first congregation in Montana was organized in 1895.

Contents

Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 4.78% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, 4% of Montanans self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church. [3] The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in Montana behind the Roman Catholic Church. [4]

Stakes are located in Billings (3), Bozeman, Butte, Frenchtown, Glendive, Great Falls (2), Helena, Kalispell, Missoula, and Stevensville.

History

Membership in Montana [5] [1]
YearMembership
19301,181
19405,210
19506,416
196023,890
198030,784
1989*34,000
199939,842
200945,517
201950,552
202452,446
*Membership was published as a rounded number.

Mormonism in Montana predates the formal arrival of the LDS Church. Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who dissented from the LDS Church's doctrine regarding polygamy, first arrived in the Montana in 1868. The practice of polygamy was outlawed in the Montana territory, as it was in much of the western United States. It was not until 1896 that the LDS Church, having renounced the former practice of polygamy, arrived in the Montana Territory with the organization of the Montana Mission. [6] [7]

Plans to build an LDS Church temple in Montana were announced in August 1996. [8] About 4,800 people gathered during a spring snowstorm to witness the groundbreaking on March 28, 1998. [9]

In 2017, a new meetinghouse was constructed on the Billings West End, adding to the other six buildings in Billings and six others in surrounding area. [10]

County Statistics

List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives: [11] Note: Each county adherent count reflects meetinghouse location of congregation and not by location of residence. Census count reflects location of residence which may skew percent of population where adherents reside in a different county as their congregational meetinghouse.

County Congregations Adherents % of Population
Beaverhead 41,05111.37
Big Horn 18026.23
Blaine 11682.59
Broadwater 13977.07
Carbon 24003.97
Carter 1867.41
Cascade 104,1255.07
Chouteau 11672.87
Custer 14804.10
Daniels 0
Dawson 14114.58
Deer Lodge 15425.83
Fallon 0
Fergus 14684.04
Flathead 94,0114.41
Gallatin 93,5824.00
Garfield 1584.81
Glacier 12942.19
Golden Valley 0
Granite 23039.84
Hill 15913.67
Jefferson 11281.12
Judith Basin 0
Lake 31,4154.92
Lewis and Clark 62,9654.68
Liberty 1562.39
Lincoln 39814.98
Madison 24075.29
McCone 0
Meagher 1482.54
Mineral 12094.95
Missoula 94,8794.46
Musselshell 12705.95
Park 26404.09
Petroleum 0
Phillips 11383.25
Pondera 12764.49
Powder River 1321.84
Powell 14346.18
Prairie 0
Ravalli 62,6066.48
Richland 12872.95
Roosevelt 28988.61
Rosebud 26076.57
Sanders 25404.73
Sheridan 1862.54
Silver Bow 21,7265.05
Stillwater 12282.50
Sweet Grass 11113.04
Teton 25388.86
Toole 12825.30
Treasure 0
Valley 12002.71
Wheatland 11054.84
Wibaux 0
Yellowstone 147,1404.83

Stakes

As of May 2025, the following stakes had congregations in Montana: [12]

StakeMissionTemple District
Billings MontanaMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Billings Montana EastMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Billings Montana SouthMontana BillingsBillings Montana
Bonners Ferry Idaho*Washington SpokaneSpokane Washington
Bozeman MontanaMontana BillingsHelena Montana
Butte MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Glendive MontanaNorth Dakota BismarckBillings Montana
Great Falls MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Great Falls Montana EastMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Helena MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Kalispell MontanaMontana MissoulaCardston Alberta
Missoula MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Ronan MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Stevensville MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana
Three Forks MontanaMontana MissoulaHelena Montana

Missions

The West Central States Mission was created on November 11, 1950 as a division of the North Central States, North Western States, and Western States missions. It was renamed Montana–Wyoming Mission in June 1970. The mission name was changed to the Montana Billings Mission four years later. [13] In June 2024, the Montana Missoula Mission was created.

Temples

Temples in Montana ( edit )

  • ButtonRed.svg = Operating
  • ButtonBlue.svg = Under construction
  • ButtonYellow.svg = Announced
  • ButtonBlack.svg = Temporarily Closed

The Billings Montana Temple was dedicated on November 20, 1999 by church president Gordon B. Hinckley.

The Helena Montana Temple was dedicated on 18 June 2023 by Gary E. Stevenson.

The Missoula Montana Temple was announced on April 3, 2022 by church president Russell M. Nelson.

MTempleafar.jpg
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style:
Billings, Montana, U.S.
August 30, 1996 by Gordon B. Hinckley
March 30, 1998 by Hugh W. Pinnock
November 20, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
33,800 sq ft (3,140 m2) on a 10-acre (4.0 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by CTA Architects Engineers
Helena Montana Temple.jpg
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Helena, Montana, United States
April 4, 2021 by Russell M. Nelson [14]
June 26, 2021 by Vern P. Stanfill [15]
18 June 2023 by Gary E. Stevenson [16]
9,794 sq ft (909.9 m2) on a 4.75-acre (1.92 ha) site
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Montana edit
Location:
Announced:
Size:
Missoula, Montana
3 April 2022 by Russell M. Nelson [17] [18]
19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) on a 5.08-acre (2.06 ha) site

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State: Montana", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 28 May 2023
  2. Category:Montana Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
  3. "Adults in Montana: Religious composition of adults in Montana". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center . Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  4. "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  5. Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Montana
  6. "Facts and Statistics", Church News , 2020. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
  7. Cornelius, Don. "Mormonism in Montana 1847-1898". ScholarWorks. University of Montana.
  8. Olp, Susan. "Thousands expected to mark milestone", Billings Gazette , 19 October 2000. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  9. Hein, David G. "Temple ground made `white and pure'", Deseret News , 4 April 1998. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  10. Olp, Susan. "The LDS church has grown so much in the Billings area, it's reorganizing and adding a building", Billings Gazette , 21 December 2017. Retrieved on 3 April 2020.
  11. "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  12. "CDOL", cdol.churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved February 7, 2023
  13. Mortimer, Wm. James (2000), 1999-2000 Church Almanac, Deseret Morning News, p. 419, ISBN   1573454915
  14. "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 4 April 2021
  15. Montanans Break Ground for Helena Temple
  16. "Elder Stevenson dedicates Helena Montana Temple, 'a testament' to testimony, strength of local Latter-day Saints", Church News, Deseret News, 18 June 2023, retrieved 28 September 2023
  17. "7 new temple locations announced by President Nelson to close conference", Deseret News , Deseret News, April 3, 2022
  18. "President Nelson Announces 17 New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, April 3, 2022