 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales | |
|---|---|
 LDS chapel in Merthyr Tydfil | |
| Area | Europe North |
| Stakes | 3 [1] |
| Wards | 16 |
| Branches | 5 |
| Total Congregations [2] | 21 |
| Family History Centers | 10 [3] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Wales.
The first missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to arrive in Wales were Henry Royle and Frederick Cook. Royle was called as a missionary in 1840; He was a convert to the church and a native of Britain. Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball had briefly preached in Wales during their mission together. The two missionaries arrived on 16 October and began teaching in Overton. They were met with immediate success and had baptisms in the River Dee only two days after their arrival. By the end of the month, they established a branch of 32 members. The two elders were joined by James Burnham in November of that year. [4]
In January 1849 a small Mormon chapel was built in Llanelli becoming the first purpose built Latter-day Saint church not just in Wales but in the whole of the British Isles. [5]
In 1845 Dan Jones was called as a missionary to Wales. He would become one of the most successful Latter Day Saints missionaries to work in the United Kingdom. Arriving January 1845, [6] Jones was assigned to work in Wrexham. [7] By December there were 493 baptised members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales. The next year in January, he was made mission president and oversaw missionary work in the country by Wilford Woodruff because Jones knew how to speak, read, and write in Welsh. [6] By the time he left Wales in February 1849 there were 4,645 baptised members and seventy-two branches. [6] In terms of population, one out of every 278 people in Wales at that time was baptised into the LDS Church. When Jones returned from his first mission, he helped a group of Welsh Saints to emigrate to the Salt Lake Valley. [8]
Jones was asked to return to Wales in August 1852. He became a counselor to the mission president and was called to be the president in 1854. He also worked as the editor of Udgorn Seion. During his second mission, opposition to the church had increased, but over 2,000 new members were added to the church by his departure 1856. [6] On his passage home, he again assisted a group of Welsh emigrants to Utah. [8]
In 1846, Jones had begun to publish a Welsh language periodical for the church entitled Prophwyd y Jubili (Prophet of the Jubilee). It was the first Mormon periodical to be published in a language other than English. [6] [9] He had initiated publishing pamphlets and other magazines in the Welsh language that ultimately led to the publication of a Welsh translation of the Book of Mormon in April 1852 by John Davis. [7] [10]
In 1850 John Davies, who had been appointed to oversee church publications in Wales, announced that he would translate the Doctrine and Covenants. Davies would publish a 16-page signature in every other issue of Ugdorn Seion (Zion's Trumpet), which was the church publication following Prophet of the Jubilee. By August 1851, the 20 signatures were finished printing and were bound as the Welsh Doctrine and Covenants. Davies began translating and publishing the Book of Mormon into Welsh in the same manner. Church members paid a penny per signature that was printed. The initial printing of the book was delayed due to a lack of subscribers; however, the book eventually received enough funding and was printed, the final signature printing on 17 April 1852. These translations of these two books are still used by the church today. [10]
The Pearl of Great Price, now part of the Standard Works of the LDS Church, was first compiled in England in 1851 by Franklin D. Richards. Within a year it had been translated into Welsh. [11]
Although early missionary efforts had been successful, there was a decline in church membership in the late 1850s. This decline was due, in part, by church members emigrating to the United States after their conversion and a decrease in the number of new converts. Other factors that could have contributed to this decline include the introduction of polygamy into church practice in 1853 and social and political reforms in Wales. [12] Opposition to Latter-day Saint missionary efforts in United Kingdom existed from the earliest missions but intensified in South Wales and the West Midlands in the 1850s, leading to some violent incidents. [13]
Another factor that led to decline in membership was the organisation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as Community of Christ) on 6 April 1860. This group was led by Joseph Smith's son Joseph Smith III and consisted of previously scattered branches of the church in the Midwestern United States who had rejected Brigham Young and the Council of Twelve Apostles' leadership and not gone West with the majority of the Latter Days Saints (see succession crisis). RLDS missionaries began preaching in Wales in 1863 with many LDS members choosing to join with the Reorganization. Because of the decrease in membership, the last issue of Ugdorn Seion was published in April 1962. This gradual decline continued until the mid-20th century. [12]
Dan Jones and faithful Welsh members greatly influenced the formation of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Jones helped bring a group of 250 Welsh converts to the United States. Among these faithful church members were many singers who would help form the church's choir. John Parry, one of the members in this group, directed 85 Welsh converts in a special musical number at the October 1849 General Conference. [14] Parry was asked by Brigham Young to form and direct a choir, which later became known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. [15]
4 Stakes have congregations in Wales. 2 Stakes are entirely within Wales. The Chester England Stake Centre and 6 of its 8 congregations meet in Wales. Only a single branch in the Newcastle-Under-Lyme England Stake meet in Wales.
| Stake | Wards [16] | Branches [16] | Assigned Mission | Assigned Temple |
| Cardiff Wales Stake | 7 | England Bristol | London England | |
| Merthyr Tydfil Wales Stake | 5 | 2 | England Bristol | London England |
| Chester England Stake* | 4 | 2 | England Manchester | Preston England |
| Newcastle-Under-Lyme England Stake* | 1 | England Manchester | Preston England |
The nation of Wales does not have its own mission. Instead it is served by three English missions:
There are no temples in Wales itself. Instead, members of the church in Wales use either of the two temples in England. Members of the church in north Wales as assigned to the Preston temple district, whereas the London temple (actually in Sussex) district includes the two Stakes in south Wales.
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Rededicated: Size: Style: | Newchapel, Surrey, England February 17, 1955 by David O. McKay August 27, 1955 by David O. McKay September 7, 1958 by David O. McKay October 18, 1992 by Gordon B. Hinckley 42,652 sq ft (3,962.5 m2) on a 32-acre (13 ha) site Modern contemporary, single spire - designed by Edward O. Anderson | ||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Chorley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom 19 October 1992 by Ezra Taft Benson 12 June 1994 by Gordon B. Hinckley 7 June 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley 69,630 sq ft (6,469 m2) on a 32-acre (13 ha) site Modern, single-spire design - designed by Church A&E Services | ||
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| Location: Announced: Size: | Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England 3 April 2022 by Russell M. Nelson [17] [18] 10,800 sq ft (1,000 m2) on a 2.7-acre (1.1 ha) site | ||
Welsh LDS include:
This is a timeline of major events in Mormonism in the 20th century.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was unofficially established in South Korea as early as World War II due to religious influence by LDS servicemen; however, Korean people did not begin to get baptized until the missionary efforts of LDS servicemen during the Korean War. Kim Ho Jik was the first Korean person to be baptized in the LDS Church on July 29, 1951 in New York. Two of his children were of the first four Korean people baptized in Korea on August 3, 1952. LDS Church presence and missionary work was officially established on April 20, 1956 with the arrival of two missionaries: Don G. Powell and Richard L. Detton. The Korean Mission opened on July 8, 1962 with Gail E. Carr as the first president of the mission. Successful missionary work led to the growth of the LDS Church in the 1960s and 1970s leading to the organization of the first stake in Korea in 1973 and the dedication of the first temple in Seoul on December 14, 1985.
Dan Jones was an influential Welsh missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jones is well known for having heard the "final prophecy" of Joseph Smith, namely, that Jones would fulfill a mission to Wales before he died.
John Parry Sr. was an early Welsh convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the first musical conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
John Pack was a member of the Council of Fifty and a missionary in the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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 California refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in California. California has the 2nd most members of the LDS Church in the United States, behind Utah. The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in California, behind the Roman Catholic Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia began with the arrival of seventeen-year-old missionary William James Barratt in 1840. The LDS Church's first baptism in Australia was in 1842 when Barratt baptised Robert Beauchamp, who would later become an Australian mission president. However, official missionary work did not begin until John Murdock, who became the first official mission president in Australia, and Charles Wandell established a mission in Sydney, Australia, on 31 October 1851. The colonies of New Zealand and Tasmania were added to the Australian Mission in 1854, creating the Australasian Mission. In 1898, however, the Australasian Mission was divided into the New Zealand Mission and the Australian Mission.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in France since 1849, and the first Latter-day Saint convert in the country was Augustus Saint d'Anna, in Le Havre. The Church claims a membership of about 38,000 in the country, representing less than 0.1% of the population.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Japan in 1901 when the church's first missionaries arrived on August 12. Among them was Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and later became the church's 7th president. Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O. Taylor accompanied Grant. The LDS Church's first baptism in Japan was on March 8, 1902, when Grant baptized Hajime Nakazawa, a former Kannushi. The Book of Mormon was translated three times. The first translation, which took over six years, was completed by Taylor in 1909. It was then recommended that the Book of Mormon be translated into bunshō, a more elegant literary style, which was done by Chōkō Ikuta in 1909, shortly before it was published and distributed. The third translation in 1957 was done by Tatsui Sato. In 1995, the Book of Mormon was translated again into a more colloquial style.
William Howell was a Welsh Mormon missionary. He was the first missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to preach in France. Note, due to a flourish in his penmanship, some historians use 'Howells'. However, his descendants use, as is shown through genealogy, the singular version of 'Howell'.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in England. England has five missions, and both temples in the United Kingdom. With 145,385 members in 2011, England had more LDS Church members than any other country in Europe.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Germany.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had its first presence in French Polynesia in 1843 when the first missionaries arrived in the country. It was also the location of the first foreign-language mission of the church which was created that same year. It existed until 1852 when it was closed due to restrictions by the French government, and the missionaries left the territory. In 1892, the mission resumed with the return of the missionaries after general religious tolerance was established.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Italy since 1850.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the island of Ireland since at least 1840, when the Elder John Taylor first preached in Newry. He and other missionaries converted a number of Irish people, forming a branch in Hillsborough, County Down. Many of the converted Irish saints emigrated in order to escape poverty, as well as to live in majority Latter Day Saint communities. Missionary efforts continued in the 1850s, and a small branch was established in Dublin, but many members emigrated to Utah or lost interest in the church. In 1867, the Irish mission was placed in the care of the British mission. A new branch was formed in Belfast in 1884 and a Dublin branch was reestablished in 1900. All of this occurred despite anti-Mormon disturbances by local Irish people.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first brought to the Netherlands in 1841, with the first congregation officially established in 1862 in Amsterdam. A mission to the Netherlands was organized in 1864, and the Dutch translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1890. Membership grew in the 20th century despite challenges posed by World War I, the Great Depression, and the German invasion of the Netherlands during World War II; approximately 14,000 people were baptized into the Church during its first 100 years in the Netherlands. The Dutch government officially recognized the Church in 1955. The Netherlands Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in 1961, becoming the first stake established on the European continent. The Hague Netherlands Temple was completed in 2002.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
