 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden | |
|---|---|
 (Logo in Swedish) | |
 | |
| Area | Europe North |
| Members | 9,528 (2021) [1] |
| Stakes | 4 |
| Districts | 1 |
| Wards | 25 |
| Branches | 15 |
| Total Congregations [2] | 40 |
| Missions | 1 |
| Temples | 1 |
| Family History Centers | 37 [3] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (Swedish : Jesu Kristi Kyrka av Sista Dagars Heliga), headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been in Sweden since 1850. [4] [5]
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1930 | 1,854 |
| 1940 | 1,614 |
| 1950 | 1,483 |
| 1960 | 2,569 |
| 1970 | 4,722 |
| 1980 | 6,888 |
| 1989* | 7,700 |
| 1999 | 8,587 |
| 2009 | 8,966 |
| 2019 | 9,649 |
| *Membership was published as an estimate or rounded number. Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Sweden [1] | |
The Book of Mormon was translated into Swedish in 1878. [6] As with many other Scandinavian converts, Swedish LDS were encouraged to emigrate to the US and build up "Zion" there; these included the ancestors of a previous church president, Thomas S. Monson, whose grandfather, Nels Monson (born Torhamn), emigrated at the age of 16. This depleted local numbers for a number of decades, until in the late twentieth century, this policy was discontinued, and a temple built within the country itself.
As of 2021, the LDS Church counted its number of members in Sweden to be just above 9,528, divided into 5 regional units with a total of 40 congregations. [7] [ verification needed ] This was an increase in membership from 2014, which was 9,463. [8] The Church also maintains one temple in the country, the Stockholm Sweden Temple, in Västerhaninge.
Around 2010, a number of Swedish members of the LDS Church, including former area seventy Hans Mattsson, began to doubt the veracity of the church. [9] Marlin K. Jensen, a church general authority, and historian Richard E. Turley Jr. soon after conducted a fireside, an informal church meeting, at the Västerhaninge Chapel in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 28, 2010. [10] [11] The audio was surreptitiously recorded and sparked much discussion and interest in the blogosphere. [12] [13] [14]
As of February 2023, the following stakes were located in Sweden:
| Mission | Organized |
|---|---|
| Göteborg Sweden Stake | 20 Nov 1977 |
| Malmö Sweden Stake | 1 Sep 1996 |
| Stockholm Sweden Stake | 20 Apr 1975 |
| Stockholm Sweden South Stake | 20 Aug 1995 |
| Umeå Sweden District | 1 Jan 1960 |
 | edit | ||
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Västerhaninge, Sweden 1 April 1981 by Spencer W. Kimball 17 March 1984 by Thomas S. Monson 2 July 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley 16,366 sq ft (1,520.5 m2) on a 4.47-acre (1.81 ha) site Modern adaptation of six-spire design - designed by John Sjostrom and Church A&E Services | ||
Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.
Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. The temple sits on a small hill, half a mile from the Pacific Ocean, in the town of Lāʻie, 35 miles (56 km) from Honolulu. Along with Brigham Young University–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Laie Hawaii Temple plays an important role in the town of Lā'ie, with the Visitors' Center attracting more than 100,000 people annually.
The Stockholm Sweden Temple is the 34th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Toronto Ontario Temple is the 44th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the second temple to be dedicated in Canada, making it the first country in the world, outside the United States, to have two temples within its borders at the time of dedication. Germany became the second country outside the United States to have two temples when Germany reunified six weeks later.
Below is a chronological list of temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In the LDS Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time, and then each is dedicated as a "House of the Lord," after which only members in good standing are permitted to enter. Thus, they are not churches or meetinghouses, but rather specialized places of worship. The Church has 300 temples in various phases, which includes 176 dedicated temples, 56 currently under construction, and 68 others announced. Within temples, members of the church make covenants, receive instructions, and perform rituals and ordinances. Additionally, members consider the temple a place to commune with God, seek God's aid, understand God's will, and receive personal revelation.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Connecticut refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Connecticut. As of 2021, the LDS Church reported 15,625 members in 37 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Utah. Utah has more church members than any other U.S. state or country. The LDS Church is also the largest denomination in Utah.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Wyoming. The church's first congregation in Wyoming was organized in 1877. It has since grown to 67,454 members in 172 congregations.
The Brigham City Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brigham City, Utah. The temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson on October 3, 2009, during the church's general conference. The temple was announced concurrently with those to be constructed in Concepción, Chile, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fortaleza, Brazil and Sapporo, Japan; at the time, the announcement brought the total number of temples worldwide to 151. It is the fourteenth temple of the LDS Church completed in Utah.
The Sapporo Japan Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, dedicated in 2016.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway is a restorationist free church. There are more than 4,500 members in Norway. A temple to be built in Oslo was announced on April 4, 2021 by church President Russell M. Nelson.
The Hartford Connecticut Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Farmington, Connecticut. It is the first LDS temple in Connecticut and the second in New England, following the Boston Massachusetts Temple.
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.
Three missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started proselyting to white English-speaking people in Cape Town in 1853. Most converts from this time emigrated to the United States. The mission was closed in 1865, but reopened in 1903.The South African government limited the amount of missionaries allowed to enter the country in 1921 and in 1955. Starting around 1930, a man had to trace his genealogy out of Africa to be eligible for the priesthood, since black people were not permitted to be ordained. In 1954 when church president David O. McKay visited South Africa, he removed the requirement for genealogical research for a man to be ordained, stipulating only that "there is no evidence of his having Negro blood in his veins".
Hans H. Mattsson is a former leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence in Russia before the rise of the USSR, with the first baptisms occurring in 1895. Preliminary missionary efforts began before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the Russian government officially recognized the church in 1991. Membership increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. Missionary efforts were impacted by the 2016 Yarovaya law, which prohibited proselytizing outside of official church property. Current membership statistics are not available for Russia, but the church reported 19,946 members in 2009. As of February 2023, there were three stakes and three missions in Russia. In 2018, Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be constructed in a major city in Russia.
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. Meetings are now canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Kenya. In 1981, two small congregations were created in Kenya. In 2021, there were Membership statistics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members in 56 congregations. On April 2, 2017, church president Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Nairobi.
The Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Pétionville, Haiti. It is located adjacent to an existing meetinghouse at the intersection of Route de Frères and Impasse Saint-Marc.
The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under construction in Saratoga Springs, Utah.
