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.[3] The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in Washington, behind the Roman Catholic Church.[4]
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Area | NA West |
| Members | 281,389 (2022)[1] |
| Stakes | 59 |
| Wards | 431 |
| Branches | 58 |
| Total Congregations | 489 |
| Missions | 7 |
| Temples | 4 Operating 2 Announced 6 Total |
| Family History Centers | 97[2] |
History
edit| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1920 | 1,199 |
| 1930 | 3,443 |
| 1940 | 5,113 |
| 1950 | 11,551 |
| 1960 | 35,701 |
| 1970 | 67,203 |
| 1980* | 138,000 |
| 1990* | 189,000 |
| 1999 | 226,411 |
| 2009 | 257,710 |
| 2019 | 289,479 |
| *Membership was published as a rounded number. Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Washington[1] | |
The first known member of the Church moved to Washington in 1852,[5] with missionaries arriving in Washington Territory from California as early as 1854. Enough converts were baptized along the Lewis River in the southwest portion of the state that a congregation was created in that area. Tensions escalated to the death of one member in 1911, who was given a secret burial at night.
Members of the Church helped construct the Oregon Short Line Railroad in the 1880s. By 1930, nearly two thousand members lived within the state with chapels located in the Puget Sound Region and in Spokane. Washington saw many members move to the state after the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam and during World War II to work in defense industries.[5]
The first branch in Washington was created at Tacoma near the end of 1899, with its first stake being created at Seattle in 1938.[5] Washington's first temple was built in Bellevue in 1980. There are now also temples in Spokane, Richland, and Moses Lake. Temples have been announced in Tacoma and Vancouver.[6]
County Statistics
edit
List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives:[7] 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 9 | 2,245 | 11.99 |
| Asotin | 2 | 1,457 | 6.74 |
| Benton | 31 | 14,294 | 8.16 |
| Chelan | 7 | 2,777 | 3.83 |
| Clallam | 7 | 3,102 | 4.34 |
| Clark | 37 | 20,793 | 4.89 |
| Columbia | 1 | 286 | 7.01 |
| Cowlitz | 7 | 4,513 | 4.41 |
| Douglas | 3 | 797 | 2.07 |
| Ferry | 1 | 296 | 3.92 |
| Franklin | 19 | 7,338 | 9.39 |
| Garfield | 0 | ||
| Grant | 19 | 7,562 | 8.49 |
| Grays Harbor | 6 | 3,254 | 4.47 |
| Island | 4 | 2,335 | 2.97 |
| Jefferson | 2 | 876 | 2.93 |
| King | 110 | 56,985 | 2.95 |
| Kitsap | 19 | 11,093 | 4.42 |
| Kittitas | 5 | 1,702 | 4.16 |
| Klickitat | 2 | 945 | 4.65 |
| Lewis | 7 | 4,304 | 5.70 |
| Lincoln | 1 | 215 | 2.03 |
| Mason | 4 | 2,587 | 4.26 |
| Okanogan | 4 | 1,153 | 2.80 |
| Pacific | 2 | 806 | 3.85 |
| Pend Oreille | 1 | 112 | 0.86 |
| Pierce | 52 | 33,152 | 4.17 |
| San Juan | 1 | 323 | 2.05 |
| Skagit | 6 | 3,870 | 3.31 |
| Skamania | 1 | 409 | 3.70 |
| Snohomish | 41 | 22,684 | 3.18 |
| Spokane | 48 | 24,246 | 5.15 |
| Stevens | 4 | 1,829 | 4.20 |
| Thurston | 18 | 10,774 | 4.27 |
| Wahkiakum | 1 | 212 | 5.33 |
| Walla Walla | 6 | 2,468 | 4.20 |
| Whatcom | 10 | 5,438 | 2.70 |
| Whitman | 5 | 1,792 | 4.00 |
| Yakima | 17 | 8,243 | 3.39 |
Stakes
editAs of August 2023, Washington had the following stakes:
| Stake | Organized | Mission | Temple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Washington Stake | October 24, 2010 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Auburn Washington Stake | November 28, 1982 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Bellevue Washington South Stake | March 15, 1981 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Bellevue Washington Stake | December 1, 1963 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Bellingham Washington Stake | May 10, 1981 | Washington Everett | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Bothell Washington Stake | November 22, 1981 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Bremerton Washington Stake | June 19, 1960 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Centralia Washington Stake | September 10, 1978 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Colville Washington Stake | October 18, 1981 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Elma Washington Stake | August 28, 1983 | Washington Vancouver | Seattle Washington |
| Enumclaw Washington Stake | March 13, 2016 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Ephrata Washington Stake | June 15, 1980 | Washington Yakima | Moses Lake Washington |
| Everett Washington Stake | October 25, 1970 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Federal Way Washington Stake | November 20, 1977 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Gig Harbor Washington Stake | September 28, 1952 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Graham Washington Stake | May 18, 2003 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Kennewick Washington Stake | October 24, 1976 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Kennewick Washington East Stake | October 31, 1982 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Kent Washington Stake | October 14, 1984 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Lacey Washington Stake | September 14, 1997 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Lakewood Washington Stake | October 20, 1985 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Lewiston Idaho Stake[a] | October 19, 1958 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Longview Washington Stake | February 4, 1973 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Lynnwood Washington Stake | May 14, 1978 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Maple Valley Washington Stake | March 22, 1998 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Marysville Washington Stake | March 29, 1981 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Moscow Idaho Stake[a] | May 5, 1974 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Moses Lake Washington Stake | April 18, 1954 | Washington Yakima | Moses Lake Washington |
| Mount Vernon Washington Stake | June 30, 1963 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Oak Harbor Washington Stake | April 23, 2017 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Olympia Washington Stake | August 27, 1967 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Othello Washington Stake | August 12, 1979 | Washington Yakima | Moses Lake Washington |
| Pasco Washington Stake | May 21, 1967 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Pasco Washington North Stake | February 20, 2011 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Port Angeles Washington Stake | February 23, 1992 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Rainier Oregon Stake[a] | March 8, 1992 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Renton Washington Stake | May 3, 1970 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Richland Washington Stake | June 25, 1950 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Richland Washington South Stake | February 26, 2023 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Ridgefield Washington Stake | January 24, 2016 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Sammamish Valley Washington Stake | May 29, 1977 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Sandpoint Idaho Stake[a] | August 20, 1978 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Seattle Washington Stake | July 31, 1938 | Washington Seattle | Seattle Washington |
| Seattle Washington North Stake | May 19, 1957 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| Selah Washington Stake | April 29, 1979 | Washington Yakima | Moses Lake Washington |
| Silverdale Washington Stake | August 26, 1979 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Snohomish Washington Stake | June 28, 1992 | Washington Everett | Seattle Washington |
| South Hill Washington Stake | November 28, 1982 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Spokane Washington Stake | June 29, 1947 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Spokane Washington East Stake | October 17, 1971 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Spokane Washington Mount Spokane Stake | June 19, 2016 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Spokane Washington North Stake | January 7, 1979 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Spokane Washington Valley Stake | June 3, 2001 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Spokane Washington West Stake | January 12, 1992 | Washington Spokane | Spokane Washington |
| Sumner Washington Stake | January 17, 1971 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| Tacoma Washington Stake | August 19, 1979 | Washington Tacoma | Seattle Washington |
| The Dalles Oregon Stake[a] | June 26, 1977 | Washington Yakima | Portland Oregon |
| Vancouver Washington Stake | December 1, 1963 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Vancouver Washington East Stake | May 17, 1998 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Vancouver Washington North Stake | November 3, 1985 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Vancouver Washington West Stake | November 5, 1978 | Washington Vancouver | Portland Oregon |
| Walla Walla Washington Stake | March 11, 1979 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Wenatchee Washington Stake | January 29, 1967 | Washington Yakima | Moses Lake Washington |
| West Richland Washington Stake | November 4, 2012 | Washington Kennewick | Columbia River Washington |
| Yakima Washington Stake | May 24, 1959 | Washington Yakima | Columbia River Washington |
Missions
editOn July 26, 1897, the Northwestern States Mission was organized to search out Latter-day Saints who had moved to Washington, Oregon, and Montana. On January 1, 1968, The Pacific Northwest Mission was created with Joe E. Whitesides as president. On June 10, 1970, its name changed to the Washington Mission and ultimately the Washington Seattle Mission on June 20, 1974. As of 2023, Washington is home to seven missions, three of which are east of the Cascade Mountains, and four are on the west side.
| Mission | Organized |
|---|---|
| Washington Everett Mission | July 1, 2001[8] |
| Washington Kennewick Mission | July 1, 2002[9] |
| Washington Seattle Mission | January 1, 1968 |
| Washington Spokane Mission | July 1, 1978[10] |
| Washington Tacoma Mission | July 1, 1990[11] |
| Washington Vancouver Mission | July 1, 2013[12] |
| Washington Yakima Mission | July 1, 2015[13] |
Temples
edit|
Temples in and near Washington ()
Temples in Washington or with districts |
Washington currently has four temples in operation. A fifth temple, the Tacoma Washington Temple, was announced by President Russell M. Nelson in his concluding talk of the Sunday afternoon session of the October 2022 General Conference on Sunday, October 2, 2022, to be built in Tacoma, Washington. [14] A sixth temple, the Vancouver Washington Temple, was announced October 1, 2023. In addition, members in the Bellingham Washington Stake are served by the Vancouver British Columbia Temple[15] and members in and around Vancouver, Washington are served by the Portland Oregon Temple.[16]
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: |
Bellevue, Washington, U.S. November 15, 1975 by Spencer W. Kimball May 27, 1978 by Marion G. Romney November 17, 1980 by Spencer W. Kimball 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) on a 23.5-acre (9.5 ha) site - designed by Emil B. Fetzer | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: |
Veradale, Washington, United States August 13, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley October 10, 1998 by F. Melvin Hammond August 21, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: |
Richland, Washington, United States April 2, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley October 28, 2000 by Stephen A. West November 18, 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley 16,880 sq ft (1,568 m2) on a 2.88-acre (1.17 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by A & E Services, Joseph E. Marty Architect | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: |
Moses Lake, Washington, United States 7 April 2019 by Russell M. Nelson[17] 10 October 2020 by David L. Stapleton[18] 17 September 2023 by Quentin L. Cook[19] 28,933 sq ft (2,688.0 m2) on a 17.2-acre (7.0 ha) site | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Size: |
Tacoma, Washington 2 October 2022 by Russell M. Nelson[20][21] 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) on a 11.6-acre (4.7 ha) site | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Size: |
Camas, Washington, United States 1 October 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[22][23] 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2) on a 15.11-acre (6.11 ha) site | |||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Washington", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved May 29, 2023
- ^ Category:Washington Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved May 29, 2023
- ^ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)
- ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved April 19, 2021. Note:While it's the 2nd largest denomination in Washington, it's the third largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
- ^ a b c LDS Church News - United States information: Washington
- ^ Washington - LDS Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership
- ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Washington Everett Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ Washington Kennewick Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ Washington Spokane Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ Washington Tacoma Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ Washington Vancouver Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ Washington Yakima Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Retrieved April 10, 2016
- ^ [1]
- ^ Vancouver British Columbia LDS Temple District
- ^ Portland Oregon LDS Temple District
- ^ "Prophet Announces Eight New Temples at April 2019 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, April 7, 2019
- ^ "Groundbreaking Held for Moses Lake Washington Temple", newsroom, LDS Church, October 10, 2020, retrieved September 28, 2023
- ^ "Two US Temples and One in Brazil Dedicated on the Same Day", newsroom, LDS Church, September 17, 2023, retrieved September 28, 2023
- ^ "President Nelson announces 18 new temples, including 4 near Mexico City, as conference closes", Deseret News, Deseret News, October 2, 2022
- ^ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 18 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, October 2, 2022
- ^ Where the 20 new Latter-day Saint temples will be built as Russell Nelson’s record tally continues to rise, Salt Lake Tribune, October 1, 2023
- ^ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 20 New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, October 1, 2023
Further reading
edit- Bolton, Herbert E. (January 1926). "The Mormons in the Opening of the Great West". 17. Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine: 40–72.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Horne, J. Arthur (1968). Latter-day Saints in the Great Northwest. Seattle, WA: Graphic Art Press. OCLC 42251464.
- Jorgensen, Rick B. (2002). A History of the Latter-day Saints in the Columbia Basin of Central Washington, 1850-1972 (M.A. thesis). Brigham Young University.
- Silvester, Melanie L. (April 2002). "A Branch of Faith in the Forest". Ensign. Vol. 32, no. 4. pp. 38–42.
- Smart, William B. (January 1961). "Mormonism's First Foothold in the Pacific Northwest". 29 (1). Utah Historical Quarterly: 21–30.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Stinebaugh, Thomas L. (2000). "Washington State". Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. pp. 1316–1317. ISBN 1-57345-822-8.
External links
edit- Newsroom (Washington)
- ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints Visitor site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official site