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

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming
The Star Valley Wyoming Temple
AreaNA Central
Members67,797 (2022)[1]
Stakes19
Wards143
Branches29
Total Congregations172
Temples1 Operating
1 Under Construction
1 Announced
3 Total
Family History Centers46[2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Wyoming. The church's first congregation in Wyoming was organized in 1877.[3] It has since grown to 67,797 members in 172 congregations.[3]

Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 11.5% in 2014 which is the third highest in the United States, behind Utah and Idaho. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, 9% of Wyomingites self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.[4] The LDS Church is the largest denomination in Wyoming.[5]

Martin's Cove Wyoming
The Rock Church of Auburn, Wyoming

Stakes are located in Afton, Casper (2), Cheyenne (2), Cody, Evanston (2), Gillette, Green River, Kemmerer, Laramie, Lovell, Lyman, Riverton, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Thayne, and Worland.

The Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission was created in 2015 to cover church historical sites in the area, but the mission was discontinued in 2021.

History

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Membership in Wyoming
YearMembers
192010,764
193012,825
194017,806
195019,477
196022,965
197027,397
198047,314
199051,692
199954,425
200961,430
201967,729
Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Wyoming[1]

The Willie and Martin handcart companies of 1857 became trapped in the winter snows and approximately 200 of the 1,075 in the companies died, but others were saved by Utah rescue parties.[6]

In 1877, members settled the Star Valley area, and in 1878, Brigham Young Jr. dedicated the spot as a gathering place for the members.[7]

County Statistics

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List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives:[8]

County Congregations Adherents % of Population
Albany 9 2,803 7.7
Big Horn 13 3,901 33.4
Campbell 6 2,247 4.9
Carbon 5 1,538 9.7
Converse 2 723 5.2
Crook 1 128 1.8
Fremont 10 3,618 9.0
Goshen 1 495 3.7
Hot Springs 1 551 11.5
Johnson 1 437 5.1
Laramie 9 4,456 4.9
Lincoln 23 9,556 52.8
Natrona 9 4,809 6.4
Niobrara 1 84 3.4
Park 9 3,180 11.3
Platte 1 308 3.6
Sheridan 5 1,452 5.0
Sublette 2 1,407 13.7
Sweetwater 15 7,972 18.2
Teton 3 1,418 6.7
Uinta 22 10,064 47.7
Washakie 3 1,129 13.2
Weston 1 357 5.0

Stakes

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The Gillette Wyoming Stake Center
The Star Valley Tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Afton, Wyoming.
The entrance gate of the Martin's Cove Mormon Handcart Historical Center near Devil's Gate (Wyoming).

As of January 2024, Wyoming was home to the following stakes:[9]

Stake Mission Temple District
Afton Wyoming Idaho Pocatello Star Valley Wyoming
Bridger Valley Wyoming Stake Utah Salt Lake City Ogden Utah
Casper Wyoming East Colorado Fort Collins Fort Collins Colorado
Casper Wyoming Colorado Fort Collins Fort Collins Colorado
Cheyenne Wyoming East Colorado Fort Collins Fort Collins Colorado
Cheyenne Wyoming Colorado Fort Collins Fort Collins Colorado
Cody Wyoming Montana Billings Billings Montana
Craig Colorado Stake[a] Colorado Denver South Vernal Utah
Driggs Idaho Stake[a] Idaho Idaho Falls Rexburg Idaho
Evanston Wyoming South Utah Salt Lake City Ogden Utah
Evanston Wyoming Utah Salt Lake City Ogden Utah
Gillette Wyoming Montana Billings Billings Montana
Green River Wyoming Utah Salt Lake City Vernal Utah
Kemmerer Wyoming Utah Salt Lake City Star Valley Wyoming
Laramie Wyoming Colorado Fort Collins Fort Collins Colorado
Lovell Wyoming Montana Billings Billings Montana
Montpelier Idaho South Stake[a] Idaho Pocatello Star Valley Wyoming
Riverton Wyoming Colorado Fort Collins Billings Montana
Rock Springs Wyoming Utah Salt Lake City Vernal Utah
Sheridan Wyoming Montana Billings Billings Montana
Thayne Wyoming Idaho Pocatello Star Valley Wyoming
Worland Wyoming Montana Billings Billings Montana
  1. ^ a b c Stake located outside Wyoming with congregation(s) meeting in Wyoming

Missions

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As of 2023, no missions were headquartered in Wyoming. However, Wyoming is served by four missions headquartered outside the state.

Mission Organized
Colorado Fort Collins Mission 1 July 2013
Idaho Idaho Falls 1 July 2013
Montana Billings Falls 11 November 1950
Utah Salt Lake City Mission 1 July 2013

Temples

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Temples in Wyoming (edit)

Temples in Wyoming
= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Temporarily Closed

On October 1, 2011, the Star Valley Wyoming Temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson. A second temple to be built in Casper was announced on April 4, 2021, by Russell M. Nelson. Nelson announced a third temple, to be built in Cody, on October 3, 2021.

edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size: 		Afton, Wyoming, United States
October 1, 2011 by Thomas S. Monson[10][11]
April 25, 2015 by Craig C. Christensen
October 30, 2016 by David A. Bednar
18,609 sq ft (1,728.8 m2) on a 43.6-acre (17.6 ha) site
Map
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Open House:
Dedicated:
Size:
Notes: 		Casper, Wyoming, U.S.
4 April 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[12]
9 October 2021 by S. Gifford Nielsen
29 August-14 September 2024
scheduled for 24 November 2024
9,950 sq ft (924 m2) on a 9.52-acre (3.85 ha) site
The temple's dedication was originally scheduled for October 13, 2024. On August 26, 2024, as the temple's open house began, it was announced the dedication was rescheduled to November 24, 2024.
Map
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Size: 		Cody, Wyoming, United States
3 October 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[14][15]
27 September 2024 by Steven R. Bangerter[16]
9,950 sq ft (924 m2) on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site

Communities

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Latter-day Saints had a significant role in establishing and settling several communities within the "Mormon Corridor", including the following in Wyoming:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Wyoming", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 29 May 2023
  2. ^ Category:Wyoming Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
  3. ^ a b "Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  4. ^ "Adults in Wyoming: Religious composition of adults in Wyoming". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  5. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Hein, Annette (November 8, 2014), "Journey to Martin's Cove: The Mormon Handcart Tragedy of 1856", Wyoming Historical Society, retrieved January 27, 2023
  7. ^ Jenson, Andrew (1941). Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret News, printer. pp. 857–858.
  8. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "CDOL", cdol.churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved February 7, 2023
  10. ^ Walker, Joseph (1 October 2011). "LDS general conference opens with the announcement of six new Mormon temples". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Mormon church president announces plans for new temples in Utah, Wyoming, Colombia, Africa". Washington Post. AP. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 4 April 2021
  13. ^ As verified here
  14. ^ "13 new temple locations announced by President Nelson as conference closes", Church News, Deseret News, October 3, 2021
  15. ^ "At the October 2021 General Conference, the Prophet Says the Church Will Build 13 More Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, October 3, 2021
  16. ^ As verified here and here.

Further reading

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