The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Dakota


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Dakota
A meetinghouse next to the Bismarck North Dakota Temple
AreaNA Central
Members11,487 (2022)[1]
Stakes3
Wards20
Branches6
Total Congregations26
Missions1
Temples1
Family History Centers7[2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) held its first congregation in North Dakota in 1919. In 2022, there was 11,487 members in 26 congregations.

Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 1.49% in 2017.[3] According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, less than 1% of North Dakotans self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.[4] The LDS Church is the 7th largest denomination in North Dakota.[5]

History

Membership in North Dakota
YearMembership
19833,529
1989*4,500
19995,070
20096,140
201911,550
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: North Dakota[1]

The first missionaries of the LDS Church arrived in North Dakota in 1885, and the first LDS meetinghouse was built in 1919 in Sully Lake.[6] However the first stake in North Dakota was not organized until 1977 in Fargo.[7] North Dakota was the final US state to have a stake within its boundaries.[6]

During the North Dakota oil boom, the LDS Church in North Dakota saw significant growth in multiple communities in the western part of the state.[8][9] The growth was largely driven by the influx of out-of-state oil field workers and their families from other nearby western states with high Latter-day Saint populations. In some of the communities, church membership doubled during the oil boom necessitating the construction of multiple new meetinghouses, chapels, and other church facilities.[10]

The number of missionaries from the church sent to the Dakotas doubled during the pandemic, as many sent to other countries returned to the US.[11]

Stakes

As of January 2024, the following stakes had congregations located in North Dakota:

Stake Organized Mission Temple District
Bismarck North Dakota 22 Sep 1996 North Dakota Bismarck Bismarck North Dakota
Fargo North Dakota 7 Aug 1977 North Dakota Bismarck Bismarck North Dakota
Minot North Dakota 4 May 2014 North Dakota Bismarck Bismarck North Dakota
Glendive Montana 4 May 1997 North Dakota Bismarck Billings Montana

Missions

The South Dakota Rapid City Mission was consolidated into the North Dakota Bismarck Mission in 2015, which includes entire state of North Dakota.[citation needed] As of 2020, the mission was one of the larger missions in the LDS Church.[11]

Temples

Main article: Bismarck North Dakota Temple

The Bismarck North Dakota Temple was dedicated on September 19, 1999, by LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley. It was built at a cost of $4 million.[6] The Watford City Ward in the Glendive Montana Stake is located in the Billings Montana Temple District. In 2020, a new statue of the Angel Moroni was installed on the temple to replace the weathered original statue.[12]

edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style: 		Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
July 29, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley
October 17, 1998 by Kenneth Johnson
September 19, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 1.6-acre (0.65 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Ritterbush–Ellig–Hulsing and Church A&E Services

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:North Dakota", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 28 May 2023
  2. ^ Category:North Dakota Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
  3. ^ Martinich, Matt. "Percent LDS by US State". Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Adults in North Dakota: Religious composition of adults in North Dakota". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  5. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Counting the faithful: Mormon church thrives". Inforum. March 29, 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  7. ^ Vatnsdal, Emma (6 January 2019). "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grows to third Fargo congregation". Inforum. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  8. ^ Horwath, Bryan (5 April 2013). "Growing the faith: Some Dickinson churches see surging congregations". The Dickinson Press. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  9. ^ "New ward, leadership established for Mormon congregations in region". minotdailynews.com. Minot Daily News. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  10. ^ Dalrymple, Amy (16 April 2016). "With influx of people from western states, Mormon congregations in Oil Patch have swelled". Inforum. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  11. ^ a b Griffith, Michelle (October 11, 2020), "Number of Latter-day Saints missionaries in Dakotas double amid COVID-19 pandemic", Grand Forks Herald, retrieved May 25, 2021
  12. ^ Miller, Alan (29 June 2020). "New angel atop Bismarck temple of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints". KFYR. Retrieved 26 October 2022.


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