Facts and Statistics

Close

    Ontario

    54 943

    Total Church Membership

    0.39% 1-in-259

    Population vs. Church Members

    9

    Stakes

    94

    Congregations

    59 Wards
    35 Branches

    54

    Family History Centers

    54

    1

    Temples

    1

    Missions | 1 Districts

    History

    Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first entered Canada in the winter of 1829-30 seeking ways to finance the publication of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In 1830, Phineas Young traveled to Earnestown. Though not a member of the Church at that time, he preached about the Book of Mormon.

    Early in June 1832, Young returned to Canada, this time as a convert to the Church in the company of five other missionaries. Their preaching helped attract enough member to create four branches of the Church. Other missionaries, including Church founder Joseph Smith, visited Ontario in October 1833 and July 1837.

    Between 1830 and 1850, an estimated 2,500 Canadians, mostly from Ontario, joined the Church. Most of these early members gathered with other Latter-day Saints in the western United States. By 1861, the Ontario census listed only 74 Latter-day Saints.

    Missionary work progressed slowly in eastern Canada until a mission was organized in 1919. That year, branches were organized in Toronto and Hamilton. Another was organized in Kitchener in 1923. The Ottawa Branch was created in July 1926. The St. Catharine's Branch was organized in 1933. The Oshawa Branch began in 1947 after functioning off and on as a Sunday School since 1944. Membership throughout eastern Canada reached 1,974 in 1950.

    The first Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in eastern Canada was dedicated in Toronto in 1939 where the first eastern stake (similar to a diocese) was organized in 1960. The Toronto Temple was completed in 1990. On 1 July 1993, a second mission was created in Toronto.

    For Journalist Use Only

    Rich Ternieden
    Communication Director
    Tel: (416) 219-4301

    Rich.ternieden@sympatico.ca

    Canada

    205 907

    Total Church Membership

    1-in-

    53

    Stakes

    1010101010

    502

    Congregations

    356 Wards
    146 Branches

    155

    Family History Centers

    155

    9

    Temples

    6

    Missions | 3 Districts

    History

    Joseph Smith, Sr. and his son Don Carlos — the father and brother of Joseph Smith, Jr. — preached in several Canadian towns and hamlets north of the St. Lawrence River in September 1830. The Canadian settlements were only a day or two’s journey from Palmyra, New York, and Kirtland, Ohio, and several converts were eager to share their new religion with relatives north of the border.

    Between 1830 and 1850, some 2,500 Canadians joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mostly in Upper Canada (modern-day southern Ontario and the watershed areas of Northern Ontario along the Ottawa River and Lakes Huron and Superior) but also in the southern English-speaking townships of Lower Canada (southern portion of current-day Quebec and the Labrador region), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

    The first known Latter-day Saints to enter what is now Alberta were Simeon F. Allen and his son Heber S. Allen of Hyrum, Utah, who contracted work in 1883 on the Canadian Pacific Railroad between Medicine Hat and Calgary. They were joined by other Later-day Saints from Utah working on the contract.

    A few years later in 1886, Cache Stake President Charles O. Card received permission from Church President John Taylor to investigate colonizing opportunities in southwestern Canada.

    Today, more than 190,000 Latter-day Saints are spread throughout 496 congregations in Canada.

    Africa

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    933 511

    Members

    2 927

    Congregations

    Missions

    54Missions

    Family History Centers

    575

    Temples

    6Temples

    Asia

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    1 316 373

    Members

    2 145

    Congregations

    Missions

    51Missions

    Family History Centers

    419

    Temples

    11Temples

    Europe

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    513 534

    Members

    1 290

    Congregations

    Missions

    37Missions

    Family History Centers

    665

    Temples

    14Temples

    North America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    9 733 719

    Members

    18 426

    Congregations

    Missions

    187Missions

    Family History Centers

    3 106

    Temples

    131Temples

    Oceania (Pacific)

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    607 302

    Members

    1 290

    Congregations

    Missions

    17Missions

    Family History Centers

    321

    Temples

    11Temples

    South America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    4 392 463

    Members

    5 599

    Congregations

    Missions

    104Missions

    Family History Centers

    1 459

    Temples

    29Temples