Ontario
54 943
Total Church Membership
Population vs. Church Members
9
Stakes
94
Congregations
54
Family History Centers
1
Temples
1
Missions |
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
Canada
205 907
Total Church Membership
53
Stakes
502
Congregations
155
Family History Centers
9
Temples
6
Missions |
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
933 511
Members
2 927
Congregations
Missions
54Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
6Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1 316 373
Members
2 145
Congregations
Missions
51Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
11Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
513 534
Members
1 290
Congregations
Missions
37Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9 733 719
Members
18 426
Congregations
Missions
187Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
131Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
607 302
Members
1 290
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
11Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4 392 463
Members
5 599
Congregations