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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming
The Star Valley Wyoming Temple
Membership	67,729 (2019)[1]
Stakes	17
Wards	145
Branches	26
Total Congregations	171
Missions	1
Temples	1 Operating, 1 Under Construction, 1 Announced
Family History Centers	46[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 1897.^[1] It has since grown to 150,509 members in 311 congregations.

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.^[3] The LDS Church is the largest denomination in Wyoming.^[4]

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.

History[]

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.^[5]

In 1877, members settled the Star Valley area, and in 1878, Brigham Young dedicated the spot as a gathering place for members.^[5]

County Statistics[]

List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives:^[6]

Stakes[]

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 February 2022, Wyoming was home to the following stakes:

Missions[]

Prostelyting

• Colorado Fort Collins Mission
• Idaho Idaho Falls Mission
• Montana Billings Mission
• Utah Salt Lake City Mission

Church History

• Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission

Temples[]

Star Valley

Casper

Cody

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Temples in Wyoming

Red = Operating
Blue = Under construction
Yellow = Announced
Black = Closed for renovation

On October 1, 2011 the Star Valley Wyoming Temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson. A second temple to 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.

Communities[]

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

• Afton
• Auburn
• Bridger Valley
• Rock Springs
• Star Valley

See also[]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Warner, Ted J. (1992), "Wyoming, Pioneer Settlements in", in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 1598–1599, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, OCLC 24502140.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming.

• Newsroom (Wyoming)
• ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints Visitor site
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official site