The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Virginia
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Virginia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Virginia. In 1841, there were 80 members of the Church. It has since grown to 96,748 members in 216 congregations.
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Main Hall at Southern Virginia University | |
| Area | NA Northeast |
| Members | 96,748 (2021)[1] |
| Stakes | 22 |
| Wards | 179 |
| Branches | 37 |
| Total Congregations | 216 |
| Missions | 2 |
| Temples | 1 Under Construction 1 Announced 2 Total |
| Family History Centers | 46[2] |
Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 1.13% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 2% of Virginians self-identified most closely with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[3] The LDS Church is the 7th largest denomination in Virginia.[4]
History
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 80 |
| 1844 | 350 |
| 1930 | 2,267 |
| 1972 | 22,000 |
| 1980 | 35,485 |
| 1990 | 55,367 |
| 1999 | 66,622 |
| 2009 | 84,876 |
| 2019 | 96,496 |
| Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Virginia[1] | |
In 1841, there were some 80 members of the Church in Virginia.[5]
In 1996, a group of Mormon businessmen acquired Southern Virginia College—a two-year private women's college—and turned it into Southern Virginia University, a four-year, coeducational school with a Brigham Young University-like honor code in Buena Vista.[6]
In 2011, Time magazine profiled the large population of singles, or Young Single Adults, in the DC area—including the new 23rd Street Chapel.[7]
In April 2018, church president Russell M. Nelson announced a new temple to be built in Virginia. The first temple of the church to be built in the state, the temple is located in Glen Allen.[8]
Stakes
LDS stakes are groups of congregations. Wards are medium-sized congregations and branches are small congregations.
Stakes are led by a stake presidency (stake president and two counselors, supported by an executive secretary, a stake clerk, and typically four assistant clerks) and a high council of 12 councilors. Stakes also have presidencies for the Stake Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary, and Sunday School.
Red = Operating temple
Blue = Temple under construction
Yellow = Announced temple
Black = Temple closed for renovations
Red = Operating temple
Blue = Temple under construction
Yellow = Announced temple
Black = Temple closed for renovations
As of February 2022, Virginia had the following stakes (congregations in each stake were listed in page prior and not updated):[9][10]
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Missions
| Mission | Created | Mission office | Stakes in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Richmond Mission | October 26, 1947 | Richmond, VA | 6 |
| Washington D.C. South Mission | October 16, 1960 | Burke, VA | 7 |
| West Virginia Charleston Mission | Charleston, WV | 4 (of 7) | |
| Maryland Baltimore Mission | Ellicott City, MD | 1 (of 7) |
Temples
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: |
Glen Allen, Virginia, United States April 1, 2018 by Russell M. Nelson[11] April 11, 2020 by Randall K. Bennett May 7, 2023 by Dallin H. Oaks 39,202 sq ft (3,642.0 m2) on a 12-acre (4.9 ha) site | ||
|
|||
| Location: Announced: |
Winchester, Virginia, United States 2 April 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[12][13] | ||
References
- "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Virginia", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved April 12, 2022
- Category:Virginia Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved April 11, 2022
- "Adults in Virginia: Religious composition of adults in Virginia". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Note:While it's the seventh largest denomination in Virginia, it's the eighth largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
- "Facts and Statistics", Church News, 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- "New College in Virginia Offers Eastern Mormons a Choice", Los Angeles Times, 27 July 1996. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- Choi, Christy. "All the Single Mormons: Virginia Church Focuses on Finding a Mate", Time magazine, 30 May 2011. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- "Church reveals plans to build Mormon temple in Henrico". wtvr.com. WTVR. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- "The Washington D.C. Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved February 16, 2022
- "Raleigh North Carolina Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved February 16, 2022
- "Seven Temples Announced as April 2018 General Conference Closes: Mormon temples to be built in Asia, Europe, North and South America". Newsroom. LDS Church. 1 April 2018.
- Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson urges members to be peacemakers, announces 15 new temples, Salt Lake Tribune, 2 April 2023
- "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 15 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2 April 2023
External links
- Newsroom (Virginia)
- ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints visitor site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official site