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

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oregon
The Portland Oregon Temple
AreaNA West
Members150,207 (2022)[1]
Stakes35
Wards248
Branches48
Total Congregations296
Missions3
Temples2 Operating
1 Under Construction
3 Total
Family History Centers76[2]
Membership in Oregon[3][1]
YearMembership
19202,796
19305,185
19408,799
195017,885
196029,920
197048,997
198094,093
1990113,774
1999134,438
2009145,429
2019153,540
2022150,207

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oregon refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Oregon. Oregon has the 9th most members of the church of any U.S. state.[4] Members have had considerable influence in the state throughout its contemporary history and many influential Latter-day Saints have come from Oregon, including Senator Gordon H. Smith.

History

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Early history

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Charles W. Nibley's business ventures lead many Saints to settle Oregon.

Missionaries were sent into Oregon from California as early as 1855.[5] The Northwestern States Mission was created in 1897 under the Oneida Stake with George C. Parkinson, who was also the Oneida stake president, as president, and was headquartered in Portland in 1901,[6]: 595  where missionaries had arrived in 1857.[5] The mission was expanded to include the state of Montana in 1898, with the Montana Mission being dissolved and Franklin S. Bramwell being called as president.[6]: 595 

The establishment of the Oregon Lumber Company by Charles W. Nibley, the creation of a lumber mill by David Eccles on the North Powder River, and the purchase of sugar beet farms led to the migration of Latter-day Saint families to the Baker area.[1][6]: 39  The first branch in Oregon was created in Baker City on July 23, 1893.[5] The first stake was organized from various branches of the Church in Eastern Oregon on June 9, 1901, as the Union Stake (later the La Grande Stake), centered primarily in Union and Baker counties.[6]: 897–898 

The branches in the stake were organized into the first wards in Oregon in La Grande, Mount Glen, Alicel, Baker, Imbler, and Nibley.[6]: 898  Bramwell was called to serve as president of the Union Stake, with him serving as both stake and mission president for about a year until he was released as president of the Northwestern States Mission in 1902.[6]: 595  Bramwell served as stake president until 1914.[6]: 898 

Early 20th century

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The Portland Tabernacle. The first purpose-built LDS chapel in Oregon.

E. Kimbark MacColl's analysis of Portland, history states "Portland was well endowed with churches, with approximately one for every 600 residents" in the 1890s.[7] In his survey of six leading denominations and all 25 missions, no mention was made of LDS Church denominations or missions.[7]

In 1898, missionaries George and Sam Parkinson of Idaho were sent to Portland to determine whether missionaries should be sent to the city. Jens Christensen Westergaard found out about the missionaries' visit when reading a copy of The Oregonian. Westergaard, who with his wife Petrine had been baptized years before in Sweden but had been unable to practice due to the lack of Church presence in Portland, went to multiple hotels until he found the one with the missionaries. He left a note asking them to come to his house. The next day the missionaries visited with Westergaard and his wife and informed him that they would be writing an unfavorable report about sending missionaries to Portland. The Westergaards asked the elders to send missionaries to Portland and they soon arrived. The Westergaards were later re-baptized in the Willamette River.[8]

The Portland Branch was created on December 19, 1899, and met in a rented room in the Alisky Building at the corner of Morrison and Third. Westergaard was called as Branch President.[8][5] A permanent chapel, the Portland Tabernacle, was built in 1929, ready for an open house on February 15–17. The building "carried the architectural scheme of an old English manor, being constructed of dense lava stone and bricks of the clinker type, and is declared particularly suited to western Oregon climate and surroundings."[9] It included a maternity room and a basement with 14 classrooms.[9] The architect was C. R. Kaufman, and construction had begun on August 1, 1928.[9]

The completion of the Oregon Short Line Railroad helped bring additional Church members into Oregon, as did the defense industry from World War I and World War II.[10] In 1930 the only wards in Oregon were La Grande 1st and 2nd, Baker, Union, Imbler, and Mt. Glen, with branches in Bend, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Medford, Portland, Hood River, and Salem and total membership of 3,226.[10] A stake was created in Portland on June 26, 1938,[5] with four more in the 1950s, thanks to membership increase with the post-World War II boom.[10] The Medford Stake became the Church's 400th in 1964,[10] and the Portland Temple was dedicated in 1989.[11]

Contemporary history

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The Medford Temple was dedicated in 2000, with the Willamette Valley Temple being announced in 2021.[11] In 2023, a temple was announced for Vancouver, Washington which is likely to serve some members in Oregon.[12] A Visitors Center was added on the ground of the Portland Temple in 2012.

In 2022, Oregon was home to 248 wards, 48 branches, 35 stakes, and 150,207 Church members.[1] Oregon currently has 76 FamilySearch Centers.[13]

County statistics

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List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives:[14] Note: Each county adherent count reflects meetinghouse location of congregation and not by location of residence. Census count reflects location of residence which may skew percent of population where adherents reside in a different county as their congregational meetinghouse.

County Congregations Adherents % of Population
Baker 4 1,363 8.45
Benton 6 2,892 3.38
Clackamas 29 14,058 3.74
Clatsop 2 1,483 4.00
Columbia 5 2,477 5.02
Coos 4 2,626 4.17
Crook 2 1,027 4.90
Curry 3 994 4.45
Deschutes 9 5,174 3.28
Douglas 7 4,540 4.22
Gilliam 0
Grant 2 462 6.21
Harney 2 678 9.14
Hood River 1 689 3.08
Jackson 15 8,471 4.17
Jefferson 1 584 26.89 2.69
Josephine 7 4,143 5.01
Klamath 8 3,133 4.72
Lake 2 412 5.22
Lane 24 12,687 3.61
Lincoln 3 1,563 3.40
Linn 11 4,224 3.62
Malheur 13 4,284 13.68
Marion 25 10,201 3.24
Morrow 2 785 7.03
Multnomah 25 16,721 2.27
Polk 11 4,648 6.16
Sherman 0
Tillamook 2 879 3.48
Umatilla 13 4,748 6.26
Union 7 2,348 9.12
Wallowa 1 330 4.71
Wasco 2 1,084 4.30
Washington 45 23,763 4.49
Wheeler 1 48 3.33
Yamhill 10 4,446 4.48

Stakes

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LDS Church meetinghouse in Pendleton, Oregon.
A Meetinghouse in Milwaukie

As of January 2024, Oregon had the following stakes:

Stake Organized Mission Temple District
Beaverton Oregon 10 Nov 1963 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Beaverton Oregon West 12 Nov 1995 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Bend Oregon 15 Dec 1968 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Caldwell Idaho Snake River[a] 30 Jan 1972 Idaho Boise Meridian Idaho
Cedar Mill Oregon 31 Oct 1982 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Central Point Oregon 7 Mar 1982 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
Coos Bay Oregon 14 Sep 1969 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
Corvallis Oregon 3 Nov 1963 Oregon Eugene Portland Oregon
Eugene Oregon 12 Sep 1976 Oregon Eugene Portland Oregon
Eugene Oregon Santa Clara 17 Apr 1983 Oregon Eugene Portland Oregon
Forest Grove Oregon 20 May 2007 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Grants Pass Oregon 31 Oct 1976 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
Gresham Oregon 26 May 1974 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Hermiston Oregon 26 May 1974 Washington Kennewick Columbia River Washington
Hillsboro Oregon 12 Oct 1975 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Keizer Oregon 8 Feb 1976 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Klamath Falls Oregon 22 Mar 1953 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
La Grande Oregon 9 Jun 1901 Idaho Boise Columbia River Washington
Lake Oswego Oregon 29 Apr 1984 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Lebanon Oregon 3 Feb 1980 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
McMinnville Oregon 25 Oct 1981 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Monmouth Oregon 24 Aug 1980 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Mount Hood Oregon 10 Oct 1982 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Medford Oregon 23 Aug 1964 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
Nyssa Oregon 8 Jan 1950 Idaho Boise Meridian Idaho
Ontario Oregon 18 Nov 1984 Idaho Boise Meridian Idaho
Oregon City 16 Jan 1972 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Portland Oregon 26 Jun 1938 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Rainier Oregon 8 Mar 1992 Washington Vancouver Portland Oregon
Redmond Oregon 1 Mar 1981 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Roseburg Oregon 15 May 1977 Oregon Eugene Medford Oregon
Salem Oregon 22 Jan 1961 Oregon Salem Portland Oregon
Springfield Oregon 2 Dec 1951 Oregon Eugene Portland Oregon
The Dalles Oregon 26 Jun 1977 Washington Yakima Portland Oregon
Tualatin Oregon 16 Aug 1992 Oregon Portland Portland Oregon
Walla Walla Washington[a] 11 Mar 1979 Washington Kennewick Columbia River Washington
  1. ^ a b Stake located outside of Oregon with congregation(s) meeting in Oregon

Missions

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On July 26, 1897, the Northwestern States Mission was organized to search out Latter-day Saints who had moved to Oregon and Washington. On June 10, 1970, its name changed to the Oregon Mission and ultimately the Oregon Portland Mission on June 20, 1974. On July 1, 1990, the Oregon Eugene Mission was organized; and in July 2013, the Oregon Salem Mission was organized.

Mission Organized
Oregon Eugene Mission July 1, 1990
Oregon Portland Mission July 26, 1897
Oregon Salem Mission July 1, 2013

In addition to these missions, the Idaho Boise Mission covers the eastern portion of the state while the Washington Kennewick, Washington Vancouver, and Washington Yakima missions cover portions of Northern Oregon.

Notable Oregonian members

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Senator Gordon H. Smith, Ammon Bundy, Danny Ainge, and Erin Chambers are examples of notable Saints from Oregon, showing the influence of Mormonism in the state.

See Also: List of Latter Day Saints and Category:Latter Day Saints from Oregon

Temples

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Temples in and near Oregon (edit)
= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Temporarily Closed

Oregon currently has two operating temples and one under construction. The Columbia River and Meridian Idaho temples serve portions of Eastern Oregon.

edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style: 		Lake Oswego, Oregon, U.S.
April 7, 1984 by Spencer W. Kimball
September 20, 1986 by Gordon B. Hinckley
August 19, 1989 by Gordon B. Hinckley
80,500 sq ft (7,480 m2) on a 7.3-acre (3.0 ha) site
Modern, six-spire design - designed by Leland A. Gray
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style: 		Central Point, Oregon, U.S.
March 15, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
May 20, 1999 by D. Lee Tobler
April 16, 2000 by James E. Faust
10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Dan Park, Church A&E Services, Joseph E. Marty, Architect
Map
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Size:
Notes: 		Springfield, Oregon, U.S.
April 4, 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[11]
29 October 2022 by Valeri V. Cordón[15]
30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) on a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) site
Official name, anticipated size, location, and exterior rendering released on September 2, 2021.[16]
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State: Oregon", Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved May 20, 2023
  2. ^ Category:Oregon Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
  3. ^ Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Oregon
  4. ^ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)
  5. ^ a b c d e "Northwestern States Mission manuscript history and historical reports, 1857-1972 / Volume 1, 1896-1912 / Part 1, 1896-1898", Church History Catalog, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved May 20, 2023
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Jenson, Andrew (January 1, 1941). Encyclopedic history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Publishing Company. ASIN B0007EL5NK.
  7. ^ a b MacColl, E. Kimbark (November 1976). The Shaping of a City: Business and politics in Portland, Oregon 1885 to 1915. Portland, Oregon: The Georgian Press Company. pp. 178–179. OCLC 2645815.
  8. ^ a b Westergaard, Jens Christensen (1946). Synopsis Life History of Jens Christensen Westergaard. Metropolitan Print Company.
  9. ^ a b c "New Chapel Soon Ready". The Oregonian. February 10, 1929.
  10. ^ a b c d "United States information: Oregon", Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, retrieved May 20, 2023
  11. ^ a b c "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, April 4, 2021
  12. ^ "First Latter-Day Saints temple in Clark County will be built in Camas". The Columbian. April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  13. ^ "Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  15. ^ https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/ground-broken-for-willamette-valley-oregon-temple
  16. ^ "Official Name Announced for Temple to be Built in Oregon", Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, September 2, 2021
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