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

The topic of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas is an issue that has captured the interest and attention of many people around the world. Whether due to its impact on society, its historical relevance or its meaning in daily life, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas has generated debates, investigations and even controversies. In this article, we will explore different aspects and perspectives related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas, with the aim of providing a broad and complete overview on this topic. From its origin to its current implications, including its influence on popular culture, we will examine in depth how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas has left an indelible mark on history and the collective consciousness.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas
AreaNA Southwest
Members378,281 (2022)[1]
Stakes78
Districts2
Wards616
Branches128
Total Congregations744
Missions10
Temples5 Operating
2 Under Construction
3 Announced
10 Total
Family History Centers138[2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Texas. Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 1.13% in 2007 and 1.21% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey in both years, roughly 1% of Texans self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.[3]

Texas has the 5th most members of the LDS Church in the United States, and the most members east of the Rocky Mountains.[4] The LDS Church is the 6th largest denomination in Texas.[5]

History

Membership in Texas[6][1]
YearMembership
189364
1898*300
1906*1,000
19303,840
1977*50,000
1984*120,000
1990*154,000
1999210,892
2009286,902
2019362,037
2022378,281
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Texas LDS membership history

1844 consideration for Latter Day Saint settlement

Increased persecution around Nauvoo in 1844 led Joseph Smith to consider relocating the church outside the borders of the United States. The Republic of Texas, along with other areas in the western United states, were considered by Smith as a place where the church members would be able to peacefully practice their religion. That year, Smith started negotiations with Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, for the southern and western portions of Texas to be the future home of the Latter Day Saints.[7] Smith sent Lucien Woodworth to Austin to meet with Houston.[8]

After Smith's death, negotiations with Houston were abandoned.[9]

2008 Hurricane Ike

In response to Hurricane Ike in 2008, members of the LDS Church across Texas and other parts of the country volunteered relief and service.

Total LDS Church response to Hurricane Ike included:

  • 80,640 hygiene kits (six truckloads).
  • 8.064 cleaning kits (four truckloads).
  • 4 truckloads of water.
  • 11,520 blankets (two truckloads).
  • 4,800 food boxes (four truckloads) which included rice, vegetable oil, peanut butter, fruit drink mix, and assorted canned goods. Each food box could feed a family of four for a week to 10 days.
  • Food, water, generators, sleeping bags, tools, chain saws, tarps and other items.[10]

In addition to this aid, thousands of church members came into the area as volunteers to assist in clean up efforts.

Church units and creation dates

Stakes and Districts

A meetinghouse in Northwest Houston
A meetinghouse in Canyon Lake

As of June 2024, Texas had the following stakes:

Stake Organized Mission Temple District
Abilene Texas May 3, 1981 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
Allen Texas August 26, 2007 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Alliance Texas February 16, 2014 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Amarillo Texas May 31, 1981 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
Amarillo Texas East August 13, 2023 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
Arlington Texas April 13, 1986 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Austin Texas October 14, 1973 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Austin Texas Oak Hills December 1, 1991 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Austin Texas West September 15, 2019 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Bay City Texas October 13, 1991 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Beaumont Texas September 3, 1961 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
Bridgeland Texas[a] February 22, 2015 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Burleson Texas September 11, 2016 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Carrollton Texas December 9, 2001 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Cedar Park Texas June 5, 2016 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
College Station Texas October 28, 1979 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Colleyville Texas April 13, 1997 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Conroe Texas April 30, 2017 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Corpus Christi Texas May 31, 1964 Texas McAllen McAllen Texas
Cypress Texas November 6, 1983 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Dallas Texas October 18, 1953 Texas Dallas South Dallas Texas
Dallas Texas East May 15, 1977 Texas Dallas South Dallas Texas
Denton Texas May 3, 1992 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Eagle Pass Texas District October 19, 1997 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
El Paso Texas September 21, 1952 Texas El Paso Ciudad Juárez Mexico
El Paso Texas Mount Franklin August 29, 1982 Texas El Paso Ciudad Juárez Mexico
El Paso Texas Chamizal January 17, 2016 Texas El Paso Ciudad Juárez Mexico
Fort Stockton Texas District September 7, 2003 Texas El Paso Lubbock Texas
Friendswood Texas May 29, 1977 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Fort Worth Texas September 24, 1967 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Fort Worth Texas North November 6, 2016 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Frisco Texas May 4, 2008 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Gilmer Texas January 16, 1983 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Harlingen Texas March 22, 1981 Texas McAllen McAllen Texas
Heath Texas May 20, 2012 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Houston Texas October 11, 1953 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Houston Texas East May 5, 1968 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
Houston Texas North November 16, 1975 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Houston Texas South November 30, 1980 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Houston Texas Summerwood June 3, 2012 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
Houston Texas West January 8, 2006 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Hurst Texas November 14, 1976 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
Irving Texas February 7, 2016 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Katy Texas December 1, 1991 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Killeen Texas November 26, 1978 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Kingwood Texas April 18, 1982 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
Klein Texas November 2, 2003 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Kyle Texas May 4, 2008 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Lawton Oklahoma[b] 31 October 1976 Oklahoma Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Laredo Texas[c] October 31, 1995 Texas McAllen McAllen Texas
League City Texas October 25, 2009 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Lewisville Texas April 12, 1981 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Little Elm Texas August 25, 2019 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Longview Texas November 9, 1969 Texas Dallas South Dallas Texas
Lubbock Texas November 26, 1967 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
Lubbock Texas North September 14, 2014 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
McAllen Texas May 4, 1975 Texas McAllen McAllen Texas
McAllen Texas West September 7, 2008 Texas McAllen McAllen Texas
McKinney Texas September 11, 1994 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Odessa Texas December 15, 1968 Texas Lubbock Lubbock Texas
Orange Texas August 29, 1982 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
Plano Texas May 27, 1973 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Prosper Texas[d] May 4, 2014 Texas Dallas West Dallas Texas
Richardson Texas January 30, 1983 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Richmond Texas May 7, 2006 Texas Houston South Houston Texas
Round Rock Texas June 6, 1999 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
Round Rock Texas East November 24, 2013 Texas Austin San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas January 19, 1958 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas Cibolo Valley January 10, 2016 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas East, May 30, 1976 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas Hill Country January 27, 2008 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas La Cantera January 24, 2016 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas North October 19, 1997 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas Pecan Valley September 13, 2020 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas West June 5, 1983 Texas San Antonio San Antonio Texas
Sherman Texas March 20, 2016 Texas Dallas East Dallas Texas
Shreveport Louisiana[b] 26 January 1958 Texas Dallas South Dallas Texas
Spring Texas November 8, 2009 Texas Houston East Houston Texas
The Woodlands Texas October 12, 2014 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Tomball Texas May 21, 2017 Texas Houston Houston Texas
Tyler Texas January 22, 2005 Texas Dallas South Dallas Texas
Waco Texas October 17, 2010 Texas Austin Dallas Texas
Weatherford Texas April 30, 2006 Texas Fort Worth Dallas Texas
  1. ^ Originally called Houston Texas Bear Creek Stake and renamed to Bridgeland Texas Stake August 22, 2021
  2. ^ a b Stake located outside Texas with congregation(s) meeting in Texas
  3. ^ Organized as Laredo Texas Stake December 2, 2018
  4. ^ Originally Frisco Texas Shawnee Trail, Renamed to Prosper Texas, August 25, 2019

A few congregations in Southern Texas are not part of a stake or district. These congregations are the Raymondville Branch, Rio Grande City Branch, Roma Branch, and Zapata Branch and are directly administered by the Texas McAllen Mission and part of the McAllen Texas Temple District.

Missions

Responsibility for Texas has been shared by several different missions. Originally in the Southern States Mission, it was transferred to the Indian Territory Mission, which later changed its name to the Southwestern States Mission and, in 1904, it became the Central States Mission. Texas remained in the Central States Mission until the Texas Mission was organized in 1931. Texas and Louisiana were combined to form the Texas-Louisiana Mission in 1945. Texas was part of the Gulf States Mission from 1955 to 1960.

In 1961, a new Texas Mission was organized. This became the Texas Dallas Mission in 1974. As the church grew, other missions in Texas were organized.

Mission Organized
Texas Austin 30 June 2020
Texas Dallas East 28 June 2020
Texas Dallas South June 2024
Texas Dallas West[a] 16 February 1961
Texas El Paso June 2024
Texas Fort Worth[b] 1 July 1986
Texas Houston 1 July 1976
Texas Houston East 1 July 1990
Texas Houston South 1 July 1997
Texas Lubbock 1 July 2002
Texas McAllen[c] 1 July 1989
Texas San Antonio[d] 10 December 1967
  1. ^ The Texas Dallas West Mission was originally named the Texas Mission in 1961. It was renamed the Texas North Mission on June 10, 1970, the Texas Dallas Mission on June 20, 1974, and ultimately the Texas Dallas West Mission on July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ The Texas Fort Worth Mission was originally named the Texas Lubbock Mission in 1986. It was renamed the Texas Fort Worth Mission on January 20, 1988.
  3. ^ The Texas McAllen Mission was originally named the Texas Corpus Christi Mission in 1989. It was renamed the Texas McAllen Mission on February 24, 1994.
  4. ^ The Texas San Antonio Mission was originally named the Texas South Mission in 1967. It was renamed the Texas San Antonio Mission on June 20, 1974.

Temples

Temples in Texas and Oklahoma (edit)
= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Temporarily Closed

As of October 2024, Texas has 5 temples located in the state, with 2 under construction, and 3 more announced. The far western portion of the state is located in the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple District. A few congregations in and around Wichita Falls, TX are in the Lawton Oklahoma Stake and are part of the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple District.

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Dallas, Texas, United States
April 1, 1981 by Spencer W. Kimball
January 22, 1983 by Gordon B. Hinckley
October 19, 1984 by Gordon B. Hinckley
March 5, 1989 by Gordon B. Hinckley
44,207 sq ft (4,107.0 m2) on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site
Sloping roof, six spire - designed by Church A&E Services and West & Humphries
The rededication in 1989 was for the addition only
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Spring, Texas, United States
September 30, 1997 by Gordon B. Hinckley
June 13, 1998 by Lynn A. Mickelsen
August 26, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley
April 22, 2018 by M. Russell Ballard
33,970 sq ft (3,156 m2) on a 11-acre (4.5 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Spencer Partnership Architects and Church A&E Services
Rededicated after repairing damage from Hurricane Harvey
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Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
April 2, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley
November 4, 2000 by Rex D. Pinegar
April 21, 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley
16,498 sq ft (1,532.7 m2) on a 2.7-acre (1.1 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Tisdel Minckler and Associates.
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San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
June 24, 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley
March 29, 2003 by H. Bruce Stucki
May 22, 2005 by Gordon B. Hinckley
16,800 sq ft (1,560 m2) on a 5.5-acre (2.2 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Rehler, Vaughn & Koone
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McAllen, Texas, United States
5 October 2019 by Russell M. Nelson[11]
21 November 2020 by Art Rascon[12]
8 October 2023 by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
27,897 sq ft (2,591.7 m2) on a 10.61-acre (4.29 ha) site
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Burleson, Texas, United States
3 October 2021 by Russell M. Nelson[13][14]
28 October 2023 by Jose L. Alonso
30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) on a 9.37-acre (3.79 ha) site
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Cedar Park, Texas
3 April 2022 by Russell M. Nelson[15][16]
17 August 2024 by Michael A. Dunn[17][18]
30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) on a 10.6-acre (4.3 ha) site
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Fairview, Texas
2 October 2022 by Russell M. Nelson[19][20]
44,000 sq ft (4,100 m2) on a 8.16-acre (3.30 ha) site
Revised name and site announced on December 4, 2023.[21]
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Houston, Texas, United States
7 April 2024 by Russell M. Nelson[22][23]
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El Paso, Texas
6 October 2024 by Russell M. Nelson[24][25]
{{{notes}}}

Communities

Latter-day Saints have had a significant role in establishing and settling communities within the "Mormon Corridor" and other locations, including the following in Texas:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Texas", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 29 May 2023
  2. ^ Category:Texas Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved April 11, 2022
  3. ^ "Adults in Texas: Religious composition of adults in Texas". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  4. ^ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)
  5. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved April 19, 2021. Note:While it's the sixth largest denomination in Texas, it's the seventh largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
  6. ^ Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Texas
  7. ^ Van Wagenen, Michael Scott (5 July 2002), The Texas Republic and the Mormon Kingdom of God, Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 978-1-58544-184-6
  8. ^ Blythe, Christopher James, "With Full Authority to Build Up the Kingdom of God on Earth:Lyman Wight on the Council of Fifty", religious studies center, Brigham Young University, retrieved 23 June 2023
  9. ^ "Appendix 1: Letter, Lucien Woodworth to Sam Houston, 14 July 1844", The Joseph Smith Papers, retrieved 23 June 2023
  10. ^ "Hurricane Ike: Church sends relief to Texas, Haiti; LDS volunteers give service", Church News, September 20, 2008.
  11. ^ "President Nelson Announces Eight New Temples at October 2019 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 5 October 2019
  12. ^ "The Temple Coming to McAllen, Texas, Will Help People 'Look to the Heavens for Wisdom'", newsroom, LDS Church, 21 November 2020, retrieved 28 September 2023
  13. ^ "13 new temple locations announced by President Nelson as conference closes", Church News, Deseret News, October 3, 2021
  14. ^ "At the October 2021 General Conference, the Prophet Says the Church Will Build 13 More Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, October 3, 2021
  15. ^ "7 new temple locations announced by President Nelson to close conference", Deseret News, Deseret News, April 3, 2022
  16. ^ "President Nelson Announces 17 New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, April 3, 2022
  17. ^ As verified here
  18. ^ See alos this page for more information
  19. ^ "President Nelson announces 18 new temples, including 4 near Mexico City, as conference closes", Deseret News, Deseret News, 2 October 2022
  20. ^ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 18 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2 October 2022
  21. ^ As verified here and here.
  22. ^ Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson names temples; Oaks reaffirms wearing of garments; Kearon points to a welcoming God, Salt Lake Tribune, 7 April 2024
  23. ^ "President Russell M. Nelson Announces 15 Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 7 April 2024
  24. ^ The 17 new LDS temples include firsts for two countries and two U.S. states, Salt Lake Tribune, 6 October 2024
  25. ^ "The Prophet Announces 17 New Temples at the October 2024 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 6 October 2024

References

  • Michael Scott Van Wagenen, The Texas Republic and the Mormon Kingdom of God, 2002
  • B.H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, v.2, 1912
  • Melvin C. Johnsin, Polygamy on the Pedernales: Lyman Wight's Mormon Village in Antebellum Texas, 2006