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

As of December 31, 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 289,479 members in 62 stakes, 544 Congregations (476 wards and 67 branches), 97 Family History Centers, seven missions, and three temples in Washington.[1][2] In addition, members in the Bellingham Washington Stake are served by the Vancouver British Columbia Temple[3] and members in and around Vancouver, Washington are served by the Portland Oregon Temple.[4]

The Seattle Washington Temple

History

The first known member of the Church moved to Washington in 1852,[5] with missionaries arriving in Washington Territory from California as early as 1854. Enough converts were baptized along the Lewis River in the southwest portion of the state that a congregation was created in that area. Tensions escalated to the death of one member in 1911, who was given a secret burial at night.

Members of the Church helped construct the Oregon Short Line Railroad in the 1880s. By 1930, nearly two thousand members lived within the state with chapels located in the Puget Sound Region and in Spokane. Washington saw many members move to the state after the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam and during World War II to work in defense industries.[5]

The first branch in Washington was created at Tacoma near the end of 1899, with its first stake being created at Seattle in 1938.[5] Washington's first temple was built in Bellevue in 1980. There are now also temples in Spokane and Richland and another to be constructed in Moses Lake.[6]

In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

Membership history
Year Membership
19201,199
19303,443
19405,113
195011,551
196035,701
197067,203
1980138,000
1990189,000
1999226,411
2008257,710
2012271,625
2015282,356

Missions

On July 26, 1897, the Northwestern States Mission was organized to search out Latter Day Saints who had moved to Washington, Oregon, and Montana. On January 1, 1968, The Pacific Northwest Mission was created with Joe E. Whitesides as president. On June 10, 1970, its name changed to the Washington Mission and ultimately the Washington Seattle Mission on June 20, 1974. As of 2016, Washington is home to eight missions, three of which are east of the Cascade Mountains, and five are on the west side.

Mission President Organized
Washington Everett Mission Michael S Wilding[8] 1 July 2001[9]
Washington Kennewick Mission Doneal L White[8] 1 July 2002[10]
Washington Seattle Mission Sterling A. Rasmussen 1 January 1968
Washington Spokane Mission Wayne R Dymock[11] 1 July 1978[12]
Washington Tacoma Mission John D Blatter[13] 1 July 1990[14]
Washington Vancouver Mission Dennis A. McAteer[8] 1 July 2013[15]
Washington Yakima Mission John C. Lewis[11] 30 June 2015[16]

Temples
Temples in Washington including temples with temple districts in Washington
Red = Operating
Blue = Under Construction
Yellow = Announced
Black = Closed for Renovations

Washington currently has three temples in operation. A fourth temple, the Moses Lake Washington Temple, was announced by President Russell M. Nelson in his concluding talk of the Sunday afternoon session of the 189th annual General Conference on Sunday, April 7, 2019 to be built in Moses Lake, Washington.[17]

 19. Seattle Washington Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
 Size:

Bellevue, Washington, United States
November 15, 1975
November 17, 1980 by Spencer W. Kimball
110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) and 179 ft (55 m) high on a 23.5 acre (9.5 ha) site

 59. Spokane Washington Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
 Size:
Style:

Veradale, Washington, United States
August 13, 1998
August 21, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
10,700 sq ft (990 m2) and 71 ft (22 m) high on a 2 acre (0.8 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design

 107. Columbia River Washington Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
 Size:
Style:

Richland, Washington, United States
April 2, 2000
November 18, 2001 by Gordon B. Hinckley
16,880 sq ft (1,568 m2) on a 2.88 acre (1.2 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by A & E Services, Joseph E. Marty Architect

191. Moses Lake Washington (Under Construction)

Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
 Notes:

Moses Lake, Washington, United States
7 April 2019
10 October 2020 by David L. Stapleton
Announced by Russell M. Nelson on April 7, 2019[18]

See also

References
  1. LDS Newsroom (Statistical Information)
  2. LDS Temples and Mormon Church Units in Washington
  3. Vancouver British Columbia LDS Temple District
  4. Portland Oregon LDS Temple District
  5. LDS Church News - United States information: Washington
  6. Washington - LDS Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership
  7. Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  8. 2016 LDS Mission Presidents | Deseret News Accessed 10-04-2016
  9. Washington Everett Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  10. Washington Kennewick Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  11. 2015 LDS Mission Presidents | Deseret News Accessed 10-04-2016
  12. Washington Spokane Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  13. New Mission Presidents | Deseret News Accessed 10-04-2016
  14. Washington Tacoma Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  15. Washington Vancouver Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  16. Washington Yakima Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Accessed 10-04-2016
  17. "April 2019 General Conference News and Announcements". Mormon Newsroom. 7 April 2019.
  18. "Prophet Announces Eight New Temples at April 2019 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 7 April 2019

Further reading
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