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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wyoming
The Star Valley Wyoming Temple
Area	NA Central
Members	67,797 (2022)
Stakes	19
Wards	143
Branches	29
Total Congregations	172
Temples	1 Operating 1 Under Construction 1 Announced 3 Total
Family History Centers	46

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 1877. It has since grown to 67,797 members in 172 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. The LDS Church is the largest denomination in 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 to cover church historical sites in the area, but the mission was discontinued in 2021.

History

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2023)

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.

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

County Statistics

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

Stakes

As of November 2024, Wyoming was home to the following stakes:

1. ^ Stake located outside Wyoming with congregation(s) meeting in Wyoming

Missions

As of 2023, no missions were headquartered in Wyoming. However, Wyoming is served by four missions headquartered outside the state.

Temples

Star ValleyCasperCodyTemples in Wyoming (edit) Temples in Wyoming = Operating = Under construction = Announced = Temporarily Closed

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

	154. Star Valley Wyoming Temple Official website News & images		edit
	Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size:	Afton, Wyoming, United States October 1, 2011 by Thomas S. Monson April 25, 2015 by Craig C. Christensen October 30, 2016 by David A. Bednar 18,609 sq ft (1,728.8 m) on a 43.6-acre (17.6 ha) site
	201. Casper Wyoming Temple Official website News & images		edit
	Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Notes:	Casper, Wyoming, U.S. 4 April 2021 by Russell M. Nelson 9 October 2021 by S. Gifford Nielsen 24 November 2024 by Quentin L. Cook 9,950 sq ft (924 m) on a 9.52-acre (3.85 ha) site The temple's dedication was originally scheduled for October 13, 2024. On August 26, 2024, as the temple's open house began, it was announced the dedication was rescheduled to November 24, 2024.
	251. Cody Wyoming Temple (Under construction) Official website News & images		edit
	Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Size:	Cody, Wyoming, United States 3 October 2021 by Russell M. Nelson 27 September 2024 by Steven R. Bangerter 9,950 sq ft (924 m) on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site

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 (Particularly Lyman and Fort Supply)
• Rock Springs
• Star Valley

See also

• Wyoming: Religion
• Bear River
• Devil's Gate
• Fort Bridger
• Fort Laramie
• Green River
• Independence Rock
• Lincoln County, Wyoming
• Martin's Cove
• Mormon Row Historic District
• Mormon Trail
• Pacific Creek
• Rock Church (Auburn, Wyoming)
• South Pass
• Sweetwater River

References

1. ^ "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Wyoming", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 29 May 2023
2. Category:Wyoming Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
3. ^ "Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
4. "Adults in Wyoming: Religious composition of adults in Wyoming". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
5. "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
6. Hein, Annette (November 8, 2014), "Journey to Martin's Cove: The Mormon Handcart Tragedy of 1856", Wyoming Historical Society, retrieved January 27, 2023
7. Jenson, Andrew (1941). Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret News, printer. pp. 857–858.
8. "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
9. "CDOL", cdol.churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved February 7, 2023
10. Walker, Joseph (1 October 2011). "LDS general conference opens with the announcement of six new Mormon temples". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
11. "Mormon church president announces plans for new temples in Utah, Wyoming, Colombia, Africa". Washington Post. AP. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
12. "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 4 April 2021
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. As verified here and here.

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

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

• Latter Day Saint movement in Wyoming
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States by state
• Religion in Wyoming