The History of the Church in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland

The History of the Church in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland

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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Ireland since at least 1840, when the Mormon missionary John Taylor preached in Belfast.  He and other missionaries converted a number of Irish. Many of the converted emigrated in order to escape poverty (and later famine) as well as to live in majority Latter Day Saint communities. However, some Latter Day Saints remained in Ireland.

Stake Center in Belfast, Northern Ireland

MEMBERSHIP

Today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (by far the largest Latter Day Saint denomination) claims 2,915 members in the Republic of Ireland. 

Clonsilla Ward Building in Dublin Ireland

Currently there are 13 congregations in the Republic of Ireland and 11 congregations in Northern Ireland. Well-known Irish Latter day Saints include Charles Albert Callis who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Robert Sands who was the first conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Country/Dependency/ Territory	Member-ship	Stakes	Wards	Branches	Total Congregations
Northern Ireland	5,358	1	8	3	11
Republic of Ireland	2,915	1	4	9	13
All Ireland	8,273	2	12	12	24

MISSIONS

The nation of Ireland shares its mission with Scotland (based in Edinburgh).

TEMPLES

There are no LDS temples in Ireland itself.

Both of the UK/British Isles temples are in England. The Preston Temple serves both the Dublin Ireland Stake and the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake, while the London Temple serves the Limerick Ireland District.

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

As of January 1, 2011, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 26,826 members in five stakes, 40 congregations (27 wards and 13 branches), one mission, and no temples in Scotland. Since Scottish population tends to be thinly scattered over most of the country, and concentrated in a few small areas, this has caused problems with missionary work and infrastructure, particularly in island areas.

HISTORY

The first Mormon missionaries to proselytize in the British Isles arrived in 1837. Beginning in the 1950s emigration to the United States began to be discouraged and local congregations began to proliferate. The church claims just over 186,000 members across the United Kingdom, spread out across over 330 local congregations.

Alexander Wright and Samuel Mulliner, two native born Scots living in Canada, were converted and baptized while living in Ontario during the mid-1830s. They were called as the first missionaries to Scotland, arriving in Glasgow on 20 December 1839. Elder Mulliner stopped in Edinburgh to see his parents and he also began systematic proselyting.

Elder Mulliner taught and baptized Alexander Hay and his wife Jessie in the River Clyde at Bishopton near Paisley on 14 January 1840. They were likely the first to join the Church in Scotland.

In February, Mulliner and Wright reunited and on 2 February 1840 baptized two young men from Leith.

By the time Orson Pratt of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles arrived in May 1840, Scotland had 80 Latter-day Saints. When six months had past he attended the mission conference in Manchester, England and report that there were over 250 Church members in the Edinburgh to Glasgow area.

While in Edinburgh, Pratt wrote and published the pamphlet “An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions.” It included the first published account of Joseph Smith’s first vision, and with the scriptures, became a standard Church publication in Scotland.

In May 1840, missionary Reuben Hedlock began working in Glasgow where he organized a branch on 8 August 1840. By March, 1841, when Orson Pratt departed from Scotland, he left George D. Watt in charge.

Stornoway Branch Building

Arthur's Seat also has a particular significance to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because this is where the nation of Scotland was dedicated in 1840 "for the preaching of the gospel". The apostle, Orson Pratt, arrived in Scotland in early 1840 and climbed the hill to pray to God for more converts.

MEMBERSHIP

LDS Membership statistics as of January 1, 2011 for Scotland.

Country Membership: Scotland 26,826

Stakes: 5 Wards: 27  Branches: 13

Total Congregations: 40

Scotland has the second highest membership of all the countries in the British Isles after England.