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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Illinois refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Illinois. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.44% in 2014.[3] According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, less than 1% of Illinoisans self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4] The LDS Church is the 13th largest denomination in Illinois.[5]


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Illinois
AreaNA Central
Members57,015 (2022)[1]
Stakes12
Wards91
Branches25
Total Congregations116
Missions1
Temples2
Family History Centers42[2]

Stakes are located in Buffalo Grove, Champaign, Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Nauvoo, O'Fallon, Peoria, Rockford, Schaumburg, Springfield and Wilmette.

History

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Membership in Illinois[6][1]
YearMembership
198325,405
199341,000
200350,651
201356,932
201956,888
202257,015
*Membership was published as a rounded number.

In 1839, to escape persecution—including an extermination order given by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs—the Latter-day Saints drained swamplands on the eastern banks of the Mississippi River and established the city of Nauvoo.[7]

Joseph Smith was killed on June 27, 1844, by an angry mob that stormed Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois where Smith was being held.[8]

In 2004, Illinois's lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn, presented church leaders a copy of House Resolution 793, which expressed official regret for the violence that caused the Mormons to leave in 1846.[9]

Stakes

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Meetinghouse in Prairie View, Illinois

As of January 2024, the following stakes had congregations located in Illinois:[10]

Stake Organized Mission Temple District
Buffalo Grove Illinois 24 Jan 1988 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Cape Girardeau Missouri* 20 Oct 1985 Missouri St Louis St. Louis Missouri
Champaign Illinois 17 Feb 1963 Missouri St Louis Indianapolis Indiana
Chicago Illinois 25 Jan 1998 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Davenport Iowa* 9 Apr 1978 Iowa Iowa City Nauvoo Illinois
Evansville Indiana* 19 Oct 1975 Kentucky Louisville Louisville Kentucky
Joliet Illinois 22 Oct 1995 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Hazelwood Missouri* 4 Jun 2017 Missouri St Louis St. Louis Missouri
Naperville Illinois 3 Feb 1963 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Nauvoo Illinois 18 Feb 1979 Iowa Iowa City Nauvoo Illinois
O'Fallon Illinois 14 Mar 1976 Missouri St Louis St. Louis Missouri
Paducah Kentucky* 20 Oct 1996 Tennessee Nashville Nashville Tennessee
Peoria Illinois 3 Aug 1980 Iowa Iowa City Nauvoo Illinois
Rockford Illinois 11 Apr 1982 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Schaumburg Illinois 20 Jan 1980 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Springfield Illinois 24 Nov 1996 Missouri St Louis St. Louis Missouri
St Louis Missouri South* 16 Mar 1980 Missouri St Louis St. Louis Missouri
Valparaiso Indiana* 2 Jun 1974 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
Wilmette Illinois 29 Nov 1936 Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois
  • *Stakes outside of state with congregations in Illinois

Missions

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Former missions

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  • Northern States Mission (1889–1973)
  • Illinois Mission (1973–1974)
  • Illinois Chicago Mission (1974–1980)
  • Illinois Chicago North Mission (1980–1983)
  • Illinois Nauvoo Mission

Temples

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Temples in Illinois
  •   = Operating
  •   = Under construction
  •   = Announced
  •   = Closed for renovation
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Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style:
Notes:
Nauvoo, Illinois, United States
August 1840
February 18, 1841
May 1, 1846 by Orson Hyde
54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2)
Greek revival - designed by William Weeks
Some sources claim a private dedication on April 30, 1846 by Brigham Young.[11] Abandoned in 1846, destroyed by fire on November 19, 1848, rebuilt in 2002 (see 113)
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Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
Size:
Style:
Notes:
Glenview, Illinois, United States
April 1, 1981 by Spencer W. Kimball
August 13, 1983 by Gordon B. Hinckley
August 9, 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley
October 8, 1989 by Gordon B. Hinckley
37,062 sq ft (3,443.2 m2) on a 13-acre (5.3 ha) site
Modern adaptation of six-spire design - designed by Wight & Co and Church A&E Services
Rededication in 1989 was for the addition only
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Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style:
Notes:
Nauvoo, Illinois, U.S.
April 4, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
October 24, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
June 27, 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley
54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) on a 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) site
Greek revival - designed by FFKR Architecture[12] based on design by William Weeks
Built on the site of the Nauvoo Temple and dedicated on the 158th anniversary of the death of Joseph Smith, the exterior is an almost exact reconstruction of the original temple. Primary difference is weather-vane has been replaced with a statue of Moroni. However, the interior has 4 progressive ordinance rooms with murals like those in the early Utah temples leading to the celestial room and 6 sealing rooms.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State: Illinois", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 17 April 2021
  2. ^ Category:Illinois Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved March 28, 2022
  3. ^ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)
  4. ^ "Adults in Illinois: Religious composition of adults in Illinois". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  5. ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021. Note:While it's the thurteenth largest denomination in Illinois, it's the fourteenth largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
  6. ^ Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Illinois
  7. ^ "Facts and Statistics", Church News, 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  8. ^ Jones, Chris. "Mormonism, Illinois have surprising history", Chicago Tribune, 29 August 2013. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  9. ^ Sanford, Melissa. "Illinois Tells Mormons It Regrets Expulsion", The New York Times, 8 April 2004. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  10. ^ "PF Maps", LDS Church
  11. ^ Nauvoo Temple on ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
  12. ^ "Nauvoo Illinois Temple", Church News
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