 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canada | |
|---|---|
 Population distribution of Mormon Canadians by census division, 2021 census | |
| Area | Canada US West (Yukon Territory only) |
| Members | 205,907 (2024)[1] |
| Stakes | 53 |
| Districts | 3 |
| Wards | 356 |
| Branches | 146 |
| Total Congregations[2] | 502 |
| Missions | 6 |
| Temples |
|
| FamilySearch Centers | 155[3] |
Since its organization inNew York in 1830,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has had a presence inCanada. Several church-related items that were the first of their kind outside theUnited States include:missionaries preaching (Upper Canada), establishment of astake (Alberta Stake), and construction of atemple (Cardston Alberta Temple).
With the church reporting more than 200,000members at year-end 2024, Canada ranks as having the 4th largest body of LDS Church members in North America and the 12th worldwide.[4] The 2021 Canadian Census survey reported approximately 0.2% of the population (about 87,725 people) identified themselves as church members.[5]
In the winter of 1829–30,Oliver Cowdery andHiram Page visited Upper Canada while seeking money to finance the publication of theBook of Mormon. After its publication in March 1830, the unbaptized convert,Phineas Young, preached inErnestown Township, Ontario.[6]
Joseph Smith andDon Carlos Smith—the first official Latter Day Saint missionaries to preach outside of the United States—visited Upper Canada in September 1830 and preached in villages north of theSt. Lawrence River.[7] In January 1832, convertsBrigham and Phineas Young went to Upper Canada to convince their brother,Joseph to join the church.[7] After Joseph's baptism, the Young brothers taught their family and friends in Canada and baptized over 150 individuals and established fourbranches of the church, including ones inKingston andSydenham.
Joseph Smith preached in Upper Canada in September 1833 withSidney Rigdon and Freeman Nickerson.[8] Also in 1833, futureapostle,Lyman E. Johnson, preached inNew Brunswick andNova Scotia. Later,John E. Page and apostleParley P. Pratt served successful missions to Upper Canada; Page baptized over 1,000 individuals between 1834 and 1836 and Pratt converted a number of individuals who would play a prominent role in the church, includingJohn Taylor,Joseph andMary Fielding, andWilliam Law.
By 1850, approximately 2,500 residents of Canada—most of them from Upper Canada—had joined the LDS Church.[6] However, most of these members joined the gathering of the Latter Day Saints inKirtland, Ohio,Nauvoo, Illinois, and eventuallySalt Lake City, Utah, and by 1861, the census ofOntario listed only 73Mormons.[6]
In 1887, John Taylor—who was then thechurch president—sentCharles Ora Card,president of the church's Cache Stake, to Canada'sNorthwest Territories to establish a LDS Church colony that was beyond the reach of the United States government's anti-polygamy prosecutions. Card led a group of followers and established a settlement along Lee's Creek; the settlement was eventually renamedCardston in Card's honour.[9] The church's Alberta Stake, the first outside of the United States, was created in 1895,[10] with Card as its president.
Mormon pioneers continued to colonize what would becomeAlberta in 1905. Before the turn of the century, Latter-day Saints had founded Mountain View, Aetna,Beazer, Leavitt,Kimball,Caldwell,Taylorville,Magrath, andStirling. After 1900, colonies of church members were established inWoolford,Welling,Orton,Raymond,Barnwell,Taber,Frankburg,Glenwood, andHill Spring.[11] Church apostleJohn W. Taylor—the son of church president John Taylor—played a leadership role in assisting Latter-day Saint emigration from Utah to Alberta.
The Alberta Stake was divided in two in 1903. The Alberta Stake remained headquartered in Cardston and the new Taylor Stake—named in honour of John W. Taylor—was headquartered in Raymond. By 1910, there were about 10,000 Latter-day Saints in southern Alberta and in 1913 the church began construction of a temple in Cardston.[11] In 1924, church presidentHeber J. Grant dedicated the Cardston Alberta Temple, the church's first outside of the United States.[12] A stake was organized inLethbridge in 1921.
Stirling, one of Alberta's original Latter-day Saint settlements and aNational Historic Site of Canada, was founded byTheodore Brandley in 1899, and is one of few towns in Canada plotted out by thePlat of Zion. Today, Stirling still follows the Plat of Zion; for this reason, the village is recognized as the most well-preserved Canadian example of the Latter-day Saint planning model.
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A branch of the church was organized inEdmonton in 1933, with the Edmonton Stake established in 1960. The Calgary Stake was established in 1953. In 1960, Alberta residentN. Eldon Tanner was called as a churchgeneral authority; he became a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1962 and a member of theFirst Presidency in 1963.
In 1998, a temple was announced for Edmonton and in December 1999 church presidentGordon B. Hinckley dedicated theEdmonton Alberta Temple. In 2008, a temple was announced forCalgary by church presidentThomas S. Monson. TheCalgary Alberta Temple was dedicated in October 2012.
As of December 31, 2021, the LDS Church reported 199,534 members, 53 stakes, 352 wards, 4districts, 147 branches, 6missions, 9 temples, and 152Family History Centers inCanada.[13]
As of 2024, the LDS Church has 502 congregations in 322 locations in Canada.[14][15]
In Canada, the church's Aid Fund donated C$185,000 to a newly rebuilt food bank in Medicine Hat, Alberta in February 2022. The money will help fund one commercial and two teaching kitchens in the Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub.[16]
In October 2022, the church's charitable practices attracted media coverage from theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation'sThe Fifth Estate, which reported that the Canadian LDS Church had funneled almost C$1 billion over the past 15 years into the LDS Church's US-basedBrigham Young University, rather than supporting charitable activities in Canada. The majority of these funds came fromtithing of church members who tithe ten percent of their income. Under Canadian tax law, the Canadian LDS Church qualifies for tax-free status as a charitable entity. Canadian charities are allowed to donate to foreign charities and universities on the condition that those institutions are registered as "qualified donees" with theCanada Revenue Agency.[17][18]
Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2021.[19]
| Province / Territory | Percent Latter Day Saints | Total Latter Day Saints |
|---|---|---|
 Alberta | 1.1% | 47,125 |
 British Columbia | 0.3% | 12,875 |
 Manitoba | 0.1% | 1,640 |
 New Brunswick | 0.1% | 800 |
 Newfoundland and Labrador | 0.0% | 170 |
 Northwest Territories | 0.2% | 85 |
 Nova Scotia | 0.2% | 1,685 |
 Nunavut | 0.1% | 25 |
 Ontario | 0.1% | 16,420 |
 Prince Edward Island | 0.1% | 175 |
 Quebec | 0.1% | 4,600 |
 Saskatchewan | 0.2% | 2,060 |
 Yukon | 0.2% | 70 |
 Canada —Total | 0.2% | 87,725 |
As of September 2025, Canada had the following stakes and districts:
| Stake/District | Organized | Mission | Temple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau Alaska[a] | 8 Oct 1995 | Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage Alaska |
| Beaumont Alberta Stake | 21 Sep 2025 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta Stake | 15 Nov 1953 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta Bow River Stake | 6 Dec 2015 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta Confederation Park Stake | 14 Feb 1993 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta Fish Creek Stake | 3 Feb 1980 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta North Stake | 17 Apr 1966 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta West Stake | 27 May 1979 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Calgary Alberta YSA Stake | 5 May 2019 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Cardston Alberta Stake | 9 Jun 1895 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Cardston Alberta West Stake | 13 Nov 1983 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Edmonton Alberta Bonnie Doon Stake | 3 Nov 1974 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Edmonton Alberta Gateway Stake | 6 Nov 1983 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Edmonton Alberta North Stake | 9 Sep 2001 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Edmonton Alberta Riverbend Stake | 15 Nov 1960 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Edmonton Alberta YSA Stake | 11 Oct 2020 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Fort Macleod Alberta Stake | 29 Sep 1985 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Grande Prairie Alberta Stake | 12 Apr 1998 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Lethbridge Alberta Henderson Lake Stake | 4 May 2025 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Lethbridge Alberta North Stake | 26 Oct 1997 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Lethbridge Alberta South Stake | 24 Nov 1974 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Lethbridge Alberta West Stake | 10 Nov 1921 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Lethbridge Alberta YSA Stake | 27 Aug 2017 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Magrath Alberta Stake | 26 Oct 1980 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Medicine Hat Alberta Stake | 20 Nov 1994 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Okotoks Alberta Stake | 5 Dec 1999 | Canada Calgary | Calgary Alberta |
| Raymond Alberta Stake | 30 Aug 1903 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Red Deer Alberta Stake | 13 Jun 1982 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Sherwood Park Alberta Stake | 9 Apr 2017 | Canada Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta |
| Taber Alberta Stake | 11 Sep 1960 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Abbotsford British Columbia Stake | 12 Jun 1994 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Cranbrook British Columbia Stake | 14 Jan 1979 | Canada Calgary | Cardston Alberta |
| Nanaimo British Columbia Stake | 26 Oct 1997 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Prince George British Columbia Stake | 8 Apr 1979 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Surrey British Columbia Stake | 8 Apr 1979 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Vancouver British Columbia Stake | 21 Nov 1960 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Vernon British Columbia Stake | 12 Oct 1975 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Victoria British Columbia Stake | 9 Feb 1975 | Canada Vancouver | Vancouver British Columbia |
| Winnipeg Manitoba East Stake | 12 Nov 1978 | Canada Winnipeg | Winnipeg Manitoba |
| Winnipeg Manitoba West Stake | 14 Nov 2021 | Canada Winnipeg | Winnipeg Manitoba |
| Saint John New Brunswick Stake | 26 Jun 1988 | Canada Montreal | Halifax Nova Scotia |
| Newfoundland and Labrador District | 30 Jul 1978 | Canada Montreal | Halifax Nova Scotia |
| Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake | 12 May 1985 | Canada Montreal | Halifax Nova Scotia |
| Barrie Ontario Stake | 19 Feb 2012 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Brampton Ontario Stake | 11 Jan 1981 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Hamilton Ontario Stake | 6 Sep 1970 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Kingston Ontario District | 10 Jun 1996 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Kitchener Ontario Stake | 22 Jun 1986 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| London Ontario Stake | 11 Apr 1976 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Oshawa Ontario Stake | 13 Jun 1976 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Ottawa Ontario Stake | 12 Dec 1976 | Canada Montreal | Montreal Quebec |
| Sudbury Ontario Stake | 5 May 1996 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Toronto Ontario Stake | 14 Aug 1960 | Canada Toronto | Toronto Ontario |
| Longueuil Québec Stake | 7 May 2006 | Canada Montreal | Montreal Quebec |
| Montréal Québec Stake | 18 Jun 1978 | Canada Montreal | Montreal Quebec |
| Montréal Québec Mount Royal Stake | 6 Jul 1980 | Canada Montreal | Montreal Quebec |
| Québec City District | 27 Mar 1977 | Canada Montreal | Montreal Quebec |
| Regina Saskatchewan Stake | 27 Oct 2001 | Canada Winnipeg | Regina Saskatchewan |
| Saskatoon Saskatchewan Stake | 5 Nov 1978 | Canada Winnipeg | Regina Saskatchewan |
| Mission | Organized | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Calgary | 15 Sep 1941 | NA Central |
| Canada Edmonton | 1 Jul 1998 | NA Central |
| Canada Montreal | 1 Jul 1972 | NA Northeast |
| Canada Toronto | 1 Jul 1919 | NA Northeast |
| Canada Vancouver | 21 Nov 1960 | NA West |
| Canada Winnipeg | 15 Feb 1976 | NA Central |
There are 9 temples operating in Canada and two announced to be constructed.
Temples inAlberta (edit) |
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Rededicated: Size: Notes: | Cardston, Alberta, Canada June 27, 1913 byJoseph F. Smith November 13, 1913 by Daniel Kent Greene August 26, 1923 byHeber J. Grant July 2, 1962 byHugh B. Brown 88,562 sq ft (8,227.7 m2) on a 10-acre (4.0 ha) site - designed byHyrum Pope andHarold W. Burton An addition was completed in 1962 and was dedicated on July 2, 1962 byHugh B. Brown. | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Rededicated: Size: Style: | Brampton, Ontario, Canada 7 April 1984 bySpencer W. Kimball 10 October 1987 byThomas S. Monson 25 August 1990 byGordon B. Hinckley 23 March 2025 byJeffrey R. Holland[20] 55,558 sq ft (5,161.5 m2) on a 13.4-acre (5.4 ha) site Modern, single-spire design - designed by Allward-Gouinlock Inc. | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada May 7, 1998 byGordon B. Hinckley October 12, 1998 byJay E. Jensen November 14, 1999 byGordon B. Hinckley 10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) site Classic modern, single spire design - designed by L.A. Beaubien and Associates, and Church A&E Services | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada August 3, 1998 byGordon B. Hinckley November 14, 1998 byHugh W. Pinnock November 14, 1999 byBoyd K. Packer 10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 1-acre (0.40 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Roger B. Mitchell and Church A&E Services | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada August 11, 1998 byGordon B. Hinckley February 27, 1999 byYoshihiko Kikuchi December 11, 1999 byGordon B. Hinckley 10,700 sq ft (990 m2) on a 1-acre (0.40 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed byRobert Bennett and Church A&E Services | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Rededicated: Size: Style: | Longueuil, Quebec, Canada 6 August 1998 byGordon B. Hinckley 9 April 1999 byGary J. Coleman 4 June 2000 byGordon B. Hinckley 22 November 2015 byHenry B. Eyring[21] 11,550 sq ft (1,073 m2) on a 2.4-acre (0.97 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Andrij Serbyn, Fichten Soiferman and Church A&E Services | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Notes: | Langley, British Columbia, Canada 25 May 2006 byGordon B. Hinckley 4 August 2007 byRonald A. Rasband 2 May 2010 byThomas S. Monson 28,165 sq ft (2,616.6 m2) on a 11.6-acre (4.7 ha) site - designed by Abbarch Architecture and GSBS Open house was held in April and the dedication 2 May 2010.[22][23][24] First temple in British Columbia and 6th in Canada. | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Notes: | Calgary, Canada 4 October 2008 byThomas S. Monson 15 May 2010 byDonald L. Hallstrom 28 October 2012 byThomas S. Monson 33,000 sq ft (3,100 m2) on a 10.17-acre (4.12 ha) site Announced at the 178th Semiannual General Conference. | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Notes: | Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada April 2, 2011 byThomas S. Monson December 3, 2016 by Larry Y. Wilson 31 October 2021 byGerrit W. Gong 16,100 sq ft (1,500 m2) on a 7.7-acre (3.1 ha) site Dedication originally scheduled for November 2020, but was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Revised arrangements were announced on August 30, 2021.[25][26] | |||||
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| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Size: | Lethbridge,Alberta,Canada 2 April 2023 byRussell M. Nelson[27][28] 26 April 2025 by Randall K. Bennett[29] 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) on a 9[30]-acre (3.6 ha) site | |||||
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| Location: Announced: | Victoria, British Columbia,Canada 7 April 2024 byRussell M. Nelson[31][32] | |||||
Latter-day Saints have had a significant role in establishing and settling communities within the "Mormon Corridor" and other locations, including the following in Alberta, Canada:
