The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California
Encyclopedia
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
, and 7 temples
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
and 193 Family History Centers in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
Brooklyn Saints
A Mormon immigrant company, under direction of Samuel Brannon, departed on the ship Brooklyn from New York on February 4, 1846 en route to the Great Salt Lake ValleySalt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
via California. The group under the direction of Brannan navigated around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
and arrived at Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena (town)
Yerba Buena was the original name of San Francisco when in the Spanish Las Californias Province of New Spain, and then after 1822 in the Mexican territory of Alta California, until the Mexican American War ended with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when California became a territory of the...
on July 31, 1846. The company of around 230 people were the first known Latter-day Saints to set foot in California. Their numbers nearly tripled the population of the small town of Yerba Buena, later renamed San Francisco. While there, Brannan and other Saints began publication of one of California’s first English-language newspapers, the California Star
The Daily Alta California
The Alta California or Daily Alta California was a 19th-century San Francisco newspaper...
, in October 1846. One of the Brooklyn saints, Angeline Lovett, set up a school in the old Franciscan Dolores Mission, the first English-language school in California.
During the early autumn of 1846, Brannan led 20 men to the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
where they founded a Mormon farming village named New Hope Colony. It soon failed as heavy seasonal storms flooded the valley, destroying their crops. Most of the Brooklyn saints left California for Salt Lake City in 1848.
Mormon Battalion and California Gold Rush
In January 1847, the Mormon BattalionMormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
arrived in San Diego, having constructed the first wagon road across the southwest into Southern California. Battalion Members helped construct a number of building and public works in San Diego. They then traveled to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where they built a fort and raised the American flag. Six discharged battalion members were at Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter in partnership with James W. Marshall. It was located in Coloma, California, at the bank of the South Fork American River...
in northern California when gold was discovered there on January 24, 1848. Heading for their families in Utah, they carved the first wagon road over the Sierra Nevadas that would be used by thousands of westward bound travelers including the gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
“Forty-Niners
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.” Sometimes called the "49er's Highway," it is officially called the Mormon Emigrant - Kit Carson Highway.
In February 1856, George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
began publication in San Francisco of the Western Standard, a weekly periodical supportive of the Church.
San Bernardino LDS colony
The first colonization from Utah to California came in 1851 when a company of about 450 saints under direction of Elders Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. RichCharles C. Rich
Charles Coulson Rich was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...
settled at what is now San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. The colony was the final settlement in a string of Mormon communities extending 800 miles (1,287.5 km) from Salt Lake City in an area known as Deseret
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
. The community thrived, and on July 6, 1851, the San Bernardino Stake, California’s first, was organized. The colony was dissolved by the Church at the advance of Johnston’s Army
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
toward Salt Lake City in 1857. Brigham Young instructed the settlers to return to Utah to colonize. About 1,400 (fewer than half) returned to Utah at the request of the church. The San Bernardino Stake was dissolved in 1857 as well as the ecclesiastical units within the stake.
Significant Church growth and history 1895-1990
The Los Angeles Branch was created on March 21, 1895. In 1896, the Northern California and Southern California conferences were organized. The SacramentoSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
Conference was added in 1898. Most missionary work around the turn of the century took place in larger population centers.
On January 21, 1923, the Los Angeles Stake became the first stake to be created in the state since the San Bernardino Stake had been dissolved. The Los Angeles Stake was divided on May 22, 1927 to form the Los Angeles and Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
Stakes. On July 10, 1927, the San Francisco Stake was established.
On February 18, 1939, 1,400 people visited the Church’s exhibit at the opening day of the Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition
The Golden Gate International Exposition , held at San Francisco, California's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair that celebrated, among other things, the city's two newly-built bridges. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937...
in San Francisco. This exhibit was a visitor’s center portraying a reduced-size Salt Lake Tabernacle
Salt Lake Tabernacle
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.-History:...
.
Eight more stakes were created in the 1930’s five in the 1940’s and 30 in the 1950’s. The completion of the Los Angeles and Oakland Temples soon followed.
President Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
spoke to members in the Los Angeles area in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
. An estimated 75,000 attended that event.
Recent history 1990-present
At the beginning of the year 2000, California had 17 missionsMission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
, more than any other state in the United States. In the state’s major cities, many minority converts have been taught and baptized in their own language. With a significant immigration to California from Latin America, five Spanish-speaking stakes have been organized. Various Asian and Polynesian wards function as well, and a Tonga stake was created in San Francisco in 1992. There are currently more than 200 ethnic wards and branches in California.
President Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
attended the rededication of the historic Hollywood (now Los Angeles California) Stake Center on June 8, 2003.
Historical reenactments
In July 1996, the sesquicentennial of the arrival of the ship Brooklyn was celebrated through reenactment of the event on a replica ship that sailed into the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. Members throughout the state commemorated the anniversary with observances that included an exhibit at the San Francisco Maritime Museum
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility...
, performances of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
at the Davies Symphony Hall
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, the concert hall component of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, was built in 1980 at a cost of US$28 million to give the San Francisco Symphony a permanent home. The hall has a seating capacity of 2743 persons...
, dedications of plaques honoring the early settlers, and pioneer activities and parades.
In addition to commemorating the arrival of early LDS settlers, as well as contributions to the development of the state, members throughout California donated many hours of service in community projects sponsored by wards and stakes, including gathering supplies and food for the needy; cleaning parks, beaches and roadways; painting and repairing homeless shelters, and cleaning up graffiti.
On January 18, 1997, 2,400 members re-enacted the arrival of the Mormon Battalion in California 150 years earlier. Other Mormon Battalion celebrations along the coast followed on respective anniversaries. On March 6, 1997, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke to a record audience of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council
World Affairs Councils of America
The World Affairs Councils of America represents and supports the largest national non-partisan network of local councils that are dedicated to educating, inspiring and engaging Americans in international affairs and the critical global issues of our times. The network consists of 94 councils in 40...
, and on March 19, he addressed the World Forum of Silicon Valley. He also spoke at various Church events during the year. A Church-produced video depicting the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill was donated to the state of California to be shown continuously at Marshall Gold Discovery State Park
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is a California state park near Placerville, California, USA. It marks the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in 1848...
in Coloma
Coloma, California
Coloma is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California, USA. It is approximately northeast of Sacramento, California. Coloma is most noted for being the site where James W. Marshall first discovered gold in California, at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848, leading to the California...
.
Membership history
Membership growth has slowed in California since 1991 due to significant out-migration of members.| Year | LDS Membership |
|---|---|
| 1846 | 230 |
| 1920 | 3,800 |
| 1930 | 21,254 |
| 1940 | 44,800 |
| 1950 | 102,000 |
| 1960 | 217,600 |
| 1970 | 349,000 |
| 1980 | 541,000 |
| 1991 | 721,000 |
| 1999 | 740,000 |
| 2008 | 755,747 |
Disaster relief and humanitarian aid
In times of disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, and floods, members in California has donated countless hours of service, helping communities to recover.In 1997, members in San Diego donated some 40-50 tons of food to eight community agencies for the homeless and needy.
In May 2003, hundreds of Los Angeles-area Muslims and members of the Pasadena California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
Stake joined in preparing emergency supplies for Iraqi families. With conflicts of the war with Iraq completed, a humanitarian aid day was set for May 10 2003, where hygiene kits for some 10,000 families were completed and added to a $650,000 shipment of medical supplies and blankets donated by the Church.
Moral issues
Members in the state have also taken leadership roles in moral issues such as combating pornography and have cooperated with other congregations of various interfaith endeavors. Members have been active in other moral issues including abortion, gaming, drug and alcohol abuse, and marriage.Missions
The California Mission was opened on July 31, 1846 with Samuel BrannanSamuel Brannan
Samuel Brannan was an American settler, businessman, and journalist, who founded the "California Star" newspaper in San Francisco, California...
as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
. It was discontinued in 1858 due to the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
, but later reopened in 1892 with Luther Dalton who began missionary labors in San Francisco and Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. In 1894, Karl G. Maeser
Karl G. Maeser
-Brigham Young Academy:When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival....
relocated to California to direct the Utah exhibit on the California's mid-winter fair and to serve as president of the California Mission.
| Mission | Organized |
|---|---|
| California Anaheim Mission* | July 10, 1966 |
| California Arcadia Mission* | July 7, 1969 |
| California Carlsbad Mission | July 1, 1993 |
| California Fresno Mission | July 1, 1975 |
| California Long Beach Mission | July 1, 1998 |
| California Los Angeles Mission* | August 23, 1892 |
| California Oakland Mission* | July 1, 1969 |
| California Riverside Mission | July 1, 1990 |
| California Roseville Mission | July 1, 1993 |
| California Sacramento Mission* | January 2, 1942 |
| California San Bernardino Mission | July 1, 1980 |
| California San Diego Mission | August 1, 1974 |
| California San Fernando Mission | July 1, 1994 |
| California San Francisco Mission | July 1, 1997 |
| California San Jose Mission | July 1, 1978 |
| California Santa Rosa Mission | July 1, 1985 |
| California Ventura Mission | July 1, 1978 |
Notes
- California Anaheim Mission - The California South Mission was renamed the California Anaheim Mission on June 20, 1974.
- California Arcadia Mission - On June 20, 1974, the California East Mission was renamed California Arcadia Mission.
- California Los Angeles Mission - The California Mission was renaimed the California Los Angeles Mission on June 20, 1974.
- California Oakland Mission - On June 20, 1974, the California Central Mission was renamed California Oakland Mission.
- California Sacramento Mission - On January 2, 1942, the Northern California Mission was organized. It was renaimed to the California North mission on July 15, 1966, and ultimately renamed the California Sacramento Mission on June 20, 1974.
Temples
California currently has 7 temples in operation.|}
Communities
Latter-day Saints had a significant role in establishing and settling communities within the "Mormon CorridorMormon Corridor
The Mormon Corridor is a term for the areas of Western North America that were settled between 1850 and approximately 1890 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , who are commonly known as Mormons....
", including the following in California:
- BarstowBarstow, CaliforniaBarstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
- BishopBishop, CaliforniaBishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
- BridgeportBridgeport, CaliforniaBridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010...
- DeseretDeseret, CaliforniaDeseret is a former Mormon farm settlement in Fresno County, California. It was located west of Wildflower.A post office operated in Deseret from 1887 to 1890.-References:...
- Mormon IslandMormon Island, CaliforniaMormon Island was once a mining community, which had an abundance of Mormon immigrants, seeking fortune along the American River. At its peak, the community once was home to 2500 residents, four hotels, a school, and seven saloons...
- NeedlesNeedles, CaliforniaNeedles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
- OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
- RidgecrestRidgecrest, CaliforniaRidgecrest, formerly known as Crumville, was incorporated as a city in 1913. It is located in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, California, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake . Ridgecrest is the only incorporated city along US 395 in Kern County...
- San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
- Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
- TemeculaTemecula, CaliforniaTemecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States with a population of 100,097 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the lowest populated American city over 100,000 population. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989...
See also
- Mormon CorridorMormon CorridorThe Mormon Corridor is a term for the areas of Western North America that were settled between 1850 and approximately 1890 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , who are commonly known as Mormons....
- State of DeseretState of DeseretThe State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics (United States)This page shows membership statistics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the United States.* Official LDS Membership - Membership count on record provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
External links
- LDS Newsroom (California)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Visitors Site