The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mississippi
Encyclopedia
As of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 20,377 members, 4 stakes, 28 wards, and 16 branches in Mississippi
.
John D. Hunter and Benjamin L. Clapp
arrived in Tishomingo County
in 1839. On December 26, 1839, Hunter reported they baptized six people. Seven more were baptized in 1840 by Norvel M. Head. Five more people were baptized on December 1, 1841 by elders Daniel Tyler and R. D. Sheldon.
Escaping persecution, a group of 80-90 members in 40 wagons arrived in Nauvoo
from Mississippi in April 1842. A small branch was organized in Monroe County
in 1842 where others were converted. Other branches were created in Mississippi as membership increased.
On April 8, 1846, a company of settlers left Monroe County expecting to join the main body of Latter-day Saints in Winter Quarters
that was then planning to travel to the Rocky Mountains
. They instead became the first group of Mormon
s to cross the plains
, wintering with fur trappers in Pueblo, Colorado
that same year. These were the first to establish a religious colony in the west
since the Spanish priests
of 1769. Later, they founded a second colony at Cottonwood
and Holladay
in the Salt Lake Valley
(once called the Mississippi Ward). They also helped found San Bernardino
and were involved in other colonies along the Little Colorado
in Arizona
. Alice Rowan, one of the children of these first pioneers who taught at Riverside California
, was among the first African American women to teach at a public school in the U.S.
Missionary work in Mississippi halted during the Civil War
. This was resumed in 1877 with the arrival of W. H. Crawford and others. The Baldwin Branch was organized on July 27, 1877. In 1880, opposition tried, but failed to enlist the governor’s help in forcing Missionaries to leave the state. Missionary Alma P Richards was murdered in 1888, though a church investigation committee concluded that the motive was likely a robbery rather than persecution.
On July 24, 1935, the first "Pioneer Day" celebration in Mississippi honoring the Utah pioneers was held in Columbia. Members of the Columbia and Darbun Branches dressed in pioneer outfits and paraded down Main Street to the City Park for a pioneer picnic and activities. Townsfolk were invited and participated. An impromptu rodeo was held at the end of the day-long celebration when a missionary from Canada, Elder Weldon Bascom, showed his rodeo cowboy skills by riding a wild bucking mule for entertainment. This bucking exhibition sparked such interest in the town that a professional rodeo was organized a month later by Weldon Bascom and his brother Earl Bascom
, assisted by other Mormon cowboys including Jake Lybbert, Waldo Ross, Ashel Evans, Horace and Lester Flake, and Don and Ferral Pearce. Some of these cowboys were still serving as missionairies. This historic rodeo is now known as the world's first night rodeo held outdoors under electric lights.
The first two stakes in Mississippi (Jackson and Hattiesburg) were created in 1965. The Jackson Stake stake was created on May 2, 1965. It consisted of wards in Jackson
, Meridian
, Natchez
, Columbus
, Vicksburg
, and Red Star
, and a branch in Greenville
.
The Hattiesburg Stake was created on June 27, 1965 with wards in Biloxi
, Columbia
, Gulfport
, Hattiesburg
, Liberty
and Pascagoula
. The Bayou La Croix, Darburn, Laurel
, McNiel, Sand Hill and Seminary
branches were also organized into that stake.
A monument at Mormon Springs (where many of the early saints were baptized) was dedicated in memory of the early pioneers from Mississippi, known as the Mississippi Saints. Also that year, a program was held commemorating the temporary colony in Pueblo, Colorado
established by the Mississippi Saints.
On March 1, 2003, President Gordon B. Hinckley
spoke to 6,000 members at the DeSoto Civic Center
in Southaven, Mississippi
. With no assignments for that weekend, President Hinckley said he wished to visit an area where he had never been.
Following Hurricane Katrina
in 2005, several thousand Latter-day Saint volunteers, from a 7 state area (including Mississippi), went to the hurricane devastated areas. Many of them taking time out of their jobs or came down on the weekends to help anyone needing assistance (Mormon
and non-Mormon).
In September 2008, Mississippi Latter-day Saints went to the Baton Rouge area to aid clean up efforts following Hurricane Gustav
.
. Originally a conference of the Southern States Mission, it later became part of Central States Mission, Texas-Louisiana Mission, Gulf States Mission, Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission and ultimately the Mississippi Jackson Mission formed in 1979 with Frank W. Hirschi as president.
Parts of the state are located in the Alabama Birmingham, Arkansas Little Rock, and Louisiana Baton Rouge Missions.
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
History
MissionariesMissionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
John D. Hunter and Benjamin L. Clapp
Benjamin L. Clapp
Benjamin Lynn Clapp was an early Mormon leader and member of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
arrived in Tishomingo County
Tishomingo County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000 there were 19,163 people, 7,917 households, and 5,573 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 9,553 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
in 1839. On December 26, 1839, Hunter reported they baptized six people. Seven more were baptized in 1840 by Norvel M. Head. Five more people were baptized on December 1, 1841 by elders Daniel Tyler and R. D. Sheldon.
Escaping persecution, a group of 80-90 members in 40 wagons arrived in Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
from Mississippi in April 1842. A small branch was organized in Monroe County
Monroe County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,014 people, 14,603 households, and 10,660 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 16,236 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
in 1842 where others were converted. Other branches were created in Mississippi as membership increased.
On April 8, 1846, a company of settlers left Monroe County expecting to join the main body of Latter-day Saints in Winter Quarters
Winter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
that was then planning to travel to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. They instead became the first group of Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s to cross the plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
, wintering with fur trappers in Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
that same year. These were the first to establish a religious colony in the west
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
since the Spanish priests
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
of 1769. Later, they founded a second colony at Cottonwood
Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Cottonwood Heights is a city located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, along the east bench of the Salt Lake Valley. It lies south of the cities of Holladay and Murray, east of Midvale, and north of Sandy within the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Following a successful...
and Holladay
Holladay, Utah
Holladay is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,472 at the 2010 census, a significant increase from 14,561 in 2000. The city was incorporated on November 29, 1999 as Holladay-Cottonwood, and the...
in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt 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...
(once called the Mississippi Ward). They also helped found 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...
and were involved in other colonies along the Little Colorado
Little Colorado River
The Little Colorado River is a river in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Alice Rowan, one of the children of these first pioneers who taught at Riverside California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, was among the first African American women to teach at a public school in the U.S.
Missionary work in Mississippi halted during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. This was resumed in 1877 with the arrival of W. H. Crawford and others. The Baldwin Branch was organized on July 27, 1877. In 1880, opposition tried, but failed to enlist the governor’s help in forcing Missionaries to leave the state. Missionary Alma P Richards was murdered in 1888, though a church investigation committee concluded that the motive was likely a robbery rather than persecution.
On July 24, 1935, the first "Pioneer Day" celebration in Mississippi honoring the Utah pioneers was held in Columbia. Members of the Columbia and Darbun Branches dressed in pioneer outfits and paraded down Main Street to the City Park for a pioneer picnic and activities. Townsfolk were invited and participated. An impromptu rodeo was held at the end of the day-long celebration when a missionary from Canada, Elder Weldon Bascom, showed his rodeo cowboy skills by riding a wild bucking mule for entertainment. This bucking exhibition sparked such interest in the town that a professional rodeo was organized a month later by Weldon Bascom and his brother Earl Bascom
Earl W. Bascom
Earl W. Bascom was an American painter, printmaker, rodeo performer and sculptor, raised in Canada, who portrayed his own experiences cowboying and rodeoing across the American and Canadian West.- Childhood :...
, assisted by other Mormon cowboys including Jake Lybbert, Waldo Ross, Ashel Evans, Horace and Lester Flake, and Don and Ferral Pearce. Some of these cowboys were still serving as missionairies. This historic rodeo is now known as the world's first night rodeo held outdoors under electric lights.
The first two stakes in Mississippi (Jackson and Hattiesburg) were created in 1965. The Jackson Stake stake was created on May 2, 1965. It consisted of wards in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Meridian
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, Natchez
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, Columbus
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
, Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, and Red Star
Wesson, Mississippi
Wesson is a town in Copiah County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,693 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wesson is located at ....
, and a branch in Greenville
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
.
The Hattiesburg Stake was created on June 27, 1965 with wards in Biloxi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
, Columbia
Columbia, Mississippi
Columbia is a city in Marion County, Mississippi, United States, which was formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood. Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had migrated. The population was 6,603 as of the 2000 census. It is the...
, Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
, Liberty
Liberty, Mississippi
Liberty is a town in Amite County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 633 at the 2000 census...
and Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. The Bayou La Croix, Darburn, Laurel
Laurel, Mississippi
Laurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
, McNiel, Sand Hill and Seminary
Seminary, Mississippi
Seminary is a town in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 335 at the 2000 census.Seminary was the birthplace of rock and roll and Country singer Dale Houston , who rocketed to stardom in 1963 with a No. 1 hit song, "I'm Leaving It Up To You"...
branches were also organized into that stake.
A monument at Mormon Springs (where many of the early saints were baptized) was dedicated in memory of the early pioneers from Mississippi, known as the Mississippi Saints. Also that year, a program was held commemorating the temporary colony in Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
established by the Mississippi Saints.
On March 1, 2003, 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...
spoke to 6,000 members at the DeSoto Civic Center
DeSoto Civic Center
The DeSoto Civic Center is an 8,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Southaven, Mississippi. It was built in 2000. It is home to the Mississippi RiverKings, a team in the Southern Professional Hockey League....
in Southaven, Mississippi
Southaven, Mississippi
-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
. With no assignments for that weekend, President Hinckley said he wished to visit an area where he had never been.
Following Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005, several thousand Latter-day Saint volunteers, from a 7 state area (including Mississippi), went to the hurricane devastated areas. Many of them taking time out of their jobs or came down on the weekends to help anyone needing assistance (Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
and non-Mormon).
In September 2008, Mississippi Latter-day Saints went to the Baton Rouge area to aid clean up efforts following Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
.
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1839 | 6 |
| 1890 | 123 |
| 1906 | 1,018 |
| 1930 | 2,170 |
| 1970 | 6,527 |
| 1980 | 10,403 |
| 1990 | 13,000 |
| 1999 | 17,578 |
| 2008 | 20,811 |
Stakes
Mississippi is currently part of 9 stakes. 4 of those stakes have their stake center within the state. Since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no paid clergy, stake presidents, bishops, etc. have their own occupation.Mississippi Stakes
| Stake | Organized | Wards/ Branches in Mississippi | Stake President | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport Mississippi | Oct. 10, 1982 | 5 | Robert P Garrett Sr. | US Naval officer |
| Hattiesburg Mississippi | June 27, 1965 | 10 | Kevin B. Pack | CEO Megagate Broadband |
| Jackson Mississippi | May 2, 1965 | 13 | Van J. Bodin | Purchasing Manager for Columbus Lumberhttp://www.columbuslumber.com/contact.htm |
| Tupelo Mississippi | June 9, 1991 | 10 | Gary W. Pettus |
Other Stakes with units in Mississippi
| Stake | Organized | Wards/ Branches in Mississippi | Stake President | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Louisiana | August 27, 1978 | 1 | Dwigth J. L. Epperson | business owner |
| Denham Springs Louisiana | April 19, 1981 | 2 | Raymond Vail Burkart Jr | safety manager/security at Kaiser Aluminum |
| Memphis Tennessee | April 18, 1965 | 3 | Steven Moyle Borius | tax attorney at International Paper |
| Mobile Alabama | October 8, 1978 | 2 | Harlan George Spencer | service director for Empire Truck Sales |
| Monroe Louisiana | August 18, 1985 | 1 | Aristoteles Pena M. | physician |
Missions
Mississippi formed part of several church 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...
. Originally a conference of the Southern States Mission, it later became part of Central States Mission, Texas-Louisiana Mission, Gulf States Mission, Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission and ultimately the Mississippi Jackson Mission formed in 1979 with Frank W. Hirschi as president.
Parts of the state are located in the Alabama Birmingham, Arkansas Little Rock, and Louisiana Baton Rouge Missions.
| Mission | Mississippi Stakes in Mission |
|---|---|
| Alabama Birmingham | Tupelo Mississippi, Mobile Alabama |
| Arkansas Little Rock | Memphis Tennessee |
| Louisiana Baton Rouge | Denham Springs Louisiana, Alexandria Louisiana |
| Mississippi Jackson | Gulfport Mississippi, Hattiesburg Mississippi, Jackson Mississippi, Monroe Louisiana |
External links
- Mississippi Mormons, These little-known Saints from Monroe County chalked up an impressive record of “firsts” as the Church moved west. Ensign, Jun 1977, 46
- LDS Newsroom (Mississippi)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Visitors Site