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

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio
The Columbus Ohio Temple
AreaNA Northeast
Members63,814 (2022)[1]
Stakes16
Wards102
Branches23
Total Congregations125
Missions2
Temples1 Operating
2 Announced
3 Total
Family History Centers46[2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Ohio. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.52% in 2014.[3] According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 1% of Ohioans self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4] The LDS Church is the 14th largest denomination in Ohio.[5]

Stakes are located in Akron, Cincinnati (3), Cleveland, Columbus (4), Dayton (3), Hiram, Kirtland, Toledo, and Zanesville.

History

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Membership in Ohio
YearMembership
198326,028
1989*37,000
199947,437
200957,918
201962,023
*Membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Ohio[1]
See also: History of the Latter Day Saint movement § Movement in Ohio

Kirtland, Ohio, became LDS Church headquarters from 1831 to 1838 and at its peak, Kirtland was home to 3,200 members.[6][7]

In 1979, the Church acquired the Newel K. Whitney store, which is now a popular historic site.[6] About 100,000 people, mostly church members, visit the site annually and it was given a $15 million facelift to renovate and rebuild 10 buildings.[8]

Stakes

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As of January 2025, the following stakes are located in Ohio or include parts of Ohio:[9][10][11]

Stake Organized Mission Temple District
Akron Ohio Stake 25 May 1975 Ohio Columbus Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Charleston West Virginia Stake[a] 23 Aug 1970 West Virginia Charleston Columbus Ohio
Cincinnati Ohio Stake 23 Nov 1958 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Cincinnati Ohio East Stake 15 Feb 2004 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Cincinnati Ohio North Stake 17 Mar 1985 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Cleveland Ohio Stake 20 Sep 1961 Ohio Columbus Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Columbus Ohio Stake 25 Feb 1962 Ohio Columbus Columbus Ohio
Columbus Ohio East Stake 28 Nov 1976 Ohio Columbus Columbus Ohio
Columbus Ohio North Stake 19 Oct 1986 Ohio Columbus Columbus Ohio
Columbus Ohio South Stake 14 Nov 2004 Ohio Columbus Columbus Ohio
Dayton Ohio Stake 24 May 1970 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Dayton Ohio East Stake 20 May 1979 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Dayton Ohio North Stake 21 Nov 2021 Ohio Cincinnati Columbus Ohio
Hiram Ohio Stake[b] 18 Feb 2007 Ohio Columbus Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Huntington West Virginia Stake[a] 7 Nov 1982 West Virginia Charleston Louisville Kentucky
Kirtland Ohio Stake 17 Feb 1834[c]
16 Oct 1983[12]		 Ohio Columbus Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania West Stake[a] 7 Sep 2014 Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Toledo Ohio Stake 2 Nov 1980 Michigan Detroit Columbus Ohio
Zanesville Ohio Stake 6 Mar 2022 Ohio Columbus Columbus Ohio
  1. ^ a b c Stake located outside Ohio with congregation(s) meeting in Ohio
  2. ^ The Hiram Ohio Stake was known as the Youngstown Ohio Stake until November 24, 2024
  3. ^ The original Kirtland Stake was dissolved in 1838

Historic sites

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The Newel K. Whitney Store in Kirtland, Ohio

As headquarters of the church from 1831 to 1838, there are a number of significant church historic sites in Ohio, many of which are in the northeastern part of the state. The church maintains and operates several historic sites in and near Kirtland, while several additional sites are either general locations or are owned by outside entities.

General sites

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  • Amherst, community west of Cleveland where Parley P. Pratt joined the church in 1830 and later preached. A branch was established there in 1831. In January 1832, a church conference was held there and Doctrine & Covenants section 75 was received.[13]
  • Fairport Harbor, community north of Kirtland along Lake Erie that was a debarking point for many of the early church members moving to Ohio from western New York and other locations, as well as an embarking point for missionaries leaving the area.[13]
  • Kirtland
    • Kirtland Historic North Cemetery, owned and maintained by the city of Kirtland and located in between the Kirtland Temple and Joseph Smith properties. Many early church members are buried here.[13]
    • Stannard Quarry, located in the Chapin Forest Reservation and location where sandstone was quarried to build the Kirtland Temple[14]
  • Kirtland Camp Historical Marker near Dayton, a historical marker commemorating the 30-day encampment of the Kirtland Camp along the Mad River in 1838[15]
  • Orange Township, community southeast of Cleveland and southwest of Kirtland that was home to several early Saints and site of a church conference in 1831.[13]
  • Thompson Township, community east of Kirtland that was home to early settlers in 1831 including the relocated Colesville Branch.[13]

Church-owned sites

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  • Historic Kirtland Village in Kirtland includes a mix of original and restored structures related to the early church activity in Kirtland during the 1830s. The church created a pedestrian village in 2002 by rerouting parts of two major roads around the area.
    • East Branch of the Chagrin River, site of many early baptisms of church members using ponds created by dams for water power
    • Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center
    • John Johnson Inn, replica of the 1820s building, rebuilt in 2002 on the original site. The original Johnson Inn, which was the first brick building in Kirtland, was purchased by the church in 1833 and was mainly used for lodging and offices and was managed by John Johnson. It burned down in 1915.
    • Joseph and Emma Smith Home, the mid-1830s home of Joseph and Emma Smith, purchased by the church in 2012 and restored to its 1830s appearance in 2023.[16]
    • Kirtland Flats Schoolhouse, replica of 1819 schoolhouse rebuilt near its original location. The schoolhouse was used for public education and gatherings and church meetings
    • Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney Home, original 1824 home of Newel and Elizabeth Whitney, restored to its 1830s appearance
    • N. K. Whitney & Co. Store, original 1826 store of Newel K. Whitney, also used as a home of Joseph and Emma Smith during the early 1830s and for various church meetings, including the School of the Prophets
    • Sawmill and ashery, replicas of commercial enterprises used and operated by early church members, particularly Newel K. Whitney, both rebuilt in 2002 near their original sites.
  • John Johnson Farm near Hiram, original 1828 home of John and Elsa Johnson and also home to Joseph and Emma Smith from 1831-1832. It was purchased by the church in 1956 and restored to its original appearance in 2001.
  • Kirtland Temple and Visitors’ Center in Kirtland, original 1836 temple and the adjoining visitors' center, built by Community of Christ in 2007. Both properties were acquired by the church in 2024.
  • Morley Farm in Kirtland Hills[13]

Missions

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  • Ohio Cincinnati Mission
  • Ohio Columbus Mission

Temples

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class=notpageimage|
Temples in Ohio
  • = Operating
  • = Under construction
  • = Announced
  • = Closed for renovation
  • = Historic site

As of January 2025, the church operates one temple in the state of Ohio, the Columbus Ohio Temple, along with the Kirtland Temple, which is open to the public as a historic site. There are two additional temples planned for the state, with the Cleveland Ohio Temple, announced on April 3, 2022, by President Russell M. Nelson, under construction and the Cincinnati Ohio Temple, announced April 7, 2024, by President Russell M. Nelson.

The Columbus temple was dedicated September 4, 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. It underwent extensive renovations from 2020 to 2023 and was rededicated by President M. Russell Ballard on June 3, 2023.[17]

The Kirtland Temple was used by the main body of the church from 1836 to 1838. Unlike current operating LDS temples, the Kirtland Temple was used primarily for religious meetings rather than ordinance work. At the time of construction, none of the ordinances associated with LDS temple worship, such as baptism by proxy, had been instituted. Operated by Community of Christ for over a century, the LDS Church acquired the Kirtland Temple in March 2024.[18][19] A contract between the two churches stipulates that it will remain open to the public for a minimum of 15 years and the LDS Church indicated they have plans to continue to keep it open as a historical site beyond the contractual years.[20]

edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style:
Notes: 		Kirtland, Ohio, United States
December 27, 1832 by Joseph Smith
June 5, 1833
March 27, 1836 by Joseph Smith
15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) on a 5.8-acre (2.3 ha) site
Federal Georgian and New England Colonial
Ownership transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 5, 2024.
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
Size:
Style: 		Columbus, Ohio, United States
April 25, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley
September 12, 1998 by John K. Carmack
September 4, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
4 June 2023 by M. Russell Ballard
11,745 sq ft (1,091.1 m2) on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Firestone J. Mullin
Map
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Size: 		Independence, Ohio
3 April 2022 by Russell M. Nelson[21][22]
1 June 2024 by Vaiangina Sikahema[23]
9,900 sq ft (920 m2) on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site
Map
edit
Location:
Announced:
Size: 		Mason, Ohio, United States
7 April 2024 by Russell M. Nelson[24][25]
29,630 sq ft (2,753 m2) on a 35-acre (14 ha) site

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Ohio", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 28 May 2023
  2. ^ Category:Ohio 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 Ohio: Religious composition of adults in Ohio". 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 fourteenth largest denomination in Ohio, it's the fifteenth largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
  6. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics", Church News, 2020. Retrieved on 1 April 2020.
  7. ^ Miller, Roger. "Mormons trek West had Ohio stop", Dayton Journal-News, 15 August 2012. Retrieved on 1 April 2020.
  8. ^ Hamill, Sean D. "Paying Tribute to Mormon Church’s Ohio Roots", The New York Times, 12 February 2010. Retrieved on 1 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Columbus Ohio Temple District". churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Louisville Kentucky Temple District". churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  11. ^ "Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple District". churchofjesuschristtemples.org. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  12. ^ Toone, Trent (June 15, 2024). "Steve Young's T-shirt 'miracles' and a look back at the Church's return to Kirtland". The Church News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Historic Sites: Interactive Map: LDS Places of Interest, Ohio". Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "Chapin Forest Reservation". Lake Metroparks. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  15. ^ Zernzach, Christine. "Ohio Mormon migration: New signs mark trail of Kirtland Camp". The Church News. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  16. ^ "Elder Bednar Dedicates Joseph and Emma Smith's Restored Home in Kirtland, Ohio" (Press release). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Columbus Ohio Temple Rededicated". Church Newsroom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. June 4, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "Joint Statement March 5, 2024" (PDF). Community of Christ/LDS Church. 2024-03-05.
  19. ^ Faithfully Funding Our Future – The First Presidency. Community of Christ.
  20. ^ "Faithfully Funding Our Future: Frequently Asked Questions". Community of Christ.
  21. ^ "7 new temple locations announced by President Nelson to close conference", Deseret News, Deseret News, April 3, 2022
  22. ^ "President Nelson Announces 17 New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, April 3, 2022
  23. ^ As verified here
  24. ^ Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson names temples; Oaks reaffirms wearing of garments; Kearon points to a welcoming God, Salt Lake Tribune, 7 April 2024
  25. ^ "President Russell M. Nelson Announces 15 Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 7 April 2024
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