UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Jan. 1, 2009: Est. population, 304,060,000; Members, 5,974,041; Stakes, 1,438; Wards, 11,289; Branches, 2,074; Districts, 12; Missions, 106;Temples in use, 62; under construction or announced, 7; Percent LDS, 2, or one in 51.
A few stakes and missions have headquarters in states other than that for which they are named. To simplify this listing, these stakes and missions are listed in the states for which they are named. Numbers preceding stakes and missions are their chronological numbers assigned at the time of creation. Letters are added if number has been used previously.
(* Stake name changed 14 Jan 1974 or as indicated otherwise.)
Oregon
Jan. 1, 2009: Est. population, 3,790,000; Members, 145,429; Stakes, 36; Wards, 256; Branches, 50; Missions, 2; Temples, 2; Percent LDS, 3.8, or one in 26.
In 1838 Joseph Smith visited Washington, D.C., where on one occasion Sen. Henry Clay suggested that the Prophet take the Mormons to the Oregon Territory. Oregon was one of several locations he considered for possible settlement after difficulties in Illinois in the early 1840s. At the time, Oregon was claimed by both Great Britain and the United States. As early as 25 September 1850, R. Boyd Stewart was called to serve in Oregon, but there is no record of his efforts. Additional missionaries served in 1854 and later, but were called back with their converts at the coming of Johnston's Army to Utah in 1857.
During the 1860s, Latter-day Saints found work as loggers in Oregon. A few settled, but a significant Latter-day Saint presence did not occur until 1887 when businessmen from Utah, David Eccles and Charles Nibley (joined in 1889 by John Stoddard) built a lumber mill on the North Powder River near Baker, Ore., and persuaded Latter-day Saint families to migrate there. The Baker Branch, placed under the Oneida Stake in Idaho, was organized by Elder Franklin D. Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve on 23 July 1893. He prophesied, "There will be stakes of Zion organized in Oregon ... and I would not be surprised if a Temple should be erected."
In 1896, Edward Stevenson and Mathias F. Cowley traveled via train, boat and wagon to survey the situation of the scattered saints in the Northwest. This led to the organization of the Northwestern States Mission on 26 July 1897, under the direction of Oneida Stake President George C. Parkinson. Mission headquarters were established in Portland. (The first Northwestern States Mission was organized in 1878 and had headquarters in Chicago.) Early convert Jens (James) Westergaard became the first branch president in Portland after his baptism in 1898. Mission headquarters were moved to Baker City in 1898 and back to Portland in 1902.
Around the turn of the 20th century, there was another Latter-day Saint movement to Oregon when ranches in eastern and southern Oregon were purchased and divided into sugar beet farms. By 9 June 1901, enough members had migrated that the Union Stake was created in LaGrande. Two years later the six original wards had increased to 13. Completion of the Oregon Shortline Railroad led more members to migrate to the Northwest.
Both World War I and World War II defense industry efforts brought more members of the Church to Oregon. In 1929, a meetinghouse was completed in Portland. By 1930, membership in the state was 3,226, with wards in Baker, Imbler, LaGrande (two), Mt. Glen, and Union. Mission branches also functioned in Bend, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Medford, Portland, Hood River and Salem.
Another stake was organized in Portland on 26 June 1938. Many members also moved into Oregon in the post-World War II boom and four more stakes were created in the 1950s. When the Klamath Falls Stake was divided on 23 August 1964, the Medford Stake became the Church's 400th stake.
Around 1961, the Church purchased property near Portland for a proposed junior college. However, the location was later selected as the site for the Portland Oregon Temple, which was dedicated 19 August 1989. More than 300,000 people toured the temple open house. A second mission was created in the state with headquarters in Eugene on 1 July 1990. A second temple in Oregon, located in Medford, was dedicated 16 April 2000.
Gordon H. Smith, a Latter-day Saint, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 and won re-election in 2002. Smith is Republican and his fellow senior senator, Ron Wyden, is Jewish and a Democrat. Instead of becoming rivals, the two have forged a friendship holding weekly luncheons and joint town hall meetings in Oregon.
In 2002, membership reached 139,507. In 2005, membership reached 142,545.
Sources: Joseph Smith, Documentary History of the Church, 1951; Andrew Jenson, "Oregon," Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1941; Kenneth G. Dull, Mormon Migration to Oregon's Grande Ronde Valley: A Portent of Future Mormon Expansion, thesis, 1981; Bruce D. Blumel, "Enterprising beet farmers," Church News, 14 January 1978; Leonard J. Arrington, "History of the Church in the Pacific Northwest," Task Papers in LDS History, No. 18 Church Archives; Dale Z. Kirby, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints in Oregon, The First Fifty Years, 1990; Central Point Oregon Stake, A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern Oregon, 1914-1997, 1997; Kent Larsen, "Oregon's Smith-Wyden Political Friendship Celebrates 100th Weekly Luncheon," Mormon News, 17 September 2000.
Stakes — 36
(Listed alphabetically as of Oct. 1, 2009.)
No. / Name / Organized / First President
North America Northwest Area — 33
386 *Beaverton Oregon
Portland West (Oregon) 10 Nov 1963 C. Carlile Carlson
2124 Beaverton Oregon West 12 Nov 1995 William Stanley Richardson
472 *Bend Oregon
Bend 15 Dec 1968 Norman K. Whitney
1373 Cedar Mill Oregon 31 Oct 1982 Edgar Lee Stone
1325a Central Point Oregon 7 Mar 1982 Michael T. Robinson
493 *Coos Bay Oregon
Oregon West 12 Sep 1969 Edward Harold Sypher
385 *Corvallis Oregon
Corvallis 3 Nov 1963 Hugh F. Webb
191 *Eugene Oregon
Willamette 2 Dec 1951 Ralph B. Lake
1410 Eugene Oregon Santa Clara 17 Apr 1983 Terrel B. Williams
767 Eugene Oregon West 12 Sep 1976 Robert W. Hill
2763 Forest Grove Oregon 19 May 2007 Brad C Richardson
779 Grants Pass Oregon 31 Oct 1976 Darwin Jay Wright
643 Gresham Oregon 26 May 1974 Wilford Smith Stevenson Jr.
1365 Gresham Oregon South 10 Oct 1982 Max B. Holbrook
1200 Hermiston Oregon 26 Oct 1980 Allen D. Alder
710 Hillsboro Oregon 12 Oct 1975 H. Keith Buhler
743 *Keizer Oregon 4 Apr 1984 *Salem Oregon Keizer 25 Oct 1981
Salem Oregon North 8 Feb 1976 Jay Gerald Nelson
205 *Klamath Falls Oregon
Klamath (Oregon, California) 22 Mar 1953 Carroll William Smith
1469 Lake Oswego Oregon 29 Apr 1984 Thomas Dean Cottle
1102 Lebanon Oregon 3 Feb 1980 Henry Boyd Walthuis
1300 McMinnville Oregon 25 Oct 1981 Thomas Babb III
400 *Medford Oregon
Medford (Oregon, California) 23 Aug 1964 Dennis R. Hassell
999 Milwaukie Oregon 11 Feb 1979 Thomas Dean Cottle
1171 *Monmouth Oregon 21 May 1996
*Dallas Oregon 25 Sep 1990
Salem Oregon East 24 Aug 1980 William Paul Hyde
563 *Oregon City Oregon
Oregon City 16 Jan 1972 James Hayward Bean
123 *Portland Oregon
Portland 26 Jun 1938 Monte L. Bean
190 *Portland Oregon East
Columbia River (Ore., Wash.) 2 Dec 1951 R. Spencer Papworth
1852 Ranier Oregon 8 Mar 1992 Marion Royal Johnstun
1239 *Redmond Oregon 18 Feb 1986
Prineville Oregon 1 Mar 1981 Heber D. Perrett
830 Roseburg Oregon 15 May 1977 Gary Richards Lowe
321 *Salem Oregon
Salem 22 Jan 1961 Hugh F. Webb
850 The Dalles Oregon 26 Jun 1977 Wayne B. Bush
1895 Tualatin Oregon 16 Aug 1992 Paul Walker Roberts
Idaho Area — 3
49 *La Grande Oregon
Union 9 Jun 1901 Franklin S. Bramwell
176 *Nyssa Oregon
Nyssa (Oregon, Idaho) 8 Jan 1950 Arvel L. Child
1504 Ontario Oregon 18 Nov 1984 Reed Neils Dame
Missions — 2
(As of Oct. 1, 2009; shown with historical number.)
(249) OREGON EUGENE MISSION
55 W 29th Ave, Ste A
Eugene, OR 97405
(18) OREGON PORTLAND MISSION
13635 NW Cornell Rd., Suite 100
Portland, OR 97229
