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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma has a rich history that reaches back to 1847 and today includes a reported 48,268 members, nine stakes, 93 congregations (73 wards and 20 branches), two missions, and one temple.[1]

The Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple

The history of the denomination in what would become Oklahoma begins in the 1840s and the Indian Territory Mission was created and placed under the leadership of George Miller in 1855. The first temple in Oklahoma was dedicated in 2000. The nine stakes based in Oklahoma are located in Bartlesville, Lawton, Norman, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Oklahoma, Stillwater and Tulsa.

History

In the late 1840s, George Miller, a former bishop who delayed going to the West, traveled from Winter Quarters to visit his son in Texas. He and two other members with him, Joseph Kilting and Richard Hewitt, found construction work available in the Cherokee Nation. They arrived in Tahlequah on July 9, 1847, and began to build houses. They also began to teach others about the Mormon faith, but antagonism forced Miller to leave in December. Hewitt and Kilting remained to work.[2]

In 1855, Orson Spencer and James McGaw visited the Indian Territory from St. Louis, Missouri, and on April 8, five more missionaries were sent from Salt Lake City, and four from St. Louis. The Indian Territory Mission was created and placed under the leadership of Miller on June 26, 1855.

The missionaries met and reconverted followers of Lyman Wight. One of these was Jacob Croft who had met missionaries earlier and started for Utah. After hearing misconceptions about conditions there, his party settled in Indian Territory and built a gristmill.

As early as July 1855, missionaries preached to about 400 Indians, and the Cherokee Branch was started at Croft's Spavinaw Creek mill.[2] This became Mission headquarters. Croft later lead a party of 56 including other former followers of Wight and some re-converted "Strangites" to Utah. Later in the year, missionaries were sent from St. Louis to southern portions of the Cherokee Nations. In 1856, the Princess Creek branch was organized. The Lehi and Nephi branches were organized in 1858.[3] Illness was a problem in the Indian Territory Mission for many years. At least four missionaries died including Orson Spencer.[4]

The Remaining Members Migrated to Utah in 1858 and 1859. By 1860, the missionaries save John A. Richards, who had married an Indian wife, returned to Utah and the mission was discontinued.

When Matthew Dalton and John Hubbard returned to begin missionary work in 1877, they found Richards was still faithful, and they received assistance from him. Later that year, Elder Hubbard died and the mission was closed. In 1883, Matthew Dalton and Elder George Teasdale of the Quorum of the Twelve reorganized the mission. Tracts in the Cherokee language were printed.

Andrew Kimball, father of President Spencer W. Kimball, presided over the mission in 1885. Although he had contracted malaria, he carried on the work and was assisted by John Richards, and later by additional full-time missionaries. In 1892, the first meetinghouse was built in Manard(Cherokee County). Another was built in Massey (Choctaw Nation).

On November 7, 1911, a branch was established at Gore with 113 members but was later dissolved. It was not until May 1, 1960, when the branch was again organized in Gore. A Sunday school that began in Bartlesville in 1924 became a branch on October 13, 1945. Membership increased slowly as many converts moved to Utah. Membership increased in the 1950s and 1960s. Two stakes were created in 1960. The Tulsa Stake was created on May 1, 1960, and the Oklahoma City Stake on October 23, 1960.[5]

Year Membership
197410,105
198020,819
199026,596
199933,721
200841,547
201143,905
201847,852

The Latter-day Saint community reached out to those in need after a bomb destroyed the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.[6]

In 1999, thousands of Latter-day Saints volunteers from Oklahoma and surrounding areas came to Oklahoma in response to the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak to provide rescue, relief, and recovery for the victims of the storm.[7] Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma provided relief to victims of other disasters including floods in 2007,[8] the Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence,[9] and provided aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[10]

Stakes

There are nine stakes with their stake center located in Oklahoma. Since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no paid clergy, stake presidents, bishops, etc. have their own occupation.

Stakes with their stake center in Oklahoma and their current stake presidents are as follows:

Stake Organized Stake President Occupation
Bartlesville Oklahoma Nov 2, 2014 Matthew Lane Bell [11] Regional Manager, OmniSource Corporation
Edmond Oklahoma Jun 17, 2018 Jared Michael Hopkins [12] Adviser, Charles Schwab
Lawton Oklahoma Oct 31, 1976 Brian Lane Blaisdell Gladwell[13] Family Physician.
Norman Oklahoma Oct 18, 1970 Shad Brent Satterthwaite[14] Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Oklahoma Oct 23, 1960 Thomas Richard Gray [15] Landman at Coastal Corporation
Oklahoma City Oklahoma South Nov 14,1982 Jeffrey Bellows[16] Works at FAA Center in Oklahoma City at Will Rogers World Airport.
Stillwater Oklahoma Jun 14, 1981 Kent William Bowman [17] Managing partner of Juice Connection, LLC
Tulsa Oklahoma May 1, 1960 Scott Weldon Stratton [18] Delta Flight Officer
Tulsa Oklahoma East Apr 30, 1978 Mark J. Cluff[19] Plant Manager

Missions

On March 29, 1898, Oklahoma became part of the Southwestern States Mission, and it was included in the Central States Mission on April 4, 1904. The Oklahoma Mission was created on June 10, 1970, renamed the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission in 1974. The Oklahoma Oklahoma City Mission was created in 1990.

In 2015, at the request of President Scott K. Shumway, the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission headquarters were relocated to Bentonville, Arkansas, which was geographically located in the center of the mission boundaries. In June 2015, business was presented in the units across the mission boundaries sustaining the official name change to the Arkansas Bentonville Mission.

In December 2016, the Tulsa, Tulsa East, and Bartlesville Stakes were transferred from the Arkansas Bentonville Mission to the Oklahoma Oklahoma City Mission. With this change, all 8 stakes in the state of Oklahoma were within the same mission boundaries.

Temples
Temples in Oklahoma
Red = Operating
Blue = Under Construction
Yellow = announced
Black = Closed for Renovations
Main article: Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple

The Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was dedicated on July 30, 2000, by President James E. Faust of the First Presidency. The temple was closed for more than two years for an extensive renovation and was rededicated on May 19, 2019 by President Henry B. Eyring.[20] An open house was held for the public before the dedication and guests included 20 state legislators.[21]

On October 5, 2019, during the church's general conference, church president Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. This temple will likely incluce congregations in Northeast Oklahoma as part of its district.

 95. Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple

Location:
Announced:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
 Size:
Style:

Yukon, Oklahoma, United States
March 14, 1999
July 30, 2000 by James E. Faust
May 19, 2019 by Henry B. Eyring
10,769 sq ft (1,000 m2) and 71 ft (22 m) high on a 1 acre (0.4 ha) site
Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Richard Lueb and Church A&E Services

References
  1. "Oklahoma: Facts and Statistics", Newsroom, 2020. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  2. Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 13. Digital.library.okstate.edu, (accessed November 3, 2013)
  3. Hunter, Milton R. (September 2004). Brigham Young the Colonizer. Books.google.com. ISBN 9781417968466. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  4. McCloud, Susan Evans. Brigham Young: A Personal Portrait. (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 1996) Chapter 13
  5. Lynetta K. Bingham, et al., A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Eastern Oklahoma, from Oklahoma and Indian Territories to 1980, 1980.
  6. Faith, Courage Rise From The Rubble (October 16, 2004), Church News
  7. Oklahoma City -- Hope after the storm (May 15, 1999), Church News
  8. Fires and floods (July 14, 2007), Church News
  9. Church responds to world disasters (May 17, 2008),Church News
  10. Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
  11. "New stake presidents". Church News. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  12. "New Stakes and Stake Presidencies Announced in July 2018 - Church News and Events". churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  13. "New stake presidents". Church News. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  14. "New Stake Presidents Called to Serve in U.S. and New Zealand - Church News and Events". churchofjesuschrist. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  15. "New Stakes Formed and New Stake Presidents Called - Church News and Events". churchofjesuschrist. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  16. May 2015 South OKC Stake Conference
  17. "New stake presidents". Church News. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  18. "New stake presidents". Church News. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  19. "New stake presidents". LDS Church News. January 25, 2014.
  20. "Interior photos of newly renovated Latter-day Saint temple in Oklahoma City released", Provo Herald, 22 April 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  21. Hinton, Carla. "Oklahoma City Temple has open house", Oklahoman, 24 April 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
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