December 2005 - The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,560,869, with over 6.8 million residing outside the United States. It is the fourth largest religion in the United States. According to statistics released by the Church, 47% of its members live in the United States and Canada, 36% in Latin America, and 17% in other parts of the world.
December 2006 - The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,860,606. Increase of 300,000 in 12 months.
June 2007 - The church reports a worldwide membership of 13,000,000+
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is often referred to as the LDS Church or Mormon Church. (A more appropriate shortened version is “the Church of Jesus Christ,” as the Latter-day Saints are but the members of what they believe to be Christ’s Church). Mormonism refers to the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith and the succeeding prophets and leaders of the Church, but those doctrines are believed to be eternal and part of the original gospel preached by Jesus Christ.
Mormonism is a branch of Christianity, often called Restorationism, encompassing numerous religious denominations, but Mormonism is generally associated with the theology and subculture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Most people who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ prefer to be called Latter-day Saints. Other generally acceptable terms are LDS or Mormons. Even though they are widely used terms, some people in the Church view the terms Mormon and Mormonism as offensive. They prefer to be known as Christians and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The term "Mormon" derives from the Book of Mormon, first published in 1830 and more recently subtitled "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" to highlight the importance of the information about the Savior contained in the book. The Book of Mormon is accepted by the Church as divine scripture, along with the Bible.
The Church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Church reports a worldwide membership of 13,000,000 as of June 25,2007 with over 6.8 million residing outside the United States. It is the fourth largest religion in the United States. According to statistics released by the Church, 47% of its members live in the United States and Canada, 36% in Latin America, and 17% in other parts of the world
1990 - over 15,500 LDS Alaska members
2005 - just little over 25,000-27,000+ LDS Alaska members
Barrow, Nome, Tok, Kotzebue, Wainwright, Pt. Hope, Tanana, Fairbanks, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, Valdez, Seward, Sitka, Juneau, Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island, and many more.
Anchorage is the largest with its members of 10,000+ members and Fairbanks with 8000+ members
So about 3000-4000 are Alaskan Natives and Samoan-Hawaiians. In Anchorage - there is a ward only for Hawaiians (Samoans). And 2000+ African descendents in Alaska
Kodiak Ward grow into at least 160+ members
Kodiak city has about 5000-7000 people with 2000-2500 living in the kodiak villages on Kodiak Island
My dad is the one who introduced "LDS" to my mother who is an Inupiat Eskimo. She was a Presbyterian before she met my dad.
She was against the church at first and afraid of it since she knew nothing about it and heard from other Christians that this church is run by a false prophet
With my dad's patience and also missionaries it took them 5-6 years to teach my mother the basics of what this church about.
She knew that my dad will not attend other churches for they are not complete in gospel. He prefers to go to a church with most of Christ's teachings.
As she became a member and us 3 older ones and after we were baptized - we were being treated with cruelity from other Christians.
Their quotes "your a devil, you belong to a cult!, your church lies, your going to hell!, you dumb Eskimo don't you know better!" all these things are said by other Christians and yet NONE of them ever step into our church and see.
Majority of those so call Christians were those who belong to the Baptist and the worst of them all is Assembly of God and Non-demonational; both churchs always have racist against other relgion and will cut down other religion in their congregation. And they call them selves Christians?
Race religion issue causes pain to those who are not of their faith and has also treated the American Natives with cruelity, hatred, causing so much conflicts in human race.
Of all those things other faiths has caused me to be strong in my beliefs, trials, and honesty.
anyways, please enjoy this site and search these things
HISTORY>>>>>>>>>>
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Clarifies Use of the Word 'Mormon' in News Reports
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes that the prosecution of polygamist Warren Jeffs is generating substantial media coverage and that Jeffs' group refers to its members as fundamentalist Mormons. That is causing problems for reporters trying to help their readers, viewers and listeners distinguish between Jeffs' followers and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In the public mind, the word "Mormon" has come to mean something very specific. It conjures up images of Mormon missionaries on bikes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Mormon temples. It has become a synonym for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Consequently, when "Mormon" is used to describe polygamist groups, it causes great confusion about our beliefs among the general public and frustration to our members, which number over 12 million
The Associated Press Stylebook has recognized this difficulty and specified that the term "Mormon" is a nickname that should be applied exclusively to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that it is not accurately applied to any other person or organization (see entries on "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The" and "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints").
Polygamists and polygamist organizations that occasionally make the news are not dissident wings of the Church or fundamentalists. They have no affiliation whatsoever with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of their members have never had any association with the Church either.
It follows that because Warren Jeffs is not affiliated with the Mormon church, and since he is not Mormon, reporters should look for more accurate and less misleading descriptions of him in the media. For example, Court TV's Web page never once used the word "Mormon" to describe Warren Jeffs in its story entitled "Prosecutors to present evidence against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs in teen-bride case."
We sometimes hear the argument that because Jeffs and his followers use the Book of Mormon they should be considered Mormons. However, Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, evangelicals and a host of other faiths believe in Jesus and claim the Bible as their own, yet all consider themselves separate and distinct faiths.
The same is true for all religious groups who believe in Joseph Smith's prophetic calling and use the Book of Mormon. For example, the Community of Christ church claims Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon but changed its name from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be recognized as a different faith.
Perhaps the following points will be helpful in your media coverage:
* Warren Jeffs has never been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, whose members are often referred to as "Mormons."
* Polygamy was officially discontinued in The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in 1890. Any Church member adopting the practice
today is excommunicated. Those groups which continue the practice in
Utah and elsewhere have no association whatever with The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most of their practitioners
have never been among our members.
* The Church has long been concerned about the continued illegal
practice of polygamy, and in particular about reports of child and
wife abuse emanating from polygamous communities today.
* Even in countries where civil or religious law allows polygamy, the
Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept
into its membership those practicing plural marriage.
Thank you for your time and attention in what we consider a very serious matter for our faith. We hope that both reporters and headline writers will be sensitive to this information.
What is this book; why do we ponder it so?
Why, why does it pull me to open this book?
I must know what this book is and who speaks to me
Can it be from ancestors of me?
Shall I wait or shall I open this book?
I can not wait and I shall see!
What it brings to me
I must see and hear what this book who has haunted me
I open this book and see what has become of me!
A feeling of warmth and glow in me
I must share this book with my friends and family!
Alma who is my forefather spoke to me
that I must repent and follow High Spirit
who said that one day his son will die for me
As I read this book it said High Spirit’s son did die for me
who visited my forefathers who wrote this book
I can not put this book down from my forefathers who came across the sea
They spoke to me about a man name Jesus Christ
who is a beloved son of High Spirit
who visited my forefathers and told them to follow thee
Generations past and generations gone, years became centuries
This book of my forefathers is heard once again
Was found and translated
By a very young man name Joseph Smith
I must thank Joseph Smith for bringing this journal of my forefathers to me!
Who came from across the sea whispered to us
“thank you” who reads of me and who cries
from the dust of the past
Of forefathers who came from across the sea who is in a book
A book of Mormon is the book of my ancestors of me
Now, I can read the history of their journey to this promise land known as the Americas
I know who I am
I am a Lamanite who is Laman; brother of Nephi
who started this book; is my forefather who came across the sea.
Corinne McDonnell
