Russia
Click here for the Russia Newsroom
5,101
Total Church Membership
3
Stakes
57
Congregations
3
Missions |
History
As many Russians sought renewed spirituality in their lives in the late 1980s, some found answers in the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1990 these Russians formed the first Russian Latter-day Saint congregations in St. Petersburg and Vyborg. Over the course of the 1990s, other congregations were established across the country, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. In 2011 the Church’s first stake in Russia was organized in Moscow.
Yet the Church’s ties with Russia go back further. Joseph Smith called missionaries to Russia in 1843, and Church leaders visited the country in 1866. In 1895 the Lindlöf family joined the Church in St. Petersburg. Starting in the 1920s, Russian emigrants translated Church literature to share with Russian-speaking people. In 1903 and 1990, Elders Francis M. Lyman and Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve, respectively, offered special prayers for Russia and its people.
Russian Latter-day Saints inherited this modern legacy of faith in addition to their country’s own rich religious heritage. Moving forward in faith, they build upon this past as they strengthen each other and their communities. In their lives as Christians and citizens of their country, Russian Latter-day Saints have proven to be “example[s] of the believers” in our day (1 Timothy 4:12).
For Journalist Use Only
Boris Leostrin
Director of the Church Communication Department
leostrinboris@churchofjesuschrist.org
Africa
Total Church Membership
849,568
Members
2,721
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
6Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,298,181
Members
2,113
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
10Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
507,748
Members
1,296
Congregations
Missions
35Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,637,503
Members
18,423
Congregations
Missions
175Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
120Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
599,065
Members
1,308
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
11Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,320,129
Members
5,629
Congregations