Facts and Statistics

Close

Oklahoma

52,844

Total Church Membership

1-in-

11

Stakes

10

95

Congregations

75 Wards
20 Branches

30

FamilySearch Centers

30

1

Temples

1

Missions

History

Some of the first members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma did construction work in the Cherokee Nation in 1847. They preached about the Church until antagonism forced one Church member to leave the area. In June 1855, the Church established its missionary headquarters for the Native American territory. As early as July, missionaries preached to some 400 Native Americans living there. Many missionaries suffered from illnesses such as malaria from serving in the area, and at least four died. By 1860, most missionaries and many Church members left Oklahoma for Utah Territory. The Civil War scattered many of the state’s members and leaders.

In 1877, a few missionaries returned to Oklahoma, and soon thereafter missionary publications were translated into the Cherokee language. In 1892, the first meetinghouse was erected in Manard, Cherokee County. In 1921, a congregation was created in Gore, Oklahoma, with 113 members. The first stakes in Oklahoma were established in 1960, one in Tulsa and the other in Oklahoma City. In 2000, the Church dedicated a temple in Oklahoma City. That temple was renovated and rededicated in 2019.

There are now approximately 53,000 Church members in Oklahoma organized in 11 stakes. In 2021 the Church donated $2 million to the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City to advance education about Native American tribes and their ancestral roots. Church members in Oklahoma regularly partner with civic and community leaders in humanitarian efforts, including the coordination of cleanup efforts in the aftermath of storms and natural disasters.