The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma
As of year-end 2006, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 39,581 members, 7 stakes, 57 wards, and 24 branches in Oklahoma.[1]
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, Mo., 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 of 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 1858-1859. By 1860, all the missionaries but 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 John 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 1950's and 1960's. 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]
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 victoms of the storm.[7] Latter-day Saints in Oklahoma provided relief to victoms of other disasters including floods in 2007 [8], theMid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence[9], and provided aid to victoms of Hurricane Katrina.
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 10,105 |
| 1980 | 20,819 |
| 1990 | 26,596 |
| 1999 | 33,721 |
| 2006 | 39,581 |
Stakes
There are 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton Oklahoma | Oct 31, 1976 | Charles W. Adair[10] | consultant for Tec-Masters Inc. |
| Norman Oklahoma | Oct 18, 1970 | Robert Christopher Keyes[11] | president and owner of Associated Environ. |
| Oklahoma City Oklahoma | Oct 23, 1960 | John M. Jacobsen[12] | atty and civil division director for Ok. County DA's office[1] |
| Oklahoma City Ok. South | Nov 14,1982 | Gordon James Bean[13] | doctor of podiatric medicine |
| Stillwater Oklahoma | June 14,1981 | Don Ray Hansen[14] | professor of accounting at Oklahoma State University |
| Tulsa Oklahoma | May 1, 1960 | Gerald Alan Roberts[15] | assistant superintendent at Dewey Public Schools |
| Tulsa Oklahoma East | April 30,1978 | James Forrest Johnson[16] | information technician manager at EDS |
Missions
The Oklahoma Mission was created on June 10 1970, and was renamed the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission in 1974. The Oklahoma City Mission was created in 1990.
Temples
On 29 March 1898, Oklahoma became part of the Southwestern States mission, and it was included n the Central States Mission on April 4, 1904. The Oklahoma City Temple was dedicated on July 30, 200 by President James E. Faust of the First Presidency.
See also
References
- ^ LDS Newsroom (Statistical Information)
- ^ a b Chronicles of Oklahoma
- ^ Brigham Young the Colonizer
- ^ McCloud, Susan Evans. Brigham Young: A Personal Portrait. (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 1996) Chapter 13
- ^ 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.
- ^ Faith, Courage Rise From The Rubble(October 16, 2004), LDS Church News
- ^ Oklahoma City -- Hope after the storm(May 15, 1999), LDS Church News
- ^ Fires and floods(July 14, 2007),LDS Church News
- ^ Church responds to world disasters(May 17, 2008),LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(June 30, 2001)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(June 26, 2004)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(June 20, 1999)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(December 10, 2005)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(April 15, 2000)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(February 4, 2006)LDS Church News
- ^ New stake presidents(February 4, 2006)LDS Church News
