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

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark
(Logo in Danish)
The Copenhagen Denmark Temple
AreaEurope North
Members4357 (2023)[1]
Stakes2
Wards13
Branches8
Total Congregations[2]21
Missions1
Temples
  • 1 Operating
FamilySearch Centers12[3]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Denmark.

History

[edit]
Membership in Denmark
YearMembers
19301,408
19401,521
19501,933
19602,192
19704,246
19804,486
1989*4,300
19994,527
20094,362
20194,466
*Membership was published as an estimate or rounded number.
Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Denmark[1]

During the October 1849 general conference of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, it was decided to send missionaries to several European nations. Erastus Snow, Peter O. Hansen, and George P. Dykes were sent to Denmark where they arrived in 1850 and quickly established a congregation in Copenhagen.[4] The first converts were from the Baptists but later ones included Lutherans, the official state religion. Denmark had recently obtained put in place a new constitution, which granted freedom of religion for the first time. Nevertheless, some of the early missionaries were imprisoned due to government opposition to the preaching of Mormonism.[5]

While in Denmark, Snow baptized the first Icelander converts to the LDS Church.[6]

Snow's and his missionary companion, Peter O. Hansen, worked together on translating the Book of Mormon into the Danish language.[7] When it was completed in 1851, it was the first time the book had been printed in a language other than English.[8] By 1882, 8,000 copies of the book had been printed in the Danish language.[9]

During the 19th century, there were more converts from Denmark than any other country in Europe excepting England, and Scotland.[10] Many of the early converts (up to 17,000) immigrated to Utah, as was common practice among European converts at the time.[11] The first immigrants were led back to Utah by Erastus Snow. Reasons to immigrate included to get away from the anti-Mormon attitude of many Danes and to avoid conscription in the Danish army during the Second Schleswig War. One early Danish convert, Anthon H. Lund, immigrated to Utah as a child and later became president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a counselor in the First Presidency of the church.

The first stake was organized in Copenhagen in 1974 with Johan H. Benthin as president. In 2004, the temple was completed, having been converted from an older building that was used as an LDS chapel since its construction in 1931.[12] Prior to that, the Danish members attended the Swiss Temple.

Stakes and Congregations

[edit]
A meetinghouse in Søborg.
A meetinghouse on Amager Island.

As of February 2023, the following congregations are located in Denmark:[13]

Copenhagen Denmark Stake

  • Allerød Menighed (Allerød Ward)
  • Amager Gren (Amager Branch)
  • Frederiksberg Menighed (Frederiksberg Ward)
  • Gladsaxe 1 Menighed (Gladsaxe 1st Ward)
  • Gladsaxe 2 Menighed (Gladsaxe 2nd Ward)
  • Nykøbing-Falster Gren (Nykøbing-Falster Branch)
  • Roskilde Menighed (Roskilde Ward)
  • Rønne Gren (Rønne Branch)
  • Slagelse Menighed (Slagelse Ward)

Århus Denmark Stake

  • Aalborg Menighed (Ålborg Ward)
  • Aarhus Menighed (Århus Ward)
  • Esbjerg Menighed (Esbjerg Ward)
  • Fredericia Menighed (Fredericia Ward)
  • Frederikshavn Gren (Frederikshavn Branch)
  • Horsens Menighed (Horsens Ward)
  • Midtjylland Branch
  • Odense 1 Menighed (Odense 1st Ward)
  • Odense 2 Menighed (Odense 2nd Ward)
  • Randers Gren (Randers Branch)
  • Sønderborg Gren (Sønderborg Branch)

Missions

[edit]

The Denmark Copenhagen Mission includes Denmark and Iceland. This mission also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland although church presence is very limited (if any) in these territories.

Temples

[edit]
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Size:
Style: 		Frederiksberg, Denmark
17 March 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
24 April 1999 by Spencer J. Condie
23 May 2004 by Gordon B. Hinckley
25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) on a 0.6-acre (0.24 ha) site
Neo-classical, detached single-spire design - designed by Arcito

See also

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Denmark", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 31 May 2023
  2. ^ Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches
  3. ^ Denmark Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 29, 2022
  4. ^ Seljaas, Helge (Autumn 1988). "Scandinavian Mormons and Their "Zion"". Scandinavian Studies. 60 (4): 445–452. JSTOR 40918987.
  5. ^ Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1, p. 380–81.
  6. ^ Larson, Karl Andrew, Erastus Snow: The Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church (Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1971) p. 225.
  7. ^ Deseret News Church Almanac, 2005 ed., p. 319
  8. ^ Toone, Trent (2012-02-21). "Danish: The first foreign language edition of the Book of Mormon". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. ^ Mulder, William (June 1956). "Image of Zion: Mormonism as an American Influence in Scandinavia". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 43 (1): 23. doi:10.2307/1895281. JSTOR 1895281.
  10. ^ Hvidt, Kristian (1966). "Danish emigration prior to 1914 trends and problems". Scandinavian Economic History Review. 14 (2): 158–178. doi:10.1080/03585522.1966.10407653.
  11. ^ Jensen, Richard. "DANISH IMMIGRATION AND LIFE IN UTAH". Utah History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Danish chapel will become new temple", Church News, May 29, 1999
  13. ^ "Classic Maps", churchofjesuschrist.org, retrieved 2021-06-04
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