A missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "preached at Spring Grove," according to one 1854 Minnesota county newspaper. Other missionaries visited during the first two decades of the Church in Minnesota. One missionary focused on the Scandinavians who settled in the state. In 1875, the first official Latter-day Saint congregation in Minnesota was organized in Freeborn County. By 1877, five more congregations were organized, and in 1882, there were 75 members. Many early missionaries were targeted with eggs, stones, and threats. With time, persecutions lessened and understanding increased among community members.
In 1914, the first Church-owned building in Minnesota was purchased and a baptismal font installed within. By 1919, Church membership in Minnesota increased to 4,000 in 30 congregations. Several members at that time migrated west with the other Saints.