Finland
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4,796
Total Church Membership
Population vs. Church Members
3
Stakes
29
Congregations
29
FamilySearch Centers
1
Temples
1
Missions
History
During the 1850s and ’60s, a small number of Finns living abroad joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But it was not until 1875 that Church leaders granted a request from Finnish members to have missionaries sent to their relatives back home. The first of these missionaries were Swedish brothers Carl and Johan Sundström, who were sent from Sweden to preach in Vaasa, Finland, where the country’s first branch was soon established. Because Finland was part of the Russian Empire until 1917, legal and social conditions made preaching difficult, and only a few branches were organized before the end of World War II.
After the war, missionaries were trained in Finnish and assigned to cities around the country. Strong congregations with active youth programs quickly developed. In the 1950s, the Book of Mormon was published in Finnish, and Finnish Saints organized their first temple trip for the dedication of the Bern Switzerland Temple. About 20 years later, in 1977, the first stake in Finland was organized in Helsinki.
Finnish Saints had a unique opportunity to act as a light to the world (see Matthew 5:14) when the Soviet Union eased travel restrictions in the late 1980s, bringing Finnish members into contact with Estonians and Russians who found hope in their example of faith. Some were later called to support emerging congregations in the former Soviet Union. In 2006 Finnish Saints joined with fellow Saints from Estonia and Russia to celebrate the dedication of a temple in Helsinki.
For Journalist Use Only
Timo Koponen
+358 44 274 3103
Risto Leppänen
Espoo,
Finland
Phone: +00 358 400 677 128
Africa
Total Church Membership
736,701
Members
2,476
Congregations
Missions
39Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
5Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,259,094
Members
2,110
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
8Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
500,239
Members
1,350
Congregations
Missions
34Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,489,479
Members
18,476
Congregations
Missions
174Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
112Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
587,462
Members
1,301
Congregations
Missions
18Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
10Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,232,425
Members
5,602
Congregations