# The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Maine

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Maine refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Maine. Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.81% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 2% of Mainers self-identify themselves most closely with the LDS Church.
The LDS Church is the 6th largest denomination in Maine.

## History

In June, 1832, the first recorded Latter-day Saint missionaries – Horace Cowen and Hazen Aldrich, visited Maine. They lodged in the home of Daniel Bean, Jr., who lived in an unorganized territory "just north of Lake Umbagog." Missionaries of all denominations were "usually welcomed" by the community, "for the news they brought from the 'civilized' world, and for many the preaching provided a change from the daily round of farm work and homemaking chores."
Cowen and Aldrich's preaching "was so well received that the Mormons soon organized a church of a large number of members, entirely breaking up the Free Will Baptists and the Congregationalists."
On September 19, 1832, missionaries Orson Hyde and Samuel Smith crossed the Piscataqua River and entered Maine. Shortly after, a branch was established in the Saco-Biddleford area. Other branches followed, and in 1835, members of the newly organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met in Farmington to establish the Maine Conference which, at the time, consisted of 4 branches and 100 members.
By 1844, 500 persons were baptized. Most migrated west during this time to join the main body of the church. Peter Smith Bean, the son of Daniel Bean Jr., later would recall about his community: "“They took whole families . . . . Half the settlers left and were believers in the Mormon doctrine.”

## Stakes

As of January 2024, the following stakes exist in Maine:
| Stake | Organized | Wards | Branches | Mission | Temple |
| Augusta Maine Stake | 23 June 1968 | 10 | 1 | New Hampshire Manchester | Boston Massachusetts |
| Bangor Maine Stake | 20 April 1986 | 6 | 6 | New Hampshire Manchester | Boston Massachusetts |
| Exeter New Hampshire Stake* | 6 Sep 1981 | 1 | | New Hampshire Manchester | Boston Massachusetts |
| Saint John New Brunswick Stake* | 26 June 1988 | 1 | 1 | Canada Montreal | Halifax Nova Scotia |
* Only included congregations that meet in Maine for each stake

## Mission

Most of the state is in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission with the far eastern side being in the Canada Montreal Mission.

## Temples

Most of the state is in the Boston Massachusetts Temple District with the far eastern side being in the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple District.
| 64. Halifax Nova Scotia Temple Official website News & images | 64. Halifax Nova Scotia Temple Official website News & images | |
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada May 7, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley October 12, 1998 by Jay E. Jensen November 14, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 10,700 sq ft (990 m$^2$) on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) site Classic modern, single spire design - designed by L.A. Beaubien and Associates, and Church A&E Services | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada May 7, 1998 by Gordon B. Hinckley October 12, 1998 by Jay E. Jensen November 14, 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley 10,700 sq ft (990 m$^2$) on a 2-acre (0.81 ha) site Classic modern, single spire design - designed by L.A. Beaubien and Associates, and Church A&E Services |
| 100. Boston Massachusetts Temple Official website News & images | 100. Boston Massachusetts Temple Official website News & images | |
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: | Belmont, Massachusetts, United States September 30, 1995 by Gordon B. Hinckley June 13, 1997 by Richard G. Scott October 1, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley 69,600 sq ft (6,470 m$^2$) on a 8-acre (3.2 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates and Church A&E Services | Belmont, Massachusetts, United States September 30, 1995 by Gordon B. Hinckley June 13, 1997 by Richard G. Scott October 1, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley 69,600 sq ft (6,470 m$^2$) on a 8-acre (3.2 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates and Church A&E Services |