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

{{Historical populations

|title = Membership in France

|type =

|align =

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|width =

|state =

|shading =

|pop_name = Members

|percentages = off

|footnote = *Membership was published as a rounded number.

|source = {{citation |title= Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: France |author1= Windall J. Ashton |author2= Jim M. Wall}}

|1909*|50

|1930|645

|1940*|600

|1950|829

|1960|1,509

|1970|8,606

|1980|11,198

|1989*|21,000

|1999 |30,541

|2009 |34,906

|2019 |39,930

}}

The first Latter-Day Saint missionary to preach in France was John Pack, who entered the country in 1849 with John Taylor. William Howells, who entered the country in 1849, was soon joined in his preaching by his daughter, and later by William C. Dunbar.Laurie J. Wilson, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/01/the-saints-in-france?lang=eng "The Saints in France"], Ensign, January 1976. In April 1850, the first congregation was composed of six members in the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer.{{cite web |title=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/france |publisher=Newsroom |accessdate=4 July 2012}} Elder John Taylor, a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles member at the time, presided over the first mission in France.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638655/A-history-of-the-French-first-edition-of-the-Book-of-Mormon.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010152014/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638655/A-history-of-the-French-first-edition-of-the-Book-of-Mormon.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 10, 2015|title=A history of the first French edition of the Book of Mormon|date=2015-10-09|website=DeseretNews.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-07}} In 1853, there were only 337 members of the French mission. In 1863, Louis A. Bertrand, an early convert to the church involved in its establishment, wrote to Brigham Young that France was not a good field mission for the church. The mission was closed between 1864 and 1912, and between 1914 and 1923. The first place of worship was erected in 1962 in Nantes. There were only 77 people baptized in 1933 and 116 in 1951, but the number of baptisms increased from 1960.{{cite book |title=Les mutations transatlantiques des religions |chapter=Être français dans une Église d'origine américaine: les Mormons de France |url=http://classiques.uqac.ca/contemporains/rigal_cellard_bernadette/Mormons_de_France/Mormons_de_France.pdf |first=Bernadette |last=Rigal-Cellier |format=pdf |place=Bordeaux |publisher=Les Presses de l'Université de Bordeaux |year=2000 |pages=279–308 |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010}}

The first French-language edition of the Book of Mormon was printed on January 28, 1852.{{Cite journal|last=McClellan|first=Richard D.|date=July 2002|title=Traduit de L'Anglais: The First French Book of Mormon|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1340&context=jbms|journal=Journal of Book of Mormon Studies|volume=11|pages=29–34|via=Scholar's Archive}} A second edition was printed in 1907 in Zurich by Serge Ballif, a third in 1952 in Lyon, a fourth in 1962 by Marcel Kahne (a young missionary and L’Étoile du Déséret editor, who also revised Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), and a fifth in 1977. From May 29, 1851 to April 1852, the Étoile periodical was printed. In 1861, Jules Rémy published a book entitled Journey to the land of Mormons. As response to this book, Louis Bertrand published several articles in La Revue contemporaine, and the following year, gathered his articles under the title Memoirs of a Mormon.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed in Paris's Palais de Chaillot in 1955, in Strasbourg in 1991, and in Marseille in 1998.

Several presidents of the church have visited France, including Lorenzo Snow in February 1851, Quorum of the Twelve member David O. McKay in July 1952, and Gordon B. Hinckley on 4 June 1998.

On July 15, 2011, plans to build the Paris France Temple were announced by President Thomas S. Monson.{{cite web |title=Church Statement on Temple in France |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-statement-on-temple-in-france |year=2011 |accessdate=20 July 2011}} The temple, dedicated on May 21, 2017, was then one of the church's 156 operating temples.{{Cite web|url=http://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/paris-france-temple-architecture-design|title=Bringing Vision to Life Through Architecture and Design of Paris France Temple|date=2017-04-07|website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-07}}

In 1952, the church was registered as a voluntary association (French 1901 law), and on July 4, 2009, officially became a religious association, as reported in the Official Journal.

As of June 2022, branches in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique were located in the Guadeloupe District of the Barbados Bridgetown Mission. The Guadeloupe District office is located in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. Branches in Réunion are located in the St Denis Reunion District of the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission. Regardless of their size, all congregations which are not part of a stake are called branches.

Table and membership information as of December 31, 2022.

File:Eglise SDJ Saint-Etienne, France.jpg of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saint-Étienne, France]]File:Livre_de_Mormon_(french).JPG Book of Mormon]]

As of February 2023, the LDS Church has 10 stakes centered in metropolitan France:

{{note label|Note1|a|a}}Stake centered outside of France, no congregations in France, but in a French mission

{{note label|Note2|b|b}}Stake centered outside of France, but has congregations in France

{{Infobox LDS in Country|

|icon=Flag of Luxembourg.svg

|name=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Luxembourg

|logo=

|logocaption=

|image=

|imagesize=250px

|caption=The Paris France Temple

|area=Europe Central

|members=526 (2022){{citation|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/luxembourg|title=Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Luxembourg|work=Newsroom|publisher=LDS Church|access-date=1 June 2023}}

|stakes=

|districts=

|wards=1

|branches=1

|missions=

|fhc=1{{citation|url=https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/?c=Luxembourg|title=France Family History Centers|access-date=February 16, 2023|publisher=familysearch.org}}

}}

In 2022, there are 526 members in 2 congregations in Luxembourg namely:

• Luxembourg 1st Ward (English/French speaking)
• Luxembourg 2nd Branch (Portuguese speaking)

Luxembourg congregations are part of the Nancy France Stake and in the France Paris Mission and Paris France Temple District.

In 2000, a study led by Professor Bernadette Rigal-Cellier indicated that the majority of LDS members in France appeared to be former Catholics. LDS church members felt then that the non-conversion of French people to their church stemmed from a lack of interest in spiritual matters and mistrust in new beliefs. The LDS members surveyed thought that their church's growth would accelerate and that prejudice against them would disappear in the future. The author concluded that the church had become well-established in France and that its French members showed the same attachment to their country as other French people.

In 2009, an investigation directed by writer, religious sociologist and philosopher Christian Euvrard, also an LDS member, concluded that Mormons in France are demographically and politically similar to other French people. 30% were regular churchgoers, and their marriage and birth rates were higher than the national average. Primarily made up of urban dwellers and recent immigrants, LDS members considered the hardest doctrine of their religion to be the proscription on alcohol, coffee and tea. Only 30% of them were involved in an association and 83% believed that all religions hold some truth. However, LDS members differed from other French people in their moral codes: 93% of them were opposed to same-sex marriage.{{cite web |title=Portrait de la communauté des mormons de France |url=http://www.la-croix.com/article/index.jsp?docId=2365911&rubId=4078 |first=Anne-Bénédicte |last=Hoffner |publisher=La Croix |date=23 February 2009 |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010}}

The LDS church was not mentioned in the list of dangerous cults in reports established by the Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France in 1995 and 1999.{{cite web |title=Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'enquête sur les sectes — Les sectes en France |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-enq/r2468.asp |publisher=Assemblée Nationale |language=French |year=1995 |accessdate=3 June 2010}}{{cite web |title=Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'enquête sur les sectes - Les sectes et l'argent |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dossiers/sectes/r1687anx.asp |publisher=Assemblée Nationale |language=French |year=1999 |accessdate=3 June 2010}} As there were no complaints from former members, the MILS deemed in 2000 that the church was "a religious group that does not generate problems in France".{{cite web |title=La généalogie, outil prosélyte |url=http://www.prevensectes.com/mormons5.htm |first=Stéphane |last=Lagarde |work=Libération |publisher=Prevensectes |date=22 August 2000 |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010}} In its 2001 report, it stated that "seeing the definition of cultist nature of an association by the exclusive examination of its behavior in the light of human rights and public policy (...), the LDS Church shouldn't be considered as a cult".{{cite web |title=2001 report |url=http://www.miviludes.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/MILS_Report_2001_gb.pdf |publisher=MILS |year=2001 |page=77 |format=pdf |accessdate=3 June 2010}} However, in its 2006 report, the MIVILUDES monitoring agency expressed concerns over the Calvin Thomas society, specialized in organizing linguistic travels, "as children have been placed in LDS families. The file of this society (...) is the subject of an investigation".{{cite web |title=Rapport au Premier ministre |url=http://lesrapports.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/BRP/074000089/0000.pdf |publisher=MILIVUDES |year=2006 |page=262 |format=pdf |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010}}

In a 2002 periodical, anti-cult association ADFI stated that it is "regularly contacted by families or individuals facing conflictual and painful situations because of the membership of a relative into this movement". Criticisms include methods of evangelism, gradual split with family and friends, women's status, lack of free thought, and children's education considered as indoctrination.{{cite web |title=Les mormons |work=BULLES |url=http://www.unadfi.org/IMG/pdf/Les_Mormons.pdf |year=2002 |publisher=UNADFI |pages=6, 7 |language=French |format=pdf |accessdate=3 June 2010}} The Lille chapter of the ADFI felt that "it is unhelpful to try to classify this church as cult or non-cult", and that "the likelihood is high that the genealogy becomes a major means of Mormon proselytizing". It also described English courses offered by the church as a "disguised way of recruiting new followers".{{cite web |title=Formés pour recruter dans la rue et à domicile |url=http://www.esj-lille.fr/atelier/magan2/teo/exister/mormons2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020613052548/http://www.esj-lille.fr/atelier/magan2/teo/exister/mormons2.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2002 |publisher=esj-lille |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010 }} To ADFI president Catherine Picard, the LDS church was "a movement with cultist deviancy".{{cite web |title=Les Mormons s'offrent le tiers de Villepreux |url=http://www.prevensectes.com/rev0603.htm#5 |work=Le Parisien |first=Véronique |last=Beaugrand |publisher=Prevensectes |date=9 March 2006 |language=French |accessdate=3 June 2010}} And for Marie Drilhon of the Yvelines ADFI chapter, the Mormonism was "a demanding church for the faithful", describing the pressure placed on some former members to return to the church, and considering that "people who are more fragile don't do well in this church."{{cite journal |title=French Mormons find a less hospitable ‘Mormon moment’ |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/french-mormons-find-a-less-hospitable-mormon-moment/2012/02/15/gIQAWCxBGR_story.html |first=Elizabeth |last=Bryant |journal=The Washington Post |date=17 January 2012 |accessdate=21 June 2011}}

{{Portal|LDS Church}}

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in French Polynesia
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Caledonia

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|2=LDS Church in France}}

• [https://www.comeuntochrist.org/ ComeUntoChrist.org] Latter-day Saints Visitor site
• [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] Official site

{{LDS-Europe}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1850 establishments in France

Category:1850 in Christianity