The Church in Sweden
The first missionary efforts in Sweden were in 1850. Despite early opposition, the Church grew rapidly, with branches established by 1860. The Swedish Mission was organized in 1905, and the first stake was organized in 1975. The Stockholm Sweden Temple was dedicated in 1985.
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History of the Church in Sweden
John E. Forsgren, a Swede who had joined the Church in Boston in 1843, returned as the first missionary to his homeland in 1850. Despite intense early opposition, the restored gospel spread quickly, and by 1860 there were branches of the Church spread around the country. Many early converts immigrated to Utah to help build up new Latter-day Saint settlements there, but they and their children maintained ties to Sweden and often returned as missionaries.
In the early 1900s, emigration from Sweden declined, and Latter-day Saint congregations gained new strength. In 1905, the Swedish Mission was organized, with Peter Matson, a Swedish convert, as president. As the Church grew, however, so too did opposition. Persistent false accusations of plural marriage prompted the Riksdag (parliament) to consider funding a public awareness campaign opposing the Church and, in 1920, to temporarily discontinue visas for Latter-day Saint missionaries. Despite this, members persisted in sharing the gospel, meeting together often, and strengthening one another (see Moroni 6:5–6). By the mid-20th century, branches had been reestablished throughout Sweden. In 1975, the first stake in Sweden was organized in Stockholm.
Throughout their history, Swedish Saints have provided strength and support for members across Europe. In 1966, Festinord, an annual conference attended by young adult members from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, was first held in Stockholm. Since the dedication of the Stockholm Sweden Temple, the first in Scandinavia, in July 1985, Saints from throughout northern and eastern Europe have traveled to Stockholm to participate in temple ordinances.
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Notes
- “First Stake in Sweden—691st in Church.” Ensign, July 1975, 76.
- Green, Doyle L. “Festinord!” Improvement Era, Sept. 1966, 835–36.
- Höglund, Inger. “The Church in Sweden—Growth, Emigration, and Strength.” Ensign, Dec. 2014, 46–51.
- Jenson, Andrew. History of the Scandinavian Mission. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1927.
- Johansson, Carl Erik. “History of the Swedish Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1905–1973.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1973.
- Mulder, William. Homeward to Zion: The Mormon Migration from Scandinavia. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1957.
- Snow, Erastus. One Year in Scandinavia: Results of the Gospel in Denmark and Sweden—Sketches and Observations on the Country and People—Remarkable Events—Late Persecutions and Present Aspect of Affairs. Church History Library, Salt Lake City.
- Thomas, John C. “A Gathering Place: Russian Week at the Stockholm Sweden Temple.” BYU Studies, vol. 39, no. 1 (2000): 67–89.
- Todd, Jay M. “Konferens: A Report of the Scandinavian Area General Conference Held at Stockholm, Sweden.” Ensign, Oct. 1974, 77–88.
- Wengreen, A. Dean. “A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden, 1850–1905.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1968.
- Wilson, Birgit Hannele. “My First Temple Trip: As Part of the Finns’ First Temple Trip to Switzerland in 1955.” Church History Library, Salt Lake City.