Latter-day Saint movement in Ireland

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Ireland since at least 1840, when the Mormon missionary John Taylor first preached in Newry. He and other missionaries converted a number of Irish people, forming a branch in Hillsborough, County Down. Many of the converted Irish saints emigrated in order to escape poverty (and later famine), as well as to live in majority Latter Day Saint communities. Missionary efforts continued in the 1850s and a small branch was established in Dublin, but many members emigrated to Utah or lost interest in the church, and in 1867 the Irish mission was placed in the care of the British mission. A new branch was formed in Belfast in 1884 and a Dublin branch was reestablished in 1900. All of this occurred despite anti-Mormon disturbances by local Irish people.

Beginning in 1907 Irish church members were asked to remain in their home country to build up the church in that area. This plea by local ecclesiastical leaders initiated a new era of stability for the church in Ireland. In 1948 the first church-owned meeting house was constructed and in 1953 Northern Ireland welcomed President David O. McKay as the first prophet to visit that region. With Stephen Covey as president of the newly formed Irish mission, in 1962, the number of conversions quadrupled within an 18 month period. By 1974 a stake of Zion was established in Northern Ireland.

In 2003, Northern Ireland had 5,349 members and as of 2016, the Republic of Ireland had 3,437 members. Members in Ireland belong to temple districts in England, as there are no LDS temples in Ireland.

The first official Mormon missionary activity in Northern Ireland occurred on 23 May 1840 when Reuben Hedlock became the first known Latter-day Saint to visit the area. He was only there for three days, but was followed shortly after by other LDS members. On 28 July 1840, when John Taylor and two Irish men, who were converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, preached in Newry. After their first night preaching no one asked to be baptized, so the missionaries announced a second meeting that would be held the following night. This meeting did not have very many in attendance, so they left for Newry the next day. This gave Taylor the opportunity to discuss the gospel with Thomas Tate during travel. On 31 July 1840 they baptized Tate, who was the first Mormon convert in Ireland, in a lake near Loughbrickland. John Taylor preached four times in Lisburn before leaving Ireland on August 6.

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