The Worldwide Church: Mormonism as a Global Religion

From Samuel Smith s first missionary efforts in 1830 to the more than 88,000 missionaries now serving worldwide, the Church continues the modern-day effort to fulfill the Lord s mandate: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19). In the past thirty years, the international membership has grown from less than a quarter of total Church membership to over 55 percent. While US and Canadian growth came in at 61 percent over that thirty-year period, international growth reached a staggering 537 percent. As a result, the Church is becoming an increasingly international church. This volume is a compilation of scholarly papers presented at the BYU Church History Symposium entitled The Worldwide Church: The Global Reach of Mormonism. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, was the first keynote speaker. He emphasized the importance of learning our history. The second keynote speaker, Terryl Givens, highlighted the universal nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seventeen other papers by notable historians, scholars, educators, and leaders are included.