A Brief History of the Church in

Scotland

Overview

Alexander Wright and Samuel Mulliner brought the restored gospel to Scotland in 1839. Early missionaries, preaching and sharing tracts in Scots Gaelic as well as English, established more than 50 branches by 1850. During the late 1800s, however, most Latter-day Saints either emigrated from Scotland or left the faith, leaving only about 200 Church members in Scotland by 1890. Those pioneering Saints helped maintain the faith in the restored gospel in their country through the early–20th-century challenges of a global economic depression and two world wars.

Church growth accelerated once again after World War II. The first Church-owned meetinghouse in Scotland was dedicated in 1952, and the first stake was organized in 1962. By 1980 all Church members in Scotland belonged to a stake. By 2015 there were over 20,000 Saints in Scotland who could say with Andrew in the Bible that they had found the Messiah (see John 1:41) and were prepared to follow Him in faith. Building on that foundation of faith, the Scottish Saints continually worked in their own lives and through Church-organized service to improve their communities and reach out to those in need.

Quick Facts

• Official Name: Scotland (part of the United Kingdom)/Alba

• Capital: Edinburgh

• Largest City: Glasgow

• Languages: English/Scots Gaelic/Scots/British Sign Language

• Land Area: 77,933 km² (30,090 mi²)

• Church Area: Europe

• Missions: 1 (part of the Scotland/Ireland Mission)

• Congregations: 36