Churches in Utah

Religious Landscape of Utah

Utah is the most religiously distinctive state in America. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dominates virtually every aspect of the state's religious, cultural, and political landscape. Roughly 60% of Utah's population identifies as LDS, and the church operates approximately 4,000 congregations (wards and branches) statewide, organized into hundreds of stakes. Salt Lake City is the world headquarters of the LDS Church, and Temple Square is one of the most visited religious sites in North America. Utah's adherence rate of about 74% is the highest in the nation, driven almost entirely by LDS membership. The Catholic Church is the second-largest denomination, serving a growing Hispanic population, mining-heritage communities, and refugees from various countries who have been resettled in Salt Lake City. Non-denominational and evangelical churches have grown along the Wasatch Front as in-migration from other states has diversified the population. Southern Baptists have a small but committed missionary presence. Salt Lake City itself has become more religiously diverse than the rest of the state, with the percentage of LDS residents in the city proper falling below 50%. Utah's non-LDS Christians, sometimes called the "minority Christian" community, have created interfaith networks and community organizations that bridge the cultural divide between LDS and non-LDS residents.