The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France
Encyclopedia
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has had a presence in the France
since 1849, and the first LDS in the country was Howard Lowell, in Le Havre
. The church claims a membership of about 35,000 in the country, representing less than 1% of the population.
. Louis Bertrand
presided over the first mission which was gradually installed in Paris. In 1853, there were only 337 members for the mission of France. In 1863, Bertrand wrote to Brigham Young
that France was not a good field mission for the church. The mission was closed between 1864 and 1912 and between 1914 and 1923. The first place of worship was erected in 1962 in Nantes. There were only 77 people baptized in 1933 and 116 in 1951, but the number of baptisms increased from 1960.
The first edition of the Book of Momon in French-language was printed in 28 January 1852. A second edition was made in 1907 in Zurich by Serge Ballif, then a third in 1952 in Lyon, then a fourth in 1962 by Marcel Kahne, a young missionary and editor of L'Etoile, who also revised Doctrine and Covenants
and the Pearl of Great Price
, and a sixth one in 1977. From 29 May 1851 to April 1852, L'Etoile du Deseret
periodical was printed. In 1861, Jules Rémy
published a book entitled Journey to the land of Mormons. As response to this book, Louis Bertrand
published several articles in La Revue contemporaine, and the next year, gathered his articles under the title Memoirs of a Mormon.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
performed in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris in 1955, in Strasbourg in 1991, and in Marseille in 1998.
Several presidents of the church visited the France, including Lorenzo Snow
in February 1851, then member of the Quorum of Twelve
, David O. McKay
in July 1952, Gordon B. Hinckley
on 4 June 1998.
(Yvelines), but the project was eventually withdrawn, as local inhabitants expressed some concerns, particularly the association named "Villepreux autrement". More recently, the Church announced it is in the midst of negotiations to build a temple on the outskirts of Paris near Versailles..
On July 15, 2011 the Paris France Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson
.
|}
(1901 law), and on 4 July 2009, it officially became a religious association
, as reported in the Official Journal
.
As of 2007, metropolitan France had nearly 33,000 baptized believers (this figure does not include defections) divided into two missions, a dozen districts and stakes, and a total of 126 branches and parishes.
s. The church members felt then that the non-conversion of French people to their church came from a lack of interest in spiritual matters and a mistrust towards new beliefs. LDS surveyed thought that the growth of their church would accelerate and that the prejudices against them would disappear in the future years. The author concluded that the church has become well established in France and that French LDS showed the same attachment to their country than other French people.
In 2009, an investigation directed by writer, sociologist of religion and philosopher Christian Euvrard, also member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, revealed that mormons of France are demographically and politically similar to other French people. 30% were regular churchgoers, and their marriage rate, as well as their birth rate
, were higher than the national average. Primarily urban and with foreign origins, they considered the hardest doctrine of their religion is the order of not drinking alcohol, coffee, tea. Only 30% of them participated in an association and 83% believed that all religions have some truth. However, LDS differed from French people in their moral choices: 93% of them are opposed to gay marriage.
s in the reports established by the Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France in 1995 and 1999. As there was no complaints from former members, the MILS
deemed in 2000 that the church is "a religious group that does not generates problems in France". In its 2001 report, it stated that "seeing the definition of cultic nature of an association by the exclusive examination of its behavior in the light of human rights and public policy (...) the LDS Church shouldn't be considered as a cult". However, in its 2006 report, the MIVILUDES
expressed a concern about the Calvin Thomas society, specialized in organizing linguistic travels, "as children has been placed in LDS families. The file of this society (...) is the subject of an investigation".
For its part, anti-cult association ADFI stated that it is "regularly contacted by families or individuals facing conflictual and painful situations because of the membership of a relative to this movement". Criticisms include methods of evangelization, progressive split with family and friends, women status, lack of free thought and children education considered as indoctrination. The ADFI of Lille deemed that "it is unhelpful to try to classify this church as cults or non-cult" and that "the likelihood is high that the genealogy becomes a major means of mormon proselytizing". It also describes the English courses offered by the church as "disguised way to recruit new followers". ADFI president Catherine Picard
declared that the LDS church was "a movement with cultic deviances".
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
since 1849, and the first LDS in the country was Howard Lowell, in Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
. The church claims a membership of about 35,000 in the country, representing less than 1% of the population.
History
In April 1850, the first congregation was composed of six members in Boulogne-sur-MerBoulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
. Louis Bertrand
Louis Bertrand
Louis Bertrand was a French novelist, historian and essayist. He was the third member elected to occupy seat 4 of the Académie française in 1925.- External links :...
presided over the first mission which was gradually installed in Paris. In 1853, there were only 337 members for the mission of France. In 1863, Bertrand wrote to Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
that France was not a good field mission for the church. The mission was closed between 1864 and 1912 and between 1914 and 1923. The first place of worship was erected in 1962 in Nantes. There were only 77 people baptized in 1933 and 116 in 1951, but the number of baptisms increased from 1960.
The first edition of the Book of Momon in French-language was printed in 28 January 1852. A second edition was made in 1907 in Zurich by Serge Ballif, then a third in 1952 in Lyon, then a fourth in 1962 by Marcel Kahne, a young missionary and editor of L'Etoile, who also revised Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
and the Pearl of Great Price
Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)
The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations....
, and a sixth one in 1977. From 29 May 1851 to April 1852, L'Etoile du Deseret
L'Etoile du Deseret
L'Étoile du Déséret was a monthly French language newspaper published in France by LDS Church Apostle John Taylor beginning in May 1851 and was printed in Paris. It continued until April 1852...
periodical was printed. In 1861, Jules Rémy
Jules Rémy
Jules Achille Rémy was a French naturalist and traveller.He was born in Louvercy September 2, 1826 and died there in December 1893...
published a book entitled Journey to the land of Mormons. As response to this book, Louis Bertrand
Louis Bertrand
Louis Bertrand was a French novelist, historian and essayist. He was the third member elected to occupy seat 4 of the Académie française in 1925.- External links :...
published several articles in La Revue contemporaine, and the next year, gathered his articles under the title Memoirs of a Mormon.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
performed in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris in 1955, in Strasbourg in 1991, and in Marseille in 1998.
Several presidents of the church visited the France, including Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
in February 1851, then member of the Quorum of Twelve
Quorum of Twelve
The Quorum of Twelve is a fictional governing body of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol on the two Battlestar Galactica television series. In both series, it was composed of one representative from each colony.Series creator Glen A...
, David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
in July 1952, Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
on 4 June 1998.
Temple
There is no LDS temple in the country. In 2006-07, French LDS wanted to build a temple in VillepreuxVillepreux
Villepreux is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.Villepreux is the place of death of the famous doctor Alexandre Okinczyc. There is a street of "Docteur Alexandre"....
(Yvelines), but the project was eventually withdrawn, as local inhabitants expressed some concerns, particularly the association named "Villepreux autrement". More recently, the Church announced it is in the midst of negotiations to build a temple on the outskirts of Paris near Versailles..
On July 15, 2011 the Paris France Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
.
|}
Status and membership
In 1952, the church was registered as a voluntary associationVoluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
(1901 law), and on 4 July 2009, it officially became a religious association
Religious association
Religious association The Law of Separation of Church and State in 1905 instituted in France of religious associations also say parochial or sometimes in some churches, presbyteries, even today Islamic associations.These associations are non-profit associations,...
, as reported in the Official Journal
Official Journal
Official Journal may refer to the public journal of several nations and other political organizations:* Belgian Official Journal* Journal Officiel de la République Française* Official Journal of the European Patent Office...
.
As of 2007, metropolitan France had nearly 33,000 baptized believers (this figure does not include defections) divided into two missions, a dozen districts and stakes, and a total of 126 branches and parishes.
Sociological profile
In 2000, a study led by Professor Bernadette Rigal-Cellier did appear that the majority of LDS in France were former CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s. The church members felt then that the non-conversion of French people to their church came from a lack of interest in spiritual matters and a mistrust towards new beliefs. LDS surveyed thought that the growth of their church would accelerate and that the prejudices against them would disappear in the future years. The author concluded that the church has become well established in France and that French LDS showed the same attachment to their country than other French people.
In 2009, an investigation directed by writer, sociologist of religion and philosopher Christian Euvrard, also member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, revealed that mormons of France are demographically and politically similar to other French people. 30% were regular churchgoers, and their marriage rate, as well as their birth rate
Birth rate
Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase...
, were higher than the national average. Primarily urban and with foreign origins, they considered the hardest doctrine of their religion is the order of not drinking alcohol, coffee, tea. Only 30% of them participated in an association and 83% believed that all religions have some truth. However, LDS differed from French people in their moral choices: 93% of them are opposed to gay marriage.
Reception
The church was not mentioned in the list of dangerous cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s in the reports established by the Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France in 1995 and 1999. As there was no complaints from former members, the MILS
MILS
MILS may refer to:* Multiple Independent Levels of Security, a high-assurance computer security architectural concept or "Interministerial Mission in the Fight Against Cults", a French government agency...
deemed in 2000 that the church is "a religious group that does not generates problems in France". In its 2001 report, it stated that "seeing the definition of cultic nature of an association by the exclusive examination of its behavior in the light of human rights and public policy (...) the LDS Church shouldn't be considered as a cult". However, in its 2006 report, the MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES , a French government agency, has the task of:* observing and analyzing movements perceived as constituting a threat to public order or that violate French law*...
expressed a concern about the Calvin Thomas society, specialized in organizing linguistic travels, "as children has been placed in LDS families. The file of this society (...) is the subject of an investigation".
For its part, anti-cult association ADFI stated that it is "regularly contacted by families or individuals facing conflictual and painful situations because of the membership of a relative to this movement". Criticisms include methods of evangelization, progressive split with family and friends, women status, lack of free thought and children education considered as indoctrination. The ADFI of Lille deemed that "it is unhelpful to try to classify this church as cults or non-cult" and that "the likelihood is high that the genealogy becomes a major means of mormon proselytizing". It also describes the English courses offered by the church as "disguised way to recruit new followers". ADFI president Catherine Picard
Catherine Picard
Catherine Picard is a French politician from the French Socialist Party. She was earlier a member of the French National Assembly.-Career:...
declared that the LDS church was "a movement with cultic deviances".
External links
- LDS Church News - Country Information: France, includes brief history of LDS in France.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (France) - Official Site (French)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Visitors Site