Utah Church History

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Utah were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Methodists, and Presbyterians.

1906
Source: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Religious Bodies : 1906, Part I. "Table 4. Population in 1900 and Communicants or Members for Selected Denominations, For Each State and Territory, by Counties: 1906." Washington, D.C. : Government Printin Office, 1910. p. 364 Google Books edition.

1916
Source: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Religious Bodies 1916, Part I. "Table 62. Statistics of Religious Bodies in Each State, By Denominations: 1916." Washington, D.C. : Government Printing Office, 1919. p. 226 Google Books edition.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
A source that describes events in Church history from 1805 to 1913 is:


 * Jenson, Andrew. Church Chronology: A Record of Important Events Pertaining to The History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The following are a few general sources and histories for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of the sources are indexed in The Pioneer Heritage CD-ROM, LDS Family History Suite, and the Early Church Information File. Some of the complete text is also computerized on the compact disks:


 * Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Publishing Company, 1941. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; . Index: . This record contains histories of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints units describing when they were organized and if they were created from a different unit. From this you will be able to determine where the membership records are found. Leaders of the area are also listed. Indexed in the Early Church Information File.
 * Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1830-1973). Salt Lake City, Utah: Historical Dept., 1969, 1973. Films do not circulate to Family History Centers. This collection includes newspaper clippings and extracts from journals, letters, histories, biographies, rosters, and manuscript material. Daily events are arranged chronologically. Also available at the Church History Library and Church Archives. The sets at the Harold B. Lee Library and the Utah Historical Society Library are not as current.
 * The Journal History Index is online from the Church History Library. (Images of a card index) The microfilm index is cataloged separately in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The. Historical Department. Index to Journal History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Historical Department, 1973. . Films do not circulate to family history centers. This index contains an alphabetical listing of individual names, places, events, and subjects. Each entry gives the date and page where the entry is found in the Journal History films.

Methodist
The Methodist church was organized in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 8, 1872.Its history is found in the following:


 * Merkel, Henry Martin. History of Methodism in Utah. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Dentan Printing, 1938. . This book has a bibliography and a list of pastors. Each congregation maintains its own records.
 * The Ira J. Taylor Archives has the records for some of the discontinued congregations of Utah. Staff there can also help you locate existing congregations. See Iliff School of Theology above.

Presbyterian
For a history of the Presbyterian Church see:


 * Murray, Andrew E. The Skyline Synod: Presbyterianism in Colorado and Utah. Denver, Colorado: Golden Bell Press, 1971. . It is indexed by the name of the church. It is a historical account of the church with a list of officials. There are some pictures of church buildings and reverends.

Roman Catholic
For a history of the Catholic Church in Utah, see:


 * Mooney, Bernice Maher. Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1776-1987. Salt Lake City, Utah: Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1987. . This gives a history of the church for most Utah congregations. It includes photographs and an index. It gives a historical account and information of church officials, when church buildings were erected, and a list of reverends and their dates of service.
 * Catholic Church, Diocese of Salt Lake City. The Official Directory of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Diocese, 1988. . Covers many parts of Utah in addition to Salt Lake City. It has a list of parishes with addresses and maps for Salt Lake City showing the 1988 boundaries. It includes a list of clergy, sisters, and deacons and their wives.