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International—Outside US
Richard Davis, "International—Outside US," in Faith and Politics: Latter-day Saint Politicians Tell Their Stories (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book), 3‒4.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has experienced dramatic growth outside the United States in the past several decades. In 2019 the church had 6.7 million members in the United States, but the rest of the nearly seventeen million members lived in other countries. And Church leaders estimate that by 2025 there will be as many members in Latin America alone as in the United States and Canada.[1]
However, the number of Latter-day Saints in government outside the United States is minuscule. Those presented in this section are some of the few that have served in elective or appointive office outside the United States. All but two are European. They range from a former member of Parliament to mayors and city council members. One non-European is from Canada. He currently serves as a parliamentary secretary in the Alberta Provincial Assembly. The other is from Africa and has served as a mayor and, at the time of writing, is running for the presidency of his country.
In these interviews, they address issues they faced such as negative perceptions about Latter-day Saints generally, hostility from some people toward them because they were Latter-day Saints, and the challenge of representing constituencies where few share their religious affiliation. But they also illustrate that such involvement can produce goodwill towards Latter-day Saints and that their engagement signals to a broader public that Latter-day Saints are good citizens who care about the larger community. They recount experiences where they have helped to change attitudes about themselves and the church.
At the same time, they have faced dilemmas over their positions versus the expectations of their party or their constituency. How they have handled those predicaments varies. But their stories are illuminating in helping others understand what Latter-day Saints in governments beyond the United States face and what courses can be taken to address these dilemmas.
Notes
[1] David Schneider, “What Are the Countries with the Most Latter-day Saints?” Church News, August 4, 2021, ; Gerrit W. Gong, “Room in the Inn,” Liahona, May 2021, .
