One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston. Through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula. Its rich history helps attract many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone attracting over 20 million visitors. Boston’s many “firsts” include the United States’ first public school (1635), and first subway system (1897).

LDS Population

LDS Members make up 0.49% of the population of Boston. In the state of Massachusetts there are 24,965 members in 4 stakes, 38 wards, 13 branches, 1 mission, and 1 temple..

LDS History

During the 1830s, Massachusetts was an important destination for missionaries from Kirtland and other Church centers further west, and several branches were established. Following the organization of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1835, the apostles visited the eastern branches. During this trip they grouped branches into geographically defined “conferences” (in later years known as districts), the first time this had been done in the Church. In August 1835, they were in Bradford to organize the Massachusetts Conference, which covered the entire state. In 1845, Jedediah M. Grant wrote that Boston had more Latter-day Saints than any other eastern city — somewhere between 300 and 400.