The Latter-Day Saint Diaspora in the United States and the South

During the 20th century, the spatial distribution of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has experienced significant changes as the percentage of members in the West has declined while the percentages in the South, Midwest, and Northeast have increased. These changes are the result of members leaving the faith's traditional centers, namely Utah and the Great Basin, to settle in other American regions as well as the conversion of new members in these regions. This paper documents the 20th century diaspora of Latter-day Saints, especially to the American South. The South has played an important role in this transition and today is home to 15% of American Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saints are found to be similar in distribution as the region's population as a whole. The presence of sizable member populations in the region's large metropolitan areas and the construction of Church-related facilities in them are creating incipient cultural hearths for the faith in the South and contributing to a more diverse southern religious landscape.