The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has taken root and is growing in Hudson County. They recently purchased a large tract on Route 139 and Bevan Street in Jersey City right near Kennedy Boulevard for their newest church center.

The site of a former car dealership has been vacant for decades and is in a very visible location. It could be the most prominent of the Mormon churches already on Journal Square, in Union City and West New York. "We hope to build a large structure," said Brad Thatcher, a sixth generation Mormon, who is one of the two counselors of the Caldwell Stake, their equivalent of a diocese or region.



I met with Thatcher and Megan Parker, their public affairs specialist for the New York Metro area who is also a member, at their West New York church center right across from Albio Sires Elementary School. By the way, Sires and I were St. Peter's College classmates. This site was built in 2001 and claims 150 members, mostly Spanish, said Thatcher.

There is a large parking lot next to the church. The spacious and neat building has a variety of small rooms that can be used to hold classes. There is space for their social outreach to help those in need. The center of the structure is their worship space, which is very plain and to my eyes, almost looked like a court house. Compared to other Christian churches, there are no statues or paintings or religious imagery.

"We have a lay ministry and are very egalitarian. Each member is given a calling," said Thatcher, who noted that members of the congregation are invited to give the sermons. Except for their national headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, all members are technically volunteers and hold jobs outside the church structure. No one is salaried on the local level.



The center also has a decent sized gymnasium and it welcomes its members there for recreation and socializing. The Stake recently held its first Young Single Adult Ward in the area at the Union City building. "This is part of the Church's efforts to reach out to, strengthen, and retain members ages 18-30, by providing meaningful opportunities for fellowship, social activities, service in the community, and leadership," wrote Parker in an e-mail.

The Union City center also has a Family History Center where members help you trace your roots. These centers are free and open to the public and staffed with volunteers and family history service missionaries who are trained in genealogy and can help you navigate online resources for finding out more about your family history.

An Annual Day of Service is planned for June 6 to beautify Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Last year, Muslims from Al-Tawheed Islamic Center in Jersey City partnered to plant thousands of bulbs in the park, which are now blooming. The relationship started when the Mormons opened their Journal Square center after their building burned down. I get the impression that the Mormons are interested in working with other denominations on common projects. "Our common interest is promoting the idea that religion and faith enrich lives, build communities and strengthen families," wrote Parker.

Total church membership in Hudson County is over 2,200 and since 2005, they claim to have grown ten percent. There is also a Bayonne branch, which is a storefront.

Nationally, Mormons claim 1.6 percent of the 71 percent Christian population, according to a 2014 Pew Center poll, with nearly 6.5 million members. Two-thirds of Mormons are married and while the same amount are white Caucasian, they claim eight percent Hispanic and many of them are from Hudson. Their practice of encouraging young members to spend two years as missionaries is one of the signature reasons for their growth. Asked why someone would want to become a Mormon, Thatcher said, "We embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ through repentance and Baptism." That message is getting through.

Church of Latter Day Saints, 6209, 6301-7 Palisades Ave. West New York, 07093, Sunday Service, 10 a.m.



Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of The Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, fax (201)659-5833, e-mail: padrealex@yahoo.com



