Mormon, Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
Prior to World War I, the largest group of American settlers that came to Alberta were the Mormons or Latter-day Saints (LDS) from Utah. In 1887, hoping to escape persecution regarding the practice of plural marriage, Church leader Charles Okra Card took advantage of Canada's settlement policy to relocate to Alberta. This decision resulted in the establishment of Cardston, the first permanent LDS settlement in Canada, and the subsequent erection of the first Mormon temple built outside of the United States.
After the Mormon Church officially abandoned the practice of polygamy in 1890, LDS immigration to Alberta became more accepted and dramatically increased. From numbering at fewer than 400 in 1891, LDS populations in southern Alberta rose to over 10,000 by 1911. Cardston continued to grow and other new LDS communities like Stirling and Magrath were also founded.
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