Pernau – November 22nd 1905, a group of socialists threw an Estonian preacher from the pulpit, causing the congregation to flee in panic.{1} Back then, Estonia was just as religious as anywhere else.
After just a few decades of Soviet rule, Estonia is now one of the least religious countries in Europe.
The largest surviving religion, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, claim just 15 percent of the Estonian population.
During the Soviet era, when Estonia was part of the USSR, the Lutheran church and other churches had their records archived by the state.
Since the fall of communism, the Estonian government has been sharing these records with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, (also known as the LDS church, or the Mormons), who are digitizing and storing them.
Continue reading “Estonian Lutherans oppose Mormon access to genealogy records.”