Preliminary missionary efforts began before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the Russian government officially recognized the church in 1991.

[5] In the 1840s, the Russian press reported the Mormon pioneers' move west, and in the 1870s and 80s chronicled the struggle between the church and the U.S. government over the practice of plural marriage.

[5] August Höglund, a Swedish native, was sent to St. Petersburg in response to a request from the Lindelof family for missionaries to visit them.

[3] An LDS missionary was sent to Latvia, but increasing political tension thwarted further efforts to proselyte in the Russian Empire.

[5] There is no evidence of additional converts to the church before 1989; however, John H. Noble claimed to have met a "handful of Mormons" while in the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

[6] He recorded that they were persecuted by the Communist government for their association with an American religion, but persisted in practicing their faith.

Soviet diplomat Yuri Dubinin traveled to Utah in April 1990; while visiting Brigham Young University, he affirmed that the church would be allowed inside the USSR.

[5] Russell M. Nelson dedicated the land for missionary work for the second time in 1990,[10] in the same Summer Garden where Lyman gave the original prayer.

[3] The Russia Moscow and St. Petersburg missions were founded in February 1992[5] after legislation passed that allowed for greater religious freedom.

The LDS Church announced that it would adhere to the new restrictions outlined in this Yarovaya law, including referring to missionaries as "volunteers".

"[16] A 2018 Radio Free Europe story detailed the challenges these volunteers face in Russia, including not being able to directly tell people about the church in public places and combating abundant anti-Mormon media.

[17] According to The Moscow Times, Roskomnadzor, the part of the Russian government overseeing media censorship, has blocked the church's website.

[11] In March 2019, a pair of Latter-day Saint volunteers serving in Novorossiysk were arrested and deported by Russian police for visa violation when they were found teaching English.

[18][19] The church has built its own chapels in Russia, but tends to purchase and remodel existing buildings in order to draw less negative attention.

[25] In 2022, due to increased governmental restrictions, membership declined to 4,995 in 69 congregations with all Family History Centers closed.

[29] While visiting Moscow that same month, Dieter F. Uchtdorf encouraged church members to prepare for the temple but to have "patience", as development and construction will be slow.