Learn more about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including historical findings about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and more.
They ways in which Latter-day Saints observe the Sabbath and hold meetings have changed from time to time. Among the early Latter-day Saints, under Joseph Smith‘s leadership, flexibility was the norm. For example, pioneer church members attended worship services, used bread and water (instead of wine) for the sacrament, and visited the sick. In this interview, Richard E. Bennett discusses early observance of the Sabbath among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph Smith dedicated the Kirtland Temple in 1836. He introduced temple ordinances prior to the dedication as a way to help prepare pioneers for a future endowment of power. The temple’s history includes visions of Jesus Christ and Old Testament prophets like Elijah, a two-hour Sidney Rigdon sermon, and a few myths. The latest news came in March 2024 when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased the Kirtland Ohio Temple from the Community of Christ. This article provides relevant insights from historians, pioneers, and more.
The Lord promised early Latter-day Saints an endowment of power that began at the Kirtland Temple in 1836. It was a time of great spiritual outpourings and the receipt of power from on high. However, the “Kirtland endowment” didn’t explicitly refer to rituals and ordinances. For example, it wasn’t until 1842 that Joseph Smith introduced “the endowment” that gave rise to the ceremony familiar to modern church members. Scott Woodward explains more about what the Kirtland endowment was in this interview.
Joseph Smith once stated that the Gospel would go forth, “till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear.” The establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan is one of the fulfillments of his statement about Mormonism around the world. Today, there are 268 congregations and four temples in Japan, representing the growth of the Church in that country. This interview with Shinji Takagi discusses Latter-day Saints in Japan.
Bruce R. McConkie planned to release an abbreviated version of the Journal of Discourses in a series named Sound Doctrine. The volumes were to feature selected sermons that Elder McConkie felt best showcased Latter-day Saint doctrine, excluding controversial topics like Brigham Young’s Adam-God theory. However, the First Presidency advised against publishing it. Biographer Devery S. Anderson tells the story of Elder McConkie’s unpublished book in this interview.
Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was an honored and venerated matriarchal figure among the Latter-day Saint community that affectionately called her “Mother Smith.” Born in Gilsum, New Hampshire in 1776 to Solomon Mack and Lydia Gates, she was the youngest of eight children.
Brigham Young is a towering influence in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and many of his quotes are relevant to this day. This page features quotes from Brigham Young on a variety of topics, including the Fall of Adam and Eve, salvation, self-sufficiency, and more. Please leave a comment if there’s a quote you’d like considered for inclusion.
The year 1837 marked both Parley P. Pratt’s greatest spiritual trial and his greatest theological contribution as a Latter-day Saint. During a few weeks, Pratt emerged as a powerful dissident, spurred by the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society, a community bank with Joseph Smith as president, which caused Pratt to lose his home.
Katharine Smith Salisbury was the seventh surviving child and second daughter in Joseph Smith’s family. She married Jenkins Salisbury in the year 1831, and they were the parents of eight children. They migrated with the Saints to Ohio, Missouri, and finally to Illinois. After the main body of the Saints migrated to the Salt Lake valley, she remained behind in Illinois, where she raised her family. She always maintained her faith in the Restoration and the prophetic calling of her brother Joseph, and ensured those beliefs were perpetuated to her posterity.
The 1978 priesthood revelation was the culmination of a decades-long process to reverse the priesthood ban. Most scholars today agree that the policy was initiated by Brigham Young and that racism played a role in its beginnings. What is less known is that the 1978 revelation wasn’t a singular event, but rather a laborious process that took a heavy toll on participants like Spencer W. Kimball, Joseph Fielding Smith, David O. McKay, Hugh B. Brown, and Bruce R. McConkie. In this interview, Matthew L. Harris explains more about the history of the revelation on the priesthood.