Category: Latter-day Saint History

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.

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19th Century Joseph Smith Pearl of Great Price

Why Did Joseph Smith Reject Creeds—Then Write the Articles of Faith?

An AI-generated oil painting of Joseph Smith drafting the Articles of Faith, probably not seeing them as creedal in nature.

Joseph Smith called religious creeds an “abomination.” He protested against self-appointed guardians of orthodoxy, rejoicing instead in the freedom to believe without constraints while recognizing the inherent doctrinal tension of ongoing revelation. However, the Articles of Faith have sometimes been mislabeled as a creed, leading some to wonder why the Prophet published the 13 verses eventually canonized in the Pearl of Great Price. In this interview, Terryl Givens explains that while creed-like summaries of belief are nearly impossible to avoid, the Articles of Faith omit key Latter-day Saint doctrines and were likely not seen by Joseph as a creed.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

Did John Taylor’s Pocket Watch Save His Life at Carthage Jail?

Carthage Jail at sunset with ghosted overlay of John Taylor’s pocket watch, evoking martyrdom and preservation

We don’t know if John Taylor’s pocket watch helped preserve his life during the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Taylor remembered falling out of a Carthage Jail window only to feel a force push him back inside, later determining a bullet must have hit his watch. However, modern science has been unable to precisely replicate the damage seen in the watch displayed at the Church History Museum. As part of its commitment to telling the Latter-day Saint story as accurately as possible, the Church History Department commissioned an exhaustive analysis of Taylor’s watch in 2020. In this interview, Brian Warburton shares the research findings, explaining what we do and don’t know about the watch’s role in preserving Taylor’s life.

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American West Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Martha Hughes Cannon?

Portrait of Martha Hughes Cannon, the first female state senator in the United States, Utah physician, suffragist, and advocate for women’s rights.

Martha Hughes Cannon was the first female state senator in the United States, elected in Utah shortly after women won the right to vote there. A physician, suffragist, and plural wife, she navigated political campaigns, medical practice, and family life while under intense public scrutiny. In this interview, historian Constance L. Lieber shares the challenges of condensing Cannon’s life into a brief biography, the insights gained from surviving letters and family stories, and the surprising ways Cannon’s perseverance and ingenuity shaped her extraordinary life.

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Book of Mormon Come Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith

How Did the Joseph Smith Papers Project Influence the 2025 Scripture Updates?

A photo of someone reading D&C 106 on a tablet, illustrating the 2025 updates to Latter-day Saint scriptures such as the Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon, and Study Helps.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made several updates to its scriptures in 2025. Roughly half of the changes approved by the Scriptures Committee provide additional historical context, while the other half make minor factual adjustments to details like dates and places. This includes updates to “Study Helps” such as Doctrine and Covenants section headers and Book of Mormon chapter introductions. In this interview, scholar Matthew Godfrey introduces the scripture updates and illustrates how many of them were made possible by the Joseph Smith Papers Project.

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Latter-day Saint History Theology

How Did Latter-day Saint Doctrine of the Holy Ghost Develop?

An artistic depiction illustrating the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the Holy Ghost development. The image features the Nauvoo Temple (with its central spire), the Book of Mormon, a dove, and a full-body Holy Ghost silhouette, against a background of fire and spirit. It visualizes the transition from early scriptural views to the modern understanding of the Spirit as a distinct personage.

Latter-day Saint doctrine about the Holy Ghost has unfolded over time. Early Restoration scripture (e.g., Book of Mormon, Lectures on Faith) often referred to the Holy Spirit as “it,” echoing 19th-century Christian usage. In the 1840s, Joseph Smith began teaching that the third member of the Godhead was a distinct spirit personage. Willard Richards and Brigham Young later added new details, culminating in the 1876 canonization of D&C 130. Afterward, general authorities such as Joseph F. Smith and James E. Talmage clarified the extent to which the Spirit of God is a power or a person, leading to today’s doctrine. In this interview, scholar Charles Harrell traces the development of the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint theology.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series about the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint theology. In Part 2, Robert L. Millet addresses common questions about How to Receive and Recognize the Holy Ghost.

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Latter-day Saint History

Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood

The history of race and the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reveals a journey from early inclusion to exclusion and, ultimately, restoration. Black Saints such as Elijah Able once held priesthood offices before racial restrictions took hold in the mid-19th century—a policy that endured until the 1978 priesthood revelation. Recent research has clarified how those restrictions arose and why confronting them matters for the modern Church. In this interview, historian W. Paul Reeve discusses his book Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood and what the past can teach today’s Saints.

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American West Brigham Young

Who Was Chief Wakara?

Painting of Chief Wakara, the 19th-century Ute leader, by artist Solomon Nunes Carvalho

Chief Wakara (also known as “Chief Walker” or “Walkara”) was a 19th-century Ute leader who shaped the American West. He partnered—and clashed—with Brigham Young, defended Native sovereignty, and led legendary horse raids. In 1850, Wakara was baptized into the Latter-day Saint faith, treating it as one strand in his broader spiritual life, while many pioneers interpreted it as a step toward his skin becoming “white and delightsome.” Modern Utes caution against calling him “chief,” noting it’s a derisive term that misrepresents their culture’s situational leadership. In this interview, historian Max Perry Mueller explains how Wakara influenced westward expansion and why his role has largely been erased from history.

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19th Century Book excerpts Theology

Who Was the Early Mormon Jesus?

Anthony Sweat painting of the Mormon Jesus.
Anthony Sweat, "Man of Joy"

Christology—literally the “study of Christ”—was not one of the points of contention between early Mormons and their many antagonists. When Joseph Smith and his few followers founded a church in 1830, they drafted a set of Articles and Covenants that explained the church’s organization. In the tradition of creeds, they also listed a few core beliefs.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Redeeming the Dead: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

Baptismal font used for baptism for the dead, central to the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the redemption of the dead.

Redeeming the dead is central to Joseph Smith’s vision of uniting all humanity in a heavenly kinship. In Latter-day Saint practice, this doctrine is enacted through proxy ordinances—performed in temples—through which Christ’s gift of salvation is offered to every soul by linking the living with the departed. From Malachi’s prophecy in the Old Testament to Joseph F. Smith’s 1918 vision, scripture underscores that human connection is the heart of redemption. In this interview, Dr. Amy Harris shares insights from her contribution to the Maxwell Institute’s Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants book series.

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Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Insights From Andrew Kimball on Heber C. Kimball’s Life and Family

Portraits of Heber C. Kimball, his daughter Helen Mar Kimball, and grandson Orson F. Whitney, key figures in early Latter-day Saint history, illustrating Heber C. Kimball biography and family legacy.

Heber C. Kimball was a central figure in early Latter-day Saint history, serving as Brigham Young’s first counselor and helping shape the church’s westward migration. He led a complex family life with 43 wives and 64 children, balancing loyalty, faith, and leadership amid the challenges of polygamy and frontier life. His daughter, Helen Mar Kimball, navigated personal tragedy while leaving a rich record of her experiences, and her son, Orson F. Whitney, carried forward the Kimball legacy through poetry, preaching, and church leadership. In this interview, biographer Andrew Kimball explores the lives, struggles, and enduring influence of the multi-generational Heber C. Kimball family.

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