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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20th Century Latter-day Saint History

What Happened to the Nauvoo Bell?

A historical photo of a woman viewing the bell long believed to be the Nauvoo Bell on Temple Square, later identified as the Hummer Bell.

The Nauvoo Bell’s story is more complicated than many realize. Long thought to be the bell that once rang from the Nauvoo Temple tower, the artifact displayed for decades on Salt Lake City’s Temple Square was actually the Hummer Bell, a Meneely bell with roots in an Iowa Presbyterian church and a colorful history of theft, recovery, and mistaken identity. The true Nauvoo Temple bell cracked in the 1840s and disappeared. In this interview, historian Ronald G. Watt and archivist Brian Warburton trace the bells’ intertwined histories and explain the Hummer Bell’s recent return to Iowa City.

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Book of Mormon Latter-day Saint History

What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Race?

Illustration of Nephites and Lamanites dividing in the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 5:21), symbolizing the racial curse with light and shadow.

The Book of Mormon teaches that race is not fixed, but tied to stories of lineage, faith, and covenant. Early Latter-day Saints used these narratives to explain human differences, sometimes in ways that reinforced exclusion and other times in ways that promised transformation. Jane Manning James’s remarkable life—captured in her statement, “I am white except for the color of my skin”—shows both the possibilities and the painful contradictions of this theology. Remembering how racial origins were narrated, forgotten, and internalized sheds light on the legacy of whiteness in Mormon thought. In this interview, Max Perry Mueller discusses themes from his book, Race and the Making of the Mormon People.

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Joseph Smith Temples Theology

How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

Composite image blending John’s vision of heaven from the book of Revelation with a modern Latter-day Saint temple, symbolizing the origins and evolution of temple worship.

Temple worship has changed in important ways since the 1830s. In Kirtland, Joseph Smith promised the Saints power from on high to preach the gospel and revealed washing and anointing rituals. By Nauvoo, his vision had grown, resulting in a temple endowment that constructed heaven on earth—ritually declaring men and women the celestial kings and queens from John’s vision in Revelation. Later leaders followed Joseph’s precedent of change, from Brigham Young’s adjustments to President Russell M. Nelson’s focus on Christ-centered covenants. In this interview, historian Jonathan Stapley discusses his book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

B. H. Roberts and Utah Politics in the Early 1900s

B. H. Roberts influenced Latter-day Saints not only through his calling as a general authority, but also in his service in the public arena.

B H. Roberts was a Latter-day Saint intellectual, politician, and historian whose influence stretched from the pulpit to the halls of Congress. Best known for works on theology and Church history, like the Comprehensive History of the Church, he also drew national attention for defending his contested seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and for navigating tensions between his Democratic politics and Church leadership. His missionary service, oratorical brilliance, and controversial stance on plural marriage continue to spark interest nearly a century after his death. In this interview, biographer John Sillito explores Roberts’s remarkable life in the public arena.

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Latter-day Saint History

Who Are the Three Nephites?

Three figures in ancient-style robes stand side by side, seen from behind, gazing toward a glowing horizon at sunset, symbolizing the mystery of the Three Nephites.

The Three Nephites are disciples in the Book of Mormon who Jesus Christ granted the gift of remaining on earth until His Second Coming. Many Latter-day Saints believe these translated beings continue to minister quietly among people today, offering both miraculous assistance and simple acts of service. Stories of Three Nephite sightings range from pioneer rescues to modern-day experiences in hospitals, parks, and city streets. Though their physical descriptions vary, people consistently describe feelings of peace and trust in their presence. In this interview, folklorist Julie Swallow shares insights from her new book, The Three Nephites: Saints, Service, and Supernatural Legend.

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Categories
Joseph Smith

Rough Stone Rolling: Richard Bushman Reflects 20 Years Later

A sketch of Richard Lyman Bushman with his book Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling — reflecting on the biography 20 years later.

Twenty years after writing Rough Stone Rolling, Richard Bushman says his biography of Joseph Smith met a pressing need and still largely stands, though he would now give far more space to plural marriage, especially Sarah Ann Whitney. He recalls the book’s unexpected reception, marvels at Joseph’s reinvisioning of heaven and reinstatement of temple worship, and concedes he missed later allegations like attempted murder. In this interview, Richard Bushman looks back on Rough Stone Rolling, now seeing Joseph as even more inventive than he thought—and more revolutionary than we recognize.

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Categories
International Latter-day Saint History

Global Mormonism: Latter-day Saints Around the World

The Church Office Building in Salt Lake City surrounded by international flags, symbolizing global Mormonism and worldwide Latter-day Saint growth.

Global Mormonism tells the story of how a faith born with Joseph Smith in 19th-century America became a worldwide religion. From Native American missions and Polynesian conversions to Mexico’s Third Convention and the rapid growth of Latter-day Saints in Africa and Brazil, the church’s expansion has been shaped by migration, translation, and local leadership. Along the way, members have endured upheaval—from the Armenian Saints’ exodus out of Aintab to a temple in Manila safeguarded during a coup—while building a global community of faith. This article explores the milestones, tensions, and resilience that define Mormonism’s worldwide journey.

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Latter-day Saint History

What Is the Origin and Purpose of Latter-day Saint Temple Garments?

Elizabeth Allred sewing muslin for the first Latter-day Saint temple garment under Joseph Smith’s direction, with Emma Smith nearby offering design input such as a collar addition.

The origin of Latter-day Saint temple garments traces back to a vision given to Joseph Smith and serves as a sacred reminder of covenants made in temples. Temple garments symbolize deep spiritual commitments and point believers to Christ. Early Saints, such as Elizabeth Allred, Emma Smith, and Eliza R. Snow, shaped the first versions, which later evolved into shorter, two-piece, and even military styles—although the symbols and covenants have remained unchanged. In this interview, Seth G. Soha explores the introduction of temple garments, their evolution, and their ongoing significance today.

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19th Century 20th Century Latter-day Saint History Scriptures

What Did “Shake the Dust Off Your Feet” Mean to Early Latter-day Saints?

Oil painting of early 1830s Latter-day Saint missionaries shaking dust from their feet, symbolizing rejection and divine judgment in the New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants.

Early Latter-day Saints understood “shaking the dust off your feet” as a ritual curse adapted from Jesus’s New Testament command to His disciples. Joseph Smith revealed the practice as a form of priesthood cursing in several revelations, now canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants (sections 24, 60, 75, 84, and 99). Missionaries most often performed the rite after rejection or persecution. While rarely expected to bring immediate consequences, it symbolized divine judgment reserved for Christ’s Second Coming. In this interview, historian Samuel R. Weber explains how the practice largely disappeared by the early 1900s.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Vienna Jaques?

A black and white photograph of Vienna Jaques in pioneer Utah.

Vienna Jaques was an early Latter-day Saint convert who consecrated her wealth to build Zion. Although largely anonymous today, Jaques witnessed the first baptism for the dead, donated money to purchase the Kirtland Temple site, and received a personal letter from Joseph Smith. She is one of only two women mentioned by name in the Doctrine and Covenants, alongside Emma Smith. Biographer Brent Rogers shares her story in this interview and explains how Jaques received the peace promised her in D&C 90.

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