History of the Mormon Church

In 1820, the religious confusion taking place in the United States was significant. A young farm boy, aged 14, named Joseph Smith, Jr., was confused about which denomination he should align himself to. He studied the Bible and read in James 1:5, where it says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” When Joseph read this passage, he decided to pray to ask God for guidance. In response to this prayer, he received a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ. He learned from them that the fullness of the gospel had been lost from the earth after all of the apostles were killed and the earth had been in confusion for nearly two thousand years.

Joseph learned over the next ten years that God had a plan for him. Through the power and under the command of God, Joseph translated an ancient record kept by the earliest inhabitants of the Americas. This work was published as the Book of Mormon and is a companion to the Bible. It is a second witness that Jesus is the Christ. On April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. Over the next few decades, those who joined what is commonly called the Mormon Church (after the Book of Mormon) endured almost endless persecutions and sufferings from all those around them. They were driven from state to state, Joseph and other church leaders were arrested multiple times on spurious charges, and eventually Joseph and his brother, Hyrum, were both martyred by an angry mob. Brigham Young, who succeeded Joseph as the Mormon prophet, led the Saints West, as Joseph had instructed him he should do.

The Latter-day Saints left the United States, but the Utah territory where they settled soon afterwards came into the possession of the States. Still, they had fled to a desert region which no one else wanted to eke out a living. Here they were soon persecuted again, this time largely for their religious practice of polygamy. After several decades of this practice, which only a small percentage of members of the Mormon Church ever practiced, the Lord revealed to then-prophet Wilford Woodruff, that He withdrew the commandment to the people to live this law. God knew that if the Saints continued to practice the law He had given them, the government would seize all church property (which it had already in large part done), but most significantly, the temples would be seized and the Saints would no longer be able to live the gospel according to the commandments. It was only after the Saints had proved they would be faithful to the law God gave them that He took the commandment away to preserve them. No polygamous marriage has been solemnized by the Mormon Church since 1904. Any individuals who practice polygamy today are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most never have been.

After the Saints settled in Utah, Brigham Young sent many people to other areas in the Great Basin to create more settlements. Missionary work was a part of the restored gospel from 1830 on, and those who were baptized into the Mormon Church were encouraged to move to Utah. Many new converts came from Europe, and finally, the instruction was given from Church leaders for people to stay in the areas where they were baptized and to build up the church there. In this manner, Mormonism has truly become a world religion with more than 14 million members worldwide, and with more members outside of the United States than in it. The Mormon Church is widely known for its humanitarian work to help people in need from natural disasters, war, and general poverty.

Temple work is a huge part of the Mormon religion. The Mormon endowment ceremony is often viewed with suspicion by those who are not members of the church, because people feel Mormons are very secretive about temple work. The truth is, work done in the temples is sacred, not secret. All Mormon temples are open to public viewing in open houses before the buildings are dedicated. Local citizens are encouraged to visit the temples during this time so they can see the beauty of these buildings and see that there is nothing suspicious about them at all. However, after a temple is dedicated, only those members of the Mormon Church who are found worthy through living a pure life are allowed to enter.

Anyone who becomes a member of the Mormon Church is encouraged to live a life worthy of going to the temple.