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Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Christ establishes His Church and leaves the 12 Apostles to lead it after He dies on the Cross. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds that after Christ's death, and the death of His Apostles, His Church began to deteriorate due to persecution by the pagan Roman Empire, and, "By the fourth century, it bore little resemblance to the original Church of Christ. With the loss of divine approval and authority from the Church, a long period of spiritual darkness followed." -
The First Vision
Joseph Smith was 14 when he went to pray in a wooded grove, now known as "The Sacred Grove", near his family farm in Palmyra, NY. Overwhelmed by the conflicting claims of the various faiths that were swirling in his community at the time, Joseph resorted to the Bible for religious guidance. While praying at the grove, Joseph beheld God the Father and Jesus Christ. They told him to refrain from all of the current religions in place, for God was going to restore Christ's original Church. -
The Book of Mormon
In September of 1823, Joseph Smith experienced another visitation, this time from the resurrected ancient prophet Moroni. He directed Joseph to a hill near Palmyra and showed him metal plates buried in the ground that depicted the religious history of ancient American civilizations spanning the years 2200 B.C. through A.D. 421. Joseph was directed to translate these plates into the Book of Mormon, published in 1830. -
Re-establishment of Priesthood
Joseph Smith, in his third visitation, saw John the Baptist, resurrected. John laid his hands on the heads of Joseph Smith and his associate Oliver Cowdery, and gave them the Aaronic Priesthood with the authority to baptize and perform other ordinances. The Apostles Peter, James and John appeared and gave them the authority of the apostleship and the Melchizedek (higher) Priesthood. With the restoration of priesthood authority, Joseph organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. -
Joseph Smith Assassinated
The Latter-day Saints were met with much hostility and distrust, and many newspapers even called for the Church's extermination. Mobs attacked LDS settlements, burning crops and destroying homes. At the height of this turmoil, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were shot to death by an armed mob in nearby Carthage, Illinois. -
The Move to Utah
Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor as leader of the LDS Church, in attempt to escape the rampant hostility, led about 17,000 LDS members to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. After their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, members of the Church were commissioned by Brigham Young to establish colonies throughout the West. In all, the pioneers settled more than 600 communities, stretching 1,350 miles from southern Alberta into Mexico. -
Utah's Annexation
Utah was made the 45th American state on January 4th, 1896. Church membership totaled a quarter of a million, the majority living in Utah, with a modest number scattered in colonies throughout the western United States, southern Alberta and northern Mexico. By 1930, only about half of the membership lived in Utah, but the remainder was still largely North American. -
Four Million LDS Members
The LDS Church totaled 4 million members. The number of Latter-day Saints was increasing in the US, but decreasing within the state of Utah. -
The LDS Church Expands Rapidly Outside the US
Membership of the Church reached 14 million in 2010 and 15 million in 2013. Of that total, more than half live outside of the United States.
