1.
John the Baptist
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John the Baptist, also known as John the Baptizer, was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD. John is revered as a religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Baháí Faith. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions, and is honoured as a saint in many Christian traditions, John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his messianic movement. Most scholars agree that John baptized Jesus, scholars generally believe Jesus was a follower or disciple of John and several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus early followers had previously been followers of John. John the Baptist is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus, according to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself. Christians commonly refer to John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, John is also identified with the prophet Elijah. John the Baptist is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels and the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes, the Synoptic Gospels describe John baptising Jesus, in the Gospel of John it is implied in John 1, 32-34. The Gospel of Mark introduces John as a fulfilment of a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah about a messenger being sent ahead, John is described as wearing clothes of camels hair, living on locusts and wild honey. John proclaims baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin, and says another will come after him who will not baptize with water, Jesus comes to John, and is baptized by him in the river Jordan. The account describes how, as he emerges from the water, the heavens open, a voice from heaven then says, You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased. Later in the gospel there is an account of Johns death and it is introduced by an incident where the Tetrarch Herod Antipas, hearing stories about Jesus, imagines that this is John the Baptist raised from the dead. It then explains that John had rebuked Herod for marrying Herodias, Herodias demands his execution, but Herod, who liked to listen to John, is reluctant to do so because he fears him, knowing he is a righteous and holy man. The account then describes how Herods daughter Herodias dances before Herod, when the girl asks her mother what she should request, she is told to demand the head of John the Baptist. Reluctantly, Herod orders the beheading of John, and his head is delivered to her, at her request, Johns disciples take the body away and bury it in a tomb. There are a number of difficulties with this passage, the Gospel wrongly identifies Antipas as King and the ex-husband of Herodias is named as Philip, but he is known to have been called Herod. Although the wording clearly implies the girl was the daughter of Herodias, many texts describe her as Herods daughter, Herodias. Since these texts are early and significant and the reading is difficult, many see this as the original version, corrected in later versions and in Matthew. Josephus says that Herodias had a daughter by the name of Salome, scholars have speculated about the origins of the story
2.
Joseph Smith
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Joseph Smith Jr. was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was twenty-four, Smith published the Book of Mormon, by the time of his death fourteen years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religious culture that continues to the present. In 1830, Smith published what he said was an English translation of these plates, the same year he organized the Church of Christ, calling it a restoration of the early Christian church. Members of the church were later called Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, in 1831, Smith and his followers moved west, planning to build a communalistic American Zion. They first gathered in Kirtland, Ohio, and established an outpost in Independence, Missouri, during the 1830s, Smith sent out missionaries, published revelations, and supervised construction of the expensive Kirtland Temple. In 1844, Smith and the Nauvoo city council angered non-Mormons by destroying a newspaper that had criticized Smiths power, after Smith was imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois, he was killed when a mob stormed the jailhouse. Smith published many revelations and other texts that his followers regard as scripture and his teachings include unique views about the nature of God, cosmology, family structures, political organization, and religious collectivism. Joseph Smith Jr. was born on December 23,1805, in Sharon, Vermont, to Lucy Mack Smith and her husband Joseph Sr. a merchant, after suffering a crippling bone infection when he was seven, the younger Smith used crutches for three years. During the Second Great Awakening, the region was a hotbed of religious enthusiasm, although Smiths parents disagreed about religion, the family was caught up in this excitement. Smith later said he became interested in religion at about the age of twelve, he participated in church classes, as a teenager, he may have been sympathetic to Methodism. With other family members, Smith also engaged in folk magic. Both his parents and his grandfather reportedly had visions or dreams that they believed communicated messages from God. Smith said that although he had become concerned about the welfare of his soul, years later Smith said that in 1820 he had received a vision that resolved his religious confusion. While praying in an area near his home, he said that God, in a vision, had told him his sins were forgiven. Smith said he told the experience to a preacher, who dismissed the story with contempt, but the experience was largely unknown, even to most Mormons, until the 1840s. Although Smith may have understood the event as a conversion, this First Vision later grew in importance among Mormons. Smith said he attempted to remove the plates the next morning but was unsuccessful because the angel prevented him, Smith reported that during the next four years, he made annual visits to the hill but each time returned without the plates. Meanwhile, the Smith family faced financial hardship due in part to the November 1823 death of Smiths oldest brother Alvin, Family members supplemented their meager farm income by hiring out for odd jobs and working as treasure seekers, a type of magical supernaturalism common during the period
3.
Oliver Cowdery
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Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836. He was the first baptized Latter Day Saint, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormons golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, in 1838, Cowdery left and was excommunicated from the church founded by Smith and later became a Methodist. In 1848, he returned to the Latter Day Saint movement and was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cowdery was born October 3,1806, in Wells, Vermont. His father, William, a farmer, moved the family to Poultney in Rutland County, in his youth, Cowdery hunted for buried treasure using a divining rod. At age 20, Cowdery left Vermont for upstate New York and he clerked at a store for just over two years and in 1829 became a school teacher in Manchester, New York. Cowdery met Joseph Smith on April 5, 1829—a year and a day before the founding of the church—and heard from him how he had received golden plates containing ancient Native American writings. Cowdery told Smith that he had seen the plates in a vision before the two ever met. From April 7 to June 1829, Cowdery acted as Smiths primary scribe for the translation of the plates into what would become the Book of Mormon. Cowdery also unsuccessfully attempted to translate part of the Book of Mormon by himself, before meeting Cowdery, Smith had virtually stopped translating after the first 116 pages had been lost by Martin Harris. But working with Cowdery, Smith completed the manuscript in a short period. Cowdery and Smith said that on May 15,1829, they received the Aaronic priesthood from the resurrected John the Baptist, one of the three announced that he was the Apostle Peter and said the others were the apostles James and John. Later that year, Cowdery reported sharing a vision, along with Smith and David Whitmer, Martin Harris said he saw a similar vision later that day. Cowdery, Whitmer and Harris signed a statement to that effect and their testimony has been published in nearly every edition of the Book of Mormon. When the church was organized on April 6,1830, Smith became First Elder, Cowdery held the position of Assistant President of the Church from 1834 until his resignation/excommunication in 1838. Cowdery was also a member of the first presiding high council of the church, organized in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1834. On December 18,1832, Cowdery married Elizabeth Ann Whitmer and they had five children, of whom only one daughter survived to maturity. Cowdery helped Smith publish a series of Smiths revelations first called the Book of Commandments and later, as revised and expanded, the Doctrine and Covenants. Cowdery was also the editor, or on the board, of several early church publications, including the Evening and Morning Star, the Messenger and Advocate
4.
Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)
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In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is the power and authority of God given to man, including the authority to perform ordinances and to act as a leader in the church. A body of priesthood holders is referred to as a quorum, Priesthood denotes elements of both power and authority. The priesthood includes the power Jesus gave his apostles to perform such as the casting out of devils. As an authority, priesthood is the authority by which a bearer may perform ecclesiastical acts of service in the name of God. Latter Day Saints believe that acts performed by one with priesthood authority are recognized by God and are binding in heaven, on earth, in addition, Latter Day Saints believe that leadership positions within the church are legitimized by the priesthood authority. For most of the history of the Latter Day Saint movement, the first exception to this policy was within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a faction founded by James J. Strang that flourished between 1844 and 1856. In Strangs church, women were—and still are—permitted to hold the offices of priest, in 1984, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the second largest denomination of the movement, began ordaining women to all of its priesthood offices. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest church in the movement, still restricts its priesthood to men, Mormon feminist Kate Kelly was excommunicated for campaigning to allow womens ordination in the LDS Church. An apostle of the LDS Church has taught that en have no greater claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood, Latter Day Saint theology has recognized at least three orders of priesthood, the Aaronic priesthood, the Melchizedek priesthood, and the Patriarchal priesthood. Although these are different orders, they are, in reality, all subsumed under the priesthood held by Jesus Christ, that is, the Aaronic priesthood, is considered to be a lesser priesthood tracing its roots to Aaron, the brother of Moses, through John the Baptist. In 1835, Smith and Cowdery clarified that this authority was the Aaronic, by early 1831, Latter Day Saint theology also recognized a higher order of priesthood, or the high priesthood. Rigdon believed the teachings of the early Mormon missionaries who taught him, in response to Rigdons concern, the churchs first high priests were ordained at a special conference held in June 1831. By 1835, Latter Day Saints began referring to high priesthood as the Melchizedek priesthood, or. This one of the 3 grand orders of priesthood, Smith said, was second in greatness between the lower Aaronic and the higher Melchizedek. The priesthood included, according to Smith, the keys to endowment—tokens, etc. the ability to walk with God, Smith taught that this order of priesthood was passed from father to son, and held by Abraham and the biblical patriarchs. However, Smith provided little information about this third order. Latter Day Saints believe that as a prerequisite to receiving the priesthood, when a person is called, it is the persons opportunity or destiny to hold the priesthood. In his Wentworth letter, Smith stated, We believe that a man must be called of God, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof
5.
Latter Day Saint movement
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The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 15 million members, the vast majority of adherents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with their predominant theology being Mormonism. The LDS Church self-identifies as Christian, based on the teachings of this book and other revelations, Smith founded a Christian primitivist church, called the Church of Christ. The Book of Mormon attracted hundreds of followers, who later became known as Mormons, Latter Day Saints. In 1831, Smith moved the headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio. After the church in Ohio collapsed due to dissensions, in 1838, Smith and the body of the moved to Missouri. After Smiths death in 1844, a crisis led to the organization splitting into several groups. The largest of these, the LDS Church, migrated under the leadership of Brigham Young to the Great Basin, the LDS Church officially renounced this practice in 1890, and gradually discontinued it, resulting in the Utah Territory becoming a U. S. state. This change resulted in the formation of a number of small sects who sought to maintain polygamy and other 19th-century Mormon doctrines and practices, other groups originating within the Latter Day Saint movement followed different paths in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For the most part these groups rejected plural marriage and some of Smiths later teachings, the largest of these, the Community of Christ, was formed in Illinois in 1860 by several groups uniting around Smiths son, Joseph Smith III. Most existing denominations that adhere to the teachings of Smith have some relationship with the movement. The driving force behind and founder of the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, Smith and Cowdery also explained that the angels John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John visited them in 1829 and gave them priesthood authority to reestablish the Church of Christ. The first Latter Day Saint church was formed on April 6,1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns of Fayette, Manchester, the church was formally organized under the name of the Church of Christ. In 1844, William Law and several other Latter Day Saints in church leadership positions publicly denounced Smiths secret practice of polygamy in the Nauvoo Expositor, the city council of Nauvoo, Illinois, led by Smith, subsequently had the printing press of the Expositor destroyed. In spite of Smiths later offer to pay damages for destroyed property, critics of Smith, some called for the Latter Day Saints to be either expelled or destroyed. These various claims resulted in a succession crisis, many supported Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, others Sidney Rigdon, the senior surviving member of the First Presidency. These various groups are referred to under two geographical headings, Prairie Saints and Rocky Mountain Saints. Today, the vast majority of Latter Day Saints belong to the Utah-based The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the second-largest denomination is the Missouri-based Community of Christ which reports over 250,000 members
6.
Jesus
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In Christology, the Person of Christ refers to the study of the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ as they co-exist within one person. There is no discussion in the New Testament regarding the dual nature of the Person of Christ as both divine and human. Hence, since the days of Christianity theologians have debated various approaches to the understanding of these natures. In the period following the Apostolic Age, specific beliefs such as Arianism and Docetism were criticized. On the other end of the spectrum, Docetism argued that Jesus physical body was an illusion, docetic teachings were attacked by St. Ignatius of Antioch and were eventually abandoned by proto-orthodox Christians. However, after the First Council of Nicaea in 325 the Logos, historically in the Alexandrian school of christology, Jesus Christ is the eternal Logos paradoxically humanized in history, a divine Person who became enfleshed, uniting himself to the human nature. The views of these schools can be summarized as follows, Alexandria, Antioch, Logos assumes a specific human being The First Council of Ephesus in 431 debated a number of views regarding the Person of Christ. At the same gathering the council debated the doctrines of monophysitism or miaphysitism. The council rejected Nestorianism and adopted the term hypostatic union, referring to divine, the language used in the 431 declaration was further refined at the 451 Council of Chalcedon. However, the Chalcedon creed was not accepted by all Christians, because Saint Augustine died in 430 he did not participate in the Council of Ephesus in 431 or Chalcedon in 451, but his ideas had some impact on both councils. On the other hand, the major theological figure of the Middle Ages. The Third Council of Constantinople in 680 held that both divine and human wills exist in Jesus, with the divine will having precedence, leading and guiding the human will. John Calvin maintained that there was no element in the Person of Christ which could be separated from the person of The Word. Calvin also emphasized the importance of the Work of Christ in any attempt at understanding the Person of Christ, the study of the Person of Christ continued into the 20th century, with modern theologians such as Karl Rahner and Hans von Balthasar. Balthasar argued that the union of the human and divine natures of Christ was achieved not by the absorption of human attributes, thus in his view the divine nature of Christ was not affected by the human attributes and remained forever divine
7.
Apostles
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In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles, were the primary historical disciples of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity. During the life and ministry of Jesus in the 1st century AD, the word disciple is sometimes used interchangeably with apostle, for instance, the Gospel of John makes no distinction between the two terms. In modern usage, prominent missionaries are often called apostles, a practice which stems from the Latin equivalent of apostle, i. e. missio, for example, Saint Patrick was the Apostle of Ireland, and Saint Boniface was the Apostle to the Germans. The commissioning of the Twelve Apostles during the ministry of Jesus is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, after his resurrection, Jesus sent 11 of them by the Great Commission to spread his teachings to all nations. This event is called the Dispersion of the Apostles. There is also an Eastern Christian tradition derived from the Gospel of Luke of there having been as many as 70 apostles during the time of Jesus ministry. Prominent figures in early Christianity, notably Paul, were called apostles. The period of early Christianity during the lifetimes of the apostles is called the Apostolic Age, during the 1st century AD, the apostles established churches throughout the territories of the Roman Empire and, according to tradition, through the Middle East, Africa, and India. In his writings, the epistles to Christian churches throughout the Levant, Paul did not restrict the term apostle to the Twelve, the restricted usage appears in the Revelation to John. By the 2nd century AD, association with the apostles was esteemed as an evidence of authority, Churches which are believed to have been founded by one of the apostles are known as apostolic sees. Pauls epistles were accepted as scripture, and two of the four gospels were associated with apostles, as were other New Testament works. Various Christian texts, such as the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions, were attributed to the apostles, bishops traced their lines of succession back to individual apostles, who were said to have dispersed from Jerusalem and established churches across great territories. Christian bishops have traditionally claimed authority deriving, by apostolic succession, early Church Fathers who came to be associated with apostles, such as Pope Clement I with St. Peter, are referred to as the Apostolic Fathers. The Apostles Creed, popular in the West, was said to have composed by the apostles themselves. The word apostle comes from the Greek word ἀπόστολος, formed from the prefix ἀπό- and root στέλλω and originally meaning messenger and it has, however, a stronger sense than the word messenger, and is closer to a delegate. The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament argues that its Christian use translated a Jewish position known in Hebrew as the sheliach and this ecclesiastical meaning of the word was later translated into Latin as missio, the source of the English missionary. In the New Testament, the names of the majority of the apostles are Hebrew names, Mark 6, 7-13 states that Jesus initially sent out these twelve in pairs to towns in Galilee. The text states that their initial instructions were to heal the sick and their carrying of just a staff is sometimes given as the reason for the use by Christian bishops of a staff of office in those denominations that believe they maintain an apostolic succession
8.
Abraham
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Abraham, originally Abram, is the first of the three patriarchs of Judaism. His story features in the texts of all the Abrahamic religions and Abraham plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity. The biblical narrative revolves around the themes of posterity and land, Abraham is called by God to leave the house of his father Terah and settle in the land originally given to Canaan, but which God now promises to Abraham and his progeny. Various candidates are put forward who might inherit the land after Abraham, Abraham later marries Keturah and has six more sons, but on his death, when he is buried beside Sarah, it is Isaac who receives all Abrahams goods, while the other sons receive only gifts. Terah, the ninth in descent from Noah, was the father of three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran, Haran was the father of Lot, and died in his native city, Ur of the Chaldees. Abram married Sarah, who was barren, Terah, with Abram, Sarai, and Lot, then departed for Canaan, but settled in a place named Haran, where Terah died at the age of 205. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the substance and souls that they had acquired, and traveled to Shechem in Canaan. There was a famine in the land of Canaan, so that Abram and Lot and their households. On the way Abram told his wife Sarai to say that she was his sister, however, God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with great plagues, for which he tried to find the reason. Upon discovering that Sarai was a woman, Pharaoh demanded that they and their household leave immediately. When they came back to the Bethel and Hai area, Abrams and this became a problem for the herdsmen who were assigned to each familys cattle. But Lot chose to go east to the plain of Jordan where the land was well watered everywhere as far as Zoar, Abram went south to Hebron and settled in the plain of Mamre, where he built another altar to worship God. During the rebellion of the Jordan River cities against Elam, Abrams nephew, the Elamite army came to collect the spoils of war, after having just defeated the king of Sodoms armies. Lot and his family, at the time, were settled on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Sodom which made them a visible target, one person who escaped capture came and told Abram what happened. Once Abram received this news, he immediately assembled 318 trained servants, Abrams force headed north in pursuit of the Elamite army, who were already worn down from the Battle of Siddim. When they caught up with them at Dan, Abram devised a plan by splitting his group into more than one unit. Not only were able to free the captives, Abrams unit chased and slaughtered the Elamite King Chedorlaomer at Hobah. They freed Lot, as well as his household and possessions, upon Abrams return, Sodoms king came out to meet with him in the Valley of Shaveh, the kings dale
9.
Aaron
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In the Hebrew Bible, Aaron was the elder brother of Moses and a Prophet of God. Islamic literature, which also considers Aaron a Prophet of God, knowledge of Aaron, along with his brother Moses, comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Bible and Qur’an. The Hebrew Bible relates that, unlike Moses, who grew up in the Egyptian royal court, Aaron, when Moses first confronted the Egyptian king about the Israelites, Aaron served as his brothers spokesman to Pharaoh. Part of the Law that Moses received from God at Sinai granted Aaron the priesthood for himself and his male descendants, Aaron died before the Israelites crossed the North Jordan river and he was buried on Mount Hor. Aaron is also mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, according to the Book of Exodus, Aaron first functioned as Moses assistant. Because Moses complained that he could not speak well, God appointed Aaron as Moses prophet, at the command of Moses, he let his rod turn into a snake. Then he stretched out his rod in order to bring on the first three plagues, after that, Moses tended to act and speak for himself. During the journey in the wilderness, Aaron was not always prominent or active, at the battle with Amalek, he was chosen with Hur to support the hand of Moses that held the rod of God. When the revelation was given to Moses at Mount Sinai, he headed the elders of Israel who accompanied Moses on the way to the summit, while Joshua went with Moses to the top, however, Aaron and Hur remained below to look after the people. From here on in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Joshua appears in the role of Moses assistant while Aaron functions instead as the first high priest. The books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers maintain that Aaron received from God a monopoly over the priesthood for himself, the family of Aaron had the exclusive right and responsibility to make offerings on the altar to the God of Israel. The rest of his tribe, the Levites, were given subordinate responsibilities within the sanctuary, Moses anointed and consecrated Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, and arrayed them in the robes of office. He also related to them Gods detailed instructions for performing their duties while the rest of the Israelites listened, Aaron and his successors as high priest were given control over the Urim and Thummim by which the will of God could be determined. God commissioned the Aaronide priests to distinguish the holy from the common and the clean from the unclean, the priests were also commissioned to bless the people. In this way, the institution of the Aaronide priesthood was established, in later books of the Old Testament, Aaron and his kin are not mentioned very often except in literature dating to the Babylonian Exile and later. The books of Judges, Samuel and Kings mention priests and Levites, the book of Ezekiel, which devotes much attention to priestly matters, calls the priestly upper class the Zadokites after one of King Davids priests. It does reflect a two-tier priesthood with the Levites in subordinate position, a two-tier hierarchy of Aaronides and Levites appears in Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles. As a result, many think that Aaronide families did not control the priesthood in pre-exilic Israel
10.
Kohen
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Kohen or cohen is the Hebrew word for priest used colloquially in reference to the Aaronic priesthood. Jewish kohanim are traditionally believed and halakhically required to be of direct descent from the biblical Aaron. The term is used colloquially in Orthodox Judaism in reference to modern day descendants of Aharon, during the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, kohanim performed the daily and holiday duties of sacrificial offerings. Today, kohanim retain a lesser though distinct status within Rabbinic and Karaite Judaism, in the Samaritan community, the kohanim have remained the primary religious leaders. The noun kohen is used in the Torah to refer to priests, the Hebrew noun kohen is most often translated as priest, whether Jewish or pagan, such as the priests of Baal or Dagon, though Christian priests are referred to in Hebrew by the term komer. The word derives from a Semitic root common, at minimum, to the Central Semitic languages, as a starkly different translation the title worker, Rashi on Exodus 29,30 and servant Targum to Jeremiah 48,7, have been offered as a translation as well. Some have attempted to resolve this contradiction by suggesting that, although the priest does enjoy specific privileges. The status of priest kohen was conferred on Aaron, the brother of Moses, during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and until the Holy Temple was built in Jerusalem, the priests performed their priestly service in the portable Tabernacle. Their duties involved offering the daily and Jewish holiday sacrifices, and blessing the people in a Priestly Blessing, in a broader sense, since Aaron was a descendant of the Tribe of Levi, priests are sometimes included in the term Levites, by direct patrilineal descent. However, not all Levites are priests, when the Temple existed, most sacrifices and offerings could only be conducted by priests. The Torah mentions Melchizedek king of Salem, identified by Rashi as being Shem the son of Noah, the second is Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, then Jethro, priest of Midian both pagan priests of their era. When Esau sold the birthright of the first born to Jacob, Rashi explains that the priesthood was sold along with it, because by right the priesthood belongs to the first-born. Only when the first-born sinned in the incident of the calf, the priesthood was given to the Tribe of Levi. Aaron received the priesthood along with his children and any descendants that would be born subsequently, however, his grandson Phinehas had already been born, and did not receive the priesthood until he killed the prince of the Tribe of Simeon and the princess of the Midianites. Thereafter, the priesthood has remained with the descendants of Aaron, in every generation when the Temple was standing, one kohen would be singled out to perform the functions of the High Priest. His primary task was the Day of Atonement service, another unique task of the high priest was the offering of a daily meal sacrifice, he also held the prerogative to supersede any priest and offer any offering he chose. Although the Torah retains a procedure to select a High Priest when needed, in the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem, prior to that time, the priestly courses numbered a mere eight. This newly instated a cycle of courses, or priestly divisions
11.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations, according to the church, it has over 70,000 missionaries and a membership of over 15 million. It is ranked by the National Council of Churches as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States and it is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening. Adherents, often referred to as Latter-day Saints, or, less formally, Mormons, view faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement as fundamental principles of their religion. The church has a canon which includes four scriptural texts, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants. The current president is Thomas S. Monson, individual members of the church believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in conducting their lives. The president heads a hierarchical structure with various levels reaching down to local congregations, Bishops, drawn from the laity, lead local congregations. Male members, after reaching age 12, may be ordained to the priesthood, Women do not hold positions within the priesthood, but do occupy leadership roles in some church auxiliary organizations. Both men and women may serve as missionaries, and the church maintains a large missionary program which proselytizes, faithful members adhere to church laws of sexual purity, health, fasting, and Sabbath observance, and contribute ten percent of their income to the church in tithing. The LDS Church was formally organized by Joseph Smith on April 6,1830, Smith intended to establish the New Jerusalem in North America, called Zion. In 1831, the moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and began establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri. However, in 1833, Missouri settlers brutally expelled the Latter Day Saints from Jackson County, the Kirtland era ended in 1838, after a financial scandal rocked the church and caused widespread defections. Smith regrouped with the church in Far West, Missouri. Believing the Saints to be in insurrection, the Missouri governor ordered that the Saints be exterminated or driven from the State, in 1839, the Saints converted a swampland on the banks of the Mississippi River into Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the churchs new headquarters. Nauvoo grew rapidly as missionaries sent to Europe and elsewhere gained new converts who then flooded into Nauvoo, meanwhile, Smith introduced polygamy to his closest associates. He also established ceremonies, which he stated the Lord had revealed to him, to allow people to become gods in the afterlife. He also introduced the church to an accounting of his First Vision. This vision would come to be regarded by the LDS Church as the most important event in history since the resurrection of Jesus
12.
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
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The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the churchs Aaronic priesthood, upon the Presiding Bishops recommendation, the First Presidency calls two other men to assist the Presiding Bishop as his counselors, together these three compose the churchs Presiding Bishopric. As well as being ordained to the Aaronic priesthood office of bishop, like all other functioning bishops in the church they are ordained high priests in the Melchizedek priesthood. The primary duties of the Presiding Bishopric are to oversee the affairs of the church. The Presiding Bishopric is also responsible for overseeing the churchs Aaronic priesthood, the office of Presiding Bishop shares its origin with that of bishop. Edward Partridge was the first man ordained to the office of bishop in the early Church of Christ on February 4,1831. This office became known as the First Bishop and later the Presiding Bishop to distinguish the calling from subordinate bishops who began to be called in the Nauvoo period. The first person to be referred to as the Presiding Bishop of the church was Newel K. Whitney, since beginning his term of service in 2015, the churchs current Presiding Bishop is Gérald Caussé. According to Orson Pratt and John Taylor, Vinson Knight was made the Presiding Bishop, with Samuel H. Smith and Shadrach Roundy as assistants, in January 19,1841. However, the LDS Church does not include Vinson Knight in its list of presiding bishops but considers Knight the third general bishop of the Church
13.
Baptism in Mormonism
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In Mormonism, baptism is recognized as the first of several ordinances of the gospel. Much of the theology of Mormon baptism was established during the early Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, according to this theology, baptism must be by immersion and is for the remission of sins, and occurs after one has shown faith and repentance. Mormon baptism does not purport to remit any sins other than personal ones, Mormon baptisms also occur only after an age of accountability which is defined as the age of eight years. The theology thus rejects infant baptism, in addition, Mormon theology requires baptism only be performed a priesthood holder. The minimum required level to perform a baptism in Mormonism is Priest, who is a worthy male members at least 16 years old. Because the churches of the Latter Day Saint movement operate under a lay priesthood, membership into a Latter Day Saint church is granted only by baptism. Most Latter Day Saint churches do not recognize the baptisms of other faiths as they believe baptisms must be performed under the churchs unique priesthood authority, therefore, any converts are baptized at their conversion to Mormonism. Doctrine and Covenants Section 20 first documented the instructions for Mormon baptism, then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water. People being baptized or performing the baptism typically wear a suit with short sleeves. Baptisms are usually performed in a font, but any body of water in which the person may be completely immersed is acceptable. The person administering the baptism must recite the prayer exactly, and immerse every part, limb, hair, if there are any mistakes, or if any part of the person being baptized is not fully immersed, the baptism is repeated until it is performed correctly. In addition to the baptizer, two priesthood holders witness the baptism to ensure that it is performed properly, following baptism, Latter Day Saints receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of a Melchizedek Priesthood holder. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practices baptism for the dead vicariously or by proxy in their temples for anyone who did not receive these ordinances while living. Young led his group to the Great Basin in what is now Utah, during the Mormon Reformation of 1856–57, rebaptism became an extremely important ordinance, signifying that the church member confessed their sins and would live a life of a Latter-day Saint. Church members were rebaptized prior to new covenants and ordinances, such as ordination to a new office of the priesthood, receiving temple ordinances, getting married, rebaptism remains a practice in the LDS Church today, but is practiced when a previously excommunicated member rejoins the church. In such cases, the wording of the ordinance is identical to that of the first baptismal ordinance, believers baptism Baptismal clothing, Latter-day Saint tradition
14.
Young Men (organization)
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The Young Men is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose of the organization is to assist the Aaronic priesthood organization in promoting the growth, the group had held several informal meetings since late January of that year under the supervision of apostle Heber C. In 1854, apostle Lorenzo Snow organized the Polysophical Society and encouraged young Latter-day Saints to join, the purpose was to help young men develop their gifts, to stand up and speak, and to bear testimony. A central committee of the YMMIA, led by Junius F. Wells, was formed in 1876 to oversee the organization, conduct missionary work, a YMMIA general superintendency was formed by LDS Church president John Taylor in 1880. In 1901, the YMMIA was divided into junior and senior classes, in 1911, the church followed the pattern developed by the Boy Scouts of America and created the YMMIA Scouts. The organization was integrated into the Boy Scouts of America on May 21,1913. In the 1970s, the YMMIA was briefly merged with the churchs Aaronic priesthood organization, in June 1974, this consolidation was reversed, an independent Young Women organization was restored and the name of the Young Men organization was changed to Aaronic Priesthood. Also in 1974, the church eliminated the YMMIA General Presidency, the organizations name was changed to Young Men in May 1977 and a general presidency was reinstated. Aaronic Priesthood MIA Young Women was the name of an auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1972 and 1974. It was formed by consolidating the Young Mens Mutual Improvement Association, leadership of the auxiliary was shared between the presiding bishopric and the general presidency of the Young Women. The combined organization was short-lived, and in 1974 the organization was divided into the renamed Young Men. In the LDS Church, the organization for males ages 12 through 18 is the Aaronic priesthood. The Young Men organization serves as an auxiliary to this priesthood, in each local congregation of the church, males ages 12 to 18 are assigned to the Aaronic priesthood and the Young Men organization. The Aaronic priesthood is led by a bishop or branch president, the Young Men organization in each congregation, under the direction of the bishopric or branch presidency, is led by an adult man who is called the Young Men President. The president is assisted by two men who serve as counselors and may also ask an adult man to be the secretary to the presidency. Generally, each age group will hold a class for instruction during Sunday meetings after all adult and youth holders of the priesthood meet together for a brief opening prayer. The teachers and deacons classes have a quorum president drawn from the members of the class, the bishop or branch president is the president of the priests quorum and may choose two young men to assist him in this role, along with another young man to serve as secretary. The adult president of the Young Men organization assists the priests quorum, while the first and second counselors assist the teachers and deacons quorums, additional adult men may be asked to prepare class lessons and assist with other activities
15.
Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
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The Church of Christ was the original name of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith. Each of the churches that resulted from this schism considers itself to be the continuation of Smiths original Church of Christ. This church is unrelated to other bodies bearing the name, including the United Church of Christ, a Reformed church body, and the Churches of Christ. Today, there are several Latter Day Saint churches called Church of Christ, the first Latter Day Saint references to the church of Christ are found in passages of the Book of Mormon that Smith dictated from April to June 1829. During the course of this dictation, the outlines for a community of believers or church structure became apparent. Such a structure would have authority from God, ordinances such as baptism, the book described the clergy in Almas church as consisting of priests, who were unpaid and were to preach nothing save it were repentance and faith in the Lord. Alma later established churches, which were considered one church because there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance. In addition to priests, the book mentions that the clergy of these also included teachers. Smiths further dictation of the Book of Mormon also stated there were two churches only, the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil. As a result of the references to baptism and the organization of churches. Smith and Cowdery then baptized each other by immersion and they also baptized dozens of people, as early as June 1829. These converts, however, did not belong to a church organization. Nevertheless, this community of believers referred to themselves as the Church of Christ, in June 1829, Smith dictated a revelation stating that in are all things written, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore if you build up my church, and my gospel, and my rock. Some time between June and December 1829, Cowdery said he received a revelation about how he should build up his church & the manner thereof. This revelation was called the Articles of the Church of Christ, the church was to meet regularly to partake of bread and wine. Cowdery was described as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to David Whitmer, by April 1830, this informal Church of Christ had about six elders and 70 members. On April 6,1830, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and a group of approximately 30 believers met with the intention of formally organizing the Church of Christ into a legal institution
16.
Joseph Smith Sr.
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Joseph Smith Sr. was the father of Joseph Smith Jr. the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Sr. was also one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, in 1833, Joseph Sr. was named the first patriarch of the Church of Christ. Joseph Sr. was also a member of the First Presidency of the church, Smith was born on July 12,1771, in Topsfield, Massachusetts, to Asael Smith and Mary Duty. He married Lucy Mack in Tunbridge, Vermont, on January 26,1796, Smith tried his hands at several professions, including farmer, teacher, and shop-keeper, none of which proved very successful. He moved his family to Palmyra, New York, in 1816 and he was raised to the degree of Master Freemason on May 7,1818, in Ontario Lodge No.23 of Canandaigua, New York. In the Palmyra–Manchester area, Smith and his sons were involved in a number of treasure digging excavations in the 1820s, work on a frame house at the farm was halted by the unexpected death of Smiths eldest son, Alvin, in 1823. Smith subsequently failed to make payments on the farm, lemuel Durfee purchased it as a favor to the family and allowed the Smiths to continue there as renters through 1830. Though a spiritual man, Smith showed little interest in organized religion and was content to allow his wife control over the upbringing of their children. This indifference bothered Lucy very much, after much prayer, she said she had received a divine witness that her husband would some day accept the pure and undefiled Gospel of the Son of God. Smith professed that he had visionary dreams with symbolic content, perhaps related to his ambivalence about religious faith. These dreams continued after the move to Palmyra until he had had seven in all. In the late 1820s, Smiths son, Joseph Jr. began to tell the family about golden plates, in September 1827, Joseph Jr. said he obtained the plates. In the following years, Joseph Jr. said he translated the plates into English through the use of the Urim and Thummim, a sacred device given to him by the angel Moroni. Known as the Testimony of the Eight Witnesses, this statement was published with the first edition of the Book of Mormon and has been a part of all subsequent editions. Smith was baptised when the Church of Christ was formally organized on April 6,1830, when Joseph Jr. saw Joseph Sr. come up out of the water, he is reported to have cried, Oh. My God I have lived to see my own father baptized into the church of Jesus Christ. In January 1831, Smith and his moved to the churchs new headquarters in Kirtland. He was ordained to be the churchs first Presiding Patriarch on December 18,1833, in reference to his fathers role as patriarch of the church, Joseph Jr
17.
Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints)
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Harris was born in Eastown, New York, the second of the eight children born to Nathan Harris and Rhoda Lapham. In 1808, Harris married his first cousin Lucy Harris, Harris served with the New York militia in the War of 1812. Until 1831, Harris lived in Palmyra, New York, where he was a prosperous farmer, Harriss neighbors considered him both an honest and superstitious man. A biographer wrote that Harriss imagination was excitable and fecund, for example, Harris once perceived a sputtering candle to be the work of the devil. An acquaintance said that Harris claimed to have seen Jesus in the shape of a deer, the local Presbyterian minister called him a visionary fanatic. Another friend said, Martin was a man that would do just as he agreed with you, but, he was a great man for seeing spooks. Nevertheless, even early anti-Mormons who knew Harris believed that he was honest, industrious, benevolent, mr. Harris was among the early settlers of this town, and has ever borne the character of an honorable and upright man, and an obliging and benevolent neighbor. He had secured to himself by honest industry a respectable fortune—and he has left a circle of acquaintances. The Smith family moved to Palmyra in 1816, and in 1824, Harris employed Joseph Smith, Sr. to dig a well, Smith, Sr. reportedly told Harris about the gold plates in 1824. Harris later recounted the first time he saw Joseph Smith use a seer stone, in the winter of 1828, Harris took the transcript of characters to New York City, where he met with Charles Anthon, a professor of linguistics at Columbia College. The two mens accounts of the conflict on almost every point. Harriss account is recorded in Smiths History of the Church, Anthon, for his part, gave written accounts in 1834 and 1841. Despite the years between, both accounts are in agreement, save a contradiction as to whether he had given Harris a written opinion about the transcript or not. In both accounts, Anthon maintained that he told Harris that he was a victim of a fraud, in either case, the episode apparently satisfied Harriss doubts about the authenticity of the golden plates and the translation enough to mortgage his farm to have the book printed. Harriss wife continued to oppose his collaboration with Smith, in both of Anthons accounts, he states that Harris visited him again after the Book of Mormon was printed and brought him a copy, which Anthon refused to accept. In February 1828, Harris traveled to Harmony, Pennsylvania to serve as a scribe while Smith dictated the translation of the golden plates, by June 1828, Smith and Harriss work on the translation had resulted in 116 pages of manuscript. Harris asked Smith for permission to take the 116 pages of manuscript back to his wife in order to convince her of its authenticity, after Harris had shown the pages to his wife and some others, the manuscript disappeared. The loss temporarily halted the translation of the plates, and when Smith began again, he used other scribes, the first extant written revelation to Joseph Smith, dated July 1828, refers to Smiths delivering the 116 pages to Harris
18.
Hyrum Smith
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Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the brother of the movements founder, Joseph Smith. Hyrum was born in Tunbridge, Vermont, the son of Joseph Smith, Sr. Smith received an education, and established himself as a farmer. Smith attended Dartmouth College in his teens and this may have been one of the factors behind Dr. Nathan Smith treating Smiths brother Josephs leg. During the translation of the Book of Mormon and the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Smith was a close advisor, in June 1829, Smith was baptized in Seneca Lake, New York. He was one of the Eight Witnesses who examined and testified of the reality of the golden plates and he also saw the angel Moroni at some point. When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6,1830, six men signed their names as members, at the age of 30. Smith served as presiding officer of a branch in Colesville. As the church headquarters and membership moved west, Smith and his family relocated, in 1831, he established a home in Kirtland, Ohio. During his residence there, he served as foreman of the quarry providing stone for the Kirtland Temple, between 1831 and 1833, he served proselyting missions to Missouri and Ohio. In 1834, under the direction of Joseph Smith, he recruited members for a militia, Zions Camp and he was appointed Second Counselor in the churchs First Presidency in November 1837. In 1838 and 1839, Hyrum, Joseph and three church leaders shared a jail cell in Liberty, Missouri while awaiting trial. After relocating to Nauvoo, Illinois, Smith became Presiding Patriarch of the Church, although Hyrum Smith was never explicitly ordained to the priesthood office of apostle, his appointment as assistant president may have included such authority. When warned of danger, Joseph urged Smith and his family to flee to Cincinnati. Smith refused and, in 1844, traveled with Joseph to Carthage, Illinois, Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor and Willard Richards were held awaiting trial in a jail in Carthage. On June 27,1844, the building was attacked by a mob of between sixty and two hundred men. While attempting to barricade the door to prevent the mob from entering, Smith was shot in the face and exclaimed, I am a dead man, Taylor was struck by several bullets but survived with the help of Richards
19.
Titus Billings
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Titus Billings was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement. He served in positions in the church and was a contemporary of Joseph Smith. Billings was a councilor in the first Bishopric of the Church to Edward Partridge and he participated in the Battle of Crooked River, and was a colonel in the Nauvoo Legion. He participated in the Mormon migration as a Captain of Fifty in the second company, Billings was born in Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, on March 24,1793. He was the son of Ebeneezer Billings and Ester Joyce, one notable ancestor is Sir Thomas Billing, Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in England. On February 16,1817, he married Diantha Morley, Diantha and her older brother Isaac Morley were members of Sidney Rigdons congregation of Campbellites. This utopian group practiced communal principles, holding goods in common for the benefit of all of the members and they also held the belief, called Restorationism, that a purer form of Christianity should be restored using the early Christian church as a model. When Sidney Rigdon joined the fledgling Church of Christ he held a two-hour sermon explaining to his congregation why he was making the commitment, the next morning, November 15,1830, he was baptized. Upon calling for more converts, Billings stepped forward and was the person baptized in Kirtland. In March 1831 Joseph Smith said he had received a revelation directing the Saints to impart of their land, in August 1831 Billings was commanded to sell the Morley Family farm and holdings in preparation to move to Independence, Missouri. On March 10,1832, he was ordained an elder by Thomas B Marsh, while en route to Jackson County, Missouri, he met with Joseph Smith on The Charleston, a steam packet in Louisville, Kentucky. The Billings family arrived in Clay County, Missouri, in May, while in Missouri, Billings participated in the United Order covenant which was made with Edward Partridge, the first bishop of the Church. The United Order was short-lived, though, and anti-Mormon pressure at the time caused Billings to lose much of his property. While storing hay on a farm owned by then Governor Boggs. In February 1835 Titus and Diantha were called to return to Kirtland to help finish the Kirtland temple, Titus was a stonemason, carpenter, and musician, while Diantha designed the original temple garments. In March, upon the completion, Diantha sang at the dedication services. The Billings family moved back to Missouri in 1837, and Titus was sustained as 2nd Councilor to Bishop Edward Partridge at the General Conference of the church in Far West and he served in this calling until the death of Bishop Partridge in 1840. On October 25,1838, Billings participated in the Battle of Crooked River, while fleeing the mob he suffered from lack of food for several days and frostbite on his feet
20.
Erastus Snow
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Erastus Snow was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to until his death. Snow was also a figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado. Born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Snow joined the institutional predecessor of the LDS Church, one of the missionaries who taught him was Orson Pratt. Snows brother, Zerubbabel Snow, joined the church prior to him, Snow moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where the church was headquartered, but spent much of his time on missions, primarily in Pennsylvania. He later served a mission to Salem, Massachusetts, where he baptized several converts, including Nathaniel Ashby, Snow was in the first Mormon pioneer company to journey to the Salt Lake Valley. He and Orson Pratt were the first two Mormons to enter the Valley, Snow was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on February 12,1849. On the same day, Charles C, rich, Lorenzo Snow, and Franklin D. Richards were ordained. At the October 1849 general conference, Snow was assigned to lead a mission to Scandinavia and he had as a companion a Danish convert, Peter O. Hansen, who had joined the church in Boston. They focused most of their efforts in Denmark, but another convert had joined them, John E. Forsgren, who preached in Sweden. While serving as a missionary in Denmark, Snow baptized the first Icelanders to join the church, ordained them to the priesthood, before the end of his mission, Snow began the publication of a church periodical in Danish. Later in the 1850s, Snow served as the church authority in the midwest United States. He returned to Utah Territory in 1857 and engaged in farming, in 1860, Snow went with Orson Pratt on a mission to the Eastern States. By the time reached the Eastern United States, Abraham Lincoln had been elected president. With the impending war, they were able to convince many church members to move to Utah, much of this migration happened in 1861 after the American Civil War had begun. After returning to Utah in 1861, Snow was made the apostle in charge of the Southern Utah Mormon settlements and he lived in St. George, and later founded Kingman and Snowflake, Arizona. Erastus Snow is known to have had sixteen wives, one of Snows daughters, Elizabeth, became the wife of Anthony W. Ivins and the mother of Antoine R. Ivins. Snow died at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, at age 69 and he was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery. Snow Canyon State Park, Snow College and the town of Snowflake, hurricane, Utah Snow, Erastus in the Utah History Encyclopedia
21.
Stake (Latter Day Saints)
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A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name stake derives from the Book of Isaiah, enlarge the place of thy tent, stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation, spare not, lengthen thy cords, a stake is sometimes referred to as a stake of Zion. The first Latter Day Saint stake was organized at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio on February 17,1834, the second stake was organized in Clay County, Missouri, later that year on July 3, with David Whitmer as president. The Missouri stake was relocated to Far West, Missouri, in 1836, a stake was organized at Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838 and abandoned later that year due to the events of the Mormon War. In 1839, the churchs central stake was established at Nauvoo, Illinois, additional stakes were established in the area around Nauvoo in 1840. Immediately after the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, there was a schism in the Latter Day Saint movement. In 1846, all of the stakes, including the Nauvoo Stake, were discontinued as a result of the exodus of the majority of the Latter Day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement, after the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young assumed the leadership of the church and led its members to the Salt Lake Valley. The first stake established there was the Salt Lake Stake, established October 3,1847, at the time of Youngs death in 1877, there were 20 stakes in operation with a total of approximately 250 wards. New stakes are created when the congregations in existing stakes or districts have grown sufficiently to support a stake, districts may be elevated to stakes and are then no longer presided over by a mission president. New stakes are also formed by dividing an existing stake. In addition to the size and number of congregations, the creation of a new stake also requires sufficient Melchizedek priesthood holders to fill the required leadership positions. At times the absence of available leadership constrains the creation of new stakes, the geographical area encompassed by a stake varies between countries and regions based on membership density. In Utah, a stake might encompass a few miles in area. In contrast, a stake in another part of the world might require thousands of miles to comprise a sufficient number of members. In December 2012, Jeffrey R. Holland organized the 3, 000th stake in Freetown, at the end of 2015, there were 3,174 stakes in the LDS Church. The stake is a level in the organizational hierarchy of the LDS Church. The lowest level, consisting of a congregation, is known as a ward or branch
22.
Kirtland Temple
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The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. The design mixes Federal, Greek Revival and Gothic Revival architectural styles, each year tens of thousands take tours of the temple. Members of various Latter Day Saint denominations also travel to the temple where the Community of Christ allows them to hold 50 to 60 worship services, there are also community Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Holy Week services that are held at the temple each year. A Spiritual Formation and Visitors Center has been constructed by the Community of Christ, there is also a museum gift shop. A historic cemetery and gardens are located outside the temple, the centers basic layout has been described by some as reflecting a dove. The center reflects various characteristics of the temple in its visual appearance, each day at 1pm in the Spiritual Formation Center the Daily Prayer for Peace is held based on the Daily Prayer for Peace at the Independence Temple. Beginning in 1831, members of the Church of Christ under the direction of founder and president Joseph Smith. In December 1832 Smith reported to have received a revelation that called for the construction of a house of worship, education, on May 6,1833, Smith reported that he had received a revelation from God, directing members of the church to construct a house. Wholly dedicated unto the Lord for the work of the presidency, dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, directions were given to build a lower court and a higher court, and a promise given that the Lords glory shall be there, and presence shall be there. This building which would have sat next to the Kirtland Temple was never started, instead the functions of this office building ended up in the attic of the Kirtland Temple. The date of this document is also in question as it makes reference to the Kirtland Temple which is described in the section of the Doctrine Covenants. Church members donated labor and building materials, including glass and pottery which was ground up into the stucco, the Kirtland Temple was not originally white on the exterior as it is today. The original exterior was a bluish-gray according to Truman Coe, a minister in the 1830s. The roof is believed to have red, and the front doors olive green. Presently, only the doors are the original color, the first structure of its kind to be built by the Latter Day Saint movement, the Kirtland Temple is different in purpose from the Nauvoo temple built in the 1840s. The lower inner court is used primarily for various worship services and it has two sets of pulpits, one set on either end, and the pews featured an adjustable design which allowed the audience to face either end. The second floor was designed for education, and was to house a school for leaders known as the School of Mine Apostles. At the time of construction, none of the associated with LDS temple worship
23.
Nauvoo, Illinois
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Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 1,149 at the 2010 census, the city and its immediate surrounding area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nauvoo Historic District. The area of Nauvoo was first called Quashquema, named in honor of the Native American chief who headed a Sauk, by 1827, white settlers had built cabins in the area. By 1829 this area of Hancock County had grown sufficiently so that a post office was needed and in 1832 the town, however, the honor was awarded to a nearby city, Carthage. In 1834 the name Venus was changed to Commerce because the settlers felt that the new name better suited their plans, the name Nauvoo is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52,7, “How beautiful upon the mountains. ”It is notable that “by 1844 Nauvoos population had swollen to 12,000, after Joseph Smiths death in 1844, continuing violence from surrounding non-Mormons forced most Latter-Day Saints to leave Nauvoo. Most of these refugees, led by Brigham Young, eventually emigrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley, in 1849, Icarians moved to the Nauvoo area to implement a utopian socialist commune based on the ideals of French philosopher Étienne Cabet. At its peak the colony numbered over 500 members, but Cabets death in 1856 caused some members to leave this parent colony, in the early and mid 20th century Nauvoo was primarily a Roman Catholic town, and the majority of the population today is Catholic. Guided tours are available at the churchs Joseph Smith Historic Site, located at the end of the town. The LDS Church owns most of the historic sites in Nauvoo, including the homes of Brigham Young. Kimball, and other members of the church, as well as other significant buildings. Most of these sites are open to the public, with demonstrations and displays and these tours are free, as are the stage and riverside theatrical productions. There is a visitors center complete with two theaters and a relief map of 1846 Nauvoo. The creation of Nauvoo as a tourism destination was largely a result of the work of J. LeRoy Kimball. Kimball was a descendent of early Mormon leader Heber C, Kimball, and bought his ancestors home in 1954 with the intention of restoring it. He was the president of Nauvoo Restoration, Inc. from 1962 to 1986, an LDS congregation was established in Nauvoo in 1956, from its inception consisting largely of elderly LDS couples serving as missionaries and historical guides. The City of Joseph Pageant, a musical produced by the LDS Church. An LDS stake was organized with headquarters at Nauvoo in 1979, in addition to the many homes that had been restored, the Relief Society Memorial Garden was dedicated in 1978, featuring statues designed by Dennis Smith and Florence Hansen
24.
Community of Christ
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Community of Christ is an American-based international church with roots in the Latter Day Saint movement. The church reports approximately over 250,000 members in 60 nations, the church traces its origins to Joseph Smiths establishment of the Church of Christ on April 6,1830, with the church formally reorganizing on April 6,1860, following the death of Smith in 1844. The Community of Christ is rooted in Restorationist traditions, although in some respects it is congruent with mainline Protestant Christian attitudes, it is in many ways theologically distinct, continuing such features as prophetic revelation. It is the second-largest denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement, Community of Christ follows a largely non-liturgical tradition based loosely on the Revised Common Lectionary. From its headquarters in Independence, Missouri, the church offers a focus on evangelism, peace and justice ministries, spirituality and wholeness, youth ministries. Church teachings emphasize that all are called as persons of worth to share the peace of Christ, the church was legally organized on April 6,1830, in Fayette, New York. The formal reorganization occurred on April 6,1860, in Amboy, Illinois, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, adding the word Reorganized to the church name in 1872. The Community of Christ today considers the period from 1830 to 1844 to be a part of its history and from 1844. Since 1844, the doctrines and practices of the Community of Christ have evolved separately from the denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. Since the 1960s, the churchs proselytizing outside North America forced a re-assessment, howard estimated that 25,000 members had left to join such groups. Between the mid-1960s and the late 1990s, there was a decline in new baptisms in the United States along with a 50 percent drop in contributions in the decade before 1998. The church owns two temples, the Kirtland Temple, dedicated in 1836 in Kirtland, Ohio, and the relatively new Independence Temple and these structures are open to the public and are also used for education and gatherings. The church also owns and operates some Latter Day Saint historic sites in Lamoni, Iowa, the Auditorium in Independence houses the Childrens Peace Pavilion and is the site of the major legislative assembly of the Community of Christ, which convenes during the World Conference. The church sponsors Graceland University, with a campus in Lamoni and another in Independence, where the School of Nursing, in its mission statement, the church declares that e proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace. The vision statement states that We will become a church dedicated to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation. The Community of Christ states that it recognizes that perception of truth is qualified by human nature and experience. Nevertheless, the Community of Christ offers a number of the commonly held beliefs of its members and leaders as the generally accepted beliefs of the church. As Stephen M. Veazey, current president of the church states, the Community of Christ generally accepts the doctrine of the Trinity and other commonly held Christian beliefs
25.
Salt Lake City
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Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and the most populous municipality of the U. S. state of Utah. With an estimated population of 190,884 in 2014, the city lies at the core of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Salt Lake City is further situated within a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo Combined Statistical Area. This region is a corridor of contiguous urban and suburban development stretched along an approximately 120-mile segment of the Wasatch Front and it is one of only two major urban areas in the Great Basin. The city was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young, Isaac Morley, George Washington Bradley and numerous other Mormon followers, who extensively irrigated and cultivated the arid valley. Due to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake, the city was originally named Great Salt Lake City—the word great was dropped from the name in 1868 by the 17th Utah Territorial Legislature. Today, however, less than half the population of Salt Lake City proper are members of the LDS Church. It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway, in 1913, Salt Lake City has since developed a strong outdoor recreation tourist industry based primarily on skiing, and hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. It is the banking center of the United States. Before Mormon settlement, the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute had dwelt in the Salt Lake Valley for thousands of years. The land was treated by the United States as public domain, the first U. S. explorer in the Salt Lake area is believed to be Jim Bridger in 1825, although others had been in Utah earlier, some as far north as the nearby Utah Valley. Frémont surveyed the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Valley in 1843 and 1845, the Donner Party, a group of ill-fated pioneers, had traveled through the Great Salt Lake Valley in August 1846. The first permanent settlements in the date to the arrival of the Latter-day Saints on July 24,1847. Upon arrival at the Salt Lake Valley, president of the church Brigham Young is recorded as stating, This is the right place, Brigham Young claimed to have seen the area in a vision prior to the wagon trains arrival. They found the broad valley empty of any human settlement, four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young designated the building site for the Salt Lake Temple, which would eventually become a famous Mormon and Salt Lake City landmark. The Salt Lake Temple, constructed on the block that would later be called Temple Square, construction started in 1853, and the temple was dedicated on 6 April 1893. The temple has become an icon for the city and serves as its centerpiece, in fact, the southeast corner of Temple Square is the initial point of reference for the Salt Lake Meridian, and for all addresses in the Salt Lake Valley. The Mormon pioneers organized a new state called Deseret and petitioned for its recognition in 1849, the United States Congress rebuffed the settlers in 1850 and established the Utah Territory, vastly reducing its size, and designated Fillmore as its capital city. Great Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the capital in 1858
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Ward (LDS Church)
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In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a ward is the larger of two types of local congregations, the smaller being a branch. A ward is presided over by a bishop, the equivalent of a pastor in many other Christian denominations, as with all local LDS Church leadership, the bishop is considered lay clergy and as such is not paid. Two counselors serve with the bishop to help with administrative and spiritual duties of the ward, together, these three men constitute the bishopric. A branch is presided over by a president who may or may not have one or two counselors, depending on the size of the branch. Groups of wards are organized into stakes, while groups of branches are organized into districts, bishops were assigned duties and responsibility over specific ward boundaries in these cities, and over time individual congregations were defined by these boundaries. After the Mormon Exodus to Utah, this terminology was preserved in the establishment of communities throughout the western United States. Voting districts of several Utah communities still follow the boundaries of their original LDS Church congregations. Due to the connection of this term, traditional Mormon pioneer communities generally do not use the term ward to define voting districts for political purposes. A ward typically consists of 150 to 500 church members in an area within a reasonable time of the meetinghouse. A stake, the next highest level of organization, may be created if there are at least five ward-sized branches in adjacent areas, once the stake has been organized, the ward-sized branches are organized into wards. Within the United States and Canada, a minimum of 300 members is required to create a ward, elsewhere, each ward requires at least 15 active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek priesthood holders. If there are not sufficient congregations in an area to form a stake, there is no minimum or maximum geographical size for a ward, In areas where there are greater numbers of active church members, several wards can exist in only 1 square mile. When the ward membership grows to a size, the ward will be divided. Generally, if both geographic divisions are in a distance of the meetinghouse, they will meet at the same building. Most meetinghouses are designed to house up to three or four wards, individuals can find out what ward they reside in by either talking to a local LDS leader or by using the meetinghouse locator tool on the churchs webpage. This tool will also determine if there are any singles wards or special language wards that serve the area, Singles wards are set up in areas with high populations of single adults. Young Single Adult wards are intended for single members ages 18 to 30, non-custodial parents may also be members of these wards on a case-by-case basis. These wards provide LDS singles the opportunity to serve in offices of the church, members are taught the same principles of the gospel as a traditional ward, while receiving attention particular to their spiritual needs
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Endowment House
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The Endowment House was an early building used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer temple ordinances in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. When this arrangement proved impractical, Brigham Young directed Truman O. Angell, architect of the Salt Lake Temple, completed in 1855, the building was dedicated by Heber C. Kimball and came to be called the Endowment House after the endowment ceremonies that were conducted inside it, the Endowment House stood on the northwest corner of Temple Square. Initially, it was an adobe building,44 by 34 feet. In 1856, another extension was added on its south side, inside, the Endowment House was the first building designed specifically for administering temple rituals. Earlier buildings used for such purposes—such as Joseph Smith’s Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, the Nauvoo Temple, and the Council House—only had temporary canvas partitions. The Endowment House had the typical ordinance rooms found in some later Mormon temples, a room, a garden room, a world room, a celestial room. In 1856, William Ward painted the walls of the room to represent the Garden of Eden. It was one of the first buildings in Utah to have indoor bathrooms, the Endowment House was used primarily for performing temple ordinances. From 1857 to 1876 the baptismal font was used to perform 134,053 baptisms for the dead, between 1855 and 188454,170 persons received their washings and anointings and endowments. Between 1855 and 188968,767 couples were sealed in marriage—31,052 for the living and 37,715 for the dead, mormons did not consider the Endowment House a temple, so they did not perform all temple ordinances in it. Brigham Young explained, “We can, at the present time, go into the Endowment House and be baptized for our dead, receive our washings and anointings and we also have the privilege of sealing women to men without a Temple. They cannot be done without a temple”, hence, there were no sealing of children nor endowments for the dead performed in the Endowment House. These ordinances were first administered in Utah’s first temple, in St. George, in response, church leaders ceased performing new plural marriages. In October 1889, Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church, after discussing the matter with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he ordered the building razed without delay. The Salt Lake Tribune, in its issue dated November 17,1889, by the end of the month all trace of the Endowment House was gone. Some two years later, Woodruff issued the 1890 Manifesto, officially ending the Mormon practice of polygamy, the Endowment House at Salt Lake City may not have been the only non-temple structure used for administering temple ordinances in Utah. One of these is a known as the Endowment House in Spring City, Utah
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Endowment (Mormonism)
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In Mormonism, the endowment is an ordinance designed to prepare participants to become kings, queens, priests, and priestesses in the afterlife. As part of the ceremony, participants take part in a reenactment of the Biblical creation and fall of Adam. Participants are taught symbolic gestures and passwords considered necessary to pass by angels guarding the way to heaven, all Latter-day Saints who choose to serve as missionaries for the LDS Church or who choose to contract a celestial marriage in an LDS Church temple must first complete the endowment ceremony. The endowment was instituted by founder Joseph Smith in the 1840s with further contributions by Brigham Young, there was a brief period during the construction of the Salt Lake Temple where a small building referred to as the Endowment House was used to perform the ritual. The endowment is currently practiced by the LDS Church, several denominations of Mormon fundamentalism, the LDS Church has simplified its ceremony from its 19th century form and has removed some of the more controversial elements. The term endowment has various meanings historically, and within the branches of that movement. The prevalence of LDS members who undergo the endowment ceremony is difficult to determine, the most well-known Mormon endowment ceremony is that performed by the LDS Church in its temples. This ceremony is only to members of the church deemed worthy. It comprises two parts, an initiatory, and an instructional and testing portion, see also Temple Entrance Requirements The endowment is open only to Mormons who have a valid temple recommend. To be eligible to receive a temple recommend, one must be deemed worthy by church leadership and have been a member of the LDS Church for at least one year, a male member of the church must hold the Melchizedek priesthood to participate in the endowment. Persons seeking a recommend to attend the temple for the first time and receive their endowment will generally meet with their bishop, washing and anointing are perhaps the earliest practiced temple ordinances for the living since the organization of the LDS Church. There is evidence that these ordinances have been performed since 1832 and they were first practiced in the Whitney Store as part of the School of the Prophets and were part of the Kirtland endowment. The washing symbolizes being cleansed from the blood of this generation, after the washing and anointing, the patron is given the temple garment, formally called the Garment of the Holy Priesthood. This garment represents the coats of skins given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as the final part of the initiatory, the patron is given a new name, which is a key word used during the ceremony. In general, this name is known to the person to whom it is given, however. The new name is supported in part by Book of Revelation 2,17 and 3,12, if a new name coincides with their own name, Adam or Eve is given instead. Most Latter-day Saints who attend the temple believe that the endowment focuses heavily on the plan of salvation, during the ceremony, Latter-day Saints are dressed in temple clothes or temple robes, are taught about various gospel laws and make covenants to obey these laws. They are given various key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, B. H. Roberts declared that certain aspects of the endowment ceremony were intended to be secret from the world
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Brigham Young
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Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the second President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877 and he founded Salt Lake City and he served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. Young also led the foundings of the precursors to the University of Utah, Young was dubbed by his followers the Lion of the Lord for his bold personality and was also commonly called Brother Brigham by Latter-day Saints. Young was a polygamist and was involved in controversies regarding black people and the Priesthood, the Utah War, and the Mountain Meadows massacre. Young was born to John Young and Abigail Nabby Howe, a family in Whitingham, Vermont. Young was first married in 1824 to Miriam Angeline Works, though he had converted to the Methodist faith in 1823, Young was drawn to Mormonism after reading the Book of Mormon shortly after its publication in 1830. He officially joined the new church in 1832 and traveled to Upper Canada as a missionary, after his wife died in 1832, Young joined many Mormons in establishing a community in Kirtland, Ohio. In 1844, while in jail awaiting trial for treason charges, Joseph Smith, several claimants to the role of church president emerged during the succession crisis that ensued. Young opposed this reasoning and motion, the majority in attendance were persuaded that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was to lead the church with Young as the Quorums president. Many of Youngs followers would later reminisce that while Young spoke to the congregation, he looked or sounded exactly like Smith, Young was ordained President of the Church in December 1847, three and a half years after Smiths death. Rigdon became the president of a church organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Repeated conflict led Young to relocate his group of Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley, Young organized the journey that would take the Mormon pioneers to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, in 1846, then to the Salt Lake Valley. By the time Young arrived at the destination, it had come under American control as a result of war with Mexico. Young arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24,1847, Youngs expedition was one of the largest and one of the best organized westward treks. On August 22,29 days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, after three years of leading the church as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Young reorganized a new First Presidency and was declared president of the church on December 27,1847. As colonizer and founder of Salt Lake City, Young was appointed the territorys first governor, during his time as prophet, Young directed the establishment of settlements throughout present-day Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, California and parts of southern Colorado and northern Mexico. Young was also one of the first to subscribe to Union Pacific stock, Young organized the first legislature and established Fillmore as the territorys first capital. Young organized a Board of Regents to establish a university in the Salt Lake Valley and it was established on February 28,1850, as the University of Deseret, its name was eventually changed to the University of Utah
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Missionary (LDS Church)
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Mormon missionaries may serve on a full- or part-time basis, depending on the assignment, and are organized geographically into missions. The mission assignment could be to any one of the 418 missions organized worldwide, the LDS Church is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, reporting that it had over 74,000 full-time missionaries worldwide at the end of 2015. Most full-time Mormon missionaries are young men and women in their late teens and early twenties. Missionaries are often assigned to serve far from their homes, including in other countries, many missionaries learn a new language at a missionary training center as part of their assignment. Missions typically last two years for males,18 months for females, and 6 to 18 months for older couples, the LDS Church strongly encourages, but does not require, missionary service for young men. All Mormon missionaries serve voluntarily and do not receive a salary for their work, many Latter-day Saints save money during their teenage years to cover their mission expenses. Throughout the churchs history, over one million missionaries have been sent on missions, LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball said, Every young man should fill a mission. Completing a mission is described as a rite of passage for a young Latter-day Saint. The phrase the best two years of my life is a common cliché among returned missionaries when describing their experience, hinckley had suggested that a mission is not to be a rite of passage, this cultural aspect remains. With the usual starting age of 18–20, a provides a clear event or marker for the traditional age of adulthood. Young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who meet standards of worthiness are strongly encouraged to consider a two-year and this expectation is based in part on the New Testament passage Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. Prior to the announcement, some held that male missionaries may be 18 years old because of educational or military requirements. It was also announced that women may serve beginning at age 19 instead of 21. In 2007, approximately 30% of all 19-year-old LDS men became Mormon missionaries, from LDS families that are active in the church, in cases where an immediate family member dies, the missionary has the choice to travel home for the funeral or to remain on the mission. Missionaries can be sent home for violating rules, and occasionally missionaries choose to go home for health or various other reasons. However, the vast majority of serve the whole two-year or eighteen-month terms. As of 2007, 80% of all Mormon missionaries were young, single men, 13% were young single women, women who would like to serve a mission must meet the same standards of worthiness and be at least 19 years old. Women generally serve as missionaries for 18 months, married retired couples, on the other hand, are encouraged to serve missions, but their length of service may vary from 6 to 36 months depending on their circumstances and means
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Edward Hunter (Mormon)
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Edward Hunter, Jr. was the third Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1851 until his death. He served as Presiding Bishop longer than any person in the history of the LDS Church. Born to Edward Hunter and Hannah Maris in Newtown, Pennsylvania and he migrated to the Salt Lake Valley in 1846–47 and served as the bishop of the Salt Lake City 13th Ward from 1849 to 1854. Hunter was elected to the Utah Territorial Assembly on November 15,1851, Hunter was called as Presiding Bishop by LDS Church president Brigham Young in 1851. Kimball served as Hunters informal counselors for more than five years until Hunter formally called Leonard W. Hardy, as ex officio president of the churchs Aaronic priesthood, Hunter laid the southwest cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple on April 6,1853. Hunter died at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, and was buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, pages, Edward Hunter, brief biography Biography of Edward Hunter, The Joseph Smith Papers Hartley, William G. Edward Hunter, Pioneer Presiding Bishop. Supporting Saints, Life Stories of Nineteenth-Century Mormons, Religious Studies Center Specialized Monograph Series. Provo, Utah, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University
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Seventy (LDS Church)
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Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saints teach that the office of seventy was anciently conferred upon the seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10, multiple individuals holding the office of seventy are referred to collectively as seventies. In practical terms, the office of seventy is one which has varied widely over the course of history. These presidents, chosen from the first quorum, would appoint, as introduced by Joseph Smith, the apostles and the seventy had authority only outside the main body of Latter Day Saints in Zion, and in the outlying stakes. Members in Zion and the stakes were led by the High Council of Zion, historically, the First Quorum of the Seventy came into being in 1835 when seven men were set apart as the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy. In 1837, six of the seven presidents were released because it was discovered that they had previously been ordained high priests, five of these men were ultimately replaced by others. The other two—Levi W. Hancock and Joseph Young—remained members of the First Seven Presidents for the rest of their lives. In the LDS Church, the quorums of the seventy are directed and supervised hierarchically by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as a body, the seventy in the LDS Church are considered to be equal in priesthood authority with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This presumably means that if the apostles were killed or incapacitated, however, in such circumstances, the seventy would be required to act unanimously. In the LDS Church, members of the First and the Second Quorums of the Seventy are general authorities of the church with responsibilities covering the church as a whole, Members of additional Quorums of the Seventy are called an area seventy. Members of these quorums are ordained to the office of seventy. Area seventies generally have authority only within a unit of the church called an area. By the time Joseph Smith was killed, he had organized four incomplete quorums of seventy. By 1845, there were ten quorums of seventy, the members of the first quorum were thus spread out across the church, making meetings of the first quorum rare. Elders were often ordained to the office of seventy immediately before left on a mission. Quorums were not restricted to geography, so individual quorums were scattered all over the world, in 1883, church president John Taylor localized the quorums of seventy. Each stake was given a quorum of seventy, and seventies in that stake would belong to that quorum. Taylor also prescribed that the president of the first 64 quorums could meet with the seven presidents of the first quorum
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Francis M. Lyman
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Francis Marion Lyman was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was the President of the Quorum from 1903 until his death, lymans father and son were also apostles in the church, his father was Amasa M. Lyman and his son was Richard R. Lyman. Both his father and son were excommunicated from the church serving as apostles. Francis M. Lyman was born as the first son of Amasa M. Lyman and Louisa Maria Tanner in Good Hope and that spring, the family moved to Iowa. About one year later, they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1843, they moved again to Alquina, Indiana. In 1844, after the death of Joseph Smith, they moved back to Nauvoo, lymans father left with the first group to travel on the Mormon Exodus to the West. His family moved to Winter Quarters in June 1846 under the care of his maternal grandfather and his family set out to the Salt Lake Valley in 1848. Though only 8 years old, Lyman helped drive a yoke of cattle and he was baptized by his father in the Elkhorn River on July 1,1848, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on October 19,1848. By 1851, when Lyman was 11 years old, his father, rich purchased land in San Bernardino, California. Lyman was present at the laying of the cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple on April 6,1853, in 1856, at about 16 years of age, Lyman received the Melchizedek priesthood and ordained an elder by his father. In 1857, he was called on a mission to Great Britain and he was stopped at Salt Lake City and told to turn back to bring the settlers in California to Utah. The outbreak of the Utah War had prevented his mission, Lyman married Rhoda Ann Taylor on November 18,1857. In 1859, Lyman and his family settled in Farmington, Utah and he was ordained to the seventy on January 7,1860, by John S. Gleason. He built a cabin in Beaver, Utah, for his wife and son, en route to New York City, Lyman arriving in Kirtland, Ohio, and was shown through the Kirtland Temple by Martin Harris. Lyman left the United States through the port of New York and arrived by steamer in Liverpool, England, Lyman served as a missionary for roughly two years. Upon release from his mission, he accompanied about 800 immigrants back to the United States, they arrived in New York on June 25,1862, by early July, they had arrived in Florence, Nebraska. Lyman was reunited with his wife in Beaver, Utah, in the middle of October, in March 1863, LDS Church president Brigham Young asked Lyman to settle in Fillmore, Utah. The next fourteen years of his life were spent there, where he engaged himself in leadership in church, politics, business, later he was called to be a member of the stake high council
