1.
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
2.
Mormons
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After Smiths death in 1844, the Mormons followed Brigham Young to what would become the Utah Territory. Today, most Mormons are understood to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some Mormons are also either independent or non-practicing. The center of Mormon cultural influence is in Utah, and North America has more Mormons than any other continent, Mormons have developed a strong sense of communality that stems from their doctrine and history. Mormons dedicate large amounts of time and resources to serving in their church, Mormons have a health code which eschews alcoholic beverages, tobacco, coffee, tea, and other addictive substances. They tend to be very family-oriented, and have connections across generations and with extended family. Mormons also have a law of chastity, requiring abstention from sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage. Mormons self-identify as Christian, although some non-Mormons consider Mormons non-Christian, Mormons believe in the Bible, as well as other books of scripture, such as the Book of Mormon. They have a view of cosmology, and believe that all people are spirit-children of God. Mormons believe that returning to God requires following the example of Jesus Christ and they believe that Christs church was restored through Joseph Smith and is guided by living prophets and apostles. Central to Mormon faith is the belief that God speaks to his children, due to their high birth and conversion rates, the Mormon population has grown significantly in recent decades rising from around three million in 1970 to over 15 million in 2015. The term Mormons has been embraced by most adherents of Mormonism, most notably Mormon fundamentalists, while other Latter Day Saint denominations, both LDS Church members and members of fundamentalist groups commonly use the word Mormon in reference to themselves. The LDS Church, however, disagrees with this self-characterization, Church leaders also encourage members to use the churchs full name to emphasize its focus on Jesus Christ. Today, polygamy is practiced within Mormonism only by people that have broken with the LDS Church, the history of the Mormons has shaped them into a people with a strong sense of unity and communality. From the start, Mormons have tried to establish what they call Zion, in the first period, Smith had tried literally to build a city called Zion, in which converts could gather. During the pioneer era, Zion became a landscape of villages in Utah, in modern times, Zion is still an ideal, though Mormons gather together in their individual congregations rather than a central geographic location. Mormons trace their origins to the visions that Joseph Smith reported having in the early 1820s while living in upstate New York, in 1823, Smith said an angel directed him to a buried book written on golden plates containing the religious history of an ancient people. Smith published what he said was a translation of these plates in March 1830 as the Book of Mormon, named after Mormon, on April 6,1830, Smith founded the Church of Christ. The early church grew westward as Smith sent missionaries to proselytize, in 1833, Missouri settlers, alarmed by the rapid influx of Mormons, expelled them from Jackson County into the nearby Clay County, where local residents were more welcoming
3.
Temple (Latter Day Saints)
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In the Latter Day Saint movement, a temple is a building dedicated to be a house of God and is reserved for special forms of worship. A temple differs from a church meetinghouse, which is used for worship services. Temples have been a significant part of the Latter Day Saint movement since early in its inception, today, temples are operated by several Latter Day Saint denominations. The most prolific builder of temples of the Latter Day Saint movement is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are 155 operating temples,14 under construction, and 13 announced. Several other variations of the church have built or attempted to build temples, the Community of Christ operates two temples in the United States, which are open to the public and are used for worship services, performances, and religious education. The Latter Day Saint movement was conceived as a restoration of practices believed to have been lost in a Great Apostasy from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Temple worship played a prominent role in the Bibles Old Testament and it is believed to emphasize that when the Jesus comes again, he will come to his temple. As plans were drawn up to construct a temple in Kirtland, conflict in Missouri led to the expulsion of the Mormons from Jackson County, preventing any possibility of building a temple there, but work on the temple in Kirtland continued. At great cost and sacrifice, the Latter Day Saints finished the Kirtland Temple in early 1836, on March 27, they held a lengthy dedication ceremony and numerous spiritual experiences and visitations were reported. Far West was also platted along the lines of the City of Zion plan and in 1838 the church construction of a new. They may also have dedicated a site in the neighboring Mormon settlement of Adam-ondi-Ahman. The events of the 1838 Mormon War and the expulsion of the Mormons from Missouri left these attempts at temple-building no further progressed than excavating foundations, in 1839, the Mormons regrouped at a new headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois. They were again commanded to build a House of the Lord—this one even larger and greater than those that went before, plans for the temple in Nauvoo followed the earlier models in Kirtland and Independence with lower and upper courts, but the scale was much increased. New conflicts arose that caused Joseph Smith, the prophet and president of the church, to be murdered, along with his brother Hyrum, the Nauvoo Temple stood only half finished. Eventually, this temple was finished and dedicated, some temple ordinances were performed before most of the Latter Day Saints followed Brigham Young west across the Mississippi River. Joseph Smiths death resulted in a crisis which divided the movement into different sects. The concept of temple worship evolved separately in many of these sects, in April 1990, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints began to construct the Independence Temple, which was officially dedicated in 1994. Temples have held numerous purposes in the Latter Day Saint movement, all Latter Day Saint denominations with temples still consider temples to be special houses of the Lord
4.
Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)
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In the Latter Day Saint movement the term ordinance is used to refer to sacred rites and ceremonies that have spiritual and symbolic meanings and act as a means of conveying divine grace. Ordinances are physical acts which signify or symbolize a spiritual act, for some ordinances. Ordinances are always performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, LDS use of the term ordinance carries the same meaning as the term sacrament as used by other Christian denominations 1. Some ordinances, such as baptism, confirmation and the sacrament of the Lords Supper, are similar to those practiced by other Christian denominations, other Latter Day Saint ordinances are unique and usually performed within a Latter Day Saint temple. These ordinances include the endowment and sealings, saving ordinances are those ordinances that are a requirement for exaltation. Most Latter Day Saints denominations see saving ordinances as necessary, but not sufficient, for example, baptism is believed to be required for exaltation, but simply having been baptized does not guarantee such a result. The baptized person is expected to go on to be obedient to Gods commandments, the following are examples of saving ordinances in most sects of the Latter Day Saint movement, Baptism, Performed by immersion at age eight or older. Confirmation and reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, Performed by laying hands on the head of a baptized member. Through confirmation, the initiate becomes a member of the church. 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 all subsumed under the priesthood held by Jesus Christ, or the Melchizedek priesthood. In some Latter Day Saint churches, some additional saving ordinances are performed in temples and these include the endowment, the washing and anointing, and sealings. Currently, only LDS Church-derived and Cutlerite-derived denominations within the Latter Day Saints movement practice all three, other Latter Day Saint denominations, such as Community of Christ-derived and Hedrickite-derived denominations do not perform any of them. Still other denominations, such Strangite-derived denominations, practice sealings but reject the washing and anointing, endowment, Referred to as a gift of power from on high by Joseph Smith, the purpose and meaning of the endowment varied during his lifetime. After 1842, the endowment usually consists of two phases, an initiation, and an instructional and testing phase, the initiation consisted of the washing and anointing, culminating in the clothing of the patron in a Garment of the Holy Priesthood. The instructional and testing phase of the endowment consisted of a reenactment of Adam. The instruction is punctuated with personal covenants, gestures, and a circle around an altar. Marriage and sealing, An ordinance where individuals are married and sealed as husband and this ordinance is particularly performed by the LDS Church and branches of Mormon fundamentalism. According to Latter Day Saint theology, ordinances can be performed vicariously on behalf of any person who would desire to accept the ordinance but did not receive it
5.
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
6.
Illinois
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Illinois is a state in the midwestern region of the United States, achieving statehood in 1818. It is the 6th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area, the word Illinois comes from a French rendering of a native Algonquin word. For decades, OHare International Airport has been ranked as one of the worlds busiest airports, Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics. With the War of 1812 Illinois growth slowed as both Native Americans and Canadian forces often raided the American Frontier, mineral finds and timber stands also had spurred immigration—by the 1810s, the Eastern U. S. Railroads arose and matured in the 1840s, and soon carried immigrants to new homes in Illinois, as well as being a resource to ship their commodity crops out to markets. Railroads freed most of the land of Illinois and other states from the tyranny of water transport. By 1900, the growth of jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted a new group of immigrants. Illinois was an important manufacturing center during both world wars, the Great Migration from the South established a large community of African Americans in Chicago, who created the citys famous jazz and blues cultures. Three U. S. presidents have been elected while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, additionally, Ronald Reagan, whose political career was based in California, was the only U. S. president born and raised in Illinois. Today, Illinois honors Lincoln with its official slogan, Land of Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the capital of Springfield. Illinois is the spelling for the early French Catholic missionaries and explorers name for the Illinois Native Americans. American scholars previously thought the name Illinois meant man or men in the Miami-Illinois language and this etymology is not supported by the Illinois language, as the word for man is ireniwa and plural men is ireniwaki. The name Illiniwek has also said to mean tribe of superior men. The name Illinois derives from the Miami-Illinois verb irenwe·wa he speaks the regular way and this was taken into the Ojibwe language, perhaps in the Ottawa dialect, and modified into ilinwe·. The French borrowed these forms, changing the ending to spell it as -ois. The current spelling form, Illinois, began to appear in the early 1670s, the Illinois name for themselves, as attested in all three of the French missionary-period dictionaries of Illinois, was Inoka, of unknown meaning and unrelated to the other terms. American Indians of successive cultures lived along the waterways of the Illinois area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the Koster Site has been excavated and demonstrates 7,000 years of continuous habitation
7.
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
8.
Washing and anointing
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Washing and anointing is a temple ordinance practiced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon fundamentalists as part of the faiths endowment ceremony. It is a ritual for adults, similar to chrismation. The ordinance is performed by the authority of the Melchizedek priesthood by an officiator of the same sex as the participant, in the ritual, a person is sprinkled with water to symbolically wash away the blood and sins of this generation. After the washing, the officiator anoints the person with consecrated oil while declaring blessings upon certain body parts, the officiator then declares that the person is anointed to become a king and priest or a queen and priestess in the afterlife. Once washed and anointed, the participant is dressed in the temple garment, finally, the participant is given a new name which he or she is instructed never to reveal except under certain conditions in the temple. Mormons link the ritual to biblical washings and anointings and this ritual took place beginning on 21 January 1836 in the attic of a printing office. Their bodies were washed with water and anointed with perfume, soon after the temples dedication ceremony on 27 March 1836, about 300 Mormon men participated in a further ritual washing of feet and faces. Several years later, after Mormons moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, on 4–5 May 1842, nine prominent Mormon men were inducted into this endowment ceremony in the upper story of Smiths store. The first woman was inducted into the endowment ceremony on 28 September 1843, then oil from a horn was poured over the head of the participant, usually by another officiator, while similar words were repeated. As part of the ceremony, participants were ordained to become kings, men performed the ritual for men, and women performed the ritual for women. Also, as part of the ceremony, participants were given a new name, originally, the recipient of the washing and anointing was naked during the ceremony. Beginning in the 20th century, recipients were given a white poncho-like shield to wear during the washing and anointing, since 2005, participants in the LDS Church version of the ritual already come clothed in the temple garment and wear it during the washing and anointing. Ritual anointings were a prominent part of religious rites in the biblical world, recipients of the anointing included temple officiants, prophets, and kings. In addition, sacral objects associated with the Israelite sanctuary were anointed, of equal importance in the religion of the Israelites were ablutions. To ensure religious purity, Mosaic law required that individuals receive a ritual washing. The washings and anointings of the period have a parallel today in the LDS Church. The rites are in many similar in purpose to ancient Israelite practice. These modern LDS rites are performed only in temples set apart and dedicated for sacred purposes, the ordinances are mostly symbolic in nature, but promising definite, immediate blessings as well as future blessings, contingent upon continued righteous living
9.
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
10.
Red Brick Store
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The Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois, was a building that was constructed and owned by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith constructed the Red Brick Store in 1841, the building became a center of economic, political, religious, and social activity among the Latter Day Saints. In addition to being a store, the second floor of the building also served as the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for a period of time. Members would visit the store to pay their tithing and other offerings to the church, after Joseph Smith was killed and the majority of Latter Day Saints left Nauvoo, the Red Brick Store fell into disrepair. Eventually, it was torn down and the bricks were used to new buildings in Nauvoo. In 1980, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints rebuilt the Red Brick Store on the foundation as part of its 1980 sesquicentennial celebrations. Today, the Red Brick Store is owned and operated as a tourist attraction by the Community of Christ, the Store sells goods that are similar to the kind that were sold in the Store in the 1840s. Council House Endowment House Anointed Quorum Plano Stone Church Robert T. Bray, archaeological Investigations at the Joseph Smith Red Brick Store, Nauvoo, Illinois Roger D. Launius and F. Mark McKiernan. Joseph Smith, Jr. s Red Brick Store ISBN 99966-62-69-1 Media related to Red Brick Store at Wikimedia Commons Joseph Smiths Red Brick Store, official website for Community of Christ tourist attraction
11.
First Presidency
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Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency is the highest presiding or governing body. And the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, when the Church of Christ was organized on April 6,1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery led the church in their capacity as elders. Smith established the inaugural First Presidency on March 8,1832, with the ordinations of Jesse Gause, the term first presidency, though used at least as early as 1834, did not become standard until 1838. In the LDS Church, the First Presidency is the presiding and it usually consists of the President of the Church and two counselors, although up to eight counselors have on occasion been included in the presidency at the same time. The counselors assist the president and work closely with him in guiding the entire church. Eyring, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, all members of the First Presidency are sustained by the membership of the church as prophets, seers, and revelators. Any worthy high priest within the church may serve as a counselor in the First Presidency, charles W. Nibley, for example, was a counselor to Heber J. Grant without ever being ordained to the priesthood office of apostle. In the case of a president, his counselors may be called upon to perform more of his duties. If needed, any number of additional counselors may be called to assist them, Counselors serve in the First Presidency until their own deaths, until the death of the church president who called them, or until they are released by the church president. The death of a church president dissolves the First Presidency, the death or release of a counselor does not dissolve the First Presidency. On the death or release of a first counselor, the second counselor usually succeeds, although this is a fairly common occurrence, there are no hard and fast rules about such practices and each president is free to choose the counselors he prefers. The First Presidency is the highest leadership or priesthood quorum of the Community of Christ, normally the First Presidency consists of the Prophet-President of the church and two counselors. In 1860 with the reorganization of the First Presidency, Joseph Smith III became the second Prophet-President of this church, william Marks became Smiths First Counselor. The First Presidency of Community of Christ differs from the First Presidency of the LDS Church, in the Community of Christ, each new church president has generally been designated as the successor by God through revelation received by the preceding church president. The Counselors in the First Presidency are then chosen by the president and are occasionally. The two members who were counselors to the Prophet-President, cease to be counselors during this time, members of the First Presidency are not generally considered to be members of the Council of Twelve Apostles or holding the priesthood office of apostle, regardless of previous calling. Prior to 1996, all prophet-presidents were descendants of the movements founder and this pattern was broken by Wallace B. Smith, who designated W. Grant McMurray church president, McMurray, in turn, resigned the church presidency in 2004 without designating a successor
12.
Death of Joseph Smith
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The assassination of Joseph Smith on June 27,1844, marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois and he was killed while jailed in Carthage, Illinois, on charges relating to his ordering the destruction of facilities producing the Nauvoo Expositor. The newspaper had reported that Smith was practicing polygamy and claimed that he intended to set himself up as a theocratic king, Smith voluntarily surrendered to the authorities at the county seat at Carthage to face the charges against him. While he was in jail awaiting trial, a mob of men with painted faces stormed the jail, they shot and killed him. Since then, Latter Day Saints generally view the two men as religious martyrs, five men were indicted for their murders but were acquitted at a jury trial. The Mormons began to move into Hancock County in 1839, at the time, after their people were expelled from Missouri, Joseph Smith went to Washington, DC and met with President Martin Van Buren, seeking intervention and compensation for lost property. Van Buren said he could do nothing to help, after returning to Illinois, Smith vowed to join the Whig Party. Most of his supporters switched with him, adding political tensions to the suspicions in which this group were held. Several of Smiths disaffected associates at Nauvoo and Hancock County, Illinois and its first and only issue was published June 7,1844. Based on allegations by some of associates, the newspaper reported that Smith practiced polygamy. It said that he tried to marry wives of some of his associates, about eight of Smiths wives had already been married to other men at the time they married Smith. Typically, these continued to live with their first husband. Some accounts say Smith may have had relations with one wife. The reliability of sources is disputed by some Latter Day Saints. DNA investigations performed to date have consistently shown that Smith was not the father of children thought to be his based on written and they reached this decision after lengthy discussion, including citation of William Blackstones legal canon, which defined a libelous press as a public nuisance. Under the councils new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoos mayor, in conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the paper, by the city marshals account, the destruction of the press type was carried out orderly and peaceably. However, Charles A. Foster, a co-publisher of the Expositor, reported on June 12 that not only was the press destroyed. Smiths critics said that the action of destroying the press violated freedom of the press, some sought legal charges against Smith for the destruction of the press, including charges of treason and inciting riot
13.
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
14.
Nauvoo Temple
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The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The churchs first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States, when the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois, in the winter of 1846, the church attempted to sell the building, finally succeeding in 1848. The building was damaged by fire and a tornado before being demolished, in 1937, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reacquired the lot on which the original temple had stood. In 2000, the church began to build a temple on the original site whose exterior is a replica of the first temple, but whose interior is laid out like a modern Latter-day Saint temple. On 27 June 2002, a date that coincided with the 158th anniversary of the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the Latter Day Saints made preparations to build a temple soon after establishing their headquarters at Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1839. On 6 April 1841, the cornerstone was laid under the direction of Joseph Smith. At its base the building was 128 feet long and 88 feet wide with a tower and weather vane reaching to a total height of 165 feet —a 60% increase over the dimensions of the Kirtland Temple. Like Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple contained two assembly halls, one on the first floor and one on the second, called the lower and upper courts, both had classrooms and offices in the attic. Unlike Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple had a basement which housed a baptismal font. Because the Saints had to abandon Nauvoo, the building was not entirely completed, the basement with its font was finished, as were the first floor assembly hall and the attic. When these parts of the building were completed they were used for performing ordinances or for worship services, the Nauvoo Temple was designed in the Greek Revival style by architect William Weeks, under the direction of Joseph Smith. Weeks design made use of distinctively Latter Day Saint motifs, including Sunstones, Moonstones and it is often mistakenly thought that these stones represent the Three Degrees of Glory in the Latter Day Saint conception of the afterlife, but the stones appear in the wrong order. Instead, Wandle Mace, foreman for the framework of the Nauvoo Temple, has explained that the design of the temple was meant to be “a representation of the Church, the Bride, the Lamb’s wife”. In this regard Mace references John’s statement in Revelation 12,1 concerning the “woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. ”This explains why the Starstones are at the top of the temple, the Sunstones in the middle and the Moonstones at the bottom. Construction was only half complete at the Death of Joseph Smith in 1844, after a succession crisis, Brigham Young was sustained as the churchs leader by the majority of Latter Day Saints in Nauvoo. During the winter of 1845-46, the temple began to be used for additional ordinances, including the Nauvoo-era endowment, sealings in marriage, the Nauvoo Temple was in use for less than three months. Most of the Latter Day Saints left Nauvoo, beginning in February 1846, once the first floor was finished with pulpits and benches, the building was finally dedicated in private services on 30 April 1846, and in public services on 1 May. Initially the churchs agents tried to lease the structure, first to the Catholic Church, when this failed, they attempted to sell the temple, asking up to $200,000, but this effort also met with no success
15.
Mormonism and polygamy
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The Latter-day Saints practice of polygamy has been controversial, both within Western society and the LDS Church itself. America was both fascinated and horrified by the practice of polygamy, with the Republican platform at one time referencing the twin relics of barbarism—polygamy, the private practice of polygamy was instituted in the 1830s by founder Joseph Smith. In 1862, the United States Congress passed the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, in spite of the law, Mormons continued to practice polygamy, believing that it was protected by the First Amendment. In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff issued a Manifesto that officially terminated the practice of polygamy. Although this Manifesto did not dissolve existing plural marriages, relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, on its web site, the church states that the standard doctrine of the church is monogamy and that polygamy was a temporary exception to the rule. Many early converts, including Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, and Lyman Johnson, Pratt reported that Smith told some early members in 1831 and 1832 that plural marriage was a true principle, but that the time to practise it had not yet come. Johnson also claimed to have heard the doctrine from Smith in 1831, mosiah Hancock reported that his father was taught about plural marriage in the spring of 1832. William Clayton, Smiths scribe, recorded polygamous marriages in 1843. Clayton relates, On the 1st day of May,1843, I officiated in the office of an Elder by marrying Lucy Walker to the Prophet Joseph Smith, during this period the Prophet Joseph took several other wives. Amongst the number I well remember Eliza Partridge, Emily Partridge, Sarah Ann Whitney, Helen Kimball and these all, he acknowledged to me, were his lawful, wedded wives, according to the celestial order. His wife Emma was cognizant of the fact of some, if not all, of these being his wives, the majority of what became the Quorum of the Twelve in 1835 attended Mormon conferences held in the center of the Cochranites in 1834 and 1835. Joseph Smith publicly condemned polygamy, denied his involvement in it, but church leaders nevertheless began practicing polygamy in the 1840s, particularly members of the Quorum of the Twelve. At the time, the practice was kept secret from non-members, throughout his life, Smith publicly denied having multiple wives. However, John C. Bennett was called to account by Joseph and Hyrum Smith, in April 1844, Joseph Smith referred to polygamy as John C. The practice was publicly announced in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, in 1852, some five years after the Mormons arrived in Utah, the doctrine authorizing plural marriage was published in the 1876 version of the LDS Churchs Doctrine and Covenants. The 1843 polygamy revelation, published posthumously, counseled Smiths wife Emma to accept all of Smiths plural wives, Emma Smith was publicly and privately opposed to the practice and Joseph may have married some women without Emma knowing beforehand. Emma Smith remained affiliated with the RLDS Church until her death at the age of 74, Emma Smith claimed that the very first time she ever became aware of the 1843 polygamy revelation was when she read about it in Orson Pratts publication The Seer in 1853. There is a difference between sealing, and marriage
16.
Almon W. Babbitt
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Almon Whiting Babbitt was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Mormon pioneer, and the first secretary and treasurer of the Territory of Utah. He was killed in a raid by Cheyenne Native Americans in Nebraska Territory while travelling on government business between Utah and Washington, D. C, Babbitt was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts. He graduated from Ohio State University at Cincinnati and became licensed to practice law in six states and he married Julia Ann Johnson on 23 November 1833 and is thought to have joined the Latter Day Saint church sometime in 1833. In 1834, he was a member of Zions Camp, and on 28 February 1835 he was ordained as one of the first seventies in the church by Joseph Smith, in 1837 and 1838, Babbitt was a missionary for the church in Upper Canada. He attempted to move to Missouri in 1838 but was among the Latter Day Saints who were out by unfriendly residents, eventually settling in Nauvoo. At a conference of the church in May 1839, Babbitt, in 1841, Babbitt was appointed as the president of the churchs Kirtland Stake, where he was charged with shepherding the Latter Day Saints who did not have the financial resources to move to Nauvoo. In 1843, Babbitts tenure ended in Kirtland and he began practicing law in Nauvoo. While in Nauvoo, Babbitt was also selected by Joseph Smith, in 1844, Babbitt was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. In February 1846, Babbitt, Joseph L. Heywood and John S. Fullmer were together given charge over the affairs of the church in Nauvoo after the departure of the church apostles. After the Battle of Nauvoo in September 1846, Babbitt and the two men signed the treaty that surrendered the city of Nauvoos charter. In 1848, Babbitt emigrated to Utah Territory to join the gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Utah, Babbitt, a Democrat, became involved in politics. In 1849, he was selected by the provisional General Assembly of the State of Deseret to travel to Washington, D. C. instead, the federal government created the Territory of Utah and in 1853 Babbitt was appointed secretary and treasurer of the territory. In this position, Babbitt had frequent clashes with Brigham Young, the territorial governor and these clashes have been attributed in part to Babbitts tendency to view himself as a representative of the United States federal government rather than an enabler of Youngs pro-LDS Church policies. Babbitt led a company of Mormon pioneers to Utah in 1851, in addition to his clashes with Brigham Young, Babbitt was involved in a number of conflicts with Latter Day Saint leaders from his early days in the church. On 19 August 1835, Babbitt brought before the high council on charges that included not keeping the Word of Wisdom. The council reproved him and instructed him to observe the Word of Wisdom, on 28 December 1835, Joseph Smith, Jr. submitted a complaint before the churchs high council that Babbitt had been misrepresenting him to a number of Latter Day Saints. Babbitt claimed that Smith was angry with him because he had bested him in a debate, the council decided that Babbitt had spoken falsehoods against Smith, Babbitt confessed that he had done wrong, but refused to confess that he had lied, and the matter was closed. Later, Babbitt was disfellowshipped from the four separate times, in 1839,1841,1843, and 1851
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Utah Territory
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The creation of the territory was part of the Compromise of 1850 that sought to preserve the balance of power between slave and free states. The creation of the Utah Territory was partially the result of the petition sent by the Mormon pioneers who had settled in the valley of the Great Salt Lake starting in 1847. S. The Mormon settlers had drafted a constitution in 1849 and Deseret had become the de facto government in the Great Basin by the time of the creation of the Utah Territory. Following the organization of the territory, Young was inaugurated as its first governor on February 3,1851, in the first session of the territorial legislature in September, the legislature adopted all the laws and ordinances previously enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Deseret. In 1861, partly as a result of this, the Nevada Territory was created out of the part of the territory. Non-Mormons also entered the easternmost part of the territory during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, in 1861 a large portion of the eastern area of the territory was reorganized as part of the newly created Colorado Territory. Territories that encompassed land that would become part of the Territory of Utah, Mexican Cession,1848 State of Deseret
18.
Louisa Beaman
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Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, taught and practiced polygamy during his ministry, and married multiple women during his lifetime. During his lifetime, Smith and the quorums of his church publicly denied he taught or practiced it. In 1852, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledged that Smith had practiced plural marriage, the first publication of a list of women alleged to be Smiths plural wives was in 1887, by Andrew Jenson, an assistant church historian of the LDS Church. It included 27 women besides Emma Smith, currently, historians disagree as to the number and identity of the plural wives which Smith had. Various scholars and historians, including Fawn M. Brodie, George D. Smith, the discrepancy is created by the lack of documents to support some of the alleged marriages. As Compton has stated, for many of these marriages, absolutely nothing is known of marriage after the ceremony, apart from his marriage to Emma, Smiths marriages were not solemnized under any civil authority and were therefore solely religious unions. Research by LDS researcher Ugo A. Perego has shown that a number of children of Smiths alleged polygamous relationships were not his genetic offspring, the LDS Church and Joseph Smiths Polygamy. Media related to Wives of Joseph Smith, Jr. at Wikimedia Commons
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Media related to Members of the Anointed Quorum at Wikimedia Commons