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118-528: The denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement are sometimes collectively referred to as Mormonism . One source estimated over 400 denominations have sprung from founder Joseph Smith 's original movement. Mormon is an informal term used especially when referring to the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and other offshoots in

236-503: A Christian primitivist church, called the "Church of Christ ". The Book of Mormon attracted hundreds of early followers, who later became known as " Mormons ", "Latter Day Saints", or just "Saints". In 1831, Smith moved the church headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio , and in 1838 changed its name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". After the church in Ohio collapsed due to a financial crisis and dissensions, in 1838, Smith and

354-507: A Great Apostasy began in Christianity not long after the ascension of Jesus , marked with the corruption of Christian doctrine by Greek and other philosophies, and followers dividing into different ideological groups. Additionally, Latter Day Saints claim the martyrdom of the apostles led to a loss of priesthood authority to administer the church and its ordinances . According to Latter Day Saint churches, God re-established

472-634: A U.S. state . This change resulted in the formation of several small sects that sought to maintain polygamy and other 19th-century doctrines and practices, now referred to as " Mormon fundamentalism ". 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 Smith's later teachings. The largest of these, Community of Christ (known previously as

590-872: A marble statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol , donated by the State of Utah in 1950; and a statue atop the This is the Place Monument in Salt Lake City. Young believed in the racial superiority of white men. His manuscript history from January 5, 1852, which was published in the Deseret News , reads: The negro … should serve the seed of Abraham; he should not be

708-667: A common ancestry and basic beliefs that are different from groups sharing other provenances. The present article, in a similar fashion, distinguishes among groups of denominations by use of commonly understood names such as Mormon fundamentalist or else by short descriptions that often reference a founder of the first church within a factional group–for example, Joseph Smith III in reference to Community of Christ as well as various churches and factions that trace their origin to it. Joseph Smith's original church, and those bodies which broke with him during his lifetime. The original organization, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, later called

826-412: A complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express the doctrines of Mormonism using standard biblical terminology, and claim to have similar views about the nature of Jesus ' atonement , resurrection , and Second Coming as traditional Christianity . Nevertheless, Mormons agree with non-Mormons that their view of God is significantly different from the trinitarian view of

944-468: A family of children for him, and it is a great trial to me for him to have more women;' then I say it is time that you gave him up to other women who will bear children." Young believed that sexual desire was given by God to ensure the perpetuation of humankind and believed sex should be confined to marriage. One of the more controversial teachings of Young during the Mormon Reformation was

1062-599: A gold mint in 1849 and called for the minting of coins using gold dust that had been accumulated from travelers during the Gold Rush. The mint was closed in 1861 by Alfred Cumming , gubernatorial successor to Young. Young also organized a board of regents to establish a university in the Salt Lake Valley. It was established on February 28, 1850, as the University of Deseret; its name was eventually changed to

1180-700: A means to salvation. However, beginning with his accounts of the First Vision in the 1830s and 1840s, Smith—who said that Christ had told him not to join any existing church—departed significantly from traditional Christianity, claiming all churches of his day were part of a Great Apostasy that had lost the authority to direct Christ's church. Mormonism does not characterize itself as a Protestant religion, as Smith taught that he had received revelation direct from Christ to restore his original church. Mormons believe that God, through Smith and his successors, restored these truths and doctrinal clarifications, and, initiating

1298-690: A member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . On May 4, 1835, Young and other apostles went on a mission to the east coast, specifically in Pennsylvania and New York. His call was to preach to the "remnants of Joseph", a term people in the church used to refer to indigenous people. In August 1835, Young and the rest of the Quorum of the Twelve issued a testimony in support of the divine origin of

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1416-511: A mission to raise funds for the Nauvoo temple and its guesthouse. Young's six-year-old daughter Mary Ann died while he was on this mission. On November 22, 1843, Young and his wife Mary Ann received the second anointing , a ritual that assured them that their salvation and exaltation would occur. In March 1844, Brigham Young was an inaugural member of the Council of Fifty , which later organized

1534-569: A new First Presidency with Young as president of the church. A church conference held in Iowa sustained Young and his First Presidency on December 27, 1847. Not all church members followed Young. Rigdon became the president of a separate church organization based in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, and several other potential successors emerged to lead what became other denominations of the movement. Before departing Nauvoo, Young focused on completing

1652-646: A new heavenly dispensation, restored the original church and Christianity taught by Jesus. For example, Smith rejected the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity as of one body and substance, with no "body, parts, or passions", and instead taught that the Godhead included God, the Eternal Father, also known as Elohim ; his only-begotten son in the flesh, Jesus Christ, also known as Jehovah , the savior and redeemer of

1770-523: A non-Mormon governor. Buchanan accepted the reports of the Runaway Officials without any further investigation, and the new non-sectarian governor was appointed and sent to the new territory accompanied by 2,500 soldiers. When Young received word in July that federal troops were headed to Utah with his replacement, he called out his militia to ambush the federal force using delaying tactics. During

1888-403: A ruler, nor vote for men to rule over me nor my brethren. The Constitution of Deseret is silent upon this, we meant it should be so. The seed of Canaan cannot hold any office, civil or ecclesiastical. … The decree of God that Canaan should be a servant of servants unto his brethren (i.e., Shem and Japhet [sic]) is in full force. The day will come when the seed of Canaan will be redeemed and have all

2006-739: A small house adjacent to a pail factory, which was Young's main place of employment at the time. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born on September 26, 1825. According to William Hayden, Young participated in the Bucksville Forensic and Oratorical Society. Young converted to the Reformed Methodist Church in 1824 after studying the Bible. Upon joining the Methodists, he insisted on being baptized by immersion rather than by their normal practice of sprinkling . In 1828,

2124-411: A spokesman and that the twelve apostles, not Rigdon, had "the fullness of the priesthood" necessary to succeed Smith's leadership. Young claimed access to revelation to know God's choice of successor because of his position as an apostle. The majority of attendants voted that the Quorum of the Twelve was to lead the church. Many of Young's followers stated in reminiscent accounts (the earliest in 1850 and

2242-518: A thorough reform." Large gatherings and meetings during this period were conducted by Young and Grant, and Young played a key role in the circulation of the Mormon Reformation with his emphasis on plural marriage , rebaptism , and passionate preaching and oration. It was during this period that the controversial doctrine of blood atonement was occasionally preached by Young, though it was repudiated in 1889 and never practiced by members of

2360-468: A way that sheds blood. The LDS Church has formally repudiated the doctrine as early as 1889 and multiple times since the days of Young. Young is generally considered to have instituted a church ban against conferring the priesthood on men of black African descent, who had generally been treated equally to white men in this respect under Smith's presidency. After settling in Utah in 1848, Young announced

2478-572: A widow named Hannah Brown and sent Young off to learn a trade. Young moved to Auburn, New York , where he was an apprentice to John C. Jeffries. He worked as a carpenter , glazier , and painter . One of the homes that Young helped paint in Auburn belonged to Elijah Miller and later to William Seward , and is now a local museum . With the onset of the Panic of 1819 , Jeffries dismissed Young from his apprenticeship, and Young moved to Port Byron , which

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2596-550: Is believed that he died of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix . His last words were "Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!", invoking the name of the late Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. On September 2, 1877, Young's funeral was held in the Tabernacle with an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people in attendance. He is buried on the grounds of the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument in

2714-466: Is by far the largest and most well-known Latter Day Saint church. It is colloquially referred to as the "Mormon Church". The Church prefers to be called by its full title or by the shorthand "Church of Jesus Christ" to emphasize its worship of Jesus Christ and to distance itself from the phrase "Mormon", which has derogatory origins. Churches that believe they are strictly following the revelations and teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, including

2832-510: Is disputed. Leonard J. Arrington reports that Young received a rider at his office on the day of the massacre, and that when he learned of the contemplated attack by members of the church in Parowan and Cedar City, he sent back a letter directing that the Fancher party be allowed to pass through the territory unmolested. Young's letter reportedly arrived on September 13, 1857, two days after

2950-448: Is that Mormonism is a form of Christianity, but is distinct enough from traditional Christianity so as to form a new religious tradition, much as Christianity has roots in but is a distinct religion from Judaism. The Mormonism that originated with Smith in the 1820s shared strong similarities with some elements of 19th-century Protestant Christianity including the necessity of baptism, emphasis on family, and central doctrine on Christ as

3068-533: Is the longest-serving president of the LDS Church to date, having served for 29 years. During time as prophet and governor, Young encouraged bishops to establish grade schools for their congregations, which would be supported by volunteer work and tithing payments . Young viewed education as a process of learning how to make the Kingdom of God a reality on earth, and at the core of his "philosophy of education"

3186-624: The Nauvoo Expositor , and formed their own church . The city council of Nauvoo, Illinois , led by Smith, subsequently had the printing press of the Expositor destroyed. In spite of Smith's later offer to pay damages for destroyed property, critics of Smith and the church considered the destruction heavy-handed. Some called for the Latter Day Saints to be either expelled or destroyed. Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum,

3304-509: The Adam–God doctrine . According to Young, he was taught by Smith that Adam is "our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do". According to the doctrine, Adam was once a mortal man who became resurrected and exalted . From another planet, Adam brought Eve , one of his wives, with him to the earth, where they became mortal by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After bearing mortal children and establishing

3422-486: The Assistant President of the Church , were both killed by a mob while in a Carthage, Illinois jail , and several individuals within the church claimed to be the senior surviving authority and appointed successors. 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

3540-647: The Church of the Latter-Day Saints and then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . Other small churches formed on the basis of disagreements with Smith prior to his murder in 1844 (including church established by William Law within 1844), all of which are now defunct. Sometimes called "Rocky Mountain Saints," "Brighamites," or "Mormons", tracing their leadership or influence through Brigham Young . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

3658-495: The Community of Christ , consider Young the "Father of Mormon Polygamy". In 1853, Young made the church's first official statement on the subject since the church had arrived in Utah. Young acknowledged that the doctrine was challenging for many women, but stated its necessity for creating large families, proclaiming: "But the first wife will say, 'It is hard, for I have lived with my husband twenty years, or thirty, and have raised

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3776-602: The Doctrine and Covenants . He oversaw the finishing of the Kirtland temple and spoke in tongues at its dedication in 1836. Shortly afterwards, Young went on another mission with his brother Joseph to New York and New England. On this mission, he visited the family of his aunt, Rhoda Howe Richards. They converted to the church, including his cousin Willard Richards . In August 1837, Young went on another mission to

3894-741: The First Presidency . Emma Hale Smith failed to persuade William Marks , the president of the Presiding High Council and a Rigdon supporter, to assume leadership and the surviving members of Smith's immediate family remained unaffiliated with any larger body until 1860, when they formed the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with Joseph's eldest son Joseph Smith III as prophet. These various groups are sometimes referred to under two geographical headings: "Prairie Saints" (those that remained in

4012-477: The Kirtland Temple and went to a grammar school. His third child and first son, Joseph A. Young , was born shortly after his return. Mary Ann, who was pregnant at the time, had provided for Young's two daughters and the children of her brother Solomon Angell and their friend Lorenzo Booth while Young was away with Zion's Camp. At a conference on February 14, 1835, Brigham Young was named and ordained

4130-596: The Latter Day Saint movement —Eleazer Miller, Elial Strong, Alpheus Gifford, Enos Curtis, and Daniel Bowen—came from the branch of the church in Columbia, Pennsylvania , to preach in Mendon. A key element of the teachings of this group in Young's eyes was their practicing of spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and prophecy. This was partly experienced when Young traveled with his wife, Miriam, and Heber C. Kimball to visit

4248-510: The Midwest and East. These terms do not necessarily relate the current geographical locations of all denominations within those two groupings, but rather the original location of their respective parent organizations, which may be seen in the table below. Another method uses provenance: for instance, all denominations that ultimately trace their history back to the LDS Church based in Utah, are organized as one factional group. Divergent Paths of

4366-706: The Midwest United States ); and "Rocky Mountain Saints" (those who followed Young to what would later become the state of Utah). Today, the vast majority (over 98 percent) of Latter Day Saints belong to the LDS Church, which reports over 16 million members worldwide. The second-largest denomination is the Missouri-based Community of Christ, which reports 252,000 members. Small denominations that trace their origins to Rigdon, James Strang , or other associates of Smith's still exist, and several fundamentalist sects which separated from

4484-704: The New York Tribune that he considered slavery a "divine institution   ... not to be abolished". In 1856, Young organized an efficient mail service known as the Brigham Young Express and Carrying Company, which transported mail and passengers between Missouri and California. In 1858, following the events of the Utah War and Mountain Meadows Massacre , he stepped down to his gubernatorial successor, Alfred Cumming . Young

4602-642: The Nicene Creed of the 4th century. Mormons consider the Bible as scripture and have also adopted additional scriptures. These include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants , and Pearl of Great Price , although not all denominations use all books as part of their scriptures. Mormons not only practice baptism and celebrate the eucharist but also participate in religious rituals not practiced in traditional Christianity. Focusing on differences, some Christians consider Mormonism "non-Christian"; members of

4720-528: The Salt Lake Valley , which was then part of Mexico. Young organized the journey that would take the Mormon pioneers to Winter Quarters, Nebraska , in 1846, before continuing on to the Salt Lake Valley. By the time Young arrived at the final destination, it had come under American control as a result of war with Mexico , although U.S. sovereignty would not be confirmed until 1848 . Young arrived in

4838-738: The United Order of Enoch . Young was also involved in the organization of the Salt Lake Gas Works, the Salt Lake Water Works, an insurance company, a bank, and the ZCMI store in downtown Salt Lake City. In 1873, he announced that he would step down as president of the Deseret National Bank and of ZCMI, as well as from his role as trustee-in-trust for the church. He cited as his reason for this that he

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4956-509: The University of Utah . In 1849, Young arranged for a printing press to be brought to the Salt Lake Valley, which was later used to print the Deseret News periodical. In 1851, Young and several federal officials—including territorial Secretary Broughton Harris —became unable to work cooperatively. Within months, Harris and the others departed their Utah appointments without replacements being named, and their posts remained unfilled for

5074-1133: The early Christian church as found in the New Testament through Joseph Smith. In particular, Latter Day Saints believe that angels such as Peter , James , John , and John the Baptist appeared to Smith and others and bestowed various priesthood authorities on them. Thus, Smith and his successors are considered modern prophets who receive revelation from God to guide the church.     * ^  Membership worldwide; generally church-reported; with an occasional exception     ^ Once larger [REDACTED] Media related to Latter Day Saints at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] The dictionary definition of Latter-Day Saint at Wiktionary [REDACTED] Works related to Category:Mormons at Wikisource [REDACTED] Quotations related to Category:Latter Day Saints at Wikiquote Brigham Young Brigham Young ( / ˈ b r ɪ ɡ əm / BRIG -əm ; June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877)

5192-569: The "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"), was formed in Illinois in 1860 by several groups uniting around Smith's son, Joseph Smith III . The founder of the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, and to a lesser extent, during the movement's first two years, Oliver Cowdery . Throughout his life, Smith told of an experience he had as a boy having seen God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings, who told him that

5310-495: The "latter days", before the Second Coming of Christ , and is used to distinguish the members of the church, which considers itself the restoration of the ancient Christian church. Members are therefore often referred to as " Latter-day Saints " or "LDS", and among themselves, "saints". The Latter Day Saint movement classifies itself within Christianity, but as a distinct restored dispensation . Latter Day Saints hold that

5428-693: The 30 years between the Mormons' arrival in Utah in 1847 and [his death in] 1877, Young directed the founding of 350 towns in the Southwest. Thereby the Mormons became the most important single agency in colonizing that vast arid West between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada . Memorials to Young include a bronze statue in front of the Abraham O. Smoot Administration Building, Brigham Young University;

5546-423: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 250,000 in Community of Christ , and several other denominations with memberships generally ranging in the thousands of members. The predominant theology of the churches in the movement is Mormonism , which sees itself as restoring again on Earth the early Christian church ; their members are most commonly known as Mormons . An additional doctrine of

5664-542: The Eastern seaboard. During his time in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith introduced the doctrine of plural marriage among church leaders. Young performed the sealing ordinances for two of Joseph Smith's plural wives in early 1842. Young proposed marriage to Martha Brotherton, who was seventeen years old at the time and had recently immigrated from Manchester, England. Brotherton signed an affidavit saying that she had been pressured by Young and then Smith to accept polygamy. The affidavit

5782-643: The Kimball family later that summer. Here he became acquainted with Mary Ann Angell , a convert to the faith from Rhode Island , and the two were married in February 1834 and obtained a marriage certificate on March 31, 1834. In May 1834, Young became a member of Zion's Camp and traveled to Missouri. He returned to Kirtland with members of the camp in August. After his return to Kirtland, Young did carpentry, painting, and glazing work to earn money. He also worked on

5900-540: The LDS Church after it rejected plural marriage in 1890 claim tens of thousands of members. Most members of Latter Day Saint churches are adherents to Mormonism , a theology based on Joseph Smith's later teachings and further developed by Brigham Young, James Strang and others who claimed to be Smith's successors. The term Mormon derives from the Book of Mormon , and most of these adherents refer to themselves as Latter Day Saints or Mormons. Mormonism and Christianity have

6018-510: The LDS Church, focusing on similarities, are offended at being so characterized. Mormons do not accept non-Mormon baptism. Mormons regularly proselytize individuals actually or nominally within the Christian tradition, and some Christians, especially evangelicals , proselytize Mormons. The LDS Church has a formal missionary program with nearly 70,000 missionaries, with 15 training centers and 407 missions worldwide. A prominent scholarly view

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6136-675: The Latter-day Saints can receive a good education unmixed with the pernicious atheistic influences that are found in so many of the higher schools of the country." The school broke off from the University of Deseret and became Brigham Young Academy in 1876 under the leadership of Karl G. Maeser , and was the precursor to Brigham Young University . Within the church, Young reorganized the Relief Society for women in 1867 and created organizations for young women in 1869 and young men in 1875. The Young Women organization

6254-410: The Lord was. According to Young, the matter was beyond his personal control and was divinely determined rather than historically or personally as many assumed. Young taught that the day would come when black men would again have the priesthood, saying that after "all the other children of Adam have the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from

6372-413: The Mormon exodus from Nauvoo. In 1844, Young traveled east again to solicit votes for Joseph Smith in his presidential campaign . In June 1844, while Young was away, Joseph Smith was killed by an armed mob who stormed the jail where he was awaiting trial for the charge of treason. Young did not learn of the assassination until early July. Several claimants to fill the leadership vacuum emerged during

6490-415: The Mormon pioneers, in an exodus through a desert, to what they saw as a promised land. Young was dubbed by his followers the "Lion of the Lord" for his bold personality and commonly was called "Brother Brigham" by Latter-day Saints . A century after Young's death, historian Rodman W. Paul wrote, [Joseph Smith] was succeeded by one of the outstanding organizers of the 19th century, Brigham Young. If

6608-446: The Native Americans. Young was also one of the first to subscribe to Union Pacific stock, for the construction of the First transcontinental railroad . He also authorized the construction of the Utah Central railroad line, which connected Salt Lake City to the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad. Young organized the first Utah Territorial Legislature and established Fillmore as the territory's first capital. Young established

6726-440: The Nauvoo city council in 1841 and oversaw the first baptisms for the dead in the unfinished Nauvoo temple. He joined the Masons in Nauvoo on April 7, 1842, and participated in an early endowment ritual led by Joseph Smith that May and became part of the Anointed Quorum . Young and the other apostles directed the church's missionary work and the immigration of new converts from this point forward. Young served another mission to

6844-478: The Nauvoo temple. After the exterior was completed on December 10, 1845, members received their temple endowments day and night, and Young officiated many of these sessions. An estimated 5,000 members were endowed between December 10, 1845, and February 1846. With the repealing of Nauvoo's charter in January 1845, church members in Nauvoo lost their courts, police, and militia, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by mobs. Young instructed victims of anti-Mormon violence on

6962-403: The Reformed Methodist Church and become a Christian seeker, unconvinced that he had found a church possessing the true authority of Jesus Christ . Sometime in 1830, Young was introduced to the Book of Mormon by way of a copy that his brother, Phineas Howe, had obtained from Samuel H. Smith . Young did not immediately accept the divine claims of the Book of Mormon. In 1831, five missionaries of

7080-422: The Restoration —a reference work on this subject—follows this approach. In such studies, and in general Latter Day Saint parlance, the -ite -suffixed terms Josephite and Brighamite have been used for the Missouri-based Community of Christ and the Utah-based LDS Church, respectively; these terms have sometimes been used to distinguish groups of denominations as well. Those denominations within each group share

7198-471: The Salt Lake Temple was under construction. The majority of Young's teachings are contained in the 19 volumes of transcribed and edited sermons in the Journal of Discourses . The LDS Church's Doctrine and Covenants contains one section from Young that has been canonized as scripture, added in 1876. Though polygamy was practiced by Young's predecessor, Joseph Smith, the practice is often associated with Young. Some Latter Day Saint denominations, such as

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7316-498: The Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, a date now recognized as Pioneer Day in Utah. Two days after their arrival, Young and the Twelve Apostles climbed the peak just north of the city and raised the American flag, calling it the "Ensign of Liberty". Among Young's first acts upon arriving in the valley were the naming of the city as "The City of the Great Salt Lake" and its organization into blocks of ten acres, each divided into eight equal-sized lots. On August 7, Young suggested that

7434-487: The Salt Lake Valley, Young designated the location for the Salt Lake Temple ; he presided over its groundbreaking years later on April 6, 1853. During his tenure, Young oversaw construction of the Salt Lake Tabernacle and announced plans to build the St. George (1871), Manti (1875), and Logan (1877) temples. He also provisioned the building of the Endowment House , a "temporary temple", which began to be used in 1855 to provide temple ordinances to church members while

7552-409: The Territory, preaching to Latter-day Saint communities and settlements with the goal of inspiring them to reject sin and turn towards spiritual things. As part of the Reformation, almost all "active" or involved LDS Church members were rebaptized as a symbol of their commitment. At a church meeting on September 21, 1856, Brigham Young stated: "We need a reformation in the midst of this people; we need

7670-412: The United Kingdom. There, he showed a talent for organizing the church's work and maintaining good relationships with Joseph Smith and the other apostles. Under his leadership, members in the United Kingdom began publishing Millennial Star , a hymnal, and a new edition of the Book of Mormon. Young also served in various leadership and community organization roles among church members in Nauvoo. He joined

7788-673: The [historical] RLDS Church, in a direct line of succession from those who dissented following doctrinal changes roughly coinciding with the church's name change to Community of Christ. The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and related churches tracing their leadership through Granville Hedrick . Churches tracing their leadership through Sidney Rigdon or William Bickerton . The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) and related churches tracing their leadership through Alpheus Cutler . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) and related churches tracing their leadership through James Strang . Other "Prairie Saint" branches of

7906-449: The alphabet was used in two Deseret News articles, two elementary readers, and in a translation of the Book of Mormon . By 1870, it had all but disappeared from use. Young was involved in temple building throughout his membership in the LDS Church, making it a priority during his time as church president. Under Smith's leadership, Young participated in the building of the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples. Just four days after arriving in

8024-400: The ban, which also forbade blacks from participating in Mormon temple rites such as the endowment or sealings . On many occasions, Young taught that blacks were denied the priesthood because they were "the seed of Cain". In 1863, Young stated: "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain,

8142-458: The belief that their leader was inspired to restore a new religious tradition in the mold of Joseph Smith Those churches rejecting Brigham Young's leadership, in favor of some other claimant. These adherents are occasionally referred to, collectively, as "Prairie Saints." The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and related churches tracing their leadership through Joseph Smith III . Members consider themselves members of

8260-539: The body of the church moved to Missouri. However, they were persecuted and the Latter Day Saints fled to Illinois. After Smith was killed in 1844, a succession 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 (now Utah ) and became known for its 19th-century practice of polygamy . The LDS Church officially renounced this practice in 1890 and gradually discontinued it, resulting in Utah Territory becoming

8378-471: The branch of the church in Columbia. After meeting Joseph Smith , Young joined the Church of Christ in April 9, 1832. He was baptized by Eleazer Miller. Young's siblings and their spouses were baptized that year or the year afterwards. In April 1832, a branch of the church was organized in Mendon; eight of the fifteen families were Youngs. There, Young saw Alpheus Gifford speak in tongues, and in response, Young also spoke in tongues. Young and Kimball spent

8496-579: The church allows for prophets to receive and publish modern-day revelations . A minority of Latter Day Saint adherents, such as members of Community of Christ, have been influenced by Protestant theologies while maintaining certain distinctive beliefs and practices including continuing revelation , an open canon of scripture and building temples . Other groups include the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , which supports lineal succession of leadership from Smith's descendants, and

8614-572: The church as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , Young reorganized a new First Presidency and was sustained as the second president of the church on December 27, 1847, at Winter Quarters. Young named Heber C. Kimball as his first counselor and Willard Richards as his second. Young and his counselors were again sustained unanimously by church members at a church conference in Salt Lake City in September 1850. The Utah Territory

8732-408: The church was referred to as the "Church of the Latter Day Saints" in early church publications, and in 1838 Smith announced that he had received a revelation from God that officially changed the name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". In 1844, William Law and several other Latter Day Saints in church leadership positions publicly denounced Smith's secret practice of polygamy in

8850-1018: The church. The Reformation appeared to have ended completely by early 1858. Shortly after the arrival of Young's pioneers, the new Latter-day Saint colonies were incorporated into the United States through the Mexican Cession . Young petitioned the U.S. Congress to create the State of Deseret . The Compromise of 1850 instead carved out Utah Territory, and Young was appointed governor. As governor and church president, Young directed both religious and economic matters. He encouraged independence and self-sufficiency. Many cities and towns in Utah, and some in neighboring states, were founded under Young's direction. Young's leadership style has been viewed as autocratic. When federal officials received reports of widespread and systematic obstruction of federal officials in Utah (most notably judges), U.S. President James Buchanan decided in early 1857 to install

8968-479: The circumstances of his life had worked out differently [he] might have become a captain of industry —an Andrew Carnegie or John D. Rockefeller or a railroad builder. Instead, this able, energetic, earthy man became the absolute ruler and the revered, genuinely loved father figure of all Mormons everywhere. He credited Young's leadership with helping to settle much of the American West: During

9086-609: The defense of Utah, now called the Utah War, Young held the U.S. Army at bay for a winter by taking their cattle and burning supply wagons. Young eventually reached a settlement with the aid of a peace commission and agreed to step down as governor. Buchanan later pardoned Young. The degree of Young's involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre , which took place in Washington County in 1857,

9204-580: The distinctive theological developments they believe to have been developed later in Mormonism. The beliefs within the LDS Church with regard to saints are similar but not quite the same as the Protestant tradition. In the New Testament , saints are all those who have entered into the Christian covenant of baptism. The qualification "latter-day" refers to the doctrine that members are living in

9322-654: The eastern states. He then returned to Kirtland where he remained until dissenters, unhappy with the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society , forced him to flee the community in December 1837. He then stayed for a short time in Dublin, Indiana , with his brother Lorenzo before moving to Far West, Missouri , in 1838. He was later joined by his family and by other members of the church in Missouri. He became

9440-409: The establishment of settlements throughout present-day Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, California, and parts of southern Colorado and northern Mexico. Under his direction, the Mormons built roads, bridges, forts, and irrigation projects; established public welfare; organized a militia; issued a "selective extermination" order against male Timpanogos ; and after a series of wars, eventually made peace with

9558-429: The family moved briefly to Oswego, New York , on the shore of Lake Ontario, and in 1828 to Mendon, New York . Young's father, two brothers, and sister had already moved to Mendon. In Mendon, Young first became acquainted with Heber C. Kimball , an early member of the LDS Church. Young worked as a carpenter and joiner, and built and operated a saw mill. By the time Young moved to Mendon in 1828, he had effectively left

9676-411: The four-quarters of the earth, and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity." These racial restrictions remained in place until 1978, when the policy was rescinded by church president Spencer W. Kimball , and the church subsequently "disavow[ed] theories advanced in the past" to explain this ban, essentially attributing

9794-629: The heart of Salt Lake City. A bronze marker was placed at the grave site June 10, 1938, by members of the Young Men and Young Women organizations, which he founded. Young engaged in a vast assortment of commercial ventures by himself and in partnership with others. These included a wagon express company, a ferryboat company, a railroad, and the manufacturing of processed lumber, wool, sugar beets, iron, and liquor. Young achieved greatest success in real estate. He also tried to promote Mormon self-sufficiency by establishing collectivist communities, known as

9912-658: The human race, Adam and Eve returned to their heavenly thrones where Adam acts as the god of this world. Later, as Young is generally understood to have taught, Adam returned to the earth to become the biological father of Jesus. The LDS Church has since repudiated the Adam–God doctrine. Young also taught the doctrine of blood atonement , in which the atonement of Jesus cannot redeem an eternal sin , which included apostasy , theft , fornication (but not sodomy ), or adultery . Instead, those who committed such sins could partially atone for their sin by sacrificing their life in

10030-488: The large number of Latter Day Saint churches and their differing backgrounds, categorizing them can be difficult. In the field of Mormon studies , terms such as Rocky Mountain Saints are sometimes used for those denominations headquartered in the American West and Prairie Saints for those denominations that formed in and around Nauvoo, Illinois ; Voree, Wisconsin ; Independence, Missouri ; and other locations in

10148-497: The latest in 1920) that when Young spoke to the congregation, he miraculously looked or sounded exactly like Smith, which they attributed to the power of God. Young began acting as the church's president afterwards, though he did not yet have a full presidency. He also led the Anointed Quorum. Young led the church as president of the Quorum of the Twelve until December 5, 1847, when the quorum unanimously agreed to organize

10266-561: The learning institutions that would later become the University of Utah and Brigham Young University . A polygamist , Young had at least 56 wives and 57 children. He formalized the prohibition of black men attaining priesthood , and led the church in the Utah War against the United States . Young was born on June 1, 1801, in Whitingham, Vermont . He was the ninth child of John Young and Abigail "Nabby" Howe. Young's father

10384-405: The massacre. As governor, Young had promised the federal government he would protect migrants passing through Utah Territory, but over 120 men, women, and children were killed in this incident. There is no debate concerning the involvement of individual Mormons from the surrounding communities by scholars. Only children under the age of seven, who were cared for by local Mormon families, survived, and

10502-535: The members of the camp be re-baptized to signify a re-dedication to their beliefs and covenants. Young spent just over a month in the Valley recovering from mountain fever before returning to Winter Quarters on August 31. Young's expedition was one of the largest and one of the best organized westward treks, and he made various trips back and forth between the Salt Lake Valley and Winter Quarters to assist other companies in their journeys. After three years of leading

10620-574: The monument stood as a memorial to those traveling the Spanish Trail through Mountain Meadow. According to Wilford Woodruff, Young brought an entourage to Mountain Meadows in 1861 and suggested that the monument instead read "Vengeance is mine and I have taken a little". Before his death in Salt Lake City on August 29, 1877, Young suffered from cholera morbus and inflammation of the bowels. It

10738-557: The more controversial Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints , which defends the practice of polygamy . The movement began in western New York during the Second Great Awakening when Smith said that he received visions revealing a new sacred text, the Book of Mormon , which he published in 1830 as a complement to the Bible . Based on the teachings of this book and other revelations, Smith founded

10856-463: The most important of which is that Christ is the savior of the world and that he suffered for the world's sins so that the penitent can return to live in heaven. A small fraction of Latter Day Saints, most notably those within Community of Christ, the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination, follow a traditional Protestant theology. Community of Christ views God in trinitarian terms, and reject

10974-568: The movement underwent a leadership crisis which led to a schism within the church. The largest group followed Brigham Young and settled in what became the Utah Territory and is now the Utah-based LDS Church. The second-largest faction, Community of Christ, coalesced around Joseph Smith III , eldest son of Joseph Smith. Other would-be leaders included the senior surviving member of the First Presidency , Sidney Rigdon ;

11092-637: The movement, such as the Church of Christ (Whitmerite) , none of which is known to be extant. Those denominations which originated independent from other organizations and do not trace their doctrinal or priesthood lineage to any 19th-century Latter Day Saint factions, but still hold Latter Day Saint beliefs.     * ^  Membership worldwide; generally church-reported; with an occasional exception     ^ Once larger Latter Day Saint movement Collectively, these churches have over 17 million nominal members, including over 17 million belonging to

11210-530: The movement. Groups opposed to the use of the term Mormon such as the LDS Church consider it to be connected to the polygamy once practiced by the Utah church, or to pejoratives used against early adherents of the movement. The Latter Day Saint movement includes: Although a few small factions broke with Smith's organization during his lifetime, he retained the allegiance of the vast majority of Latter Day Saints until his death in June 1844. Following Smith's death,

11328-553: The murdered members of the wagon train were left unburied. The remains of about 40 people were later found and buried, and U.S. Army officer James Henry Carleton had a large cross made from local trees, the transverse beam bearing the engraving, "Vengeance Is Mine, Saith The Lord: I Will Repay" and erected a cairn of rocks at the site. A large slab of granite was put up on which he had the following words engraved: "Here 120 men, women and children were massacred in cold blood early in September, 1857. They were from Arkansas." For two years,

11446-443: The newly baptized James Strang from Wisconsin; and Alpheus Cutler , one of the Council of Fifty . Each of these men still retains a following as of 2014—however tiny it may be in some cases—and all of their organizations have undergone further schisms. Other claimants, such as Granville Hedrick , William Bickerton , and Charles B. Thompson , later emerged to start still other factions, some of which have further subdivided. Given

11564-683: The next two years. These individuals later became known as the Runaway Officials of 1851 . Young supported slavery and its expansion into Utah and led the efforts to legalize and regulate slavery in the 1852 Act in Relation to Service , based on his beliefs on slavery . Young said in an 1852 speech, "In as much as we believe in the Bible   ... we must believe in slavery. This colored race have been subjected to severe curses   ... which they have brought upon themselves." Seven years later in 1859, Young stated in an interview with

11682-519: The oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when David Patten died after the Battle of Crooked River . When Joseph Smith arrived in Far West, he appointed Young, along with Thomas Marsh and David Patten, as "presidency pro tem" in Missouri. Under Young's direction, the quorum organized the exodus of Latter Day Saints from Missouri to Illinois in 1838. Young also served a year-long mission to

11800-504: The origins of the ban solely to Young. During 1856 and 1857, a period of renewed emphasis on spirituality within the church known as the Mormon Reformation took place under Young's direction. The Mormon Reformation called for a spiritual reawakening among members of the church and took place largely in the Utah Territory . Jedediah M. Grant , one of the key figures of the Reformation and one of Young's counselors, traveled throughout

11918-412: The outskirts of Nauvoo to move to Nauvoo. Young negotiated with Stephen A. Douglas and agreed to lead church members out of Nauvoo in the spring in exchange for peace. Some Mormons counterfeited American and Mexican money, and a grand jury indicted Young and other church leaders in 1845. When officers arrived at the Nauvoo temple to arrest Young, he sent William Miller out in Young's hat and cloak. Miller

12036-414: The penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." Young was also a vocal opponent of theories of human polygenesis , being a firm voice for stating that all humans were the product of one creation. Throughout his time as prophet, Young went to great lengths to deny the assumption that he was the author of the practice of priesthood denial to black men, asserting instead that

12154-530: The practice of plural marriage , which was discontinued by the LDS Church in the late-19th century after the Manifesto . The number of members is unknown. Originating in Independence, Missouri The defunct Godbeites and a few other small churches that broke with the LDS Church to pursue a more liberal, inclusive, or rationalist theology . Several small churches rooted in Mormonism; formed under

12272-419: The succession crisis that ensued. Church members gathered at a meeting on August 8, 1844 with the intent to choose between two claimants, Young and Sidney Rigdon , the senior surviving member of the church's First Presidency . At the meeting, Rigdon argued no one could succeed Smith and that he (Rigdon) should become Smith's "spokesman" and guardian of the church. Young argued that the church needed more than

12390-489: The summer following their baptism conducting missionary work in western New York, while Vilate Kimball cared for Young's family. After Miriam died of consumption, Vilate continued to care for Brigham's children while he, Heber, and Joseph Young traveled to visit Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio. During the visit, Brigham spoke in a tongue that Smith identified as the " Adamic language ". After visiting Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Brigham set out to preach with his brother Joseph in

12508-431: The true church of Jesus Christ had been lost and would be restored through him, and that he would be given the authority to organize and lead the true Church of Christ. The 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 , and Colesville . The church was formally organized under the name of the "Church of Christ". By 1834,

12626-456: The winter of 1832–1833. Joseph had been a Reformed Methodist preacher and the two made a similar "preaching circuit" in eastern Canada. They described the Book of Mormon as the "stick of Joseph", mentioned in Ezekiel 37. Young continued to preach in eastern Canada in the spring and accompanied two Canadian converts to Kirtland in July 1833. Young and his two daughters moved to Kirtland along with

12744-532: The world; and the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, an individual personage of spirit whose influence can be felt in many places at once. Further, Smith taught that the essence of all humans is co-eternal with God and that humans, as the spirit offspring of God the Father, have the potential to become like God. The LDS Church, the largest Mormon denomination, while acknowledging its differences with mainstream Christianity, often focuses on its commonalities, which are many,

12862-521: Was a farmer, and when Young was three years old his family moved to upstate New York, settling in Chenango County . Young received little formal education, but his mother taught him how to read and write. At age twelve, he moved with his parents to the township of Genoa , close to Cayuga Lake . His mother died of tuberculosis in June 1815. Following her death, he moved with his father to Tyrone, New York . While there, Young's father remarried to

12980-440: Was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as church president, Young led his followers, the Mormon pioneers , west from Nauvoo, Illinois , to the Salt Lake Valley . He founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory . Young also worked to establish

13098-489: Was arrested but released when it was discovered he was not Brigham Young. Young himself condemned the counterfeiting. John Turner's biography states: "it remains unclear whether Young [...] had sanctioned the bogus-making operation". The indictment of Young and other leaders, combined with rumors that troops would prevent the Mormons from leaving, led Young to start their exodus in February 1846. Repeated conflict in Nauvoo led Young to relocate his group of Latter-day Saints to

13216-731: Was created at John C. Bennett 's request, after his excommunication and in conjunction with his distribution of false information combined with true information about the church's practice of polygamy. Brigham Young and William Smith discredited Brotherton's character, and Brotherton herself did not associate with the church afterwards. Young campaigned against Bennett's allegations that Joseph Smith practiced "spiritual wifery"; Young knew of Smith's hidden practice of polygamy. He also helped to convince Hyrum to accept polygamy. Young married Lucy Ann Decker in June 1842, making her his first plural wife. Young knew her father, Isaac Decker, in New York. Lucy

13334-511: Was created by Congress as part of the Compromise of 1850, and as colonizer and founder of Salt Lake City , Young was appointed the territory's first governor and superintendent of American Indian affairs by President Millard Fillmore on February 3, 1851. He was sworn in by Justice Daniel H. Wells for a salary of $ 1,500 a year and named as superintendent of Indian Affairs for an additional $ 1,000. During his time as governor, Young directed

13452-783: Was first called the Retrenchment Association and was intended to promote the turning of young girls away from the costly and extravagant ways of the world. It later became known as the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association and was a charter member of the National Council of Women and International Council of Women. Young also organized a committee to refine the Deseret alphabet —a phonetic alphabet that had been developed sometime between 1847 and 1854. At its prime,

13570-434: Was ready to relieve himself from the burden of "secular affairs". At the time of his death, Young was the wealthiest man in Utah, with an estimated personal fortune of $ 600,000 (equivalent to $ 17,200,000 in 2023). Young had many nicknames during his lifetime, among the most popular being "American Moses " (alternatively, "Modern Moses" or "Mormon Moses"), because, like the biblical figure, Young led his followers,

13688-880: Was still married to William Seeley when Young married her. Young supported her and her two children while they lived in their own home in Nauvoo. Lucy and Young had seven children together. Young was one of the first men in Nauvoo to practice polygamy, and he married more women than any other polygamist while in Nauvoo. While in Nauvoo, he married Clarissa Decker, Clarissa Ross, Emily Dow Partidge, Louisa Beaman, Margaret Maria Alley, Emmeline Free, Margaret Piece, and Zina Diantha Huntington. These wives bore him children after they moved to Utah. He also married in Nauvoo, but did not have children with Augusta Adams Cobb, Susannah Snively, Eliza Bowker, Ellen A. Rockwood, and Namah K. J. Carter. Eight of Young's plural marriages in Nauvoo were to Joseph Smith's widows. Young traveled east with Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith from July to October 1843 on

13806-515: Was the belief that the church had within itself all that was necessary to save mankind materially, spiritually, and intellectually. On October 16, 1875, Young deeded buildings and land in Provo, Utah , to a board of trustees for establishing an institution of learning, ostensibly as part of the University of Deseret. Young said, "I hope to see an Academy established in Provo ... at which the children of

13924-562: Was then called Bucksville. Young reported having a strict Puritan -style Christian upbringing. He used tobacco but did not drink alcohol. He refused to sign a temperance pledge, however, stating that "if I sign the temperance pledge I feel that I am bound, and I wish to do just right, without being bound to do it; I want my liberty." Young married Miriam Angeline Works, whom he had met in Port Byron in October 1824. They first resided in

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