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70-474: The Daily Alta California descended from the first newspaper published in the city, Samuel Brannan 's California Star , which debuted on January 9, 1847. Brannan, who had earlier assisted in publishing several Mormon newspapers in New York , had brought a small press with him when he immigrated to California as part of a group of Mormon settlers in 1846 aboard The Brooklyn . With Dr. E. B. Jones as editor,

140-428: A Latter Day Saint newspaper. Shortly after the paper began, news spread that the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered and Brigham Young had taken over the position as prophet. Brannan worked closely with Smith's blood brother William and advocated for William to take his "rightful place" as prophet. After word of Brannan and Smith's opposition reached Nauvoo , both men were disfellowshipped from

210-614: A " Great Apostasy ". After Smith's death in 1844, there was a crisis of authority , with the majority of the members following Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley , but with several smaller denominations remaining in Illinois or settling in Missouri and in other states. Each of the churches that resulted from this schism considers itself to be the rightful continuation of Smith's original "Church of Christ", regardless of

280-538: A copy of the Book of Mormon from these street corner missionaries. In the neighboring town of Kirtland, Ohio , Brannan, Alexander, and Mary Ann all joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1842. After his father's death, Brannan inherited a decent sum of money, bought himself out of his last year of his apprenticeship, and invested the rest in a patch of land near Cleveland. Soon after making his investment,

350-692: A group of approximately 30 believers met with the intention of formally organizing the Church of Christ into a legal institution. It is uncertain whether this occurred in the home of Peter Whitmer Sr. in Fayette, New York , or whether it occurred in the log home of Joseph Smith Sr. near their property in Manchester, New York . Soon after this formal organization, small branches were formally established in Manchester, Fayette , and Colesville . Although

420-516: A number of successors. The largest of these, led by Brigham Young and now based in Salt Lake City, Utah , continued using "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" until incorporating in 1851, when the church standardized the spelling of its name as " The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints " (LDS Church). Followers of James J. Strang use the spelling of the public domain name, " Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ", as

490-557: A paper which ultimately failed, before he returned to Painesville. Once Brannan had returned to his sister's home, he renewed his religious convictions in the church and was called by the apostle Wilford Woodruff to serve a local mission in Ohio. Before being called as a missionary he had married Harriet ("Hattie") Hatch and they were expecting their first child. His mission ended early when he caught malaria and had to return home for his health. Once he had sufficiently recovered he

560-401: A revelation renaming the organization the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Up to the time of Smith's death , the church was known alternatively as the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" or the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints", that is, with or without a hyphen. After Smith's death, competing Latter Day Saint denominations organized under the leadership of

630-457: A revelation stating that "in [the Book of Mormon] are all things written, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore if you shall build up my church, and my gospel, and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you." Some time between June and December 1829, Cowdery said he received a revelation about "how he should build up his church & the manner thereof". This revelation

700-534: A ship that foundered in waters near San Francisco, and on the basalt the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula overlooking the mouth of the Golden Gate . The story further claims that he used the material to build the first Cliff House , which is a popular restaurant and recreational area. There is no historical evidence to support this claim. After Brannan visited the hot springs in

770-803: A small ranch near the Mexican border in the state of Sonora . This is where his newly acquired tract of land was located, which was given to him in 1880 by President Benito Juárez and the Mexican government after helping them expel unwanted Frenchmen from Mexican lands. In 1888, at the age of 69, he was paid the sum of $ 49,000 in interest from the Mexican government. Brannan traveled to San Francisco to pay his debts. He quit drinking and settled all his debts, but he died without sufficient funds to pay for his own funeral. Brannan died at age 70 in Escondido, California , Sunday, May 5, 1889, from inflammation of

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840-720: A story of Alma the Elder , the former priest of a wicked king, who baptized his followers by immersion, "having authority from the Almighty God", and called his community of believers the "church of God, or the church of Christ". The book described the clergy in Alma's church as consisting of priests, who were unpaid and were to "preach nothing save it were repentance and faith in the Lord". Alma later established many churches (or congregations), which were considered "one church" because "there

910-486: A tactic to frustrate the church's creditors and avoid payment of debts. There is also evidence pointing to Fayette as the place of organization. For example, a headnote to the earliest known version of chapter XXII of the Book of Commandments says that the revelation was dictated in Fayette on April 6, 1830, after the church was organized. This was changed to "Manchester" when the book was published in 1833. Officially,

980-588: The Portsmouth , who had taken Yerba Buena only a few days before, much to Brannan's dismay. The Mormons began settling into the area (present-day San Francisco ) and tripled the population of the pueblo. After settling in Yerba Buena, Brannan consulted with natives who were familiar with the region and decided that the land down by the Sacramento River, which they named "New Hope", would be

1050-704: The California Star as the first newspaper in San Francisco, which released its first formal issue on January 9, 1847. It was the second paper in California, following The Californian founded in Monterey and first published on August 15, 1846. The two joined to become The Daily Alta California in 1848 after Brannan sold the paper to a colleague. In June 1847, Brannan traveled overland to Green River , Wyoming , to meet with Brigham Young ,

1120-466: The California Star was the city's only newspaper until an older publication, The Californian , moved to Yerba Buena (as San Francisco was then called) from Monterey in mid-1847. The city was about to undergo rapid changes as the California gold rush got underway. The California Star appeared weekly until June 14, 1848, when it was forced to shut down because its entire staff had departed for

1190-528: The Church of the Latter Day Saints (by 1834 resolution), the Church of Jesus Christ , the Church of God , the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints , and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (by an 1838 revelation ). Smith and his associates asserted that the Church of Christ was a restoration of the 1st-century early Christian church , which Smith claimed had fallen from God's favor and authority because of what he called

1260-572: The Hedrickite branch of the movement. The first Latter Day Saint references to the "church of Christ" are found in passages of the Book of Mormon that Smith dictated from April to June 1829. During the course of this dictation, the outlines for a community of believers or church structure gradually became apparent. Such a structure would have authority from God, ordinances such as baptism , and ordained clergy . Some time in April 1829, Smith dictated

1330-720: The San Francisco Bay ferry boats that docked in the lower Napa Valley at Vallejo . The railroad was later sold at a foreclosure sale in Napa County in 1869. Many poorer Calistoga residents were angered by Brannan's take-over of the region. At one point the opposition was so intense that Brannan was shot eight times. Brannan survived, but used a cane for the rest of his life. In 1870, Anna Eliza Corwin divorced Brannan. They had grown apart as Eliza lived in Europe for quite some time while Brannan remained in California. In

1400-635: The Second Coming of Jesus . The fact that a number of the churches of the Restoration Movement were also named the " Church of Christ " caused a considerable degree of confusion in the first years of the Latter Day Saint movement. Because of the distinct belief in the Book of Mormon among Smith's followers, people outside the church began to refer them as "Mormonites" or " Mormons ." Smith and other church elders considered

1470-554: The Squatters' Riot , during which the squatters' spokesman, Doctor Charles L. Robinson , was shot, along with others. Nine people were killed. Brannan was considered the instigator of the incident. In a few accounts of Brannan's dealings with the LDS Church it is said that Brigham Young sent the apostle Amasa Lyman to collect the tithing money that Brannan had withheld from the church's institution. When Lyman arrived, Brannan

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1540-536: The Elijah Message all claim to have been organized by Smith on April 6, 1830, the date on which the Church of Christ was organized. Other denominations, such as The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), acknowledge that their organizations were created after this date, but nevertheless claim to be a re-establishment of the original church. In an 1880 lawsuit , an Ohio court held that the RLDS Church

1610-629: The Pacific Mission of the LDS Church. The action Brannan took as a leader of the Vigilantes in 1851 was heavily frowned upon by the Mormons. On August 25, 1851, he was disfellowshipped from the LDS Church for "a general course of unchristianlike conduct, neglect of duty, and for combining with lawless assemblies to commit murder and other crimes." Anecdotes claim that in 1858, Brannan paid $ 1,500 (~$ 41,122 in 2023) for lumber salvaged from

1680-527: The Sacramento area. Around this same time Brannan established ship trade with China , Hawaii , and the east coast. His land holdings extended to southern California and to Hawaii where, in 1851, he visited and purchased large amounts of land in Honolulu . He and other landowners and speculators raised the price of Californian land considerably, angering many. The disagreement escalated during 1850 into

1750-418: The aftermath of the divorce, the judge ruled that his wife was entitled to half of their holdings in cash. The majority of Brannan's holdings were in real estate and he had to liquidate the properties to pay the full divorce settlement. Following the divorce, he became a brewer and developed a problem with alcohol. Leaving San Francisco, the city he helped develop, he moved south to Mexico . Brannan set up

1820-630: The area, he helped organize and was the first president of the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance , which functioned as a de facto police force with a propensity for hanging. In 1853, he was elected as a Senator to the California State Senate in the new state's capital of Sacramento. By this time California had become part of the United States and had gained statehood in 1850. In order to continue

1890-513: The authority to baptize in Jesus Christ's name. Smith and Cowdery then baptized each other by immersion. They also baptized dozens of people, as early as June 1829. These converts, however, did not belong to a formal church organization. Nevertheless, this community of believers referred to themselves as "the Church of Christ", and included converts in three New York towns: Fayette , Manchester , and Colesville . In June 1829, Smith dictated

1960-488: The bowels. Brannan's body lay unclaimed in the San Diego County receiving vault for over a year until it was recognized by chance. He was given a Christian burial and for many years, only a stake marked his grave. He is interred at Mount Hope Cemetery . American historian Hubert Howe Bancroft described Samuel Brannan's achievements saying: He probably did more for San Francisco and for other places than

2030-676: The church was organized in the Smith log home in Manchester, New York . The first Smith log home was located on the Samuel Jennings property in Palmyra, just north of the town's southern border and subsequent the Smith Manchester property. The Smiths may have constructed a second log home on their own property. Beginning in 1834, several church publications began to give the location of the organizational meeting as Fayette, at

2100-656: The church. A year later, Brannan went to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , leaders of the LDS Church, pleading for reinstatement as a member of the church; it was granted in May 1845. After the assassination of their leader, the Prophet Joseph Smith, rising hostilities, attacks on their homes and religious persecution, in the east, the Mormons decided to relocate their center from Nauvoo , Illinois , to

2170-437: The congregation had visions, prophesied , spoke in tongues , ecstatically shouted praises to the Lord, and fainted. At this meeting, the church formally ordained a lay ministry, with the priesthood offices of deacon , teacher , priest , and elder . Smith and Cowdery, according to their 1831 account, were each ordained as "an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church". This account was edited in 1835 to state that Smith

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2240-419: The event described by Whitmer in 1887 bears more resemblance to Fayette meetings such as the founding of the church's Fayette branch five days later on April 11, 1830. The largest successor organization to the Church of Christ, the LDS Church, accepts Fayette as the official location of the organizing meeting. By later accounts, the April 6 organizational meeting was a charismatic event, in which members of

2310-621: The first to publicize the California Gold Rush and was California's first millionaire . He used the profits from his stores to buy large tracts of real estate. He helped form the first vigilance committee in San Francisco and was disfellowshiped from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) because of his actions within the vigilance committee. Brannan's wife divorced him, requiring him to liquidate much of his real estate to pay her half of their shared assets. He died poor and in relative obscurity. Brannan

2380-451: The gold fields. Its rival newspaper had suspended publication for the same reason on May 29. Later that year, Sam Brannan sold his interest in the moribund California Star to Edward Cleveland Kemble, who also acquired The Californian . Kemble resumed publication of the combined papers under the name Star and Californian on November 18, 1848. On December 23, 1848, the California Star and Californian ran an article indicating this would be

2450-513: The head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , who was leading the first contingent of Mormon pioneers across the plains to the Great Basin region. Brannan urged Young to bring the Mormon pioneers to California as was previously planned, but Young rejected the proposal in favor of settling in what is present-day Utah . Brannan returned to northern California frustrated with how

2520-410: The home of Peter Whitmer Sr. The Whitmer home had been the site of many other meetings near the same time period. After 1834, several official church accounts said the meeting was in Manchester and several eyewitnesses said the event took place in Manchester. Independent researcher H. Michael Marquardt argues that the evidence suggests the organization occurred in Manchester, and that the confusion

2590-633: The inspection to go badly but instead Commodore Stockton spoke to Brannan about the United States' planned assault of the Mexicans at Monterey. This information along with Commodore Stockton's quiet encouragement led Samuel Brannan to the idea of taking the Mexican port town of Yerba Buena . Brannan's dreams of religious freedom and success were underway and after leaving Hawaii, the Brooklyn changed routes, landing on July 31, 1846, at Yerba Buena. Upon arrival they were met by Commander John B. Montgomery and

2660-424: The larger Utah church, at the time in the midst of federal issues related to polygamy . In 2001, the RLDS Church changed its name again to " Community of Christ "—consciously echoing the original "Church of Christ" name. The Sidney Rigdon group dwindled until one of its elders, William Bickerton , reorganized in 1862 under the name " The Church of Jesus Christ ". Other Latter Day Saint denominations returned to

2730-481: The last issue. In a business arrangement with the firm of Gilbert, Kemble and Hubbard, a new paper, entitled ALTA CALIFORNIA , would be published at San Francisco, Upper California, the first issue of which would appear on Thursday, January 4, 1849. By 1849, the paper had come under the control of Robert B. Semple , cofounder of The Californian , who changed its name to the Alta California . On January 22,

2800-439: The major denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement claim Fayette as the birthplace of the religion, and Smith's official history, begun in 1838, listed Fayette as the founding place. In 1887, one other eye-witness, David Whitmer , recollected that the event occurred in his father's home in Fayette; however, years earlier, in 1875, Whitmer had already told a reporter that the event occurred in Manchester. Marquardt argues that

2870-534: The market crashed and his land became worthless. He made a quick visit to Maine in order to see his ailing mother and then made his way to New Orleans where his brother Thomas was living. The Brannan brothers bought a press and type with what little money they had, but Thomas was taken by yellow fever shortly thereafter. After this tragedy, Brannan made his way back to the North, stopping in Indianapolis to promote

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2940-814: The meeting had gone. Being the only church leader of that region, Brannan continued to receive tithes of the church members, but no records have been found showing that those tithes were forwarded to the leaders of the church in Utah. Many members stopped paying him and began making their way eastward toward Salt Lake Valley. In 1847, Brannan opened a store at Sutter's Fort , in present-day Sacramento, California . During that time he also built many large buildings in both Sacramento and San Francisco. Early in 1848, employees of John Sutter paid for goods in Brannan's store with gold they had found at Sutter's Mill , near Coloma , California, by employees of James W. Marshall , who

3010-438: The miners (his Sutter Fort store sold US$ 150,000 a month in 1849), and began buying land in San Francisco. He also acquired all of the remaining assets of the failed "New Hope" project and like many other Mormons at this time, found his focus had turned from LDS Church affairs to monetary gains. Using his profits and possibly the proceeds of tithing paid to him as an LDS Church representative, Brannan bought land from Sutter in

3080-509: The name "Mormon" derogatory. In May 1834, the church adopted a resolution that the church would be known thereafter as "The Church of the Latter Day Saints". At various times the church was also referred to as "The Church of Jesus Christ", "The Church of God", and "The Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints". In the late 1830s, Smith and those loyal to him founded a new headquarters in Far West, Missouri . At Far West in 1838, Smith announced

3150-403: The name of their church. The name "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" was also used by members who recognized Smith's son, Joseph Smith III , as his father's successor. The younger Smith became prophet-president of this group on April 6, 1860. However, the church incorporated in 1872 as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" (RLDS Church), to distinguish it from

3220-690: The name they may currently bear ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Community of Christ , The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) , Church of Christ (Temple Lot) , etc.). This church is unrelated to other bodies bearing the same name, including the United Church of Christ , a Reformed church body, and the Churches of Christ , who have roots in the Restoration movement . Today, there are several Latter Day Saint denominations called "Church of Christ", largely within

3290-496: The next Nauvoo of the Mormons, but with real refuge and religious freedom. After disputes between members over land and other affairs, the city of "New Hope" quickly failed. Brannan is often credited to have been the first to perform certain actions in the region: a non-Catholic wedding ceremony, the first to preach in English, and the first to set up a California public school and a flour mill. Brannan used his press to establish

3360-400: The organization of the "Church of Christ" in 1830, and in several of the revelations Smith said he received, God referred to the church by that name. Smith taught that this church was a restoration of the primitive Christian church established by Jesus in the 1st century AD. Smith also taught that this restoration occurred in the "Latter Days" of the world, that is, the time immediately prior to

3430-542: The original name or a variation of the name, including the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) , the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) , and the now-extinct Church of Christ (Whitmerite) . Virtually every Latter Day Saint denomination claims to be the rightful successor to the original Church of Christ and claims Joseph Smith as its founding prophet or first president. For example, the LDS Church, Community of Christ, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), Church of Christ (Temple Lot), and Church of Christ with

3500-561: The paper began daily publication, becoming the first daily newspaper in California. On July 4, 1849, Semple began printing the Daily Alta California on a new steam press, the first such press in the west. In 1863, Albert S. Evans became editor at the paper and continued in that capacity for several years. The newspaper continued publication until June 2, 1891. The Daily Alta California was also published as weekly, tri-weekly, and steamer editions. The Weekly Alta California

3570-475: The purpose was to effect a legal organization, it may have had no legal effect since no records of incorporation have been found in either the Manchester–Palmyra area, the Fayette area, or in several other counties around this time period, as required by state law at the time: the church evidently did not follow the required legal formalities. Prior to 1834, all church publications and documents stated that

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3640-592: The same is not of me, but is against me: therefore, he is not of my church." Smith's further dictation of the Book of Mormon also stated that there were "two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil". Also in May 1829, Smith and Oliver Cowdery said they were visited by John the Baptist in angelic form, who conferred the Aaronic priesthood on them, which included

3710-441: The settlement of the west, Brannan purchased California's first steam locomotive in an effort to hasten the building of the first western railroad. He also teamed up with other local capitalists to construct the first wharf in San Francisco. Around this same time, Brannan made known his feelings about slavery and spoke out against it. On July 11, 1851, Parley P. Pratt and his mission companions ventured to San Francisco to establish

3780-698: The streets of San Francisco, shouting 'Gold! Gold on the American River !' He purchased pans for 20 cents each and resold them for $ 15 each. He made $ 36,000 in nine weeks In 1848, Brannan decided that he was going to use all of his resources in order to help build up California and its connection with the east. He planned on building that connection through the California Star Express , which would deliver mail from San Francisco to Independence , Missouri, and had its first route on April 1, 1848. Brannan had opened more stores to sell goods to

3850-635: The upper Napa Valley in 1859, he planned a new resort for the area. He bought land containing the springs in the northern portion of the Rancho Carne Humana in 1861 and founded the town of Calistoga , said to be a combination of the words "California" and then-fashionable Saratoga Springs in New York. Brannan also founded the Napa Valley Railroad in 1864 in order to provide tourists with an easier way to reach Calistoga from

3920-556: The western region outside of the United States border. The plans for the large exodus began and Mormon leadership moved westward, leaving Brannan the highest ranking religious leader in New York. As such, he was faced with the large responsibility of evacuating the eastern Mormons to California. Brannan chartered the ship Brooklyn and persuaded the Mormons of New York to join the expedition to California. The Brooklyn set sail for upper California via Cape Horn in January 1846. Brannan

3990-698: Was again called to help the church, but this time as a printer in Connecticut working alongside the apostle William Smith . While waiting in Connecticut to meet up with Smith, Brannan fell in love with Ann Eliza Corwin, whose mother took care of the visitors in the local boarding house. Brannan planned to marry her and separate from his first wife. They were eventually married although it was said that Brannan had never officially divorced his first wife. They had four children together. From Connecticut they went to New York City , New York , in 1844, and started to print The Prophet (later The New-York Messenger ),

4060-529: Was born in Saco , Massachusetts (now Maine ), to Thomas and Sara Emery Brannan. In order to escape his abusive father, Brannan moved with his sister (Mary Ann) and her husband (Alexander) to Painesville, Ohio , when he was fourteen years old. It was there that Brannan learned the printer's trade. During their journey to Ohio, the trio found themselves listening to two men whom they would later know as Orson Hyde and Heber C. Kimball . Brannan's brother-in-law bought

4130-477: Was called the " Articles of the Church of Christ ", and it indicated that the church should ordain priests and teachers "according to the gifts & callings of God unto men". The church was to meet regularly to partake of bread and wine . Cowdery was described as "an Apostle of Jesus Christ". According to David Whitmer , by April 1830, this informal "Church of Christ" had about six elders and 70 members. On April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith , Oliver Cowdery , and

4200-418: Was effected by the combined efforts of scores of better men; and indeed, in many respects he was not a "bad man", being as a rule straightforward as well as shrewd in his dealings, as famous for his acts of charity and open-handed liberality as for in enterprise, giving also frequent proofs of personal bravery. His other legacies included: Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) The Church of Christ

4270-455: Was in charge of the expedition and the highest presiding religious leader on the ship. He brought along an antiquated printing press and a complete flour mill to make colonization easier. While the living conditions aboard the Brooklyn were strenuous for many, Brannan lived lavishly in the ship's officers' quarters. The ship stopped on June 20, 1846, in Honolulu , Hawaii , to resupply and be inspected by Commodore Stockton . Brannan expected

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4340-414: Was likely due to the effect of memory tending to conflate memories of several meetings in Manchester and Fayette years earlier. Critics suggest that the location of the organization was intentionally changed in 1834 around the same time the church's name was changed to the "Church of the Latter Day Saints", in order to make it seem like the new church organization was different from the "Church of Christ", as

4410-595: Was managing Sutter's sawmill. Some of his employees had been in the Mormon Battalion , and he later found the deceased of the Donner Party . Brannan's California Star paper could not publish the news of the gold strike, as the staff had left in a rush for the gold fields. Yet he owned the only store between San Francisco and the gold fields — a fact he capitalized on by buying up all the picks, shovels and pans he could find, and then running up and down

4480-468: Was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God." In addition to priests, the book mentions that the clergy of these churches also included teachers. Nevertheless, in May 1829, a revelation by Smith described the "church" in informal terms: "Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church: whosoever declareth more or less than this,

4550-622: Was ordained the "First Elder", and Oliver Cowdery was ordained the "Second Elder". According to the LDS Church, the first six members of the Church of Christ were: Early membership also included the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon and members of the extended Whitmer and Smith families . Other early members included friends and acquaintances of the Smith and Whitmer families, such as Porter Rockwell . Smith's revelations authorized and commanded

4620-663: Was published every Saturday and the Steamer Alta California was published on the departure of the Steamers of the 1st and 15th of the month. Samuel Brannan Samuel S. Brannan (March 2, 1819 – May 5, 1889) was an American settler, businessman, journalist, and prominent Mormon who founded the California Star , the first newspaper in San Francisco , California . He is also considered

4690-410: Was sent to gather $ 10,000 of owed tithing from Brannan (or more if he was willing). After a couple of visits all of Brannan's debts to the LDS Church were considered to be paid in full. Even with many financial upsets, Brannan became California's first millionaire. Brannan was elected to the first town council of San Francisco in the new U.S. territory. In 1851, after a series of sensational crimes in

4760-419: Was the lawful successor to Smith's original Church of Christ. The court also explicitly held that the LDS Church was not the lawful successor because it "has materially and largely departed from the faith, doctrines, law, ordinances and usages of the said original Church". These holdings were preliminary findings of fact based on the RLDS Church's unopposed legal submissions; the court issued no final judgment on

4830-482: Was the original name of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith . Organized informally in 1829 in upstate New York and then formally on April 6, 1830, it was the first organization to implement the principles found in Smith's newly published Book of Mormon , and thus its establishment represents the formal beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement . Later names for this organization included

4900-407: Was unable to account for the tithes that Brigham Young and other Mormons claimed were given to him or that he owed from his own personal income. He reportedly told them, "You go back and tell Brigham Young that I'll give up the Lord's money when he sends me a receipt signed by the Lord", although historians, such as Will Bagley , have found that this is likely just legend. In another account, Lyman

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