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81-397: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) operates 449 missions throughout the world, as of June 2024. Most are named after the location of the mission headquarters, usually a specific city. The geographical area a mission actually covers is typically much larger than the name may indicate; most areas of the world are within the jurisdiction of a mission of the church. In
162-712: A United States senator from Utah ; Smoot's opponents alleged that the LDS Church hierarchy's continued tolerance or encouragement of plural marriage should exclude Smoot from sitting in the Senate . The "Second Manifesto" was announced at the general conference of the church held on April 6, 1904. At a public meeting, Smith announced that he would like to read an "official statement" that he had prepared so that his words "may not be misunderstood or misquoted". Smith read: Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into, contrary to
243-496: A general apostasy and maintains that it is a restoration of 1st-century Christianity and the only true and authorized Christian church. Church leaders assert it is the only true church and that other churches do not have the authority to act in Jesus' name. This, the refutation of the authority of all other Christian churches, is a doctrine common to almost all Christian churches. The church's cosmology and plan of salvation include
324-471: A belief in the Bible, the divinity of Jesus , his atonement and resurrection , and a form of apostolic succession . Nevertheless, the LDS Church differs from other churches within contemporary Christianity in other ways. Differences between the LDS Church and most of traditional Christianity include disagreement about the nature of God, belief in a theory of human salvation that includes three heavens ,
405-554: A doctrine of exaltation which includes the ability of humans to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife , a belief in continuing revelation and an open scriptural canon, and unique ceremonies performed privately in temples, such as the endowment and sealing ceremonies. A number of major Christian denominations view the LDS Church as standing apart from creedal Christianity. However, church members self-identify as Christians. The faith itself views other modern Christian faiths as having departed from true Christianity by way of
486-434: A full tithe is a requirement, regardless of one's temporal circumstances. Members are also encouraged to fast (abstain from food and drink) on the first Sunday of each month for two consecutive meals. They donate at least the cost of the two skipped meals of the fast as a "fast offering", which the church uses to assist people in need and expand its humanitarian efforts . Second Manifesto The "Second Manifesto"
567-470: A portion of God's kingdom. According to LDS Church theology, men and women may be sealed to one another so that their marital bond continues into the eternities. Children may also be sealed to their biological or adoptive parents to form permanent familial bonds, thus allowing all immediate and extended family relations to endure past death. The most significant LDS ordinances may be performed via proxy in behalf of those who have died, such as baptism for
648-544: A result of their opposition, both were pressured to resign from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1905. In 1911 Taylor was excommunicated for continued opposition. In 1909, Francis M. Lyman chaired a church committee to investigate plural marriages since the so-called "second manifesto" mandated excommunication for members who enter new plural marriages. Although the so-called "second manifesto" more harshly ended
729-541: Is a foundational sacred book for the church; the terms "Mormon" and "Mormonism" come from the book itself. The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni told Smith about golden plates containing the record, guided him to find them buried in the Hill Cumorah , and provided him the means of translating them from Reformed Egyptian . It claims to give a history of the inhabitants from a now-extinct society living on
810-649: Is also encouraged. The theology of the LDS Church consists of a combination of biblical doctrines with modern revelations and other commentary by LDS leaders, particularly Joseph Smith. The most authoritative sources of theology are the faith's canon of four religious texts, called the " standard works ". Included in the standard works are the Bible , the Book of Mormon, the D&;C and the Pearl of Great Price . The Book of Mormon
891-637: Is believed to bind its participant to Jesus Christ, who saves them in their imperfection if they continually keep their promises to him. Baptism is performed by immersion, and is typically administered to children starting at age eight. Church members believe that through the ordinances of temple sealing and temple endowment , anyone can reach the highest level of salvation in the celestial kingdom and eternally live in God's presence, continue as families, become gods , create worlds, and make spirit children over whom they will govern. Other ordinances performed in
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#1732793204506972-542: Is headquartered in Salt Lake City , Utah, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, as of 2023, it has over 17.2 million members of which over 6.8 million live in the U.S . The church also reports over 99,000 volunteer missionaries and 350 temples . The church was founded as the Church of Christ in western New York , in 1830 by Smith. Under his leadership,
1053-605: Is led by a president , who is considered a "prophet, seer, and revelator." Within the church, he is referred to as "the Prophet" or the "President of the Church." He is considered the only person who is authorized to receive revelation from God on behalf of the whole world or entire church. As such, the church teaches that he is essentially infallible when speaking on behalf of God—although the exact circumstances when his pronouncements should be considered authoritative are debated within
1134-567: Is often included in the lists of larger Christian denominations , though some Catholics , mainline Protestants and Evangelicals have considered the church to be distinct and separate from mainstream Christianity . The church has an open canon of four scriptural texts : the Holy Bible , the Book of Mormon , the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C), and the Pearl of Great Price . Other than
1215-470: Is said to occur through thoughts and feelings from the Holy Ghost , in response to prayer . Similarly, the church teaches its members may receive individual guidance and counsel from God through blessings from priesthood holders. In particular, patriarchal blessings are considered special blessings that are received only once in the recipient's life, which are recorded, transcribed, and archived. In
1296-747: The Bear River Massacre , and the Black Hawk War . After Young's death in 1877, he was followed in the church presidency by John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff successively, who resisted efforts by the United States Congress to outlaw Mormon polygamous marriages. In 1878, the United States Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. United States , decreed that "religious duty" to engage in plural marriage
1377-485: The Great Depression , the church also began operating a church welfare system, and it has conducted humanitarian efforts in cooperation with other religious organizations such as Catholic Relief Services , as well as secular organizations like Care International . The church supported its members serving in the armed forces during World Wars I and II, both in the U.S. and internationally. From 1913 to 2020
1458-636: The Mormon pioneers , westward to Nebraska and then in 1847 on to what later became the Utah Territory , which at the time had been part of the lands of the Ute, Goshute, and Shoshone nations, and claimed by Mexico until 1848 . Around 80,000 settlers arrived between 1847 and 1869, who then branched out and colonized a large region now known as the Mormon Corridor . Meanwhile, efforts to globalize
1539-572: The Mountain Meadows massacre , in which leaders of a local Mormon militia ordered the massacre of a civilian emigrant party who was traveling through Utah during the escalating military tensions. After the massacre was discovered, the church became the target of significant media criticism for it. After the Army withdrew, Young agreed to step down from power and be replaced by a non-Mormon territorial governor, Alfred Cumming . Nevertheless,
1620-713: The New Jerusalem in North America, called Zion . In 1831, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio , and began establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri , where Smith planned to eventually move the church headquarters. However, in 1833, Missouri settlers violently expelled the Latter Day Saints from Jackson County . The church attempted to recover the land through a paramilitary expedition , but did not succeed. Nevertheless,
1701-575: The primitive Church of Christ. This restoration is associated with a number of events which are understood to have been necessary to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament , and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus. In particular, Latter-day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith and a limited number of his associates, and bestowed various priesthood authorities on them. The church
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#17327932045061782-455: The resurrection of Jesus . On June 27, 1844, Smith and his brother, Hyrum , were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois , while being held on charges of treason. Because Hyrum was Joseph's designated successor, their deaths caused a succession crisis , and Brigham Young assumed leadership over a majority of the church's membership. Young had been a close associate of Smith's and
1863-470: The American continent and their distinct Judeo-Christian teachings. The Book of Mormon is very important to modern Latter-day Saints, who consider it the world's most correct text. The Bible, also part of the church's canon, is believed to be the word of God—subject to an acknowledgment that its translation may be incorrect, or that authoritative sections may have been lost over the centuries. Most often,
1944-428: The Bible, the majority of the church canon consists of material the church's members believe to have been revealed by God to Joseph Smith, including texts described as lost parts of the Bible , and other works believed to be written by ancient prophets, including the Book of Mormon. Members adhere to church laws of sexual purity , health , fasting , and Sabbath observance , and contribute ten percent of their income to
2025-409: The Church distances itself from them. During the 20th century, the church grew substantially and became an international organization. In 2000, the church reported over 60,000 missionaries and global church membership stood at just over 11 million. Nominal worldwide membership surpassed 16 million in 2018. Slightly under half of church membership lives within the U.S. Academics have called
2106-660: The Church of Jesus Christ , based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania . Like the LDS Church, these faiths believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet and founder of their religion. They also accept the Book of Mormon, and most accept at least some version of the Doctrine and Covenants . However, they tend to disagree to varying degrees with the LDS Church concerning doctrine and church leadership. For two years after Smith's death, conflicts escalated between Mormons and other Illinois residents. Brigham Young led his followers, later called
2187-497: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Francis M. Lyman , president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , then presented the following resolution of endorsement, which was seconded by B. H. Roberts and accepted unanimously by those in attendance at the conference: Resolved that we, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in General Conference assembled, hereby approve and endorse
2268-642: The Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are separate beings with bodies of flesh and bone, while the Holy Ghost lacks such a physical body. According to statements by church leaders, God sits at the head of the human family and is married to a Heavenly Mother , who is the mother of human spirits. However, church leaders have also categorically discouraged prayers to her and counseled against speculation regarding her. Church members believe in Jesus Christ as
2349-420: The Father, thus allowing the children of God to become divine beings—that is, gods—themselves. This view on the doctrine of theosis is also referred to as becoming a "joint-heir with Christ". The process by which this is accomplished is called exaltation, a doctrine which includes the reunification of the mortal family after the resurrection and the ability to have spirit children in the afterlife and inherit
2430-470: The LDS Church still wielded significant political power in the Utah Territory. Coterminously, tensions between Mormon settlers and Indigenous tribes continued to escalate as settlers began colonizing a growing area of tribal lands. While Mormons and Indigenous peoples made attempts at peaceful coexistence, skirmishes ensued from about 1849 to 1873 culminating in the armed conflicts of Walkara's War ,
2511-527: The Lord had revealed to him, to allow righteous people to become gods in the afterlife, and a secular institution to govern the Millennial kingdom. He also introduced the church to a full accounting of his First Vision , in which he claimed that two heavenly "personages" appeared to him at age 14. This vision would come to be regarded by the LDS Church as the most important event in human history since
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2592-793: The Missouri settlers. Believing the Latter Day Saints to be an insurrection, the Missouri governor ordered that they be " exterminated or driven from the State ". In 1839, the Latter Day Saints converted a swampland on the banks of the Mississippi River into Nauvoo, Illinois , which became the church's new headquarters. Nauvoo grew rapidly as missionaries sent to Europe and elsewhere gained new converts who flooded into Nauvoo. Meanwhile, Smith introduced polygamy to his closest associates. He also established ceremonies , which he stated
2673-695: The Pearl of Great Price. Another source of authoritative doctrine is the pronouncements of the current Apostles and members of the First Presidency. The church teaches that the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles are prophets and that they are therefore authorized teachers of God's word. In addition to doctrine given by the church as a whole, individual members of the church believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in conducting their lives, and in revealing truth to them, especially about spiritual matters. Generally, this
2754-603: The United States. North America (NA) was abbreviated for concise column and reduction of row height for most rows. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church , is the largest Latter Day Saint denomination . Founded by Joseph Smith during the Second Great Awakening , the church
2835-574: The belief in a Godhead composed of God the Father , his son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three separate persons who share a unity of purpose or will; however, they are viewed as three distinct beings. This is in contrast with the predominant Christian view, which holds that God is a Trinity of three distinct persons in one essence . The Latter-day Saint conception of the Godhead is similar to what contemporary Christian theologians call social trinitarianism . The church also believes that God
2916-424: The belief that it was improper for the church to ban plural marriage, which they saw as an "eternal commandment", while others pointed out that neither the original nor the second so called "manifestos" were presented as revelations from God, as previous statements of important church doctrine had been. Unlike the 1890 Manifesto , the LDS Church has not canonized the so-called "second manifesto" by printing it in
2997-486: The bonds of matrimony", and that successful marriages and happy families are most likely established when founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. The proclamation also promotes specific roles essential to maintaining the strength of the family unit—the traditional roles of a husband and father as the family's breadwinner and those of a wife and mother as a nurturing caregiver. It concludes by inviting its audience to "promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen
3078-416: The church as the Church of Christ , on April 6, 1830, in western New York ; the church's name was later changed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Initial converts were drawn to the church in part because of the newly published Book of Mormon , a self-described chronicle of Indigenous American prophets that Smith said he had translated from golden plates . Smith intended to establish
3159-559: The church began in earnest around this time, with missionaries being sent off to the Sandwich Islands (present-day Hawaii ), India , Chile , Australia , China , South Africa , and all over Europe. Young incorporated the LDS Church as a legal entity, and initially governed both the church and the state as a theocratic leader. He also publicized the practice of plural marriage in 1852. Modern research suggests that around 20 percent of Mormon families may have participated in
3240-610: The church flourished in Kirtland as Smith published new revelations and the church built the Kirtland Temple , culminating in a dedication of the building similar to the day of Pentecost . The Kirtland era ended in 1838, after a financial scandal rocked the church and caused widespread defections. Smith regrouped with the remaining church in Far West, Missouri , but tensions soon escalated into violent conflicts with
3321-497: The church has responded to various challenges to its doctrine and authority. Challenges have included rising secularization , challenges to the correctness of the translation of the Book of Abraham , and primary documents forged by Mark Hofmann purporting to contradict important aspects of official early church history. The church's positions regarding women , Black people , and homosexuality have all been publicly criticized during this timeframe. LDS Church theology includes
List of missions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-418: The church in tithing . The church teaches ordinances through which adherents make covenants with God, including baptism , confirmation , the sacrament , priesthood ordination, endowment and celestial marriage . Members of the church, known as Latter-day Saints or informally as Mormons , believe that the church president is a modern-day " prophet, seer, and revelator " and that Jesus Christ, under
3483-518: The church include confirmation , the sacrament (analogous to the Eucharist or holy communion), and priesthood ordination. The LDS Church asks its members to adhere to a dietary code called the Word of Wisdom, in which they abstain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and illicit or harmful substances. The Word of Wisdom also encourages the consumption of herbs and grains along with
3564-424: The church itself. The physical establishment of the church by Smith in 1830 is seen as simply the reestablishment of the same primitive church that existed under Jesus and his Apostles. Similarly, the church teaches that Jesus leads the church presently through its apostles and prophets, especially its current president. The LDS Church shares various teachings with other branches of Christianity. These include
3645-425: The church teaches this atonement began in the garden of Gethsemane and continued to his crucifixion (rather than the orthodox belief that the crucifixion alone was the physical atonement). The church also teaches that Jesus appeared to other peoples after his death, including spirits of the dead in the spirit world, and Indigenous Americans. The church also teaches that Jesus is the true founder and leader of
3726-567: The church uses the Authorized King James Version . Two extended portions of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible have been canonized and are thus considered authoritative. Additionally, over 600 of the more doctrinally significant verses from the translation are included as excerpts in the current LDS Church edition of the Bible. Other revelations from Smith are found in the D&C, and in
3807-515: The church was a major sponsor of Scouting programs for boys, particularly in the United States. The LDS Church was the largest chartered organization in the Boy Scouts of America , but in 2020, the church ended its relationship with the BSA and began an alternate, religion-centered youth program, which replaced all other youth programs. During the second half of the 20th century and early 21st,
3888-665: The church's headquarters moved successively to Ohio , Missouri , and Illinois . After Smith's 1844 death and a resultant succession crisis , the majority of his followers sided with Brigham Young , who led the church to its current headquarters in Salt Lake City. Young and his successors continued the church's growth, first throughout the Intermountain West , and more recently as a national and international organization. The church has been criticized throughout its history. Modern criticism includes disputes over
3969-432: The church's historical claims, treatment of minorities, and finances . The church's practice of polygamy was controversial until it was curtailed in 1890 and officially rescinded in 1904 . Church theology is restorationist and nontrinitarian ; the church strongly identifies as Christian including a belief in the doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ and his substitutionary atonement on behalf of mankind. It
4050-443: The church, an ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony that has spiritual and symbolic meanings, and acts as a means of conveying divine grace . Ordinances are physical acts which signify or symbolize an underlying spiritual act; for some ordinances, the spiritual act is the finalization of a covenant between the ordinance recipient and God . Ordinances are generally performed under priesthood authority. The ordinance of baptism
4131-531: The church. In any case, modern declarations with broad doctrinal implications are often issued by joint statement of the First Presidency ; they may be joined by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as well. Church members believe Joseph Smith was the first modern-day prophet. Normally, the Prophet and two other ordained apostles he chooses as counselors form the First Presidency, the presiding body of
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#17327932045064212-417: The church. Women are not ordained to the priesthood but occupy leadership roles in some church organizations . Both men and women may serve as missionaries . The church maintains a large missionary program that proselytizes and conducts humanitarian services worldwide. The church also funds and participates in humanitarian projects independent of its missionary efforts. Joseph Smith formally organized
4293-401: The church; twelve other apostles form the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When a president dies, his successor is chosen from the remaining apostles, and is invariably the longest-tenured of the group. Apostles are chosen by the church president after the death of an existing apostle. Following the death of church president Thomas S. Monson on January 2, 2018, senior apostle Russell M. Nelson
4374-444: The dead . The church teaches that all will have the opportunity to hear and accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, either in this life or the next. Within church cosmology, the fall of Adam and Eve is seen positively. The church teaches that it was essential to allow humankind to experience separation from God, to exercise full agency in making decisions for their own happiness. The LDS Church teaches that, subsequent to
4455-438: The death of Jesus and his original apostles, his church, along with the authority to act in Jesus Christ's name and the church's attendant spiritual gifts, were lost , due to a combination of external persecutions and internal heresies. The "Restoration"—as begun by Joseph Smith and embodied in the church itself—refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts , ordinances, living prophets and revelation of
4536-596: The denomination a Restorationist church, a new religious movement , and a potential world religion . The church has become a strong proponent of the nuclear family and at times played a prominent role in political matters, including opposition to MX Peacekeeper missile bases in Utah and Nevada , the Equal Rights Amendment , legalized gambling, same-sex marriage , and physician-assisted death . A number of official changes have taken place to
4617-410: The direction of God the Father , leads the church by revealing his will and delegating his priesthood keys to its president. The president heads a hierarchical structure descending from areas to stakes and wards . The church has a volunteer clergy at the local and regional levels; wards are led by bishops . Male members may be ordained to the priesthood , provided they are living the standards of
4698-399: The doctrines of a pre-existence , an earthly mortal existence, three degrees of heaven and exaltation. According to these doctrines, every human spirit is a spiritual child of a Heavenly Father and each has the potential to continue to learn, grow, and progress in the eternities, eventually achieving eternal life, which is to become one with God in the same way that Jesus Christ is one with
4779-447: The family as the fundamental unit of society". Senior church leaders have continued to emphasize conservative teachings on marriage and gender to the present time. LDS Church members are encouraged to set aside one evening each week, typically Monday, to spend together in " Family Home Evening " (FHE), which typically consists of gathering as a family to study the faith's gospel principles, and other family activities. Daily family prayer
4860-511: The forbidding of coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, but not the other guidelines concerning meat, grains, and herbs. In 2019, the church further clarified through its New Era magazine that the usage of marijuana and opioids is prohibited except as prescribed by a competent physician for medical purposes. Church members are expected to follow a moral code called the law of chastity, which prohibits adultery , homosexual behavior, and sexual relations before or outside of marriage. As part of
4941-564: The importance of a heterosexual, nuclear family. The proclamation defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and stated that the family unit is "central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The document further says that " gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal , mortal, and eternal identity and purpose," that the father and mother have differing roles as "equal partners" in raising children, that "children are entitled to birth within
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#17327932045065022-693: The initial Manifesto , in which he suspended the LDS Church's long-standing practice of plural marriage. However, after the Manifesto, it became clear that a number of church members, including members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , were continuing to enter into or solemnize polygamous marriages. Smith issued the Second Manifesto near the beginning of the Reed Smoot hearings , United States Congressional hearings into whether LDS Church apostle Reed Smoot should be permitted to sit as
5103-434: The law of chastity, the church strongly opposes pornography, and considers masturbation an immoral act. Law of chastity violations can be grounds for church discipline ; resulting penalties may include having access to the temple and sacrament revoked, as well as excommunication. The church discourages romantic dating until around the age of 16. Church members are expected to donate one-tenth of their income to support
5184-429: The list below, if the name of the mission does not include a specific city, the city where the mission headquarters is located is included in parentheses. (54 missions) (23 missions) (26 missions) (38 missions) (6 missions) (8 missions) (19 missions) (34 missions) (120 missions) (18 missions) (67 missions) (36 missions) The following is a list of missions in order of creation date. Previous names of
5265-474: The literal Son of God and Messiah , his crucifixion as a conclusion of a sin offering , and his subsequent resurrection . However, Latter-day Saints reject the ecumenical creeds and the definition of the Trinity . Jesus is also seen as the elder brother of all who live in this world. The church teaches that Jesus performed a substitutionary atonement ; in contrast with other Christian denominations,
5346-453: The mission, dates of creation and discontinuing of the mission, as well as other information are also provided. Discontinued missions are typically the result of missions being consolidated with missionary efforts still continuing. A few missions were discontinued with the formation of two or more missions in its place. Occasionally missions will be discontinued as a result of government restrictions, military conflict and/or other issues affecting
5427-445: The moderate consumption of meat. When Joseph Smith published the Word of Wisdom in 1833, it was considered only advice; violation did not restrict church membership. During the 1890s, though, church leaders started emphasizing the Word of Wisdom more. In 1921, church president Heber J. Grant made obeying the Word of Wisdom a requirement to engage in worship inside of the faith's temples. From that time, church leadership has emphasized
5508-429: The official declaration of President Woodruff of September 24, 1890, commonly called the manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff, and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land, I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with
5589-426: The official recognition of new plural marriages, existing plural marriages were not automatically dissolved. Many Mormons, including prominent church leaders, maintained plural marriages into the 1940s and 1950s. As the church began to excommunicate those who continued to enter into or advocate plural marriages, some of those individuals began the Mormon fundamentalist movement. Many such dissidents were motivated by
5670-736: The operations of the church. After initially relying on a communal lifestyle known as the law of consecration throughout most of the 1830s, the church created the law of tithing in July 1838 when the membership was concentrated in Missouri . Church members would frequently tithe by giving ten percent of their livestock and produce; nowadays donations are generally done with money. Annual donations were estimated to total $ 7 billion to $ 33 billion USD donated in 2012 (equivalent to $ 9.3 billion to $ 43.8 billion in 2023 ). To qualify for participation in temple ordinances (which Latter-day Saints believe are necessary for their salvation), paying
5751-436: The organization during the modern era. In 1978, the church reversed its previous policy of excluding Black men of African descent from the priesthood, which had been in place since 1852; members of all races can now be ordained to the priesthood. Also, since the early 1900s, the church has instituted a Priesthood Correlation Program to centralize church operations and bring them under a hierarchy of priesthood leaders. During
5832-469: The practice. By 1857, tensions had again escalated between Mormons and other Americans, largely as a result of accusations involving polygamy and the theocratic rule of the Utah Territory by Young. The Utah Mormon War ensued from 1857 to 1858, which resulted in the relatively peaceful invasion of Utah by the United States Army . The most notable instance of violence during this conflict was
5913-637: The presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary, while men serve as presidents and counselors of the Sunday School and Young Men. The church and its members consider marriage and family highly important, with emphasis placed on large, nuclear families. In 1995, the church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve issued " The Family: A Proclamation to the World ", which asserts
5994-595: The safety of missionaries serving in the area. All missions include the word "Mission" as part of their name. For conciseness in creating the table, the names of some missions were abbreviated and the word "Mission" was removed. Due to its excessive length, table best viewed using " Make headers of tables display as long as the table is in view " setting. List of missions within each country, territory or dependency. Africa North (AN), North America à(NA), and South America (SA) are abbreviated for concise column and reduction of row height for most rows. Missions in each state of
6075-457: The sanction, consent, or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage, he will be deemed in transgression against the Church, and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof and excommunicated therefrom. Joseph F. Smith, President of
6156-527: The statement and declaration of President Joseph F. Smith just made to this Conference concerning plural marriages, and will support the courts of the Church in the enforcement thereof. Smith's official statement was later published in the Improvement Era , an official magazine of the church. A number of church leaders were opposed to the enforcement of the so-called "second manifesto", including apostles John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley . As
6237-426: Was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith , the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or solemnizing polygamous marriages would be excommunicated from the church. In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff had issued
6318-564: Was admitted as a U.S. state in 1896. Relations further improved after 1904, when church president Joseph F. Smith again disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued a " Second Manifesto ", calling for all plural marriages in the church to cease. Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy. Some fundamentalist groups with relatively small memberships have broken off and continue to practice polygamy, but
6399-543: Was announced as president on January 16. The general authorities of the church consist of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, first two Quorums of Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric . And under the leadership of the general officers are five organizations: the Relief Society , Sunday School , Young Women , Young Men , and Primary . Women serve as presidents and counselors in
6480-461: Was not a valid defense to prosecutions for violating state laws against polygamy. Conflict between Mormons and the U.S. government escalated to the point that, in 1890, Congress disincorporated the LDS Church and seized most of its assets. Soon thereafter, Woodruff issued a manifesto that officially suspended the performance of new polygamous marriages in the United States. Relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, such that Utah
6561-684: Was the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the church. Other splinter groups followed other leaders around this time. These groups have no affiliation with the LDS Church, however they share a common heritage in their early church history. Collectively, they are called the Latter Day Saint movement. The largest of these smaller groups is the Community of Christ , based in Independence, Missouri , followed by
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