Articles on Church History
People in Church
History
Biographies of some of the more eminent people in Church history.
Meaning,
Source, and History of Doctrine"Scripturally, then, the term "doctrine" means the core
message of Jesus Christ—that Jesus is the
Messiah, the Redeemer. All other teachings are subordinate to those by which all people
"know how to come unto Christ and be saved"—that is, to the "points of
doctrine," such as faith, repentance, baptism, and
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Economic
History of the Church"From their beginnings Latter-day Saints have regarded economic
welfare as an indispensable part of religion." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Intellectual History"The Church encourages its members to be learned in gospel principles
and in every edifying branch of knowledge that supports a life of Christian service.
Latter-day Saints value intellectual activity because it can develop and enrich life and
faith, beautify the earth and ameliorate mankind's temporal suffering, and further the
growth of the kingdom of God on earth." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Legal and
Judicial History"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has usually relied
upon the law for protection and has honored its judgments in principle and practice. The
one significant exception was its resistance to antipolygamy laws before plural marriage
was discontinued in 1890. Obedience to the law of the land is a tenet of LDS belief (see Politics: Political Teachings)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Political HistoryA brief overview of LDS political history in the United States.
Social and
Cultural History"As a people, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints have over time taken on distinctive qualities as their beliefs and historical
experience have given shape and force to their society." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Significance of
History of Latter-day Saints"History plays a vital role in LDS thought, where it joins with
theology and practical religion to answer many of life's questions and to make daily life
meaningful, intelligible, and worthwhile." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Blacks"The history of black membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints can be divided between the era from 1830 to June 1978 and the period
since then." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Plural
MarriageLatter-day Saints can presently be married to only one woman at a time.
However, during the nineteenth-century, LDS men were allowed to marry more than one wife
under certain conditions.
Building
Program"Throughout its history the Church has faced the challenge of
providing adequate buildings to serve its growing membership for worship and for cultural,
educational, and recreational activities." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Humor"Although LDS doctrines, practices, and experiences have in some
circles evoked a measure of scoffing and laughter over the years, only since the 1970s has
a body of published humor dealing with the Mormon experience appeared. Institutionalized
LDS humor divides roughly into an early period when the Church was the object of
outsiders' jokes and a modern period when members have become able to laugh at themselves." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Historical
Sites"The sites of historical importance to Latter-day Saints include
those associated with Christianity in general (the Holy Land, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jordan
River, Mount of Olives, etc.), as well as those directly related to LDS beliefs." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
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History of the Mormon Church Worldwide
Membership
Distribution
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has
congregations spread throughout the world.
The
Church in Africa
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has
been a presence in Africa since 1853, but for the first 125 years it was established only
in southern Africa. Applications by the Church for admittance into central Africa in the
1960s were denied, but those in 1978 were approved, and growth of the Church there has
been impressive." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Church in
Asia
The Church has grown steadily in Japan, but government prohibitions have
hampered the Church's growth in other parts of Asia
The
Church in Australia
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was introduced into
Australia when a seventeen-year-old British convert, William James Barratt, emigrated from
England to Adelaide in November 1840." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Church
in the British Isles
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to the British
Isles when seven LDS missionaries landed at Liverpool, England, on July 19, 1837." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The Church in
Canada
"The ranks of Church members all across Canada have grown steadily,
though not spectacularly." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Church in Europe
"The Protestant countries of Western Europe—Scandinavia,
Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands—played a major role in the growth and
success of the Church from the beginnings in the 1830s until well into the twentieth
century." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Church in Hawaii
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been in Hawaii
since 1850, when Elder Charles C. Rich, an apostle, called ten LDS men from the
gold mines of northern California to open missionary work in the Sandwich Islands, now
Hawaii." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Church in South
America
"Where the Church originally had only one mission in
all of South America, in January 1991 it had 43 missions, 381 stakes and districts, and
3,791 wards and branches serving over 1.35 million members." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The Church in the Middle
East
"....the Church has small congregations in several Middle Eastern
countries, mostly because of the influx of expatriate (mainly American) Church members
working there." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Gathering and
Colonization
A series of articles about the gathering of Israel and past
colonization efforts.
Community
"For Latter-day Saints, community is an essential and eternal part of
life in this world and in the world to come. From the time the Church was established
(1830), its teachings have placed emphasis on principles of unity, cooperation, mutual
assistance, and beautification of one's surroundings. The community of believers
envisioned by the Prophet
Joseph Smith continues today, based essentially on the principles he
established." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
