"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light..."

Biographies of Mormon People

Church Leaders

  • Richard Ballantyne (1817-1898) was a native of Scotland, where he taught Sunday School in the Presbyterian Church. He began Sunday Sabbath instruction for LDS children in his Salt Lake City home in 1849. He later organized Sunday Schools in other communities where he lived. His success inspired a church wide movement."
  • Oliver Cowdery (1806-1850) was next in authority to Joseph Smith in 1830 (D&C 21:10-12), and was a second witness of many critical events in the restoration of the gospel." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Sheri Dew - Sheri L. Dew is an inspirational speaker, writer, White House Delegate to the U.N., and CEO of Deseret Book. Sheri Dew served as the second counselor in the General Presidency of the Relief Society from April 1997 until 2002.
  • Henry B. Eyring - First Counselor in the First Presidency
  • Boyd K. Packer - (ordained Apostle 1970) Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve since 1994
  • L. Tom Perry (ordained 1974)
  • Russell M. Nelson (1984)
  • Dallin H. Oaks (1984)
  • M. Russell Ballard (1985)
  • Joseph B. Wirthlin (1986)
  • Richard G. Scott (1988)
  • Robert D. Hales (1994)
  • Jeffrey R. Holland (1994)
  • Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2004) - Second Counselor in the First Presidency
  • David A. Bednar (2004)
  • James E. Faust - Second counselor in the First Presidency
  • Ruth May Fox (1853-1958), third president of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association, served from 1929 to 1937." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Susa Young Gates (1856-1933), daughter of Brigham Young, was a leader, editor, trustee of Brigham Young University, active in the local and national women's organizations, and the mother of ten sons and three daughters." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Martin Harris (1783-1875), a New York farmer, was one of the Three Witnesses to the divine origin of the Book of Mormon. He also financed the first publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 at a cost of $3,000 and later helped finance publication of the Book of Commandments." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Orson Hyde - As a member of the first Twelve Apostles (1835) of the modern dispensation and the first missionary to take the message of the restored gospel to continental Europe and the Near East, Orson Hyde was closely allied with the rise and the development of the LDS Church.
  • Thomas L. Kane"A courageous friend of the Latter-day Saints, Thomas Leiper Kane was born in Philadelphia on January 27, 1822." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Sarah Granger Kimball (1818-1898) was founder of the Ladies' Society of Nauvoo, a suffragist, an advocate of women's rights, ward Relief Society president for forty years, and a strong presence in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the nineteenth century." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Parley Parker Pratt"One of the most significant LDS missionaries, writers, poets, and thinkers to emerge during the early years of the LDS Restoration was Parley Parker Pratt (1807-1857). He was a central figure in expounding the doctrines of the gospel, and his publications set a standard for future pamphleteers." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • Sidney Rigdon (1793-1876) was one of Joseph Smith's closest friends and advisers. He was also a renowned early convert to the Church, its most persuasive orator in the first decade, and First Counselor in the First Presidency from 1832 to 1844.
  • Emma Hale Smith (1804-1879), wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was born in the Susquehanna Valley in harmony township (now Oakland), Pennsylvania, to Isaac and Elizabeth Lewis Hale, the first permanent settlers in the valley
  • Hyrum Smith (1800-1844) stands next to his brother the Prophet Joseph Smith in the esteem of many Latter-day Saints
  • John Whitmer"The fourth of the Eight Witnesses (See Book of Mormon Witnesses), John Whitmer, was twenty-seven years of age when he beheld the plates of the Nephite record." Elder B. H. Roberts

 

Famous Mormons

 

 

Presidents of the Church

LDS prophets are the leaders of the mormon church. They are men who communicate with God through revelation to guide and drect the church. There have been LDS prophtes on the earth since Joseph Smith. The following list shows the mormon prophet line of succession.

Joseph Smith Jr.
Born December 23, 1805, Prophet from April 6, 1830 to June 27, 1844 (14 years)

Brigham Young
Born June 1, 1801, Prophet from December 27, 1847 to August 29, 1877 (29 years - the church was led by Brigham Young as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for about 3 years prior to his sustaining as president)

John Taylor
Born November 1, 1808, Prophet from October 10, 1880 to July 25, 1887 (8 years - the church was led by John Taylor as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for about 3 years before his sustaining as president)

Wilford Woodruff
Born March 1, 1807, Prophet from April 7, 1889 to September 2, 1898 (9 years - the church was led by Wilford Woodruff as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for about 2 years before his sustaining as president)

Lorenzo Snow
Born April 3, 1814, Prophet from September 13, 1898 to October 10, 1901 (3 years)

Joseph F. Smith
Born November 13, 1838, Prophet from October 17, 1901 to November 19, 1918 (17 years)

Heber J. Grant
Born November 22, 1856, Prophet from November 23, 1918 to May 14, 1945 (27 years)

George Albert Smith
Born April 4, 1870, Prophet from May 21, 1945 to April 4, 1951 (6 years)

David O. McKay
Born September 8, 1873, Prophet from April 9, 1951 to January 18, 1970 (19 years). served as a General Authority for nearly sixty-four years, longer than any other person in Church history. During that time he served as a counselor in the First Presidency for seventeen years and was President for nearly nineteen years.

Joseph Fielding Smith
Born July 19, 1876, Prophet from January 23, 1970 to July 2, 1972 (2 years)

Harold B. Lee
Born March 28, 1899, Prophet from July 7, 1972 to December 26, 1973 (1 year)

Spencer W. Kimball
Born March 28, 1895, Prophet from December 30, 1973 to November 5, 1985 (12 years)

Ezra Taft Benson (Born 1899)
Prophet from November 10, 1985 to May 30, 1994 (8 years). Noted for his extensive Church service and his distinguished career in government."

Howard W. Hunter
Born November 14, 1907, Prophet from June 5, 1994 to March 3, 1995 (9 months)

Gordon B. Hinckley
Born June 23, 1910, Prophet from March 12, 1995 to January 27, 2008 (13 years)

Thomas S. Monson
Born August 21, 1927, Prophet from February 4, 2008 to present.

 

 

Other Groups

Biography and Autobiography
From the earliest decades members of the Church have adhered to the Puritan tradition of writing spiritual autobiographies, often for reasons similar to those of their forebears, namely, to express their faith and to justify their actions in the light of that faith.

Church Historians
From its beginnings, the Church has considered record keeping and history writing an imperative duty (D&C 123:1-7).