Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day SaintsEdit
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest body within the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded in the early 19th century by Joseph Smith in upstate New York, the church teaches that Christ restored his original Church through ongoing revelation to a succession of prophets. Central to its creed is the belief that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and complements the Bible as part of a single, living dispensation of the gospel. The church emphasizes family, personal responsibility, and self-reliance, and it maintains a global presence through a lay clergy, missionary work, and a network of temples and social programs. Its distinctive practices—such as temple worship, eternal marriage, and a distinctive health code—set it apart from many other Christian denominations and have shaped its public profile in both religious and civic life.
Over time, the church has expanded from a regional movement in the United States to a worldwide faith with millions of members in diverse cultures. Its organizational structure centers on modern revelation, with a President who is regarded as a prophet, seer, and revelator, supported by a First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The church operates educational and media institutions, humanitarian programs, and welfare services, alongside a robust missionary program that sends young men and women around the world. Its influence has extended into politics, culture, and education, sometimes provoking controversy as it seeks to navigate competing claims about religious liberty, traditional family values, and social change.
Origins and Development
The Latter-day Saint movement traces its origins to a series of religious experiences and claims of restoration in the 1820s and 1830s. Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon in 1830, asserting that he translated ancient records from gold plates and that the book documents God’s dealings with ancient peoples on the American continents. Smith organized a church in 1830 under the name The Church of Christ, which soon adopted the broader designation used today. The early church faced intense persecution and migration, moving from New York to Ohio, then to Missouri and Illinois, before Smith and many followers relocated to the Salt Lake Valley after his death in 1844. Brigham Young led the subsequent westward settlement that established a durable base for the church in Utah and the surrounding region. See Joseph Smith; Book of Mormon; Latter Day Saint movement; Nauvoo, Illinois; Brigham Young.
The Utah era brought the church into a unique civil-religious project, with communities built around agriculture, education, and industry. The church created a comprehensive welfare and educational system, developed a bilingual culture in some regions, and fostered a distinctive architectural and musical heritage. The move into a stable, global footprint began in earnest in the 20th century as missionaries expanded into new continents and the church established institutions such as Brigham Young University and various seminaries to educate youth in church doctrine and civic life. See Deseret; Brigham Young University; Missionary.
Beliefs and Practices
Members believe in the Restoration of the gospel through modern prophets and in Jesus Christ as the central figure of salvation. The church upholds the Bible as scripture alongside the Book of Mormon and the other standard works, namely the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Doctrine emphasizes a plan of salvation that includes pre-mortal existence, mortal life, and eternal life, with sanctification through faith, repentance, baptism, and obedience to a set of revealed commandments. Adherents pursue personal righteousness through regular worship, prayer, family devotion, and service. See Word of Wisdom; Plan of Salvation; Doctrine and Covenants; Pearl of Great Price.
Sacred ordinances are conducted in temples and in local congregations. Key rites include baptism for the remission of sins, confirmation, the sacrament (communion), and, for some members, temple endowment and sealing, which are central to beliefs about family eternal relationships. The church also emphasizes family life, education, and service, including a strong emphasis on self-reliance, charity, and humanitarian aid. The Word of Wisdom, a health code governing substance use, is a distinctive practice that reflects a broader ethic of personal stewardship. See Temple (Latter-day Saints); Word of Wisdom; Sealing (Latter-day Saints).
Church life emphasizes lay ministry and official programs for youth, families, and adults. The global church operates a coordinated network of congregations (called wards and branches) and callings, with leadership structures such as the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Important institutions include Relief Society for women, Priesthood organizations for men, and programs that support families, education, and welfare. See First Presidency; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Relief Society.
Organization and Leadership
Authority in the church is centralized in a prophet-recipient model. The President of the Church, considered a prophet, seer, and revelator for the entire church, presides over the First Presidency, which provides doctrinal and administrative direction, and is supported by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the church’s other senior governing body. Beneath these are numerous general and local officers who administer programs, education, missionary work, and welfare services. The church maintains a system of councils and committees to oversee schools, publishing, temples, and humanitarian efforts, often coordinated with regional leadership for local needs. See President of the Church; First Presidency; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
A distinctive feature of the church’s organization is its global emphasis on missionary work. Young adults and other volunteers serve for two years (or longer in some programs), sharing the faith, teaching doctrinal principles, and inviting people to come unto Christ. Educational institutions, including Brigham Young University and associated seminaries, underpin an emphasis on primary and higher education. The church also operates a network of charitable programs and welfare services designed to provide for the needy while encouraging self-reliance. See BYU; Seminary (Latter-day Saints); Welfare (Latter-day Saints).
History and Controversies
Like many long-standing religious movements, the church has faced periods of tension and public debate over its beliefs, practices, and social stances. Two areas have drawn persistent attention: historic polygamy and race, particularly regarding the priesthood.
Polygamy and related practices in the 19th century generated widespread conflict with government authorities and non-members. The church formally renounced the practice of plural marriage in 1890, in what is often labeled the Manifesto issued by President Wilford Woodruff. Since then, the church has taught that polygamy is no longer part of its doctrine and practice, while acknowledging historical complexities and continuing scholarship about that era. Some groups that separated from the main body continued to advocate plural marriage, but they are not recognized as part of the church today. See Polygamy; Official Declaration 2.
The church’s stance on race has also been a major point of controversy. From the mid-19th century until 1978, black men of African descent were largely barred from priesthood ordination, a policy that drew sustained criticism from both religious and secular observers. The church shifted in 1978 with a revelation that extended priesthood eligibility to all worthy male members, a change accompanied by ongoing reflection and discussion about past policies and present-day implications. In the 2010s the church published essays explaining the history and context of its race-related policies and reaffirming its current stance on priesthood and temple ordinances for all. Critics argue that earlier policies reflected wider social biases, while supporters contend that the church acted within the limits of its time and has since corrected course. See Race and the Priesthood; Official Declaration 2.
Controversies around LGBT issues, religious liberty, and the church’s involvement in political campaigns have also sparked debate. The church has maintained a traditional stance on marriage as between a man and a woman, and it has actively engaged in public dialogues about religious liberty and conscience protections. It has also faced criticism for its involvement in political campaigns related to marriage amendments, some of which led to discussions about the appropriate role of religious organizations in civic life. Proponents argue that the church defends religious liberty and promotes social stability, while critics claim it imposes religious beliefs on public policy. See Proposition 8 (California ballot proposition, 2008); Same-sex marriage.
Beyond these debates, the church has built a substantial social and charitable footprint, running welfare programs, disaster relief, educational initiatives, and humanitarian aid across borders. It speaks frequently about the compatibility of faith with civic responsibility and personal liberty, and it continues to refine its approach to cultural change while preserving doctrinal continuity. See Welfare (Latter-day Saints); Humanitarian aid.