The Origin of Mormonism:
Mormonism started in New York in the 1830's, by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was born during an era of extreme religious activity in the United States to Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith in 1796. His family, along with other poor farmers, moved in 1816 when Joseph Smith was 10 years old from upstate New York to the small village of Palmyra for a better life.
The Smith's were Christian but did not declare a denomination or attend church that often. Palmyra had Quaker, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches; naturally Joseph was burdened by several beliefs and became confused. Some of his family members leaned towards Presbyterian whereas Joseph preferred Methodist. In 1820, at age 14, his prayer for guidance led to an experience that became the founding event of Mormonism and gave rise to his career as a prophet.
Vision
Joseph wrote of being nearly overpowered by darkness and then seeing a pillar of light enveloping two beings, God the Father and Jesus. He was told that all sins were forgiven and that he was not to join any church, since none expressed the true faith.
The Smith's were Christian but did not declare a denomination or attend church that often. Palmyra had Quaker, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches; naturally Joseph was burdened by several beliefs and became confused. Some of his family members leaned towards Presbyterian whereas Joseph preferred Methodist. In 1820, at age 14, his prayer for guidance led to an experience that became the founding event of Mormonism and gave rise to his career as a prophet.
Vision
Joseph wrote of being nearly overpowered by darkness and then seeing a pillar of light enveloping two beings, God the Father and Jesus. He was told that all sins were forgiven and that he was not to join any church, since none expressed the true faith.
Three years later Joseph was presented with a more specific prophetic call. A divine messenger appeared. An angel named Moroni told Joseph about an ancient book, made of gold plates, that was buried in a hill near his home. The book encompassed a history of an ancient American civilization. Joseph was to find the plates and translate them. He soon found the plates as described in the vision but was forbidden by Moroni from taking possession of them until 1827.
Joseph Smith claimed to have been called by God to restore the church that Christ had established on the earth, but which had been lost after the deaths of the original apostles. Mormonism became an officially organized church in April 1830, when 24-year-old Joseph Smith and five others gathered in upstate New York to form what was initially called the Church of Christ and late became The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Joseph Smith claimed to have been called by God to restore the church that Christ had established on the earth, but which had been lost after the deaths of the original apostles. Mormonism became an officially organized church in April 1830, when 24-year-old Joseph Smith and five others gathered in upstate New York to form what was initially called the Church of Christ and late became The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
History
In the early to mid 1800’s Mormons endured serious persecution because of a perceived commercial, political and religious threat to their neighbors, so Joseph and the people he called to assist him had to lead multiple Mormon migrations to friendlier areas of the country, like the west. In 1830 The Book of Mormon was published, because of this the first missionaries were dispatched soon after. In 1844 the Mormon president, Joseph Smith, was murdered. Brigham Young took his place in 1847 until his death in 1877. A convenient division between early and modern Mormonism is the year 1890. In the autumn of 1890, Latter-day Saints (LDS) President Wilford Woodruff decided that Mormon leaders would no longer authorize any plural marriages. Two decades later authorized plural marriages ceased completely. In 1891, the LDS Church in Utah rid of its political arm, the People's Party, and Church leaders encouraged Mormons to affiliate with one of the dominant political parties in America. In the 19th and 20th-century Americans came to view Mormons as hardworking and honest. In 1896 Utah was granted statehood. In 2008, Mitt Romney became the first Mormon nominated for president of one of the two major political parties.