The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the original church organization founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Organized informally in 1829 and then as a legal entity on April 6, 1830 in northwestern New York state, it was the first organization implementing the principles found in Smith's newly-published Book of Mormon, and represents the formal beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Smith redirects here. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the state. ... // The Book of Mormon [1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

Smith and his associates intended that the Church of Christ would be a restoration of the 1st century Christian church, which Smith taught had fallen from God's favor and authority because of a Great Apostasy. Upon Smith's death in 1844, there was a crisis of authority, with the result that today, there are several denominations that consider themselves to be a continuation of the original 'Church of Christ'. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Restoration was a period in its early history during which a number of events occurred that were understood to be necessary to restore the early Christian church as demonstrated in the New Testament, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Great Apostasy is... The Succession Crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movements founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

History of the Latter Day Saint concept of a Church of Christ

There isn't a known record of an early Mormon concept of a Church of Christ prior to Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon from April to June of 1829. During the course of this translation, the outlines gradually became apparent for a community of believers, with authority from God, ordinances such as baptism, and ordained clergy. Some time in April 1829, Smith translated a story of Alma the Elder, the former priest of a wicked king, who baptized himself and his followers by immersion, "having authority from the Almighty God", and called his community of believers the "church of God, or the church of Christ". (Mosiah 18:13-17). The book described the clergy in Alma's church as consisting of priests, who were unpaid and were to "preach nothing save it were repentance and faith in the Lord". (Mosiah 18:20). Alma later established many churches, which were considered "one church" because "there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God." (Mosiah 25:22). In addition to priests, the book mentions that the clergy of these churches also included teachers. (Mosiah 25:21). Later, the book mentioned that the churches had elders. (Alma 4:7). For more general information about religious denominations that follow the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... // The Book of Mormon [1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ... According to the Book of Mormon, Alma (c. ... The office of priest is an office in the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... The office of priest is an office in the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... The office of teacher is an office within the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... In Mormonism, an Elder is a priesthood and leadership position in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

Nevertheless, in May 1829, a revelation by Smith described the "church" in informal terms: "Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church: whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me: therefore, he is not of my church." (Book of Commandments 9:16). Smith's further dictation of the Book of Mormon also stated that there were "two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil". (1 Nephi 14:10). Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God (see History of the Latter Day Saint movement). ... The Book of Commandments is among the most rare and valuable books in American history because the original printing was almost entirely destroyed by a mob. ... // The Book of Mormon [1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

As a response to the book's ideas about baptism and the organization of churches, Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery baptized each other by immersion in May 1829. They also began baptizing dozens of people, as early as June 1829. (History of the Church 1:6, p. 59). These converts, however, did not belong to an actual formal church organization. Nevertheless, this community of believers referred to themselves as "the Church of Christ", and included converts in three New York towns: Fayette, Manchester, and Colesville. Joseph Smith redirects here. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Fayette is a town located in Seneca County, New York. ... Manchester, New York is both a town and a village located in Ontario County, New York. ... Colesville is a town located in Broome County, New York. ...

In June 1829, in response to concerns by Oliver Cowdery, Smith dictated a revelation stating that "in [the Book of Mormon] are all things written, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore if you shall build up my church, and my gospel, and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you." (Book of Commandments, p. 35, verses 3-4). Some time between June and December of 1829, Oliver Cowdery said he received a revelation about "how he should build up his church & the manner thereof". This revelation was called the "Articles of the Church of Christ", and it indicated that the church should ordain priests and teachers "according to the gifts & callings of God unto men". The church was to meet regularly to partake of bread and wine. Cowdery was described as "an Apostle of Jesus Christ". According to David Whitmer, by April 1830, this informal "Church of Christ" had about six elders and 70 members. (Whitmer, Address to All Believers, 1887, p. 33). Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Articles of the Church of Christ was a revelation purportedly given by God to Oliver Cowdery in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... The office of priest is an office in the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... The office of teacher is an office within the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... In Mormonism, the Sacrament is the Lords Supper, in which participants eat bread and drink wine (or water, in the case of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since the late 1800s). ... David Whitmer (January 7, 1805–January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ... In Mormonism, an Elder is a priesthood and leadership position in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

Organization of the church

On April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, and a group of approximately 30 believers met to formally organize the Church of Christ into a legal institution. Traditionally, this is said to have occurred at the home of Peter Whitmer, Sr. in Fayette, New York, but early accounts place it in Manchester. Soon after this formal organization, small branches were formally established in Fayette, Manchester, and Colesville. is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Joseph Smith redirects here. ... Photograph of Oliver Cowdery found in the Library of Congress, taken in the 1840s Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery[1] (3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Peter Whitmer, Sr. ... Fayette is a town located in Seneca County, New York. ... Manchester, New York is both a town and a village located in Ontario County, New York. ... Fayette is a town located in Seneca County, New York. ... Manchester, New York is both a town and a village located in Ontario County, New York. ... Colesville is a town located in Broome County, New York. ...

Location of the organization

Eye-witnesses who said the church was organized in the Smith home include Joseph Smith, Jr. (Smith 1844), William Smith (Smith 1883, p. 14), and Joseph Knight, Sr. (Jessee 1976), and several non-believing Palmyra residents Tucker 1867, p. 58. These witnesses generally assume that the Smith home was located in Manchester, but it was technically located north of the Manchester border in Palmyra (Berge 1985). In his 1838 manuscript history, however, Joseph Smith, Jr. contradicted his other published statements and placed the organization at the Whitmer home in Fayette.^[1] In 1887, eye-witness David Whitmer also recollected that the event occurred in his father's home in Fayette (Whitmer 1887, p. 33). However, years earlier in 1875, Whitmer had already told a reporter that the event occurred in Manchester (Whitmer 1875). Joseph Smith redirects here. ... William Smith (also found as William B. Smith) (1811–1893) born in Royalton, Vermont, was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. ... Joseph Knight, Sr. ... Manchester is a town located in Ontario County, New York. ... Palmyra is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7,672 at the 2000 census. ... Joseph Smith redirects here. ... Fayette is a town located in Seneca County, New York. ... David Whitmer (January 7, 1805–January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ... Fayette is a town located in Seneca County, New York. ...

Events at the organization

By later accounts, the April 6 organizational meeting was a charismatic event, in which members of the congregation had visions, prophesied, spoke in tongues, ecstatically shouted praises to the Lord, and fainted. (Joseph Smith History, 1839 draft). Also, the church formally ordained a lay ministry, with the priesthood offices of deacon, teacher, priest, and elder. Smith and Cowdery, according to their 1831 account, were each ordained as "an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church". ("Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ", Painesville Telegraph, April 19, 1831). This account was edited in 1835 to state that Smith was ordained the "First Elder", and Oliver Cowdery was ordained the "Second Elder." (LDS D&C 20:2-3). is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The charismatic movement began with the adoption of certain Pentecostal beliefs—specifically what are known as the biblical charisms of Christianity: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. ... For other uses, see Prophecy (disambiguation). ... Glossolalia comprises the utterance of what appears (to the casual listener) either as an unknown foreign language, or as simply nonsense syllables; the utterances sometimes occur as part of religious worship (religious glossolalia). ... The office of deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the lowest office in the Aaronic Priesthood. ... The office of teacher is an office within the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... The office of priest is an office in the Aaronic Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ... In Mormonism, an Elder is a priesthood and leadership position in many denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

The name of the church

Historical background

In the early 1800s, Alexander Campbell and others began to popularize the idea among Christians in the United States that the division among Christian sects had been caused by a Great Apostasy from the original teachings of Jesus, practiced by the primitive Christian church. Campbell and his associates founded the Restoration Movement, arguing that the true practices of Christianity could be achieved by restoring practices described in the New Testament. The Restorationists also intended to eliminate sectarianism, arguing that there should be only one Christian church and that it should be named, the "Church of Christ." Alexander Campbell Alexander Campbell (September 12, 1788 – March 4, 1866) was an early leader of a movement that began in 1800 with the goal of removing divisions between Christians, by returning believers in the New Testament to principles of Truth and Union. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... A sect is a small religious group that has branched off of a larger established religion. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Great Apostasy is... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about the Stone... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

Some historians of religion categorize the Latter Day Saint movement as part of or an off-shoot of the larger Restoration movement, but there are significant differences. While early Latter Day Saints believed in the need to "restore" the "true church of Jesus Christ", they also believed that direct authority from God was essential for the restoration to be valid. Joseph Smith, Jr., the Latter Day Saint movement's founder, claimed to possess that authority as a Prophet who received revelations. A Latter Day Saint (LDS) is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement and is a follower of Mormonism. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Joseph Smith redirects here. ... For other senses of this word, see Prophet (disambiguation). ...

Smith's revelations authorized and commanded the organization of the Church of Christ in 1830, and in many of the revelations Smith claimed to receive, God referred to the church by that name. Smith taught that this church was a restoration of the primitive Christian church established by Jesus in the first century A.D. Moreover, Smith taught that this restoration occurred in the "Latter Days" of the world, i.e., the time immediately prior to the Second Coming of Jesus. For other uses, see Second Coming (disambiguation). ...

Early changes

The fact that the churches of other Christian Restorationists, including the Campbellites, were also named the "Church of Christ" caused a considerable degree of confusion in the first years of the Latter Day Saint movement. Because of the distinct belief in the Book of Mormon among Smith's followers, people outside the church began to refer them as "Mormonites" or "Mormons." Smith and other church elders considered the name "Mormon" derogatory.^[2] In May 1834, the church adopted a resolution that the church would be known thereafter as The Church of the Latter Day Saints.^[3] At various times the church was also referred to as The Church of Jesus Christ and The Church of God.^[4] The Disciples of Christ, also known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or simply as the Christian Church, is a denomination of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of Thomas Campbell and Alexander Campbell of Pennsylvania and Barton W. Stone and Virginia Stone of Kentucky. ... // The Book of Mormon [1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ...

In the late 1830s, Smith and those loyal to him founded a new headquarters in Far West, Missouri. At Far West in 1838, Smith announced a revelation renaming the organization the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.^{[citation needed]} Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint (Mormon) settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri. ...

Later variations

Up to the time of Smith's assassination, the church was known alternatively as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After Smith's death, competing Latter Day Saint denominations organized under the leadership of a number of successors. The largest of these, led by Brigham Young and now based in Salt Lake City, Utah, continued using Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints until incorporating in 1851, when the church standardized the spelling of its name as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[5] Followers of James J. Strang use the spelling of the public domain name, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as the name of their church. The name Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was also used for decades by members who coalesced into a "New Organization" of the church under the leadership of Smith's son, Joseph Smith III. For legal reasons, this group changed its corporate name to Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the end of the 19th century and more recently changed their name again to "Community of Christ" — consciously echoing the original "Church of Christ" name. For other uses, see Brigham Young (disambiguation). ... For ships of the United States Navy of the same name, see USS Salt Lake City. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... 1856 daguerreotype of James Strang, taken on Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, by J. Atkyn, one of his assassins. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Joseph Smith III — Leader of the 1860 Reorganization of the Latter Day Saint church. ... RLDS redirects here. ...

The Sidney Rigdon group dwindled until one of its elders, William Bickerton, reorganized in 1862 under the name The Church of Jesus Christ. Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon (19 February 1793–14 July 1876) was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... William Bickerton (January 15, 1815—February 17, 1905) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. ... The Church of Jesus Christs historic chapel in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. ...

Other Latter Day Saint denominations returned to the original name, including the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), the Church of Christ (Cutlerite), and the now-extinct Church of Christ (Whitmerite). The headquarters building of the Church of Christ as seen from the original temple site designated by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Cutlerite Church The Church of Jesus Christ, better known as the Cutlerites, is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism) headquartered in Independence, Missouri. ... The Church of Christ (Whitmerite) was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement based on the claims of David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ...

Notes

Brigham Henry Roberts (March 13, 1857 _ September 27, 1933) was born in Warrington, a manufacturing town of Lancashire, England. ... History of the Church (cited as HC) (originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; later entitled History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; nicknamed Documentary History of the Church or DHC) is a seven-volume work of history outlining the early history of The Church of Jesus... The Evening and Morning Star was an early Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly in Independence, Missouri from June 1832 to May 1833, and then in Kirtland, Ohio from June 1833 to September 1834. ... The Evening and Morning Star was an early Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly in Independence, Missouri from June 1832 to May 1833, and then in Kirtland, Ohio from June 1833 to September 1834. ... Brigham Henry Roberts (March 13, 1857 _ September 27, 1933) was born in Warrington, a manufacturing town of Lancashire, England. ... History of the Church (cited as HC) (originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; later entitled History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; nicknamed Documentary History of the Church or DHC) is a seven-volume work of history outlining the early history of The Church of Jesus...

References

1. Berge, Dale L. (1985), "Archaeological Work at the Smith Log House", Ensign 15 (8): 24, <http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1985.htm/ensign%20august%201985%20.htm/archaeological%20work%20at%20the%20smith%20log%20house.htm?fn=document-frameset.htm$f=templates$3.0>.
2. Carmack, John K. (1989), "Fayette: The Place the Church was Organized", Ensign 19 (2): 15–19, <http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1989.htm/ensign%20february%201989.htm/fayette%20the%20place%20the%20church%20was%20organized.htm?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm$3.0$q=$x=$nc=9347>.
3. Jessee, Dean (1976), "Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History", BYU Studies 17 (1): 35, <https://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/PDFSRC/17.1Jessee.pdf>.
4. Marquardt, H. Michael (1992), "An Appraisal of Manchester as Location for the Organization of the Church", Sunstone 87 (2): 49–57, <http://www.sunstoneonline.com/magazine/searchable/Issue87.asp>.
5. Smith, Lucy Mack (1853), written at Liverpool, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations, S.W. Richards, <http://relarchive.byu.edu/19th/descriptions/biographical.html>.
6. Smith, William (1883), written at Lamoni, Iowa, William Smith on Mormonism: A True Account of the Origin of the Book of Mormon, RLDS Church, (ISBN not assigned), <http://www.olivercowdery.com/smithhome/1883Wilm.htm>.
7. Tucker, Pomeroy (1867), Origin, Rise and Progress of Mormonism, D. Appleton, <http://www.solomonspalding.com/docs1/1867TucA.htm>.
8. Whitmer, John C. (August 7, 1875), "The Golden Tables", Chicago Times, <http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/IL/mischig.htm#080775>.
9. Whitmer, David (1887), written at Richmond, Missouri, An Address to All Believers in Christ By A Witness to the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, David Whitmer, <http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/address1.htm>.

For other persons of the same name, see John Carmack. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... William Smith (also found as William B. Smith) (1811–1893) born in Royalton, Vermont, was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... David Whitmer (January 7, 1805–January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormons Golden Plates. ...

See also

• History of the Latter Day Saint movement