Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the power of the Holy Ghost and His ability to speak to our hearts, guiding us in the direction we should go. Dunbar ignored the prompting he received that he should not go on board. In addition, he could have warned others of his feelings, as could have the other two men who saw the boat with him and felt the same prompting. Dunbar not only ignored the prompting, he also looked over three different delays which could easily have kept his family from being aboard the ship when disaster struck: Supplies he ordered for the journey did not arrive when they were supposed to. He waited for them to be sent down, and then hurried to the dock with his wife and children. They actually missed the boat. They took another boat and tried to catch up with the Saluda, but ice flow and strong river current prevented the two boats from meeting and the passengers to transfer, though they passed each other several times. Finally, the steamboat the Dunbars had managed to take was damaged by ice and the passengers were forced to disembark. William refused to leave, because the captain had promised he would deliver the Dunbars to the Saluda if possible. Ignoring three chances to avoid the Saluda, William finally succeeded in getting his family on board the boat.

The Saluda had already had an interesting history. It was built in 1846, and had sunk in 1847, remaining underwater for several months. It was raised and floated to St. Louis for repairs, but kept its old boilers. At that time, a six-year-old vessel was quite old for a river boat, when the average life for a steamboat was three to four years, and old boilers were very dangerous. River travel was in and of itself very dangerous. Snags (trees under the water) were common hazards, as were the ice flows. Strong currents were also dangerous. The Saluda had side wheels, which allowed it more maneuverability, but its boilers were still old. The boat reached Lexington, 370 miles from St. Louis, on April 4, but lacked the power to get around Lexington Bend, an infamous horseshoe banking to the left from their position. “Whipping around the point of this bend, the current created a treacherous ‘cross-over’ from the north bank to the south bank along the Lexington bluff. This was the Lexington Bend, a well known hazard to river men of the day” (Dan H. Spies, “The Story of the Saluda,” 2). After admitting defeat the first day, Captain Belt tried again the next day, but ice chunks broke parts of the paddle wheels, and the boat had to be repaired, which took two more days. Many frustrated passengers disembarked because they were close to their destination. This is when the Dunbars were finally able to get aboard the Saluda. Many people, knowing of the Captain’s determination to navigate the bend Friday morning, April 9, went to the bluffs for a good view. Due to the long delay, the Captain was insistent that the boat would make it around the point. According to folklore, Captain Belt  said, “I will round the point this morning or blow this boat to hell!” He ordered the engineers to fill the boilers to maximum pressure. The boiler walls were red hot, and before the paddle wheels had made three full revolutions, the boilers exploded. Reports indicate that engineers had let the boilers go dry while they were heating up, so when the cold river water was drawn in, the metal burst. One engineer survived, and admitted this was the case, but also said it the action was under direct orders from the captain. Witnesses said, “The noise of the explosion resembled the sharp report of thunder, and the houses of the city were shaken as if by the heavings of an earthquake,” causing houses to rattle and windows to shake (“Awful Calamity: Explosion of the Steamer Saluda—130 Lives Lost!!” Liberty Tribune, 16 April 1852, 1). Passengers were thrown into the air and onto the shore. Pieces of the boat’s two tall chimneys, the hurricane deck, the cabin section, and even the boilers flew in all directions. A spectator on the shore was killed by a piece of flying timber. Wreckage fell from the sky and landed as far as 400 yards away. The ship’s 3-foot diameter cast-iron bell and 600-pound safe flew high into the side of the bluffs. Two-thirds of the boat’s structure was destroyed. Many people were thrown into the river. Some survived, many did not. A surprising number suffered only minor injuries, but those closer to the explosion were nearly unidentifiable.

William Dunbar had been standing on the deck preparing breakfast. He remembered seeing the paddle wheels rotate twice, then woke up on the river bank. He knew of nothing in between. When he awoke, he saw his dead son lying close to him, but could not move toward him, because his spine had been injured when he was thrown from the boat. He was brought to the hospital, he saw his wife breathe her last breath, but did not have the chance to speak to her. He later saw his daughters remains which were so mangled another woman claimed the child was hers. This memory haunted Dunbar later in life, when he considered the possibility that he had left his daughter an orphan in the town, though he was fairly certain the dead child was his daughter. The total casualties are not precisely known, because so many survivors left almost immediately on another vessel, when its captain offered to take them for free. It is fairly safe to say, though, that between 90 and 100 passengers out of 175 were killed, including crew and passengers. It is estimated that 80 Latter-day Saints who had taken passage aboard the Saluda, 25 were killed, and 3 were missing and presumed dead.

Several of the surviving Saints were injured, and nine were severely injured. Lexington families adopted four orphaned children, including two from Latter-day Saint families. Lexington citizens reached out with true charity to the victims of the Saluda. The created four separate committees to care for the sick, bury the dead, raise money to aid the victims, and find homes for the orphans. Citizens donated $1,000 to pay for related expenses, women cared for the injured and prepared the dead for burial. The city donated a plot of ground for the burials, and twenty-one victims were laid to rest in Christ Church parish cemetery. In addition, citizens gave some survivors money and clothes (many had lost all their belongings) to help them on their journey. Some Saints were cared for, for weeks by Lexington families.

Tragically, some of the surviving Saints from the Saluda died soon thereafter at Kanesville from a cholera epidemic. Others died along the difficult trek to the Salt Lake Valley. Dunbar made it to the Utah Territory and served faithfully in the church for the rest of his life. He remarried and had thirteen children, one of whom he named Helen Euphemia in remembrance of his wife and daughter who died in the explosion.

The explosion of the Saluda and the cholera epidemic of 1852 helped spur reforms and regulations for boat travel, but the next year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had its members avoid the Missouri River by starting out in Keokuk, 200 miles north of St. Louis. Then, beginning in 1855, LDS immigrants sailed to New York rather than New Orleans, and took much safer railroad travel to the Salt Lake Valley.

Read more about the history of the Saluda.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Two of these handcart groups struck disaster in 1856, when they left later than they should have and got stuck in horrific winter storms in Wyoming. These two groups were the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. Many Saints died along the way, but those who survived claimed they had grown closer to God through their experience than through any other experience they had throughout their lives.

Descendants of the Saints who travelled in the Martin Handcart Company came together in the summer of 2011 to make some of the difficult part of the trek in memory of their ancestors. It is not uncommon for members of the Mormon Church (as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is often mistakenly referred to) to particpate in treks commemorating those who have gone before. However, this particular trek was the first that was solely made up of descendants of this company.

The Martin’s Cove Historic site in Wyoming is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is 933 acres. It is located 55 miles southwest of Casper, Wyoming. This is where 160 descendants of the Martin Handcart Company gathered in 2011 to commemorate their anscestors’ trek. Particpants ranged in age from babies to grandparents. They pulled handcarts (in pioneer dress), square-danced, played pioneer games, and listened to stories of what their ancestors suffered, sacrificed, and rose above, through the power of God.

Leta Greene, one of the older participants, was able to do far more than she thought she would. Being wheelchair bound, she didn’t think she would be able to participate, but her children were able to pull her in her own handcart of sorts, so she was able to participate.

The trekkers were also able to cross the Sweetwater River, which their ancestors had had to cross in the middle of winter. The cold water took the lives of some of the original company, but crossing in the summer, trekkers were still able to feel a kinship with their ancestors.

People are already planning another similar reunion for descendants of the Willie Handcart Company descendants. Mormons know how important their ancestors’ sacrifices were to building up the kingdom of God. Sacrifices others have made, even if they were not direct ancestors of current members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have helped make the Church stronger and have provided an environment of less persecution for those who practice Mormonism.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mary Fielding Smith, a faithful Latter-day Saint woman, was left with several young children while her husband was in Liberty Jail during the winter of 1838–39. Mobs raided her home, and her son was nearly killed as a result of the attack. As the wife of Hyrum Smith, Mary was left a widow when her husband was assassinated at Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844. She and Emma Smith endured many trials along with their husbands, Hyrum and Joseph Smith. Today, Mary is admired as one of the most stalwart pioneers of the early Church.

Mary married Hyrum Smith on December 24, 1837. Hyrum’s first wife, Jerusha, had died in childbirth, and Mary cared for Hyrum’s small children as her own. Hyrum and Mary also had two children together, including Joseph F. Smith, who later became the sixth President of the Church.

When the Saints left Nauvoo for the Salt Lake Valley after Joseph and Hyrum were martyred, Mary resolved to make the journey. She and her family were assigned to a traveling group, and the captain told her that she would be a burden to others and shouldn’t attempt the difficult journey. Mary responded, “I will beat you to the valley and will ask no help from you either.” The trek proved difficult, but she arrived with her family in Salt Lake on September 23, 1848, a day ahead of the captain who had doubted her.

Mary Fielding Smith remained faithful to the end of her life. She paid tithing, even in her poverty. When someone inappropriately suggested she not contribute a tenth of the potatoes she had grown that year, she responded, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? … I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it.” She established a farm in the Salt Lake Valley and taught her children the gospel. President Joseph F. Smith later said, “She taught me honor, and virtue, and truth, and integrity to the kingdom of God, and she taught me not only by precept but by example.”

Originally published in Ensign July 2011.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Mormon people are known for being happy and for serving others. They are taught to seek out the virtuous things of the world (Article of Faith 13) and to obey the laws of the land in which they live. The Mormon temples which now dot the earth now number more than 130. These beautiful buildings continue to capture the attention of the communities in which they are built. Each temple has an open house period of two to three weeks, before its dedication, in which members of the public are invited to walk through the building and to ask questions about the Mormon religion as well as Mormon temples. These increasing opportunities are helping to dispel a lot of persisting misconceptions and prejudices about the frequently misunderstood religion.

Latter-day Saints (as the Mormons prefer to be called) are encouraged to build up their communities wherever they are. Work is an eternal principle of Mormon doctrine, and idleness is viewed as a vice. Self-reliance is an aspect of Mormon welfare, with the motto of doing all we can to “help people help themselves.”

There are many famous Mormons in society today, including Gladys Knight, Mitt Romney, Alan Ashton (former WordPerfect CEO), Dale Murphy (Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer), Danny Ainge, Ty Detmer, and many others. Often when people not of the Mormon faith hear names like this, they are surprised because they consider the Mormon religion more of a cult. There is nothing cultish about Mormonism, however. Mormons worship Jesus Christ as their Savior, as all other believing Christians do. Mormons simply have the fulness of the truth, and wish to add the joy of that truth to what other people already have.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dawn Schmith was born and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Though her paternal grandmother was the granddaughter of Joseph Smith, Jr., by his son Alexander Hale Smith, Dawn was raised in the Catholic faith because her paternal grandfather was an active Catholic. Dawn actively participated in the religion her whole life and raised her two daughters in the faith. The first time Dawn heard about her ancestry was when she was 12 years old, but it was not discussed. Immediately, she wanted to learn more, but her paternal grandmother died around the same time, and she was never able to ask her any questions regarding that history.

Dawn had experiences with the LDS missionaries, but remained active in her Catholic faith. As her curiosity and desire to know more about her family history increased, she contacted LDS genealogist Janet Reakes, who put Dawn in touch with the Smith family organization in America. The organization sent Dawn a large book full of her ancestry, which she was thrilled to have. It was the first written information she had about her family history. Though Dawn’s father was upset at her contacting the Smith family organization, Dawn continued to meet with other Smith family descendants, including Gracia Jones and her husband, who came to visit her in Hervey Bay, Australia.

Finally, in 2005, Dawn and her cousin Vicki attended a family reunion in Sydney celebrating Joseph Smith’s 200th birthday. Their intent was to correct an oversight in a family book which had omitted their grandmother’s name. They both enjoyed their interactions with the people of the LDS faith, and Dawn kept in touch with two senior missionaries, and thus kept in contact with the LDS Church.

Two years later, Dawn had a great desire to go to the United States, to Nauvoo, Illinois, for a larger Smith family reunion, but she could not scrape enough money together to cover the costs. She told her cousin Gracia she couldn’t afford to come, but other relatives generously covered the cost for Dawn to make the trip. This was Dawn’s first trip out of Australia, and it really changed her life. She learned so much about her family, and when she returned home, she began attending The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dawn was baptized soon thereafter; a choice which was not without sacrifice. Dawn had been a Eucharistic Minister in the Catholic Church and was very dedicated to her faith. Though it caused some controversy in her family, Dawn stated her excitement about the LDS Church was greater than any she had felt in her life for a long time.

Before her baptism, Dawn had already decided to live the Word of Wisdom, or the Mormon health law. She had not consumed alcohol for more than 25 years previous to her baptism and had not smoked tobacco for 22 years. She also gave up coffee and tea. In giving up the use of these harmful and addictive substances, she gained a personal testimony of Joseph’s prophetic insight into the effects of these things.

Dawn said: “I believe Joseph is a true Prophet of God, I believe he was given messages from God and that he translated the Book of Mormon from the gold plates. I believe Emma is one of the pioneers of America and Christian fellowship. The life she lived was hard with losing children, pulling up stumps and having to go further and further away from her parents. She had no family support from her side of the family. She gave so much up to follow Joseph and help him in his mission. The saying goes, ‘Behind every great man is a great woman,’ I believe she is the great woman.”

One of Dawn’s daughters, Kim, was also recently baptized. Dawn and her daughter are now both looking forward to attending the Mormon temple.

This story taken from “Missionary Moment: Third great-granddaughter of Joseph and Emma Smith Joins Church“, Meridian Magazine, June 16, 2011.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was reading through the Bible, he would pray to God for enlightenment on certain principles and practices which he read about and did not fully understand. One of these was the practice of plural marriage in the Old Testament. When Joseph enquired of the Lord on this matter, he was told:

Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.

David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.

David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord (D&C 132:37–39).

This is significant revelation on the matter of plural marriage, but it was not all Joseph received. God commanded Joseph to re-institute the law of plural marriage (now referred to as Mormon polygamy). There have been many speculations on why God commanded Joseph to re-institute this practice, but ultimately it was a trial of obedience. Only a very small percentage of the Saints were ever asked to live the law of Mormon polygamy. People were not excited about this, including Joseph himself. In fact, records show that an angel came to Joseph with a drawn sword telling Joseph that he would be destroyed if he procrastinated introducing this law to the people any longer.

When Mormon polygamy was initially practiced, plural marriage was not explicitly against the law, but it was against tradition in the society the new Saints were living in. Mormon doctrine showed that when God commanded His people to practice polygamy, it was not a sin and came with many blessings, but it was still a difficult thing to do.

Persecution raged against the Saints at this time because of the practice of Mormon polygamy. The Saints were kicked out of their homes again and again. They constantly appealed to law enforcement to protect them, because they were exercising the freedom of religion as granted in the U.S. Constitution, but they were repeatedly denied justice and protection.

Eventually laws were passed which did make plural marriages illegal. However, the Saints were still living Mormon polygamy under the commandment of God, which transcends the laws of men. Some Church leaders went into hiding to protect their families. Eventually, God revealed to then-prophet Wilford Woodruff that He withdrew the commandment to practice polygamy. God did this to protect the Saints from further persecution at this time. In 1890, Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, now canonized as scripture in Official Declaration—1 in the Doctrine and Covenants. From this time forward, no more plural marriages were sanctified by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thus, Mormon polygamy has not been a practice for more than 100 years.

There are splinter groups who call themselves Mormons today, who continue the practice of polygamy. However, they are not officially connected with the Mormon Church in any way. Plural marriage is an offense worthy of excommunication from the Mormon Church today. Those Mormons who had already entered into plural marriages prior to 1890 continued to support each other in those marriages, but no more Mormon polygamous marriages have been performed since then.

Many misconceptions persist about when Mormon polygamy was in practice. The truth is that no women were ever forced into plural marriages. Only a small percentage of members of the Mormon Church ever practiced polygamy. Divorce was available to women who had chosen to enter a plural marriage and then, for whatever reason, decided they no longer wanted to participate in such a marriage. Many women enjoyed the benefits which plural marriages brought to them. There were more women to complete the chores and look after the children, allowing much more free time to everybody. Mormon polygamy was never an oppressive institution, and no one’s free will was ever taken away in regard to entering into a plural marriage.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Winter Quarters and the Forming of the Mormon Battalion

The first group of Saints traveling west stopped in Winter Quarters after leaders decided it was too late in the year to continue West. Just before turning to Council Bluffs, an order from the U.S. Army came to muster 500 young Mormon men to fight in the Mexican War. This left many families with no one to protect and care for them and was generally a huge trial for all involved. However, their service brought blessings few of them foresaw.

Job Smith tells of the trials of sacrificing 500 able-bodied young men to the United States Army for fighting in the Mexican War, running out of provisions and the effects of Black Scurvy, as well as his ingenuity in basket making to provide for his family.

Colonel Thomas Kane accompanied the Saints part of the way on their trek West after 500 of their young men were requisitioned by the government to fight in the Mexican War. His words offer a unique perspective of someon traveling with the Saints who was not of their faith.

Helen Kimball Whitney‘s account is thorough and touches on such interesting topics as the origins of the Mormon Battalion, the building up of Winter Quarters, the Saints’ dealings and relationships with the Native Americans, and general conditions and experiences of the time.

The Blessings Derived from the Service of the Mormon Battalion were listed by Brigham Young in his journal. It was expected by the U.S. Army that, in return for their service, the Mormons would be among the first settlers in California, thus reimbursing them for many of their wrongs. However, the Saints did not go on to California. Brigham Young also gives a reason for this.

Crossing the Plains

Joseph F. Smith, son of Joseph Smith’s brother, Hyrum Smith, relates his experiences of crossing the plains at the age of 9 with his mother. He talks of his mother’s faith in finding stolen oxen and having faith they will be healed when they go lame.

Mary Goble Pay gives her personal account of crossing the plains at the age of 13 with the John Hunt Company in 1856. She tells of hardships faced along the way, family members lost, and a promise Brigham Young gave her that her frostbitten feet would heal without requiring her to have more than her toes amputated. Though doctors doubted, Mary had faith that she would heal.

Personal Accounts of the Willie Handcart Company

“No person can describe it, nor could it be comprehended or understood by any human living in this life, but those who were called to pass through it.” Jens Neilson, member Willie Handcart Company.

Peter Howard McBride recounts his family’s trip from Scotland and then West with the Willie Handcart Company when he was only 6 years old. He struggled in the harsh conditions, and his father died along the way, but they made it successfully to the Salt Lake Valley.

Agnes Caldwell Southworth tells of her mother’s ingenuity in helping her family cross the plains and of their rescue near the end of their journey. Agnes was 9 when they crossed the plains in 1856.

A Willie Handcart Company Journal Excerpt relates the faith these Saints had and records a promise given to them from President Franklin D. Richards that they would succeed in their trials, with the help of God.

The Rescue of the Handcart Companies in 1856

Ephraim Hanks was an able frontiersman who was called to help in the rescue of the Saints stranded in the late handcart companies of 1856. He went at personal risk, as did all the rescuers, and relates his experiences of being able to find them and miraculously bring them fresh buffalo meat, which they desperately needed in their starving states.

The End of the Journey in the Salt Lake Valley

Howard Egan recounts his feelings of security upon entering the Salt Lake Valley.

End of the Journey. The first Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. President Brigham Young rode out with a small group of men to survey the valley. Eleven years later the distressed handcart companies arrived late in the year 1856 after suffering unimaginable trials. All who made this journey made immense sacrifices to help build the Kingdom of God. Words from President Hinckley remind Church members of their continuing responsibilities.

Current Leaders

The current leaders of the Mormon Church work under the direction of God to guide Church members in these tumultuous times. Though they are usually older, they are very aware of the current issues in the world. They know of the struggles of children, youth, and adults both single and married. They are guided by direct revelation from God, who knows the needs of each individual in the world.  They encourage good family relations, high personal standards, and self-control, since these are things that bring happiness and peace to individuals and societies.   The President of the Church, as well as his apostles, are prophets, seers, and revelators, who often give counsel from insights only they can have.  They also guide all the workings of the Church–not only its congregations, but its remarkable missionary program, welfare program, building program, and humanitarian aid endeavors. You can read about many current events related to these issues at the LDS News Website.

Thomas S. Monson
President Monson was the First Counselor to President Hinckley, part of the first presidency of the Mormon Church. He was also the official (not acting) president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Upon the death of Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson became prophet and president of the Church.  (Read More)

Henry B. Eyring
Henry B. Eyring is currently the First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church.  Elder Eyring said, “When you know something to be true, you should act upon that truth. Jesus Christ lives; he has ‘tied himself to us.’ Only we at great effort can break the tie. I pray with my whole heart that we will understand what it means to be bound to a God who loves us, who will let us climb freely—but is ready, should we slip, to break the fall.”(Read More)

Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Elder Uchtdorf was the first apostle in more than fifty years who was not born in the United States, and the first ever from Germany.  He is now the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. (Read More)

Boyd K. Packer
Elder Packer’s education and career centered around teaching as his occupation. President Faust remarked, “Elder Packer is very much a teacher. While all of the Twelve are teachers, he’s a teacher in the Twelve.”(Read More)

Jeffrey R. Holland
Elder Holland feels “a deep desire to live up to the standard that the entire Christian world holds for the title ‘Apostle’, never doing anything that could ever diminish that office in anyone’s sight.”(Read More)

M. Russell Ballard
Elder Ballard humbly shares the calling of apostle, and he, too, is charged to witness, teach, and preach, and especially to be an example of Christ in all of his actions. (Read More)

Russell M. Nelson
Elder Nelson is a nationally known heart surgeon. His preparation, dedication, and devotion in the medical field and service in the Mormon Church has prepared him to be an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Read More)

David A. Bednar
Elder Bednar is a special witness of Jesus Christ—a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As an apostle, he is responsible, along with the other apostles and under the direction of the First Presidency, to oversee the administration of the Mormon Church and to spread and testify of the gospel throughout the world. (Read More)

Dallin H. Oaks

Prior to his call as a church leader, Dallin H. Oaks had a distinguished career as a lawyer, clerking for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court, serving as counsel to the Bill of Rights Committee of the Illinois Constitutional Convention and as a consultant to the Office of Economic Opportunity during Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty. He also taught at the University of Chicago and presided over Brigham Young University.

Quentin L. Cook

Elder Cook enjoyed a successful career as a lawyer prior to his call to church service. He is known in the professional world for his unwillingness to compromise his integrity for personal gain.

D. Todd Christofferson

Elder Christofferson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 5, 2008.  Before entering full-time church service, he was a lawyer, serving as an assistant to judge Sirica who oversaw the Watergate trials. (Read more…)

L. Tom Perry
A distinguished businessman in his former professional life, L. Tom Perry never lost an opportunity to serve others.

Richard G. Scott
Richard G. Scott, an expert in nuclear energy who once served under Hyman G. Rickover, now serves as a full-time servant of God.

Robert D. Hales

Robert D. Hales was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1994.  He has a business degree from Harvard, and his business experiences and church service have taken him and his family abroad, especially to England. (Read more…)

Neil L. Andersen

Neil L. Andersen was called to be an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) on April 4, 2009, to fill the vacancy left by the death of Joseph B. Wirthlin. (Read more…)

Past Presidents

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church, has always been led by prophets. These men presided over God’s true Church from its restoration through Joseph Smith down to the current president of the Church. They brought the Church from its miraculous beginning through persecution, mass exodus, the changes of a developing nation, and the moral and spiritual challenges of the past. They led with courage, never succumbing to the Church’s opponents, but only acting according to the Lord’s commandments.

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith is the founder of the Mormon Church. He was the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Jan. 25, 1832 to June 27, 1844. Joseph Smith dedicated his life to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He died as a martyr for the Mormon Church at age 38. (Read More)

Brigham Young

Brigham Young, second Prophet and President of The Mormon Church, ranks among the most influential and important historical figures . . . not just in Mormon history, but also in American history. (Read More)

John Taylor

President Taylor worked tirelessly throughout his life to establish the kingdom of God on the earth—his personal efforts toward promoting freedom of religion and the rights of all human beings continued until his death on July 25, 1887, but the many programs he established have thrived beyond his years to benefit the membership of the Church. (Read More)

Wilford Woodruff

President Woodruff was the last living man to have served as an Apostle with Joseph Smith, and he left with the members his testimony of the Prophet Joseph and his mission on Earth. President Woodruff received revelation that the Church should cease the practice of plural marriage. (Read More)

Lorenzo Snow

President Snow emphasized the responsibility of the leaders of the Church to spread the gospel and to prepare the Saints for the Savior. He introduced missionary work to many parts of the world, oversaw the translation of the Book of Mormon into numerous languages, and prepared and published pamphlets on the Mormon Church. (Read More)

Joseph F. Smith

President Smith emphasized the importance of tithing, defended the Church before Congress in 1904, and withstood personal attacks. He taught the importance of families, and introduced the Family Home Evening program. (Read More)

Heber J. Grant
President Grant admonished the Saints to keep the following principles: the word of wisdom, the law of the fast, the payment of tithes and offerings, and the avoidance of debt. These principles tied into the Church Welfare Program that he instituted. (Read More)

George Albert Smith

President Smith admonished the Saints to seek happiness in living the gospel principles, to seek out those in need of love and comfort, and to find time to serve their fellow man. He warned the members to stay on the Lord’s side, since that was where true happiness was. (Read More)

David O. McKay

President McKay served in the Church for many years, including 50 years as an Apostle and 19 years as prophet and president of the Mormon Church. He set an example of the proper treatment of women and taught the importance of both families and missionary work. (Read More)

Joseph Fielding Smith

During his two-year presidency, President Smith encouraged youth to hold tight to standards of purity, and counseled parents to teach their children virtue and morality by example. He told the Church to prepare for the Lord’s Second Coming. (Read More)

Harold B. Lee

President Lee, in his years of Church service, worked to help members of the Mormon Church during the Great Depression. His efforts on a welfare plan for the Church helped many to recover from ills and become financially self-sufficient again. (Read More)

Spencer W. Kimball

In spite of the physical ailments that challenged President Kimball, he served long, preaching that Mormon missionaries should be better prepared to serve. During his presidency, he and his counselors declared that all worthy men (including Black men) could hold the priesthood. (Read More)

Ezra Taft Benson

President Benson held important government offices in addition to his Church service, working hard to serve a worldwide religion while he labored for the good of the nation. He loved the Book of Mormon and encouraged members to read it and other worthy books. (Read More)

Howard W. Hunter

President Hunter encouraged the members to make Christ the center of their lives, to be worthy to enter the Mormon temple, and to seek all that is good in this life. He noted the unprecedented accesibility of the scriptures in these days, and encouraged Mormons to take advantage of that great blessing. (Read More)

Gordon B. Hinckley

President Hinckley, the last president and prophet of the Mormon Church, was largely known for the building of temples, his inspired advice about families, and his incredible strength, vigor, and wisdom—as well as good health—into his late nineties. (Read More)

Other Bios:

James E. Faust, former apostle

Parley P. Pratt, early Mormon Apostle

• The Godhead
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ
• God’s Pattern of Revelation: Prophets and Scripture
• The Plan of Salvation
• The Authority to Act in God’s Name
• The Church and Kingdom of God
• Obedience to the Commandments of God
• Mormon Temples: The House of God
• Honesty and Integrity
• Charity: The Pure Love of Jesus Christ
• Mission of the Mormon Church

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• Mormon Prophets

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• Tithes and Offerings
• Word of Widsom
• Fasting

There are many resources to help you learn more about what Mormons believe and what they teach. The following links are to websites and publications which teach the truth about what Mormons really believe.

• Mormon.org – The official site of the Mormon Church
• Jeff Linsday, An LDS Intro
• All About the Mormons