Although my father [Silas Smith] had received the testimony of his brother Joseph [Smith, Senior] concerning the Latter-day work, and of his nephew William Smith, yet he was slow about yielding obedience to the Gospel, owing to the determined opposition of his brother Jesse, of my mother, and of his older children. Meanwhile my uncle Asahel Smith with all his family, who also lived at Stockholm [NY], had gathered with the Church at Kirtland, Ohio. They did not emigrate till the spring of 1836. My uncle John Smith and family who lived at Potsdam, 15 miles from Stockholm, emigrated the spring of 1833.

My father received a letter from the Prophet Joseph, which I here transcribe:

                                                Kirtland Mills, Ohio, Sept. 26, 1835.

Respected Uncle Silas:

It is with feelings of deep interest for the welfare of mankind which fill my mind on the reflection that all were formed by the hand of Him who will call the same to give an impartial account of all their works in the great day to which you and myself in common with them are bound, that I take up my pen and seat myself in an attitude to address a few though imperfect lines to you for your perusal.

I have no doubt but you will agree with me that men will be held accountable for the things they have, and not for the things they have not, or that all the light and intelligence communicated to them from their beneficent Creator, whether it is much or little, by the same they in justice will be judged, and that they are required to yield obedience to, and improve upon that, and that only, which is given, for man is not to live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Seeing that the Lord has never given them to understand by anything heretofore revealed, that He has ceased to speak, forever, to His creatures, when sought
unto in a proper manner, why should it be thought a thing incredible that he should be pleased to speak again, in these last days, for their salvation? Perhaps you may be surprised at this assertion, that I should say for the salvation of His creatures in these last days, since we have already in our possessions a vast volume of His word, which he has previously given. But you will admit that the word spoken to Noah was not sufficient for Abraham, or it was not required of him to leave the land of his nativity, and seek an inheritance in a strange country upon the word spoken to Noah, but, for himself he obtained promises from the hand of the Lord, and walked in that perfection that he was called, “the friend of God.” Isaac, the promised seed, was not required to rest his hope alone on the promises made to his Father Abraham, but was privileged with the assurance of his approbation in the sight of Heaven, by the direct voice of the Lord to him.

If one man can live upon the revelations to another, might I not with propriety ask, why the necessity then, of the Lord’s speaking to Isaac as he did, as is recorded in the 26^th chapter of Genesis? For the Lord there repeats, or rather, promises again to perform the oath which he had previously sworn to Abraham, and why this repetition to Isaac? Why was not the first promise as sure for Isaac as it was for Abraham? Was not Isaac Abraham’s son, and could he not place implicit confidence in the veracity of his father as being a man of God?

Perhaps you may say that he was a very peculiar man, and different from men in these last days, consequently the Lord favored him with blessings peculiar and different, as he was different from man in this age. I admit that he was a peculiar man, and was not only peculiarly blessed, but greatly blessed. But all the peculiarity that I can discover in the man, or all the difference between him and men in this age, is, that he was more Holy and more perfect before God, and came to him with a purer heart, and more faith than men in this day.

The same might be said of Jacob’s history, “Why was it that the Lord spake to him concerning the same promise, after he had made it once to Abraham, and renewed it to Isaac? Why could not Jacob rest contented upon the word spoken to his father? When the time of the promise drew nigh for the deliverance of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, why was it necessary that the Lord should begin to speak to Moses? The promise or word to Abraham was, that his seed should serve in bondage, and be afflicted 400 years, and after that they should come out with great substance. Why did they not rely on this promise, and when they had remained in Egypt, in bondage 400 years, come out without waiting for further revelations, but act entirely upon the promise given to Abraham that they should come out?”

Paul said to his Hebrew brethren, that God might more abundantly show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel; He confirmed it by an oath. He also exhorts them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Notwithstanding, we (said Paul) have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have an an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail, yet he was careful to press upon them the necessity of continuing on until they, as well as those who then inherited the promises, might have the assurance of their salvation confirmed to them, by an oath from the mouth of Him who could not lie; for that seemed to be the example anciently, and Paul holds it out to his Hebrew brethren as an object attainable in his day. And why not? I admit by reading the scriptures of truth, the saints, in the day of Paul, could learn, beyond the power of contradiction, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had the promise or oath was no assurance to them of their salvation; but they could by walking in the footsteps and continuing in the faith of their fathers, obtain, for themselves an oath for confirmation that they were meant to be partakers of the inheritance, with the saints in light.

If the saints in the days of the apostles were privileged to take the Ancients for examples, and lay hold of the same promises, and attain to the same exalted privilege of knowing that their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and that they were sealed there as a perpetual memorial before the face of the Most High, will not the same faithfulness, the same purity of heart, and the same faith, bring the same assurance of eternal life, and that in the same manner, to the children of men now in this age of the world? I have no doubt that the holy prophets and apostles and saints in ancient days, were saved in the Kingdom of God; neither do I doubt but that they held converse and communion with Him while they were in the flesh, as Paul said to his Corinthian brethren that the Lord Jesus showed Himself to above five hundred saints at one time after His resurrection.

Job said that he knew that his Redeemer lived and that he should see Him in the flesh in the latter days. I may believe that Enoch walked with God and by faith was translated. I may believe that Noah was a perfect man in his generation and also walked with God. I may believe that Abraham communed with God and conversed with angels. I may believe that Isaac obtained renewal of the covenant made to Abraham by the direct voice of the Lord. I may believe that Jacob conversed with the holy angels, and heard the voice of his Maker, that he wrestled with the angel until he prevailed and obtained the blessing. I may believe that Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire with fiery horses. I may believe that the Saints saw the Lord and conversed with Him face to face after His resurrection. I may believe that the Hebrew church came to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. I may believe that they looked into eternity, and saw the Judge of all, and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant. But will all this purchase an assurance for me, and waft me to the regions of eternal day, and seat me down in the presence of the King of Kings with my garments spotless, pure and white? Or must I not rather obtain for myself by my own faith and diligence in keeping the commandments of the Lord, an assurance of salvation for myself? And have I not an equal privilege with the ancient saints? And will not the Lord hear my prayers and listen to my cries as soon as He ever did to theirs, if I come to Him in the manner they did? Or, is He a respecter of persons?

So I must close this subject for want of time, and I may with propriety say at the beginning—We would be glad to see you in Kirtland, we would be glad to see you embrace the New Covenant and be one with us. We sometimes think you are now one with us in heart.

I remain yours affectionately,

To Silas Smith.                            Joseph Smith, Jun.

My father was baptized in 1835 by Hyrum Smith, and in the spring of 1836 emigrated to Kirtland, Ohio; my mother had not yet joined the Church, but took with her a certificate of membership from the Presbyterian Church, and a recommend from the same.

Jesse N. Smith, Journal of Jesse N. Smith 1834-1906           

After her arrival in Kirtland, Mary Aikens Smith attended the Presbyterian Church. Jesse N. Smith and his two older brothers were with their mother the last time she attended the Presbyterian Church. “The sermon was not inspiring and was continually insulting of the Mormons [then] gathering in Kirtland.” Finally, Jesse, just a little tot learning to talk, turned to his mother and said, “Get your dumbelly (meaning umbrella) and let’s go!” She did just that and soon after was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her nephew Hyrum Smith on July 18, 1837.

Janis Smith Pryor,  A Children’s Storybook of Jesse N. Smith, published by the family organization for the children of Jesse N. Smith 

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

I was born in the State of New York, town of Parishville, Lawrence Co., March 30th, 1832. When I was about 12 years old my father moved to Ohio and settled at Fairport in Geauga Co., fifteen miles from Kirtland. My father said to mother one day, “They say the Smiths live at Kirtland and are Mormons.” They had been acquainted with the Smiths before the Book of Mormon was found and lived neighbors to John and Silas Smith, Joseph Smith’s uncles. Father said, “I’m going to see them and if honest John Smith tells me the Book of Mormon is true I will believe it for I don’t believe he has ever told a lie in his life.”

I mention this to show how well they were liked for honesty before they were Mormons. He went and brought a Book of Mormon and read it in a short time. Then he took mother and went to Kirtland and they were both baptized…[by] Joseph Smith, Senior.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Joseph Prepared a Route for the Saints to Take across the Rocky Mountains

Monday Sept. 27th [1897] . . . I met that day, at the Hall of Relicks, Hopkins G. Pendar an old Nauvoo Mormon, and from him learned that Joseph Smith just before he was killed, made a sketch of the future home of the saints in the Rocky Mountains, and their route or road to that country as he had seen in vision; a map or drawing of it.

(Oliver B. Huntington, “History of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington, Written by Himself 1878–1990,” typescript copy, BYU Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Provo, Utah, 50.)

As Oliver states below, it is no secret that Joseph Smith knew when he turned himself in at Carthage Jail (on spurious charges) that he was going to his death. He did all he could to prepare the Saints for this event. He knew that they were in God’s hands even during his life and prophesied of God’s will for the Saints even for the time following his death.

Joseph Sacrificed Himself to Protect the Saints

I have just learned from Brother Peter W. Cownover another evidence of the certainty in the Prophet’s mind that he was going to Carthage to be slain as a sacrifice for the Saints.

Brother Cownover had been to Carthage in charge of prisoners arrested by the county sheriff, and when he reached that place he and the prisoners were all thrown into jail together, without judge or jury, and after they were liberated he returned to Nauvoo, and arrived just as Joseph was starting for Carthage. After usual salutations, Brother Cownover asked Joseph where he was going.

“I am going to Carthage to give myself up,” was his reply.

Brother Cownover said, “If you go there they will kill you.”

“I know it,” replied the Prophet, “but I am going. I am going to give myself for the people, to save them.”

(Oliver B. Huntington, “Letter to the Editor [Susa Gates],” Young Woman’s Journal 2, no. 3 [December 1890]: 125; see also “Philo Dibble Autobiography [1806–c. 1843],” in “Early Scenes in Church History,” Four Faith Promoting Classics [Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1968], 79.)

Joseph prophesied Saints would live in Nauvoo for only seven years, then go to Rocky Mountains.

My father was living in a good hewed log house in 1840 when one morning as the family all sat at breakfast old Father Joseph Smith, the first Patriarch of the Church and father of the Prophet Joseph, came in and sat down by the fire place, after declining to take breakfast with us, and there he sat some little time in silence looking steadily in the fire. At length he observed that we had been driven from Missouri to this place; with some passing comments, he then asked this question: “And how long, Brother Huntington, do you think we will stay here?” As he asked this question I noticed a strange, good-natured expression creep over his whole being—an air of mysterious joy.

Father answered, after just a moment’s hesitation, “Well, Father Smith, I can’t begin to imagine.”

“We will just stay here seven years,” he answered. “The Lord has told Joseph so—just seven years,” he repeated. “Now this is not to be made public; I would not like to have this word go any further,” said the Patriarch, who leaned and relied upon his son Joseph in all spiritual matters as much as boys generally do upon their parents for temporalities. There were then two or three minutes of perfect silence. The old gentleman with more apparent secret joy and caution in his countenance said, “And where do you think we will go to when we leave here, Brother Huntington?” Father did not pretend to guess; unless we went back to Jackson County.

“No,” said the old Patriarch, his whole being seeming to be alive with animation. “The Lord has told Joseph that when we leave here we will go into the Rocky Mountains; right into the midst of the Lamanites.”

This information filled our hearts with unspeakable joy, for we knew that the Book of Mormon and this gospel had been brought to light more for the remnants of Jacob upon this continent than for the Gentiles.

Father Smith again enjoined upon us profound secrecy in this matter and I don’t think it was ever uttered by one of Father Huntington’s family. The history of Nauvoo shows that we located in Nauvoo in 1839 and left it in 1846.

The Church did move to the Rocky Mountains into the midst of the Indians or Lamanites—or more properly speaking the Jews—and here expect to live until we move to the spirit land or the Lord moves us somewhere else.

(Oliver B. Huntington, “Prophecy,” Young Woman’s Journal 2, no. 7 [April 1891]: 314–15).

Joseph Smith was a truly remarkable man. He was a prophet called of God in these last days to restore the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He prophesied many things which came to pass. People like Oliver Huntington kept good records of these things, as Joseph himself in fact did. Learning more about Joseph Smith’s life brings any person of faith to the conclusion that he was exactly what he claimed to be: a humble man of common upbringing who was called of God to build His kingdom on the earth.

This article was written by Doris White, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDYJ5Ql-Qhc&feature=youtu.be

dwhite

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.

• Rexburg Idaho Temple
• Curitiba Brazil Temple
• Panama City Panama Temple
• Twin Falls Idaho Temple
• Draper Utah Temple
• Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple

President Monson bears powerful testimony of the Savior:

“Our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Advocate with the Father died for our sins and the sins of all mankind. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the foreordained but voluntary act of the Only Begotten Son of God. He offered His life as a redeeming ransom for us all. His mission, His ministry among men, His teachings of truth, His acts of mercy, His unwavering love for us prompt our gratitude and warm our hearts. Jesus Christ, Savior of the world—even the Son of God—was and is the ultimate pioneer, for He has gone before, showing all others the way to follow. May we ever follow Him” (“Led by Spiritual Pioneers,” Ensign, Aug. 2006, 8).

President Monson has been continuing the precedent set by several prophets before him of travelling the world and meeting with the Saints as often as he can. President Monson is known for heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost and for urging others to do so as well. Known for telling personal stories and applying principles he has learned to everyday life, President Monson is beloved, admired, and respected by all who know him and by all who hear him speak. He will do many great things as the mouthpiece of the Lord in leading His church today.

The Church leaders, under Thomas Monson’s guidance, continue to emphasize strong families and personal connectedness to God through a closeness to the Holy Ghost.  Another emphasized principle is preparedness and food storage.  President Monson leads at a time when the Church is under attack for its stance on same-sex marriage and its involvement in the political arena in the states in America where marriage laws are changing.  The Church upholds its right to express itself when the moral values of nations are challenged and also stands by its declaration that marriage is ordained of God and that marriage between a man and a woman is central to the health of society.  The Church will never change this policy, no matter how many people try to get it to.  The Lord speaks His will through His prophet, and the Church will always uphold and defend the commands of God.  Principles and commandments cannot be changed because of the desires of men.

In 2000, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued their testimony of Jesus Christ in a document entitled “The Living Christ.” Soon after his call to the presidency, President Hinckley read an even more impressive document in the 1995 General Relief Society meeting. This document, a proclamation to the world of the divinity and importance of the family, has been referenced countless times in the years since. As the family continually comes under attack from the world and society, the Saints have “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” to study and apply in their lives. This call to arms to protect the eternal nature of the family was intended to strengthen all families in the world, and will do so for all those who heed its admonitions.

President Hinckley will always be remembered for his focus on temple work and his initiative to build more temples. In his thirteen years serving as president of the Church, the number of temples more than doubled from forty-eight to one hundred twenty-four. More temples are announced each General Conference, and the eternal blessings of the temple continue to be brought to Saints all over the world. Though many still must make huge sacrifices to attend the temple closest to them, which may be a several-day journey, it is now an achievable goal. President Hinckley understood that there are no blessings in this life more important than temple ordinances, which allow us to be sealed together as families for all eternity.

• Hong Kong China Temple
• Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
• St. Louis Missouri Temple
• Vernal Utah Temple
• Preston England Temple
• Monticello Utah Temple
• Anchorage Alaska Temple
• Colonia Juárez Chihuahua México Temple
• Madrid Spain Temple
• Bogotá Colombia Temple
• Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
• Spokane Washington Temple
• Columbus Ohio Temple
• Bismarck North Dakota Temple
• Columbia South Carolina Temple
• Detroit Michigan Temple
• Halifax Nova Scotia Temple
• Regina Saskatchewan Temple
• Billings Montana Temple
• Edmonton Alberta Temple
• Raleigh North Carolina Temple
• St. Paul Minnesota Temple
• Kona Hawaii Temple
• Ciudad Juárez México Temple
• Hermosillo Sonora México Temple
• Albuquerque New Mexico Temple
• Oaxaca México Temple
• Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Temple
• Louisville Kentucky Temple
• Palmyra New York Temple
• Fresno California Temple
• Medford Oregon Temple
• Memphis Tennessee Temple
• Reno Nevada Temple
• Cochabamba Bolivia Temple
• Tampico México Temple
• Nashville Tennessee Temple
• Villahermosa México Temple
• Montréal Québec Temple
• San José Costa Rica Temple
• Fukuoka Japan Temple
• Adelaide Australia Temple
• Melbourne Australia Temple
• Suva Fiji Temple
• Mérida México Temple
• Veracruz México Temple
• Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple
• Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple
• Caracas Venezuela Temple
• Houston Texas Temple
• Birmingham Alabama Temple
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
• Boston Massachusetts Temple
• Recife Brazil Temple
• Porto Alegre Brazil Temple
• Montevideo Uruguay Temple
• Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
• Guadalajara México Temple
• Perth Australia Temple
• Columbia River Washington Temple
• Snowflake Arizona Temple
• Lubbock Texas Temple
• Monterrey México Temple
• Campinas Brazil Temple
• Asunción Paraguay Temple
• Nauvoo Illinois Temple
• The Hague Netherlands Temple
• Brisbane Australia Temple
• Redlands California Temple
• Accra Ghana Temple
• Copenhagen Denmark Temple
• Manhattan New York Temple
• San Antonio Texas Temple
• Aba Nigeria Temple
• Newport Beach California Temple
• Sacramento California Temple
• Helsinki Finland Temple

In the year 2000, at the October General Conference of the Church, President Hinckley announced that Church membership exceeded 11 million and that the one-hundredth temple (the Boston Massachusetts Temple) had just been dedicated. At the close of President Hinckley’s administration, Church membership was rapidly approaching 13 million. President Hinckley is responsible for much good done in the Church and for helping the Church find ways to reach more of its members worldwide more effectively.

“It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple” (Howard W. Hunter, Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 8).

“And now, my beloved brothers and sisters, through the power and authority of the priesthood vested in me and by virtue of the calling which I now hold, I invoke my blessings upon you. I bless you in your efforts to live a more Christlike life. I bless you with an increased desire to be worthy of a temple recommend and to attend the temple as frequently as circumstances allow. I bless you to receive the peace of our Heavenly Father in your homes and to be guided in teaching your families to follow the Master” (Howard W. Hunter, “Follow the Son of God, ” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 88).

His focus on the temple is evidenced by the fact that two more temples were completed and dedicated during his nine-month administration: the Orlando Florida Temple and the Bountiful Utah Temple. His desire for the Saints to be worthy to attend the temple preceded President Gordon B. Hinckley’s explosion of temple building in the following decade. As temples are finally being brought to the people, it is necessary for them to be worthy to enter the temple when it arrives.

In addition to his focus on temple worthiness, President Hunter urged those who had fallen away from the Church to return:

“To those who have transgressed or been offended, we say, come back. The path of repentance, though hard at times, lifts one ever upward and leads to a perfect forgiveness” (Howard W. Hunter, “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises, ” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 8).

President Hunter also left a strong testimony of the work of the Church:

“My greatest strength through these past months has been my abiding testimony that this is the work of God and not of men. Jesus Christ is the head of this church. He leads it in word and deed. I am honored beyond expression to be called for a season to be an instrument in his hands to preside over His Church. But without the knowledge that Christ is the head of the Church, neither I nor any other man could bear the weight of the calling that has come”

“In assuming this responsibility, I acknowledge God’s miraculous hand in my life. He has repeatedly spared my life and restored my strength, has repeatedly brought me back from the edge of eternity, and has allowed me to continue in my mortal ministry for another season. I have wondered on occasion why my life has been spared. But now I have set that question aside and ask only for the faith and prayers of the members of the Church so we can work together, I laboring with you, to fulfill God’s purposes in this season of our lives” (“Exceeding Great and Precious Promises,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 7).

The urgency of being worthy to attend the temple is a message that is still shared by our leaders today. We can only be worthy to receive the blessings the Lord has in store for us if we are willing to meet the conditions He has set.

Before he became the president of the Church, President Benson had served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture. He had studied agriculture in college and had already implemented several succesful and innovative techniques on his own farm before he was extended this appointment. His service in this department led to even more publicity for the Church and helped improve the Church Welfare Program. He also gained the respect of countless people, both within the Church and without, which made his transition into his administration a smooth one.

There were nine temples dedicated during President Benson’s presidency, only four of which were in the United States.

• Seoul Korea Temple
• Lima Peru Temple
• Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
• Denver Colorado Temple
• Frankfurt Germany Temple
• Portland Oregon Temple
• Las Vegas Nevada Temple
• Toronto Ontario Temple
• San Diego California Temple

President Benson strived to bring less-active members back into full activity. He also strongly encouraged all members to read the Book of Mormon daily and to give the book to non-member friends and people they came in contact with. His initiative was to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon. The year after he became president, he gave twenty-eight major talks on the Book of Mormon. He promised those who would read it that they would be blessed. He taught that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that it has the fulness of the gospel in it, and that individuals could get closer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book. He foresaw that his administration would be remembered for its emphasis on the Book of Mormon, which is still true today.

During President Benson’s admnistration, there was a push to share with the media some of the service the Church offered to those not of its faith. There was much public opinion that the Church only focused on its own members and that it was very self-centered. Using the relations already set up between departments of the Church and the media, it soon became clear that the Church was very concerned with taking care of all of God’s children who are in need. In 1986, the Church gave more than $6.5 million to organizations fighting hunger in Africa. This sum did not come from Church funds, but was the result of donations from a special church-wide fast held on January 27, 1985. In 1988, the Church donated $250,000 to provide more than one million polio immunizations for young people in Kenya and the Ivory Coast. Many Latter-day Saints helped clean up from a tropical storm in Hawaii; Hundreds of Saints volunteered to help with the winter olympics in Calgary; the list goes on and on. Several times the Church sent food, clothing, and help after major natural disasters. The people who help are organized and efficient, bringing help to those who need it most. To better organize these efforts, the Humanitarian Services Sort Center was built in Salt Lake City to provide adequate facilities for these endeavors. The complex covers an area the size of several football fields, and much of the labor performed there is acts of service from members. Service continues today both on the large and the small scale. LDS News continues to share stories of those who reach out in service to members of their community.

On January 6, 1986, President Benson met with U.S. President Ronald Reagan. They discussed world hunger and possible solutions for it. They discussed the multi-million-dollar donation the Church had made to the world hunger fund. Again, this money came from Saints who fasted and donated money for this purpose.

In addition to his many spiritual and organizational contributions to the Church, President Benson also approved the purchase of the Hotel Utah and its renovation. The hotel simply could not compete in that venue any more, so the Church remodelled the building to serve both public and private purposes. Renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building upon its renovation, the building now contains a chapel which can be used by the Family History Missionaries on Temple Square. Many rooms were converted into classrooms, and the Grand Ballroom was converted into a theater where the film Legacy, a film about the Saints’ trek West, showed for several years. There has since been a film called The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, which is still showing. Now a film on the Prophet Joseph Smith, called Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration, is also playing. Admission to the films in this building are always free and help share the message of the gospel with visitors. There are several ballrooms which can be rented for private events, and there are two restaurants in the building as well. Perhaps the most significant contribution of this building is the FamilySearch Center which is also open to the public. This center is staffed with experts in family history to help you track down ancestors and get your genealogy done.

President Benson was intimately involved with the workings of government in the U.S. and abroad.  He presented many discourses on the dangers of communism, and conspiracy to destroy democracy.

President Spencer W. Kimball was sustained as prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 30, 1973, at the age of 78. He served as president of the Church for the next twelve years. During that time, President Kimball saw huge growth in the Church and achieved numerous accomplishments. Having already travelled all around the world in Church service prior to his being called to the presidency, President Kimball was already linked to people’s hearts. His work with the Lamanites, the descendants of the Book of Mormon peoples in North and South America, had already brought many natives of North and South America to a knowledge of the gospel.

Presiding Bishopric

Jesus Christ visits Book of Mormon people 

With huge advancements in technology, it became evident that the use of computers in Church record keeping would be invaluable. As early as the 1960s, some computers were used, though few. in 1970, the Church financial records were computerized, but in 1980, the Data Processing Division of the Information Systems Department was created to provide support and training for computers and software church-wide. Entering all Church information into a computer system also cut down on a lot of paperwork and time spent on clearing names for temple work.

Consolidated Meeting Schedule

In 1978, it was proposed that the meeting schedule be consolidated. Up until this time, priesthood and Sunday School meetings were held Sunday mornings, while Sacrament Meetings were held in the late afternoon or evenings. Many other meetings, including primary and Relief Society, were held during the week. Such varied meetings took up a lot of time, and when the cost of gasoline went up, it became very expensive for families to try and make it to all of their Church meetings. Beginning in 1978, each ward would hold a three-hour-block meeting each Sunday. Sacrament Meeting lasts one hour and ten minutes, Sunday School forty minutes, and Relief Society and Elders Quorum 45 minutes. Primary is held for the children at the same time as Relief Society and Priesthood. This schedule made it much easier for families to spend the Sabbath day together and enabled them to attend all their meetings.

General Conference Broadcast

On October 6, 1979, for the first time, those not in personal attendance at General Conference could watch the meetings through a broadcast. The conference could be recorded on video tape and sent all over the world. The sessions were broadcast by 174 television stations and 1,000 cable systems across the U.S. and Canada, as well as audio on radio stations. Nine U.S. cities received the broadcasts for the first time. Now Saints can watch conference sessions in their meetinghouses through a Church satellite broadcast system. The word of God was reaching all nations.

LDS Edition of the King James Version of the Bible

In 1979, the Church achieved a major accomplishment. An LDS edition of the KJV Bible was published. It has LDS footnotes and cross-references to other scriptures contained in the standard works (the LDS canon). It also contains a topical guide with cross references to the standard works and a bible dictionary, a consolidated version of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, a gazetteer and maps referencing Church history and Biblical history. This publication was the work of hundreds of scholars and has enabled a much deeper study of the scriptures for individuals and the Church as a whole.

“Lengthen Your Stride” and Missionary Work

Soon after his call to the presidency, President Kimball called for Church members to improve the length to which they were living the gospel. He told them they had plateaued in their testimonies and activity. This was the beginning of an initiative for which President Kimball will always be remembered. He challenged each person to “lengthen your stride,” and improve spiritually. More regional conferences were held to spiritually feed the Saints and to instill in them a desire to build Zion where they were. The encouragement to the Saints to lengthen their strides also applied to missionary work. President Kimball urged all young men to set the goal of serving a mission, and as the young men of the Church heeded their prophet’s call, the number of full-time missionaries increased by 50 percent. By the end of President Kimball’s life, in 1985, the number of missionaries had reached more than 29,000.

With such an increase in missionary numbers, the previous mission training accommodations in Salt Lake City became inadequate. In 1978, the Mission Home in Salt Lake City merged with the Language Training Mission in Provo, Utah, to become the Missionary Training Center. Since this facility was still not large enough to accommodate all of the missionaries, other facilities have been and continue to be created in different areas of the world to accommodate missionaries preparing to serve their two-year missions.

With missionary work growing so rapidly, President Kimball recognized the need to open more countries to missionary work. In order for this to happen, he saw the wisdom in meeting with government officials to gain permission to do missionary work. Doing so in person gave Church leaders the opportunity to share the message of the gospel and to properly represent the Church to foreign governments who might otherwise be prejudiced or even hostile towards the Church’s missionary efforts. President Kimball met with leaders of several countries, including many in South America, and the Church was able to arrange all the legal matters in these countries, such as getting the Church officially recognized by the government, obtaining physical facilities, obtaining visas for the missionaries, and many other things. Sometimes this process takes years.

Meeting President Gerald Ford

Though not for the purpose of legal matters and missionary work, President Kimball even met with the United States President Gerald Ford in 1976, during which interview President Kimball explained the purposes and goals of the Church. He emphasized the teachings of the Church for its members to be loyal to their governments. After their meeting, a group of one hundred Latter-day Saint children sang “I Am a Child of God” on the south lawn at the White House.

Fighting against Pornography and Child Abuse

Though the Church has a strong policy against being involved in politics, occasionally a matter of such moral gravity will come into the forefront, that the Church feels it must take a stand. In the ’70s this occurred in the fight against pornography and child abuse. Since then it has come to apply to the fight against same-sex marriage. Any time the issue is one of fighting against a moral evil, the Church takes a strong stand. The Church put a lot of time and money into stronger laws against and punishments for the crime of pornography and child abuse, as it continues to do.

Temples

President Kimball put President Harold B. Lee’s vision of smaller temples into action, and twenty-one temples were built and dedicated, with another five being rededicated, during his presidency. Only seven of these new temples were in the United States, which began the fulfillment of the prophecy that the temples would be brought to the Saints wherever they were. This initiative more than doubled the number of temples in service around the world, and has led to a continued flooding of the earth with temples.

The following temples were dedicated while Spencer W. Kimball was prophet:

• Washington D.C. Temple
• Sao Paulo Brazil Temple
• Tokyo Japan Temple
• Seattle Washington Temple
• Jordan River Utah Temple
• Atlanta Georgia Temple
• Apia Samoa Temple
• Nuku’alofa Tonga Temple
• Santiago Chile Temple
• Papeete Tahiti Temple
• Mexico City Mexico Temple
• Boise Idaho Temple
• Sydney Australia Temple
• Manila Philippines Temple
• Dallas Texas Temple
• Taipei Taiwan Temple
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple
• Freiberg Germany Temple
• Stockholm Sweden Temple
• Chicago Illinois Temple
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

A focus on having large conferences in foreign countries and on building more temples outside the United States also helped to decentralize the Church and to remind the world as well as its members that the Church of the Lord was growing and was beginning to fill the earth. The gospel was not intended for Utahans or Americans, but for all of God’s children. Nor was the focus of building strictly on temples. All meetinghouses were brought down in scale to meet the needs of the people in their areas. This cut down additional costs, permitting more buildings to be constructed for the use of members all over.

Revelation on the Priesthood

Possibly the most significant occurrence during President Kimball’s administration was the revelation on the priesthood which was announced in June 1978. There had been a lot of public controversy regarding the issue during President Joseph Fielding Smith’s administration, and many of the Saints yearned for the blessings of the priesthood. Still, as history has shown, no change can be made in the Church without it being the will of the Lord and in the own due time of the Lord. Just because public pressure is applied or because an idea is unpopular doesn’t mean that the Saints are free to change Church doctrine. After much fasting and much prayer, President Kimball felt it was the will of the Lord for the priesthood to be extended to all worthy males in the Church, regardless of race or color. This was a joyous day for everyone in the Church, and it was sustained unanimously at the conference, after it has been unanimously sustained by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.

Another significant contribution from President Lee’s administration was the formation of groups for the youth and the young single adults of the Church. These groups were headed by priesthood leaders and offered the participants chances to interact with other Church members their own ages in appropriate social settings.

In the Church’s continuous efforts to bring the blessings of the temple to all Church members, President Lee was inspired to propose a plan which would cut the cost of temples and allow the Church to build more. The temples which had been built up to this point were all beautiful, but they were also quite large. President Lee suggested designing smaller temples, which would allow more of them to be built in a shorter time period. Though no temples were built during President Lee’s short administration, his vision was understood as revelation and was implemented by President Spencer W. Kimball

President Smith also saw the completion of the Church Office Building and the rennovation of the Church Administration Building. The completion of the Church Office Building allowed thirty-six different departments to consolidate from sixteen buildings into one. With all the modern conveniences available, the completion of the Church Office Building was a huge step in the efficient running of the Church.

Because presidents of the Church are called to serve in that capacity for life, the length of administrations varies greatly. Though President Lee only served as president of the Church for eighteen months, he had a profound effect on the members of the Church. His vision for smaller temples, especially, continues to influence members worldwide today, as more small temples are announced every year.

When Joseph Fielding Smith became the president of the Church, missionary work was encouraging Church growth, and as proselytizing was bringing in more converts, public opposition (especially from pastors of other churches whose flocks were beginning to shrink) also grew. Enemies of the Church began to look for any excuse to turn the public opinion against it. Political fringe groups were also using the societal tension to push their own agendas, and one such group, composed of college-age, African-American athletes, protested against Brigham Young University, claiming BYU was discriminating against African Americans. As it became clear, however, that BYU accepted all races into its student body, this group began to emphasize the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which prohibited anyone of color holding the priesthood. Political tensions grew as university students encouraged their universities to refuse to play BYU in sports until the Church policy was changed and all men were permitted to hold the priesthood. As evidenced in the anti-Mormon fight against polygamy in the 1800’s, however, outside pressure cannot change the commandments of God; only God can change His commandments to His people at any given time. Though both the practice of polygamy and the policy of who would be counted worthy to receive the priesthood were changed, it was not because of public pressure. The Saints follow the commandments of God until God changes them, not until it becomes inconvenient or unpopular to obey.

Out of this turmoil rose some good, however. President Joseph Fielding Smith recognized that the Church was growing and that it would be evermore in the media. He realized people with skills in this area should be called to help organize a publicity department to deal with publicity issues which would arise in the future. The Department of External Affairs (now the Public Affairs Department) was organized to act as liaison between Church leaders and the general public. This department was blessed with the advancement of technologies which allowed them to begin to use mass media more effectively to promote the Church. Even within the Church, mass media began to be used to reach Church members worldwide more quickly and more effectively through the use of periodicals, radio, television, and now the Internet. The Church has published several periodicals in its time to reach both Mormons and non-Mormons, striving to reach across illogical prejudice to teach the truths about its beliefs and the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Smith was also instrumental in forming many Church administration departments, including the Auditing Department; the Budget Office; the Church Educational System; and the Correlation, Curriculum, Finance, Genealogical, Historical, Personnel, Building, Welfare, Investment, and Missionary Departments. In addition to these departments, several small groups were organized to help prepare, translate, and distribute Church curriculum materials, because worldwide Church growth means more languages which the members are speaking. The Church continues to strive to have all material available in all languages spoken by its members. With such a large, multi-faceted organization, many people wonder how the Church can still function. All the departments in the Church are ultimately responsible to the president, the prophet, who is privy to direct revelation from the Lord. Thus it is in fact Jesus Christ, not even the prophet, who is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It truly is His church. There is no other way the Church could function at the magnitude it does.

As the Church gained strength and numbers, it began to be recognized as a valuable tool by politicians. Senator Kennedy and President Nixon both called on the First Presidency in Salt Lake City. However, from the time Utah became a state, the Church has distanced itself more and more from politics. Upon the Saints’ first arrival in the Utah territory, there was no other government for them than the Church. As they were isolated and believed all things should be dedicated to the building up of the kingdom of God, they felt it only right that Church and government be intertwined. However, as more settlers arrived who were unaffiliated with the Church, it became less effective for this method to continue, since new settlers did not feel the same. After Utah finally gained statehood, though individual Mormons have held government positions, the Church as a whole has distanced itself from politics, affirming the rightness of the separation of Church and state. The Church has continued in this attitude, not getting involved in politics, unless there is a moral issue at hand which Church leaders feel must be addressed. Public officials who have tried to use the Church to gain votes have found continually that the Church will never endorse a public official, but encourages its members to be involved in their communities and to vote how their minds and consciences tell them to.

President Smith’s administration was effective in promoting worldwide Church growth and effective media communication. He directed the organization of many departments which could function independently in their spheres, while still reporting to the president. The Church had grown far beyond the capacity of one man to micro-manage. Delegation is key to the functioning of the Church, which delegation ultimately comes from the Lord. President Smith understood this, as does the prophet today.

Two more temples were dedicated under Joseph Fielding Smith in 1972, both of them in Utah. The Ogden Utah Temple was dedicated January 18 through 20 and the Provo Utah Temple was dedicated February 9. Since the vast majority of the Saints resided in Utah at this time, it made sense to have multiple temples for them to do work in.