TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 01 September

[Hemidakota]

1830 - Oliver Cowdery baptizes Parley P. Pratt a day after Parley meets the Prophet Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York.

1834 - The Prophet Joseph spends the day at the stone quarry south of Kirtland, Ohio, in preparing stone for the building of the Kirtland Temple. (History of the Church, 2:161)

1835 - The Prophet Joseph wrote a letter to the Saints in Missouri that was later published in the Messenger and Advocate. In this important letter he states the intentions of the Church in Missouri are honorable and corrects some misinterpretations of over zealous brethren in building Zion in Missouri. (History of the Church, 2:253-272)

1838 - The Prophet Joseph spends the day about 14 miles north of Far West, Missouri, choosing a location for a new city to be built between Far West and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. (History of the Church, 3:67)

1842 - The Prophet Joseph Smith writes a letter to the Saints that later becomes Section 127 of the Doctrine and Covenants. He discusses his present situation and gives directions on Baptism for the Dead. He writes the letter while hiding at the home of Edward Hunter from Missouri officials who are trying to capture him and take him to Missouri for trial. (History of the Church, 5:142-144)

1844 - Sunday meeting at the Temple site in Nauvoo. Sidney Rigdon preached to the Saints about how he had been shown all things leading up to the winding-up scene. Brigham Young writes that Brother Rigdon's discourse was "complicated and somewhat confused." Brigham Young also met with the High Priests and the Seventies on this date.

1896 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir competes in the Great Western Eisteddfod in Denver, Colorado. It is a Welsh-style music and literature contest.

1901 - Elder Heber J. Grant dedicates Japan for the preaching of the gospel on a wooded hill located south of Yokohama. There is a great spiritual outpouring and those present felt the presence of angels during the dedication prayer.

1906 - J. Reuben Clark is appointed to be the U.S. State Department's assistant solicitor, becoming the first Latter-day Saint appointed to this legal position in the federal government. He later serves as the department's solicitor.

1974 - The Church College of Hawaii is made a branch campus of Brigham Young University and is renamed Brigham Young University-Hawaii Campus.

1991 - Church membership reaches eight million members, approximately two years after reaching seven million.

2000 - Sometime in September, Church membership reaches 11 million members. Also, for the first time in Church history, there are more non-English-speaking members than English-speaking members.

2007 - The Copenhagen Stake sponsored a walk-a-thon and health fair. The 152 walkers raised money for the Danish Red Cross and collectively walked about 500 miles. The health fair was held at the Soborg Ward meetinghouse where the walk-a-thon began and ended and included information on maintaining good health, blood pressure exams, body fat analysis and other health related information.

LatterdayReviews