TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: January

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph records in his history the gratitude in his heart at the beginning of the new year, but also his sadness at the difficulties in the Church and in his extended family. In the afternoon, his brothers Hyrum and William, along with Uncle John Smith and Martin Harris, visit the Prophet in his home. The group, along with Father Smith, met in counsel where William asked for Joseph's forgiveness, which was given, and Joseph asked for William's forgiveness in return. They then covenanted with each other to help each other and to build each other up in righteousness and to work out any future difficulties "in the spirit of meekness, and be reconciled, and thereby promote our happiness, and the happiness of the family." Afterwards, they unitedly administered to George A. Smith who was immediately healed of the inflammatory rheumatic condition which afflicted him. (History of the Church, 2:353-354).

1839 - Incarcerated at the Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri, the Prophet writes, "The day dawned upon us as prisoners of hope, but not as sons of liberty." He also mentions Elder Parley P. Pratt and those being held with him in the jail at Richmond, Missouri. (History of the Church, 3:245)

1842 - The Prophet Joseph began placing goods on the shelves of his new store in Nauvoo. In the evening he attended a city council meeting.

1846 - In the Nauvoo Temple, Brigham Young performs the first marriage sealing for "time and eternity" in a temple in this dispensation.

1849 - John Smith, uncle of the Prophet Joseph Smith, is ordained Patriarch to the Church.

1866 - The Juvenile Instructor, the official publication of the Sunday School, is first published.

1869 - Karl G. Maeser begins publishing Der Stern, a monthly German-language Church periodical, in Zurich, Switzerland.

1877 - President Brigham Young dedicates the lower completed portion of the St. George Utah Temple. The first temple to be used since the Saints had left Nauvoo.

1901 - President Lorenzo Snow addresses a special New Year's Day congregation in the Tabernacle at the beginning of the twentieth century.

1902 - The Children's Friend, the official publication of the Primary Association, is first published.

1909 - The Presiding Bishopric instructs local priesthood leaders to ordain worthy young men as deacons at the age of twelve, as teachers at fifteen, and as priests at eighteen; this is the first policy regarding the ages to ordain young men to offices in the Aaronic Priesthood.

1968 - Swedish convert Hilda Anderson Erickson, the last of the pioneers who made the trek west before the coming of the railroad to Utah in 1869, dies at the age of 108.

1971 - The first issue of the Ensign magazine, which replaced the Improvement Era, the first issue of the New Era for teens, and the first issue of The Friend for Primary children, is made available to English-speaking Saints.

1977 - The First Presidency announces that general conference will be held on the first Sundays of each April and October and on the preceding Saturdays.

1998 - The Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society classes begin their study of the same manual. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young is the first to be used for study.

2000 - The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issue "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles," an official declaration reaffirming their personal testimonies of the Savior. Also, for the first time, all forty-two language editions of the Church's International Magazine are entitled Liahona.

2005 - In partnership with Islamic Relief Worldwide, the Church sent more than 70 tons of supplies to Indonesia to aid in the tsunami relief effort. The Church would later send even more additional supplies to the region.

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1830 - Abner Cole, editor of The Reflector, begins publishing pirated extracts from the Book of Mormon, which is in the process of being printed at the Grandin press building, the same building used by Cole to print his newspaper. This marks the first time Book of Mormon text appears in print.

1831 - During the third conference of the Church, held at Fayette, New York, the Prophet Joseph Smith receives the revelation known as Doctrine and Covenants 38, which reiterates the instruction for the Church to move to Ohio and promises them great blessings if they do so.

1837 - The Kirtland Safety Society is reorganized into a joint stock company under the title of the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph appeared in court in Springfield, Illinois, on whether he should be returned to Missouri at the order of the Governor of Missouri. The attorney-general of Illinois asked for a continuance until the next day. The rest of the day the Prophet spent with visitors and friends, expounding on and teaching the gospel. He also prophesied that the court would decide in his favor and that he would not return to Missouri, dead or alive. (History of the Church, 5:216-220)

1844 - The Prophet Joseph responds to a letter from John C. Calhoun who was running for President. The Prophet had written to him asking what his stand would be towards the Mormons if he were elected President of the United States. Mr. Calhoun stated that he would "strive to administer the government according to the Constitution and the laws of the union" and not interfere in religious beliefs. He also stated that he would not interfere in the Missouri affair as it "does not come within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, which is one of limited an specific powers." Joseph, in his return letter, expresses his frustration over Calhoun's statements that the Federal Government cannot insure the rights of a religious group in a particular state, like Missouri, who drove the Saints out.

1882 - President John Taylor moves into the Gardo House built as the official residence of the President of the Church.

1954 - President David O. McKay leaves New York City for London en route to the South African, South American, and Central American Missions, making him the first President of the Church to visit these areas.

1985 - Brigham Young University's football team is voted number one in the United States for the 1984 season by every major poll and is named the 1984 National NCAA Champion. The team had finished with a perfect 13-0 record.

1999 - The First Presidency announces that the Mormon Youth Chorus will be reorganized and renamed the Temple Square Chorale, and the Mormon Youth Symphony orchestra will be renamed the Orchestra at Temple Square, beginning in June.

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1835 - During the month of January the Prophet Joseph was involved with the school of the Elders and in preparing the lectures on theology (known today as the Lectures on Faith) for publication as part of the Doctrine and Covenants.

1837 - During the winter months, the Temple at Kirtland, Ohio, was constantly in use for both secular and theological studies. Even the Kirtland High School met in the attic and had a "public examination" in January and the students progress was found to be of the highest order.

1838 - Apostasy and bitterness continued to grow in Kirtland, Ohio, bringing with it a danger to the Prophet Joseph and the other leaders of the Church living there.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph, in Springfield, Illinois, visited a Sister Crane and blessed her baby boy, Joseph Smith Crane and then spent most of the day discussing his case with the brethren and his lawyers in preparation for his trial the next day. He prophesied that "no formidable opposition would be raised at my trial on the morrow" (History of the Church, 5:220).

1845 - Elder Wilford Woodruff landed in Liverpool, England, with his companions to begin their mission in the British Isles.

1885 - President John Taylor, along with other Church leaders, begins touring the southern settlements of the Saints. As part of the trip, President Taylor explored sites in northern Mexico for possible settlements. Several Mormon colonies would later be built.

1960 - President David O. McKay held the first in a series of firesides for the youth of the Church. Sent by telephone wire transmission, he spoke to some two hundred thousand youth in 290 stake centers. The series would continue on Sunday evenings for three months.

1976 - Foreign language missionaries began reporting directly to the Language Training Mission in Provo, Utah, instead of reporting to the Missionary Home in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2005 - Bishop Richard C. Edgley, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, visits Indonesia and Sir Lanka from January 3-10 to assess the Church's immediate humanitarian response to the tsunami disaster.

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1833 - The Prophet Joseph wrote a letter to a Rochester, New York, newspaper editor by the name of N. E. Seaton. In the letter he testifies of the restoration, the Book of Mormon, the gathering of Israel in the last days, and the coming Civil War between the states.

1836 - A Hebrew class was organized and met in the west room of the attic in the Kirtland Temple. The instructor chosen could not attend, so it was decided that the Prophet Joseph teach the class until a full time instructor could be hired to replace him. The decision to organize a singing school was made and a committee of six was chosen to take charge of the singing department.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph appeared in a Springfield, Illinois, court room for his trial based on the arrest warrant out of Missouri accusing him of being part of the attempted murder of former Governor Boggs of Missouri. The day went very well and was adjourned until tomorrow for judgment. The evening was spent visiting with different groups of people.

1844 - In dinner conversation with Brother Phelps, the Prophet Joseph remarked "what a kind, provident wife" he had. Brother Phelps stated that he should be like Bonaparte and have a little table all to himself. Emma replied, "Mr. Smith is a bigger man than Bonaparte: he can never eat without his friends" (History of the Church, 6:165-166).

1852 - The first branch of the Church in Australia is organized in Sydney.

1879 - The gospel is preached in the Shetland Islands for the first time by Elder Hugh Findlay.

1892 - The Brigham Young Academy building in Provo, Utah, is dedicated by George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency.

1993 - United States President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation of amnesty to everyone who entered into plural marriage before 1 November 1890 to protect them from being prosecuted in the legal system.

1896 - United States President Grover Cleveland signs the proclamation making Utah the forty-fifth state in the Union. This event cumulated fifty years of efforts by the Saints and people of Utah.

1905 - President Joseph F. Smith dedicates the Dr. Groves Latter-day Saint Hospital. It would be the first hospital in a Church owned network that would later become independent and known as Intermountain Health Care.

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1831 - The Prophet Joseph Smith receives Doctrine and Covenants 39. It was given to James Covill, a Baptist minister who was encouraged in the revelation to be baptized. It also declares that to receive the gospel is to receive Christ and that the gospel is to be preached to all nations before the coming of Christ.

1841 - The Prophet Joseph establishes the Nauvoo Lyceum, a theological school to help prepare missionaries for their duties in proclaiming the gospel to the world.

1842 - The Prophet Joseph opens his Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois. He wrote, "it was filled with customers, and I was almost continually behind the counter, as clerk, waiting on my friends" (History of the Church, 4:491). The Red Brick Store served as the headquarters of the Church and was the location for the organization of the Relief Society, the presentation of the endowment for the first time in this dispensation, and the location of the Prophet Joseph's office.

1843 - In his written decision, Judge Pope outlined his stand on the legal proceedings against the Prophet Joseph out of Missouri and then discharged them, bringing an end to the trial. The Prophet Joseph then met with the Judge and outlined his beliefs and principles during a one hour conversation with him. The Prophet Joseph was now legally free of the affidavits of the State of Missouri.

1844 - The Prophet records a dream where two serpents were swallowing each other from the tail--he gives no explanation. The Nauvoo city council met to discuss the fears of William Marks and William Law that their lives were in danger. Accusations were made that they were enemies of the Prophet-Mayor, seeking his destruction and that the Nauvoo police were out to kill them. The meeting concluded with Mayor Joseph Smith warning Francis Higbee to "hold his tongue" and Wilson Law stating, "I am Joseph's friend: he has no better friend in the world: I am ready to lay down my life for him." The Laws and Higbees would later be instrumental in the Prophets death.

1970 - The missionaries enter Indonesia for the first time with the transfer of six missionaries from Singapore.

1994 - The first branch of the Church is organized in Ethiopia at Addis Ababa.

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1831 - The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon receives Doctrine and Covenants 40. It is directed at James Covill who had first received and then rejected the word of the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This revelation states that the "fear of persecution and the cares of the world caused him to reject the word."

1843 - The Prophet Joseph spent the day completing the paper work, paying his lawyers, etc., in Springfield, Illinois, dealing with his court case completed the day before. He met with Governor Ford and several other officials of the State. Time would not permit him to visit all who desired to met with him.

1844 - With four inches of new snow in Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph took his wife Emma out in a sleigh for a sleigh ride.

1879 - The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the prvious conviction of Geroge Reynolds, the First Presidency's secretary, under the 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, which the Saints believed violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The decision paves the way for more intense prosecution of the Saints in the 1880's and becomes the U.S. Supreme Court's precedent for limiting some religious practices.

1985 - The first branch of the Church is organized in the West Indies island of Antigua.

1993 - Two Latter-day Saint missionary couples are sent to Hanoi, Vietnam, to teach English; the are the first missionaries to serve in that nation since 1975, when the Church was forced to close the mission as a result of the North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War.

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1805 - David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, is born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

1832 - Joseph B. Brackenbury is killed with poison by anti-Mormons while serving a mission and becomes the first martyr of this dispensation.

1836 - The Prophet Joseph attended a dinner held at Bishop Newel K. Whitney's in Kirtland, Ohio. Patriarchal blessings were given by his father to several in attendance, hymns were sung, and a large meal was served. The Prophet wrote that it was a "foretaste of those joys that will be poured upon the heads of the Saints when they are gathered together on Mount Zion, to enjoy one another's society for evermore . . . when there will be none to molest or make us afraid" (History of the Church, 2:362-363).

1843 - The Prophet Joseph and his party left Springfield, Illinois, to return to Nauvoo. Traveling was poor due to cold, snow, and mud. They stayed at Captain Dutch's after traveling nearly eight hours.

1845 - The Twelve Apostles met in Nauvoo, Illinois, to further discuss and plan the move to the west.

1846 - A letter was received informing the Twelve Apostles that the Catholic bishop who had hoped to purchase the Nauvoo Temple could not raise the needed money to do so. The sale would have helped pay for the move to the west. One hundred twenty one people received their endowments on this date and a new alter was dedicated. Four couples were sealed.

1876 - Elder Daniel W. Jones leads a small group of missionaries from El Paso, Texas, across the Rio Grande into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico becoming the first missionaries to serve in Mexico.

1880 - Andrew Jensen publishes Ungdommens Raadgiver in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the first Latter-day Saint periodical for young people in Scandinavia.

1937 - N. Eldon Tanner, later a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency, begins service as Minister of Lands and Mines in Canada.

1976 - The Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University is established to publish scholarly work on Latter-day Saint topics of interest.

1984 - Premier Zhao Ziyang of the People's Republic of China visits the BYU-Hawaii campus and the Polynesian Cultural Center on his historic visit to the United States. It was the first visit by a Chinese premier to the United States since the founding of the country in 1949.

2000 - BYUTV begins broadcasting nationally twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. It allows people across the United States and southern Canada to receive Latter-day Saint programming as part of the DISH network satellite system. It is later added to some cable systems.

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1834 - At 1:00 am, the residents of Kirtland, Ohio, were awakened by the firing of thirteen rounds of cannon by a mob camped about a half mile northwest of town. Persecution of the Saints forced them to sleep in their clothes with a rifle at their side for protection. Many feared that the temple would not be completed and at night guards stood to protect the walls being built. It was a difficult winter for the Saints in the Kirtland, Ohio, area.

1836 - The plastering and hard-finishing on the outside of the Kirtland Ohio Temple was completed on this date. Work continues on the interior plastering of the Temple.

1840 - While Elder Brigham Young was preaching in Richmond, New York, some in the audience began to disturb the meeting with noise. Elder Young reproved them for their ill manners and they increased in their rudeness by firing lucifer matches. He then proposed to send them some Indians from the West to civilize them. (History of the Church, 4:75)

1843 - The Prophet Joseph and his party continue their journey home. They traveled for eight hours, passing through Geneva and Beardstown and crossing the Illinois River on the ice. They spent the night in Rushville, Illinois.

1882 - The Assembly Hall on Temple Square is dedicated by Elder Joseph F. Smith.

1900 - President Lorenzo Snow issues an official statement reaffirming the Church's position against new plural marriages.

1955 - The Church joins other religious groups who offer a religious award for young men in the Scouting program. The LDS Boy Scouts can earn the Duty to God Award. This award recognizes the faith and activity of the young men.

1995 - The Bountiful Utah Temple is dedicated by President Howard W. Hunter.

2001 - The United States Supreme Court upheld a Massachusetts state law that allows for the construction of religious buildings in residential neighborhoods, ending one of the legal opposition lawsuits against the construction of the Boston Massachusetts Temple. The Temple had been dedicated on October 1, 2000.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph spent the morning in school and attended a dinner party at the home of Newel K. Whitney along with his parents. The elder Smith blessed several people and Joseph reported "we had a good time." (History of the Church, 2:363).

1840 - The Prophet Joseph left Washington D. C. and returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he continued to preach and visit with the Saints in the area.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph and his party continued on their journey home from Springfield, Illinois. One of the horses of the large carriage slipped and it went off an embankment of some six or eight feet. Neither of the passengers, Lorin Walker and Willard Richards, were injured, but the carriage was damaged. After the repairs, the group arrived in Plymouth, Illinois, where they stayed with the Prophet's brother, Samuel. The Prophet visited his sister, Catherine Salisbury, also of Plymouth, in the evening and then arrived at the meeting in the schoolhouse as it was ending. John Taylor was preaching and the Prophet was greeted warmly.

1846 - Elder Brigham Young ended "dancing and merriment" in the Nauvoo Temple, "lest the brethren and sisters be carried away by vanity; and that the name of Deity should be held reverence, with all the due deference that belongeth to an infinite being of his character" (History of the Church, 7:566).

1851 - The provisional state of Deseret passes an ordinance to incorporate Great Salt Lake City.

1877 - The first baptisms for the dead since the Saints left Nauvoo, Illinois, were performed in the St. George Utah Temple.

1950 - The first LDS missionaries arrive in Paraguay.

1966 - Elder Gordon B. Hinckley presented President David O. McKay the first copy of the Chinese translation of the Book of Mormon.

1979 - The first branch of the Church is organized on the island of Saint Martin.

1999 - The Anchorage Alaska Temple is dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

2000 - The St. Paul Minnesota Temple is dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

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1832 - The Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon receive Doctrine and Covenants 73 in Hiram, Ohio. It instructs them continue preaching the gospel in the region around where they live and to continue the translation of the Bible.

1843 - The Prophet and his party continued on their journey home to Nauvoo, leaving Plymouth about 8:30 am. Their only stop was to water their horses at the public well in Carthage. He arrived at home about 2:30 p.m. and was greeted by his family and friends.

1844 - The Prophet Joseph ordained his uncle, John Smith, as a patriarch. He would later become Church Patriarch on January 1, 1849. Also, the Prophet received a letter from Francis M.. Higbee, charging him with slander and calling for a public trial. The Prophet records, "It contains no denial of the charges which he accuses me of having spoken against him, but is full of bombast" (History of the Church, 6:174).

1846 - One hundred eighteen received their ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple on this date as preparations to go west continued.

1847 - The Mormon Battalion crosses the Colorado River into what would later become the State of California.

1870 - The last spike for the Utah Central Railroad line, that connected Salt Lake City with Ogden, Utah, is driven by President Brigham Young. Salt Lake City was then connected by railway to the national railroad line that crossed the United States.

1892 - The first Sunday School for the deaf was organized in the Salt Lake City Nineteenth Ward.

1907 - President Joseph F. Smith announces the payment of the last two bonds issued by President Lorenzo Snow to save the Church financially during the difficult political and economic period of the 1880's and 1890's. Payment of these bonds was a major step in getting the Church out of debt and financially independent.

1939 - Ernst Koehler becomes the Church's first full-time, salaried microfilm photographer.

1986 - The Lima Peru Temple is dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley of the First Presidency.

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1834 - The Prophet Joseph and several other leaders of the Church meet together to pray for the protection of the Saints, the Prophet, and the property of the Church. It had been a difficult winter for the Saints, both in Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri.

1843 - While on a sleigh ride with Emma, a sleigh-shoe broke and they had to return home. At home the Prophet received a visit from several people who had traveled from the town of Farmington to see him. The Prophet Joseph had invitations sent to a large number of people for a dinner party to be held the next week, a celebration of his deliverance by the Lord from the legal problems in Missouri during his recent appearance in Springfield, Illinois. The Quorum of the Twelve issued a proclamation calling for a "day of humiliation, fasting, praise, prayer, and thanksgiving before the great Eloheim" for the deliverance of the Prophet to be held on the 17th. The Bishops of the different wards were asked to prepare meetings for the members and to not forget the needs of the poor and destitute.

1877 - The first endowments for the dead in this dispensation are performed in the St. George Utah Temple. Brigham Young acted as proxy for his father.

1971 - The Taiwan Mission is organized.

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1834 - Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight leave Missouri for Kirtland, Ohio, to report to the leaders of the Church on the conditions of the Saints who had been driven from their homes in Jackson County. They also had a promise from Missouri Governor Daniel Dunklin to help the Saints return to their lands and property.

1838 - The spirit of "apostate mobocracy" had been increasing over the winter and had reached a point where the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were in danger for their lives. Due to this danger, about 10:00 p.m., they fled Kirtland, Ohio, on horse back, traveling sixty miles during the night until they reached Norton Township, Medina county, Ohio.

1846 - Brigham Young records, "Such has been the anxiety manifested by the saints to receive the ordinances [of the Temple], and such the anxiety on our part to administer to them, that I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours sleep, upon an average, per day, and going home but once a week. Elder Heber C. Kimball and the others of the Twelve Apostles were in constant attendance but in consequence of close application some of them had to leave the Temple to rest and recruit their health" (History of the Church, 7:567).

1975 - The Merthyr Tydfil Stake, the first stake in Wales, is organized.

1989 - The BYU Motion Picture Studio receives three awards at the New York International Film and Video Festival for the movie A More Perfect Union. The movie was filmed in for the Bicentennial of the Constitution of the United States and chronicles the story of the writing of the founding document of the Untied States.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph met with the Presidencies of both Kirtland and Missouri, the Bishoprics of both, High Councils of both, the Quorum of the Twelve, and other leaders, in a "leadership" meeting. Several vacancies were filled and the Prophet Joseph wrote, "This has been one of the best days that I ever spent; there has been an entire union of feeling expressed in all our proceedings this day; and the spirit of the God of Israel has rested upon us in mighty power, and it has been good for us to be here in this heavenly place in Christ Jesus" (History of the Church, 2:368).

1838 - The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon arrive in Norton Township, Median county, Ohio, as fleeing Kirtland, Ohio, the night before. Here they would wait until their families arrived so that they could continue their journey to Missouri.

1845 - It had been reported that Nauvoo was becoming a haven for criminals who were running from prosecution of the law, hiding in the largeness and confusion of the growing city. Fearing this was an organized effort to blame the Saints for these crimes and allowing for the persecution and murder of innocent citizens of the city, the Nauvoo City Council met and adopted a proclamation stating that the criminals were not part of the Church, the accusations had been made up or greatly exaggerated, and that the police force had been greatly expanded and they had encouraged the citizenship of Nauvoo to help "ferret out and bring to justice" all persons, if any, that were guilty of crimes.

1846 - A council was held in the Temple which the captains of fifties and tens made a report of the number of Saints who were ready to leave immediately for the west if the persecutions from the enemies of the Saints compelled them to do so.

1870 - A large meeting of Latter-day Saint women is held in Salt Lake City, Utah, to protest the antipolygamy Cullom Bill pending in the United States Congress and to demonstrate the solidarity of Latter-day Saint women with Church leaders.

1901 - The countywide stake in Utah County, Utah, is divided in to three stakes: the Alpine, Nebo, and Utah Stakes.

1931 - The first Deseret Club, a social organization for LDS college students outside of Utah, is organized by students and Church leaders at UCLA in California.

1973 - The first Mongolian Convert, Wu Rung Fu, is baptized in Taipei, Taiwan, by Taiwan Mission President Malan R. Jackson.

1994 - BYU professor Donald W. Parry is asked by Emanuel Tov of the Hebrew University to join an international team of editors working on the publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Later, other BYU professors, David R. Seely, Dana M. Pike, and Andrew C. Skinner, are added to the publication team.

2000 - A wagon train commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Parowan, Utah-southern Utah's first settlement-rolled into town. President James E. Faust was a guest of honor at the event. From Parowan, the Church settled other areas in southern Utah, northern Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph and others met in council to draft the rules and regulations to be observed in the "House of the Lord" in Kirtland, Ohio.

1840 - About this time Sidney Rigdon and Doctor Foster arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, joining with the Prophet Joseph.

1844 - The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issue a proclamation updating the membership of the Church on the progress of the Temple, the need to obey the law of tithing, and called for the help of the Saints to gather to Nauvoo with all they have to help in completing the Temple. It concludes with, "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, a veneration for the names of the first Martyrs, first Elders, and first Prophets of the nineteenth century, inspire your hearts, to hear counsel, to keep counsel, to practice holiness, live the life of saints, and die the death of the righteous, that your last end may be like his" (History of the Church, 7:359).

1847 - President Brigham Young receives Doctrine and Covenants 136, outlining the "word and will of the Lord" concerning the Saints and their organization for the trek west.

1972 - The Church announces the creation of the Church Historical Department, with new archives, history, and library divisions created from the former Church historian's office.

1974 - The names of the stakes of the Church are changed to identify them uniformly with their geographical area.

1979 - The first stake in Bolivia is organized in Santa Cruz.

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1836 - Church leaders met in counsel in the Kirtland Temple and approved the "rules and regulations" that governed the House of the Lord. Several brethren were called to fill vacant offices and the Prophet Joseph taught that the Spirit "always makes manifest and demonstrates the truth to the understanding of all who are in possession of the Spirit" (History of the Church, 2:370).

1838 - The families of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon arrived in Norton Township, Ohio, where the two Church leaders had fled for their lives two days previously. The reunited families prepared to travel to Far West, Missouri.

1841 - The First Presidency issues a proclamation to the Saints calling upon them to continue to gather to Nauvoo and help build up the city. They express gratitude to the Illinois state legislature for approving the charters for "The City of Nauvoo," the "Nauvoo Legion," and the "University of the City of Nauvoo." They write that the Saints who gather to Nauvoo "must not expect perfection, or that all will be harmony, peace, and love" because of the many differences of the people gathering from all over the nation and different lands. They write of the building of the Temple and invite all who desire to gather with the Saints to come to Nauvoo.

1844 - About 200 brethren met in the woods near Nauvoo, Illinois, and began to chop wood which 30 to 40 teams began to haul to the Prophet Joseph's house. The problems the Prophet Joseph was having with Francis M. Higbee began to escalate with threats being made against the Prophet for speaking against him.

1846 - Word reaches the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that Samuel Brannan had chartered a ship to take the Saints in New York by sea to San Francisco, which was at that time part of Mexico.

1867 - The Deseret telegraph line opens in St. George, Utah. It connected the Saints in southern Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah.

1877 - After a partial dedication of the St. George Utah Temple and in preparation for the formal dedication in April, President Brigham Young begins the process of writing down for the first time the endowment ceremony as he received it from the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois.

1887 - The anti-Mormon "test oath" law in Arizona was repealed. The law had barred most Arizona Latter-day Saints from voting by requiring them to swear they did not believe in or practice polygamy.

1959 - BYU Studies begins publication. The scholarly journal publishes faith-promoting works, including articles, essays, and poetry on various gospel topics.

1998 - The First Presidency renews the call for all Church members to be active in volunteer service and political, governmental, and community leadership.

2000 - Gaston Flosse, president of the Territory of French Polynesia, the vice president and fifteen government ministers, attended a dinner at the LDS mission home in Papeete, Tahiti, that was hosted by the mission, stake, and district presidents in Tahiti.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph meets in council with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and with his counselors in a special meeting. During this meeting the Prophet declared that the "Twelve are not subject to any other than the first Presidency" and "where I am not, there is no First Presidency over the Twelve" (History of the Church, 2:374). This statement would later have more meaning during the succession question in Nauvoo, Illinois, after the death of the Prophet Joseph.

1838 - The Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, with their families, began their journey to Far West, Missouri, in covered wagons to join with the Saints there. Their families had arrived in Norton Township, Ohio, about 36 hours after Joseph and Sidney were forced to flee Kirtland, Ohio, in the middle of the night.. Their pursuers continued to look for them for several days. Once they were in the same house with them staying in the room next to the Prophets family. Another time they were stopped by them, but the men decided they were not who they were looking for.

1839 - The Prophet Joseph and his companions were still suffering in Liberty Jail, Missouri. Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, was working with the remaining leadership to organize the Saints removal from Missouri. Special efforts were made to help the poor leave the state of Missouri. A majority of the Saints fled to Illinois, with others going to Iowa or other places east.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph writes a letter to his lawyer, Josiah Butterfield, in Springfield, Illinois, informing him of an attempt by his former friend, John C. Bennett, to help bring new charges against him on the Governor Boggs affair. Mr. Bennett had written a letter to Sidney Rigdon informing him of his efforts. Mr. Bennett requested that Sidney give it to Orson Pratt to read, who immediately gave it to the Prophet.

1844 - The Nauvoo city council met with Francis M. Higbee and worked out a reconciliation between the Prophet Joseph and Higbee. The Prophet forgave him for the slanderous letter he had written and Francis Higbee stated he was the Prophets "friend for ever, and his right-hand man." Other business of the City Council included passing an ordinance concerning the sale of liquors in the city and the paying of fees to those who are jurors or witnesses at court proceedings. Also, several brethren chopped and stacked the firewood that had been hauled to Joseph Smith's home the day before.

1920 - The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect, prohibiting the manufacture, production, and sale of alcohol. President Heber J. Grant was a fervent supporter of the amendment, believing it was divinely inspired because it outlawed items forbidden by the Word of Wisdom.

1981 - Esther W. Eggertsen Peterson, a national consumer rights advocate and consumer affairs advisor to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, becomes the first Latter-day Saint to be honored with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the honor by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph met with the Church leadership in Kirtland, Ohio. Each member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve bore testimony, the Spirit was poured out on the brethren, the gift of tongues came, and a spiritual feast was held. Later in the day the Prophet performed three marriages and attended a feast in celebration of the marriages. The Prophet records that it was good for the brethren to gather in unity.

1838 - About this time, a member of the Church in the Kirtland, Ohio, area, a brother Thomlinson, had been trying to sell his property without success. He asked Brigham Young for advice. He was told he would sell it if he would do what was right and obey counsel. Three days latter it sold and he gave $300 to Brigham Young who then sent it to the Prophet Joseph, providing him with the funds necessary to take his family to Missouri.

1843 - It was a day of fasting, praise, and prayer in Nauvoo, Illinois, to express thanksgiving to God for the deliverance of the Prophet Joseph Smith from his enemies in Missouri during the recent court proceedings in Springfield, Illinois. Several meetings were held around the city, the Prophet attending and speaking at the one held at his home.

1971 - The first stake in Kentucky is organized at Louisville.

1976 - The Church News publishes a statement by President Spencer W. Kimball as it begins a campaign against pornography.

1986 - The Buenos Aires Argentina Temple is dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency.

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1827 - Joseph Smith, Jr. and Emma Hale are married by Zachariah Tarbell in South Bainbridge, New York. The couple met while Joseph was working for Josiah Stowell and boarding with Emma's father, Isaac Hale.

1836 - The Prophet Joseph spent this day in Hebrew School in the upper floor of the Kirtland Temple. Learning and reading Hebrew would occupy much of the Prophets time for several weeks.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph, with his wife Emma, hosted a dinner party at the mansion house in Nauvoo, Illinois, to celebrate Joseph's deliverance from the Missouri legal proceedings. The Prophet shared the letter written by John C. Bennett to Sidney Rigdon with the group, which apparently embarrassed Sidney. Joseph and Emma waited on over seventy guests during the party. The Prophet recorded that "Many interesting anecdotes were related by the company, who were very cheerful, and the day passed off very pleasantly" (History of the Church, 5:253).

1941 - The General Sunday School board announces a change in curriculum. The new studies are designed to give a basic well-rounded knowledge of the gospel to all members of the Church.

1965 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings at the inauguration of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson in Washington, D. C.

1970 - President David O. McKay dies in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age ninety-six. He served sixty-three years and nine months as an Apostle and Church President.

1972 - The Ogden Utah Temple is dedicated by President Joseph Fielding Smith.

1992 - Church member Saimoni Tamani, the first Fijian to win a medal in track and field at the Commonwealth Games (1970), is inducted into the Fijian Hall of Fame.

1996 - The First Presidency announces the withdrawal of General Authorities from boards of directors of corporations, including Church-owned corporations.

1997 - The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) airs Ancestors, a ten-part series on family history produced by KBYU-TV, on national television.

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1841 - The Prophet Joseph Smith receives Doctrine and Covenants 124 in Nauvoo, Illinois. It contains the commandment to build a Temple in Nauvoo. It also commands the Saints to build the Nauvoo House, a place for visitors to come and "contemplate the glory of Zion." It also contains instructions concerning baptism for the dead, reorganization of priesthood quorums, and the calling of Hyrum Smith as the new Patriarch to the Church and as Assistant President of the Church.

1844 - The Prophet Joseph gave a lecture in Nauvoo, Illinois, on the Constitution of the United States, and on the candidates for the Presidency of the United States. He also attended a meeting to discuss the building of another library in Nauvoo.

1853 - The Social Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, opens with its first theatrical performance. The Social Hall is used for social events until 1922, when it is razed.

1928 - Fearing the rising Mississippi River, due to the dam built downstream from Nauvoo, Illinois, at Keokuk, Iowa, would cover the unmarked graves of Joseph and Hyrum, an archeological team associated with the RLDS (now Community of Christ) Church, begins the process locating the unmarked graves where they were secretly buried in 1844. After locating the bodies, they would be moved nearby and re-buried in their present location in the Smith Family Burial Ground.

1947 - The first Stake in Florida was organized in Jacksonville.

1953 - The First Presidency announces the need for stenographers and other office help in the missions and asks a few properly trained young women at least twenty-one years of age to be called as missionaries. The previous age for sister missionaries had been twenty-three.

1989 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at events surrounding the inauguration of the United States 41st President, George H. W. Bush. President Bush calls them the "nation's choir."

1990 - Elder Dallin H. Oaks meets with Chinese leaders and addresses the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

2002 - The first meeting house in Serbia was dedicated in Belgrade by Elder Douglas L. Callister of the Seventy and Europe East Area president.

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1836 - The Prophet Joseph attended school and studied until evening when he and his family attended a wedding held at John Johnson's home. There he presided and performed a marriage between John F. Boynton and Susan Lowell.

1838 - The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon, with their families, continue their journey to Far West, Missouri.

1842 - The Prophet Joseph attended a special conference concerning Dr. Isaac Galland and the problems with his real estate dealings in behalf of the Church. He then attended a special council in the upper room of his store in the evening.

1843 - The Prophet Joseph attends a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles held at Brigham Young's home. He prophesies that after the Nauvoo Temple is completed they will have the means to gather the Saints by the thousands and tens of thousands. He also asks the Twelve to prepare for a mission. "If I live, I will yet take these brethren through the United States and through the world, and will make just as big a wake as God Almighty will let me" (History of the Church, 5:256). Also, Elder Orson Pratt, who had been cut off from the Church, was re-baptized by the Prophet Joseph, confirmed, and ordained to his former office in the Quorum of the Twelve.

1844 - The Prophet Joseph held Mayor's Court during the day and spent the evening at home.

1846 - The High Council of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois, issues a statement declaring the intent on sending a group of Pioneers west in March to prepare the way, plant crops, etc., for the body of the Saints to follow. They state their loyalty to the United States and invites people interested in a good deal on property to come to Nauvoo and help the Saints by buying it.

1903 - The Utah State legislature, elects Reed Smoot of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to represent Utah in the United States Senate. At that time the U.S. constitution gave authority to the state legislatures to elect senators to maintain the states rights in Washington D. C., which was changed with the approval of the seventeenth amendment in 1913. Reed Smoot's election began a long investigative process of the Church and it's doctrines and practices when the senate refused to seat him. He was eventually allowed to take his seat in the senate in 1907 and became one of the most powerful senate leaders in the nation.

1967 - U.S. President Lyndon Johnson presents the Medal of Honor to Major Bernard F. Fisher for rescuing another Air Force pilot under heavy fire during the Vietnam War. Brother Fisher was the first living U.S. Air Force recipient of the honor since World War II.

1969 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings at the inauguration of Richard M. Nixon as United States President.

1973 - The Brigham Young University marching band and a portion of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at the second inauguration of Richard M. Nixon as United States President.

1974 - The first converts in Jamaica, Victor Nugent and his family, are baptized.

1977 - The first stake in Costa Rica is organized at San Jose.

1981 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir participates in the inaugural festivities of Ronald Reagan as United States President.

1985 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes the fifth largest denomination in the United States.

1994 - The first branch in Armenia is organized at Yerevan.

2001 - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir participated in the inaugural parade in Washington D. C. for United State President George W. Bush. The 319 members of the choir rode on a 150-foot float singing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "God Bless America," and "America the Beautiful."

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1804 - Eliza R. Snow, author, poetess, and second general president of the Relief Society, is born in Becket, Massachusetts.

1836 - The Prophet Joseph Smith receives Doctrine and Covenants 137, which teaches that children who die before the age of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom, and that those who would have received the gospel in this life had they had the opportunity to do so, will also be heirs of the celestial kingdom. He and many other Church leaders were in the Kirtland Temple participating in the ordinances of washing and anointing. Many received visions and the Spirit was evident throughout the meeting. Also, his father, Joseph Smith, Sr., was ordained as the first Patriarch to the Church.

1841 - Elders Brigham Young and Willard Richards completed an index to the Book of Mormon, which was immediately put in type and finished the printing of the first edition printed in England.

1842 - The Prophet Joseph Smith continued to read the Book of Mormon for "the purpose of correcting the stereotype plates of some errors which escaped notice in the first edition" (History of the Church, 4:494), as well as "transacted a variety of business in the store and city, and spent the evening in the office with Elders Taylor and Richards, interpreting dreams, &c." (History of the Church, 4:501).

1844 - The Prophet Joseph Smith preached at the southeast corner of the temple, then under construction in Nauvoo, Illinois. The weather was unpleasant as he spoke to the people on sealing the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, spoken of by Elijah. He discussed temple work and said, "And I would to God that this temple was now done, that we might go into it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the seals while they are on earth" (History of the Church, 6:184).

1845 - Brigham Young wrote letters to the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, and counseled that all who have faith in the latter-day work gather to Nauvoo to build the Temple. He also wrote to the Saints in Philadelphia, under the leadership of Elder Jedediah M. Grant, to forward all the young men and help they could to also help build the Temple.

1953 - Elder Ezra Taft Benson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is sworn in as United States Secretary of Agriculture, a cabinet level government position under President Dwight Eisenhower.

1983 - The First Presidency issues a statement reinforcing the policy that members of the Church are expected to pay local, state, and federal taxes.

1995 - Church membership reaches nine million.

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1833 - A conference of Priesthood holders was held where the Prophet Joseph Smith records, "I spoke to the conference in another tongue, and was followed in the same gift by Brother Zebedee Coltrin, and he by Brother William Smith, after which the Lord poured out His Spirit in a miraculous manner, until all the Elders spake in tongues, and several members, both male and female, exercised the same gift. Great and glorious were the divine manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Praises were sung to God and the Lamb; speaking and praying, all in tongues, occupied the conference until a late hour at night, so rejoiced were we at the return of these long absent blessings" (History of the Church, 1:323).

1834 - The Prophet Joseph Smith, with the help of his counselors, writes a long letter to the Saints driven from their homes in Jackson County, Missouri. They discuss the persecution of the righteous from the past and the role of the Saints in the last days. They also write about overcoming sin and becoming perfect, the plan of salvation, and encourages the Saints to endure to the end and receive their reward from heaven.

1836 - The Prophet Joseph again met in the Temple to take part in the ordinances as they had been revealed up to that time. The Quorum of the Twelve and the Presidency of the Seventy were present to receive their blessings. The Spirit attended the meeting and visions, angels, the gift of tongues, and other manifestations took place. (History of the Church, 2:382-383).

1842 - The Prophet Joseph spent the day appraising tithing property, revised the rules of the city council and then attended the council meeting to support the adoption of the rules. He was also elected mayor, pro tem, of the City of Nauvoo, Illinois. (History of the Church, 4:501).

1843 - The Prophet Joseph preached at the Temple in Nauvoo on the topic of setting up the kingdom of God. He stated that "all the ordinances, systems, and administrations of the earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God" (History of the Church, 5:259).

1844 - The Prophet Joseph rented out the hotel portion of the Mansion House to Ebenezer Robinson for "one thousand dollars per annum and board for myself and family and horses." He kept three rooms for his family and relieved himself from the duties of inn keeper so he could easier perform his duties as President of the Church and Mayor of Nauvoo.

1846 - The Quorum of the Twelve learn that a group in Keokuk, Iowa, was preparing to harass the brethren of the Twelve when they crossed over the river from Nauvoo on their way to the west. Rumors were circulating that the Twelve would soon leave for the west and the mob intended to capture them when they did.

1936 - The first women's chapter of Lambda Delta Sigma (from the Greek letters for LDS), was established at the University of Utah by Lowell L. Bennion, director of the Institute of Religion. With the men's organization, the Institute had an organization that was similar to the fraternities on the University campus.

1939 - Elder George Albert Smith ordains and sets apart Moroni Timbimboo as the first Native American Indian to serve as a bishop in the Church. He was bishop of the Washakie Ward in Northern Utah.

1994 - The Missionary Training Center in Guatemala is dedicated by Elder Boyd K. Packer.

2000 - President Gordon B. Hinckley begins a 10-day tour of the Pacific and Australia in Laie, Hawaii speaking to more than 15,000 members of the Church in two regional meetings

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1833 - The Prophet Joseph, assembled in a conference with several leading brethren of the Church, enjoyed "much speaking, singing, praying, and praising God, all in tongues" and then took part in the ordinance of the washing of the feet. The Prophet washed the feet of all those present and pronounced them clean. They partook of the sacrament and adjourned.

1836 - After a night filled with the "Spirit and visions of God", the Prophet Joseph again returns to the Temple to meet with the brethren. Their hearts were so full that they did not feel like studying, but discussed "heavenly things, and we spent the day agreeably and profitably" (History of the Church, 2:384).

1843 - The Prophet Joseph issues a political statement that was to be published in The Wasp, Nauvoo's newspaper at the time, that included "my feeling revolt at the idea of having anything to do with politics . . . I think it would be well for politicians to regulate their own affairs. I wish to be let alone, that I may attend strictly to the spiritual welfare of the Church" (History of the Church, 5:259). However, political forces of the time would never allow the Prophet to avoid political matters.

1844 - Joseph Smith records that he sold the printing establishment in Nauvoo to John Taylor for $2,832. It included the Printing building and lot and equipment to print and bind publications. A cotillion party was held in the evening at the Mansion House. (History of the Church, 6:185).

1854 - The first branch of the Church is organized in Gibraltar.

1900 - The United States House of Representatives refuses to seat duly elected congressman B.H. Roberts, a member of the First Council of the Seventy, because of his religious beliefs.

1921 - Elder David O. McKay visits members of the Church in Japan during his historic tour of the world.

1922 - The first annual "Leadership Week" is held at Brigham Young University. In 1963 the name would be changed to "Education Week."

1970 - Joseph Fielding Smith is set apart and ordained as the tenth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner were set apart as his Counselors.

1977 - The first stake in Colombia is organized in Bogota.

1989 - The LDS television special, Together Forever, began airing on television stations in the United States.

2000 - The Kona Hawaii Temple is dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

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1796 - Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack are married at Tunbridge, Vermont.

1832 - Bishop Edward Partridge presents the first report of Church expenditures and revenues. Also, about this time the Prophet Joseph Smith received the revelation known as Doctrine and Covenants 74, an explanation of 1 Corinthians 7:14 and states, "little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ."

1839 - The Prophet Joseph Smith writes the Missouri State Legislature from Liberty Jail, requesting a change of venue for his trial. The hope was to move the trail from the prejudiced western Missouri people and Judge King to a more neutral place such as St. Louis, Missouri.

1841 - Hyrum Smith is ordained Patriarch to the Church, to replace his father who had died, William Law is called to be Second Counselor in the First Presidency, to replace Hyrum Smith, and George Miller is appointed Bishop to replace Edward Partridge, who had died.

1846 - A meeting was held on the second story of the Temple for the purpose of arranging the business affairs of the Church prior to leaving Nauvoo. Brigham Young spoke to those gathered stating they intended to send a small group in a few weeks to prepare the way for the rest of the Saints to follow in the summer. They assigned trustees to complete the Temple and Nauvoo House after the Saints began to leave, and to sell the property to help the poor move west. All were invited to move with the Saints west, member and non-member, but those who desired to follow someone other than the Twelve Apostles, such as Sidney Rigdon or James J. Strang, would be cut off from the Church. After the meeting, Brigham Young returned to the attic of the Temple and resumed giving the ordinances of the Temple until midnight.

1848 - Henry Bigler, a member of the Mormon Battalion, recorded in his journal James W. Marshall's discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on the South Ford of the American River in California. This discovery would lead to the California Gold Rush in 1849. Bigler, and several other discharged members of the Mormon Battalion, had been hired by Sutter to construct a mill along the river.

1854 - Matilda Dudley establishes the "Indian Relief Society" as a group to help provide clothing for needy Indian women and children.

1898 - Four former members of the Mormon Battalion who had taken part in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California--Henry W. Bigler, James S. Brown, Azariah Smith, and William Johnston--take part in the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of that event.

1902 - The First Presidency issues a doctrinal statement regarding the nature of the Holy Ghost, clarifying and stating that He is a spirit personage while the Spirit of God is an impersonal influence from God.

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1832 - The Prophet Joseph Smith receives Doctrine and Covenants 75 during a conference at Amherst, Ohio. This revelation contains advice for Elders in the Church including, "Every man who is obliged to provide for his own family, let him provide, and he shall in nowise lose his crown; and let him labor in the church." Also at this conference, Joseph Smith is sustained and ordained as "President of the High Priesthood."

1840 - About this time the Prophet Joseph visited with the Saints in Brandywine, Maryland, for a few days before returning to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1888 - David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, dies in Richmond, Missouri. He died faithful to his testimony of his experience as recorded in The Testimony of the Three Witnesses in the Book of Mormon. He was also the last living of all eleven witnesses of the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.

2005 - In response to severe flooding, the Church airlifts eight pallets of food and medical supplies to Guyana.