TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 07 July

[Hemidakota]

1834 - Meeting in the home of Lyman Wight in Clay County, Missouri, the Prophet Joseph met with those recently called to leadership of the Church in Missouri. He gave them instructions on how to fulfill their duties and then ordained them to their callings: David Whitmer as President, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer, assistants, and the twelve men called as High Councilors. (History of the Church, 2:124-126).

1839 - The Prophet Joseph attended an "open air" meeting was held to hear the farewell addresses of the members of the Twelve who were about to leave on their missions overseas. (History of the Church, 4:1-3).

1847 - The first Pioneer company arrives at Fort Bridger, in present day Wyoming, and camped one-half mile to the west. They decided to layover for a day to make repairs to their wagons and rest their animals.

1852 - The temple endowment is performed in Salt Lake City in the newly completed "Council House." This is the first time the endowment is available to the general Church membership since the Saints had left Nauvoo in February, 1846.

1906 - Abraham Fernanadez baptizes Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, the first monarch to join

the Church.

1946 - The first converts of Japanese decent to join the Church in Japan in twenty years are baptized by U.S. Military servicemen. This begins a new era of the Church in Japan.

1967 - The first missionaries arrive in Venezuela.

1972 - Harold B. Lee is ordained and set apart as the eleventh President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

2004 - In response to the impending debate in the U.S. Congress concerning a marriage amendment to the United States Constitution, The First Presidency released a statement stating "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints favors a constitutional amendment preserving marriage as the lawful union of a man and a woman." Also, it was announced that Doubleday of New York would publish a commercial version of the Book of Mormon, making the Book of Mormon more readily available to the general public.