Places in Mormon Church History

Carthage Jail

The Nauvoo city council authorized the destruction of a printing press that had been printing lies about the Mormon Church and inciting violence. This made non-Mormon neighbors very angry, and a riot followed. Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith and others were arrested for starting the riot. The Governor promised the men that if they submitted to the arrest and went to jail in Carthage, he would protect them (Read more).

Far West, Missouri

Far West is located about 30 miles north of Liberty, Missouri. In 1835, when there began to be tension between the Mormons and non-Mormons in Independence, the Mormon Church began looking for a place in Missouri where there were few settlers. They found some land in Ray County. It was very sparsely populated because it was prairie land, which was considered by most (Read more).

Haun’s Mill

Established by Jacob Haun, Haun’s Mill was a settlement in Missouri on Shoal Creek.  Haun was a convert to the Mormon Church from Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1835, he moved to the area hoping to avoid some of the persecution other Saints in the area were experiencing. The settlement had a mill, blacksmith shop, and a few homes. About 20-30 families (Read more).

Independence, Missouri

As persecution persisted in Ohio and other areas in the East, Joseph Smith suggested that some of the Saints settle in Missouri. In 1831, Joseph Smith received a command from the Lord that they should buy as much land in the Jackson County area of Missouri as possible (see Doctrine and Covenants 57:3-5, 58:37, 49-52 and 63:72). He also received revelation that Jackson County would be the site (Read more).

Kanesville Tabernacle

In June of 1844, the president, prophet, and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, was killed by a mob. When this occurred, the leadership of the Mormon Church became the responsibility of the Twelve Apostles. At the time, Brigham Young was the President of the Twelve. Soon after Joseph Smith was killed, many of the Mormons were driven from their homes (Read more).

Liberty Jail

In October of 1838, anti-Mormon mobs and militia laid siege to the Mormon settlement of Far West. After three days, the leaders of the Church were told that the leader of the militia would like to discuss a peace agreement, but instead the Mormon Church leaders were arrested. They were held in Richmond for two weeks while a trial was held (Read more).

Martin Harris Farm

Martin Harris was born on May 18, 1783, in Easton, New York. In 1792 his family moved to the Palmyra, New York, area. They were one of the first families to settle the area. When Martin Harris was 30 years old, his father gave him 320 acres of his farm. Martin prospered, and was active in community affairs (Read more).

Palmyra, New York

A great deal of early Mormon history took place in around the Palmyra, New York area.  The following is a list of some of the major events: (Read more).

Peter Whitmer Home

The Peter Whitmer home is an important site in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because numerous spiritual and Church events occurred here. The Whitmer family had invited Joseph Smith and his wife Emma to live with them. This allowed Joseph Smith to focus on completing the translation of the Book of Mormon with help from his scribe (Read more).

The Sacred Grove

The family of Joseph Smith Jr., the prophet who restored Christ’s Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, moved to Palmyra, New York, in 1818. They built a log home two miles south of the village, so that they could be close to a 100-acre tract of land that they were in the process of purchasing. The owner of the property allowed them to begin clearing (Read more).

Temple Square

When Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, President Brigham Young selected a 10-acre plot of ground that was designated for the temple. This plot became known as Temple Square. The area also became the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). The Old Tabernacle and endowment house were also built (Read more).

Winter Quarters, Nebraska

Following persecution by mobs and their neighbors, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church) began leaving Nauvoo, Illinois, on February 4, 1846. They planned to leave in the spring, but persecution was so fierce that they began to leave early. They crossed the Missisippi and traveled awhile before setting up camp (Read more).