Various Topics in Mormon History
Mormon Church History Overview
The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be divided into eleven major parts dating from Joseph Smith’s First Vision to modern international growth. A brief description of each division follows: (Read more).
Colonization of the West
The process of Mormon migration began in the 1830’s and assisted 5,000 European converts in migrating to Nauvoo, Illinois. Beginning in 1846, the Church organized 16,000 persons in and around Nauvoo to make the great trek to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and later to the Salt Lake Valley. By 1890 agents of the Mormon Church had directed the migration of 83,000 European members (Read more).
Mormon Battalion
In 1846, the United States was fighting a war with Mexico. Captain James Allen was asked to enlist approximately 500 men from the Mormon Pioneers to help. The members had many reasons to not enlist. The U.S. government had failed to protect them from being driven from their homes by mobs in Missouri and Illinois. Because of this most of the Saints were poor, (Read more).
Mormon Handcart Companies
In 1855, members of the Mormon Church were still being encouraged to gather with the rest of the members of the Church in the Utah area. However, there were many members, especially those traveling from Europe, who had limited funds for such a long journey. Brigham Young suggested that these saints walk, pulling their luggage in a cart. These Saints traveled from (Read more).
Mormon Pioneers
In 1846, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois. They spent the winter in Nebraska, and the first company left with Brigham Young as their leader in the spring of 1847. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. The trip took them over 1,000 miles of unsettled land (Read more).
Mormon Trail
The Mormon Trail is the trail that was traveled by nearly 70,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormon Church) between the years of 1846 and 1869. The trail covers 1,300 miles from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. It is considered a National Historic Trail by the United States Government and is maintained as an important part of U.S. history. (Read more).
Music and the Spoken Word
On July 15, 1929, the first broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” was presented. The announcer began with the now famous words, “from the crossroads of the West, we welcome you to a program of inspirational music and spoken word.” That first broadcast began a tradition that has lasted over 75 years. (Read more).
Zion’s Camp
On May 5, 1834, Joseph Smith led 85 men out of Kirtland, Ohio, towards Missouri. Their purpose was to help the 1,200 Saints in Missouri whose land, homes, and possessions had been taken from them by mobs. As they marched, recruits joined them. When the last group of recruits arrived there were a little over 200 men, 12 women, and 9 children (Read more).