A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In the spring of 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith Jr. retired to the woods near his home in Palmyra, New York, and offered a simple prayer to our Father in Heaven. This humble prayer set into motion a series of events that brought The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from its obscure beginnings in upstate New York to prominence as a worldwide Christian church.

http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=86d115b8812e0010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD

Joseph Smith Jr. was born December 23, 1805, to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith in Sharon, Vermont. Between 1823 and 1827, he was directed by heavenly messengers to the location of gold plates that contained a written history of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. In 1827 Joseph began translating the characters engraved on the plates, completing the translation in June of 1829. The first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed in March 1830; on April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in Fayette Township, New York.

Over the next 14 years, the membership of the Church increased significantly, but religious persecution forced the Latter-day Saints to move from New York to Ohio, then Missouri, and later to Illinois. On June 27, 1844, the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred in the jail in Carthage, Illinois, sealing with his blood the testimony of his work. As persecution grew, the Saints were again forced to leave their homes; in the winter of 1846, they left Nauvoo, Illinois, crossing the frozen Mississippi River. They continued to move westward, eventually settling in what later became Salt Lake City, Utah. Over a period of a few short years, more than 70,000 Mormon pioneers crossed the plains to join the Saints in the Rocky Mountains.

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:The_Mormon_pioneers_coming_off_Big_Mountain_into_Mountain_dell.png

Today the Church is a worldwide organization with more members outside of the United States than inside. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than [14 million] members worldwide and is one of the fastest-growing churches in the world.

(This is copied from a pamphlet titled Scouting & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Who are the Mormons?

I believe in Jesus Christ

Just recently, a Muslim friend of mine shared her beliefs about Jesus Christ. I had previously learned this, but it still surprised me hearing it from her. She said that she believed he was a prophet, but nothing more than other prophets like Abraham or Muhammad. Though we disagree about this, we do agree on other things. Here are some of my thoughts and feelings about Jesus Christ.

I am a Mormon, and I believe in Him. He is who I worship. The church I attend bears His name. He is the Son of God, sent down to earth to do what no other person could. He lived a perfect life, meaning he never sinned. At the end of His life, He suffered so much agonizing pain, to help me receive forgiveness of my sins and other shortcomings, so that I wouldn't have to suffer for them if I follow Him. He taught us the way to live. He performed miracles like giving sight to the blind and raising the dead. He helped us know more of God, our Heavenly Father. Both have a great love for us. He taught us how we can return to live with Them, (which would be so great!) I strive to live by His teachings and my life has improved significantly as I try doing that. It helps me make more sense of life.

http://ldsnana-askmormon.hubpages.com/hub/Life-of-Jesus-Christ-Free-Bible-Videos

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's original church, returned to the earth in its pure form. I have come to learn this for myself. That is why I have this blog, so that I can share this with as many people as I can. Missionaries would be happy to teach you more about this, even in your own home. Through your own study and prayer, God can confirm the truth of these teachings, through the peaceful feelings of the Holy Ghost. To have the missionaries come and teach you more about these wonderful life-changing messages, please visit http://mormon.org/missionaries/

Did I exist before birth? Why am I on earth? Why is Jesus Christ so important?

We all existed before birth. We lived in God's presence as spirits. He loves us more than we can know, and he wants us to reach our full potential as His children. Being the loving Heavenly Father that He is, He created a plan for us to have lasting happiness and have other special blessings.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, plays a crucial role in this plan of happiness. He teaches how we can be happy here on earth, and how we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. He also was the only person who could suffer for the sins of the entire world. That is very significant because our sins make us imperfect, and we cannot be with God/Heavenly Father again unless we clean ourselves of the harmful effects of sin. The divine teachings of Jesus Christ show us how to be spiritually clean, return to live with them, and receive many other blessings.

We are on earth to be tested. This test is whether or not we will follow the inspired teachings of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are here on earth to see if we will accept or reject God's plan of happiness. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the church that Christ himself organized.

Missionaries are allowed virtually everywhere in the world to share this important, optimistic message. Please click HERE to have missionaries visit you in your home to learn more about this wonderful message.

Photo from HERE