History

Joseph Smith

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in New York State in the USA in 1830.

Pioneers

After the murder of Joseph Smith the Mormons realised that they could not stay safely in the heartland of America. The Mormons saw Salt Lake City as their holy city - Brigham Young called it a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. In 1857 the US President sent troops to Utah to put down what he had been told was a Mormon uprising. After much confusion and preparations for war, a settlement was negotiated and Mormon growth resumed.

Mormonism in the UK

The number of Mormons in the UK has risen from 6,500 in the 1960s to over 180,000 today. Although the first Mormon Temple in Britain (At Newchapel in Surrey, right) was not built until 1958, the church has had a foothold in this country almost since it was founded by Joseph Smith in the USA.