During the advancement of the Mormon Church, there were many controversial issues they had to overcome in order to unite with Christians around the world. Mormons were met with rivalry and violence due to their differences with other faiths.
Here are six key events that occurred within the Mormon religion as it evolved since the 19th century.
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1. Mormon founder Joseph Smith established the Church of Christ in 1830 in western New York after gaining a small following from his preaching and revelations. The name would later change to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838. The publication of the "Book of Mormon" in 1830 helped the Mormon Church grow rapidly and branch out to several locations.
2.
According to the Mormon History Association, the original group of Mormons expanded in order to spread the word of the church. They established congregations in Kirtland, Ohio, outside of Cleveland and in Jackson County, Missouri. However, in 1837 a failed banking venture in Kirtland and a war with other settlers in Missouri forced them to leave. Members settled along the Mississippi River in Illinois and founded a city called Nauvoo where the community grew with Smith as spiritual leader and mayor.
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3. Conflicts erupted in Nauvoo and Smith ordered the suppression of dissidents. Illinois state authorities jailed Smith and his brother, Hyrum, in 1844 on charges that included treason. Smith and his brother were killed by an angry mob that stormed the jail.
4. The tragedy and crisis within the church resulted in temporary leadership by a committee. Brigham Young took hold of the leadership and led the Mormon journey westward to Salt Lake City. Young was named church president in 1847 during the trip. Thousands of Mormons would venture to the Utah location in the next few years.
5. The Mormon stand on polygamy caused disputes with federal authorities, who passed laws against the practice. In 1890, Wilford Woodruff, the president of the church and the fourth Mormon prophet, proclaimed the end of plural marriage within the church. Six years later, Utah entered the Union as the 45th state.
6. The Mormon Church had a long history of excluding African-Americans from its leadership, despite blacks entering the faith, as millions of Christians became members throughout the world in the 20th century. The church finally lifted its ban on priesthood for blacks in 1978 and reversed its earlier teachings that had justified the priesthood restriction.
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