A Brief History

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the New Testament church, restored again to the earth. After the death of the Apostles, the original Church established by Jesus Christ endured an apostasy, or falling away. The earlier unity of 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5) became a myriad of different churches and creeds, doctrines and denominations. While many individuals still believed in Jesus Christ and tried to live righteously, Christ's church, guided by revelation to living apostles and prophets, was no longer present on the earth. In 1830 in upstate New York, the Lord Jesus Christ reestablished His church as it existed in the New Testament through Joseph Smith, then a young boy desiring to know which church he should join. We do not worship Joseph Smith, but consider him to be a prophet of God (much like Isaiah, Moses, or John the Baptist). As a prophet, Joseph Smith was instructed and authorized by the Lord to organize His church, again, with living apostles and prophets who receive direct guidance and instruction from on high. Today, the church is headquartered in Salt Lake City and is led by a prophet, Russell M. Nelson, and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. Also, in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ the Priesthood, the authority given to act in the name of God, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation. It is a church built upon apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the chief-cornerstone (Eph. 2:20).