119 Fun Facts About Latter-day Saints

On what date did Joseph Smith formally organise the church in western New York?

Joseph Smith organised the church on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York, under the name Church of Christ; the fuller Latter Day Saints name was adopted later in the decade.

Joseph Smith was born on 23 December 1805 in which state?

Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont; his family moved to the Palmyra, New York, area around 1816, where he said he had his First Vision in 1820.

Joseph Smith said that in 1823 an angel directed him to a buried book made of what?

Joseph Smith said the angel showed him golden plates buried in a hill near Palmyra, which he later translated as the Book of Mormon.

Which angel, now a trumpet-blowing statue atop many temples, did Joseph Smith say guarded the buried record?

Moroni, whom Smith called the last prophet of the Book of Mormon, is the figure in Cyrus Dallin's 1892 statue on the Salt Lake Temple; a 2020 earthquake knocked the trumpet from its hand.

Whom did Joseph Smith elope with and marry in January 1827?

Emma Hale married Joseph Smith on 18 January 1827 after they eloped; he had met her while boarding at her family's home in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and she remained in Illinois after his death.

In 1831 the young church moved its headquarters to which Ohio town, site of the first temple?

Kirtland, Ohio, became church headquarters in 1831 and the site of the first temple; the era ended after the collapse of the church-backed Kirtland Safety Society bank.

The first Latter Day Saint temple, in Ohio, was dedicated in which year?

The temple was dedicated in March 1836, five years after the Saints reached Ohio; the Community of Christ owned it for over a century before selling it to the LDS Church in 2024 as part of a $192.5 million deal.

What Hebrew-derived name did Joseph Smith give the Illinois town of Commerce?

By 1844 its population had swelled to about 12,000, rivalling Chicago at the time.

By 1844 the Saints' city on the Mississippi had about 12,000 people, rivalling which other Illinois city?

The Saints' city of roughly 12,000 was comparable to Chicago, then also about 12,000 people, before mob violence drove most of them west in 1846.

Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed by a mob on 27 June 1844 in the jail of which Illinois town?

Joseph and Hyrum Smith were held in Carthage Jail after the destruction of a dissident newspaper's press; a mob with blackened faces stormed the jail and shot both brothers.

Joseph Smith, who ran for the White House in 1844, holds what grim distinction in US political history?

Joseph Smith was killed in June 1844 while running, making him the first candidate for president to be assassinated; his platform proposed buying slaves' freedom, annexing Texas and prison reform.

Who took over leadership of most of the church after Joseph Smith's death and led its members west?

Brigham Young, the senior apostle, led the main body of Saints to Utah in 1847, became the first governor of Utah Territory in 1851 and directed the founding of some 350 settlements.

What did the church's leader reportedly say on seeing the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847?

The church's leader reportedly said 'This is the right place, drive on' from a wagon at the mouth of Emigration Canyon; Utah marks 24 July as Pioneer Day.

Winter Quarters, the Latter-day Saints' 1846-47 encampment before Utah, was in what is now which state?

Winter Quarters stood at present-day Florence, now part of Omaha, Nebraska, where the Saints camped through the 1846-47 winter before the trek to Utah; hundreds died there of disease and cold.

Between 1856 and 1860, nearly 3,000 poor European converts crossed the plains pulling what?

Nearly 3,000 European converts walked the trail from 1856 to 1860 pulling two-wheeled handcarts, a cheap alternative to wagons and ox teams.

What was the 1847 advance party that first reached the Salt Lake Valley called?

The Vanguard Company of 143 men, three women and two children left Winter Quarters in April 1847 and entered the Salt Lake Valley that July, ahead of the main emigration.

Which church president issued the September 1890 declaration suspending new plural marriages?

Wilford Woodruff, church president from 1889, issued the declaration after Congress had disincorporated the church and seized its assets; Utah statehood followed in 1896.

Which 1857 atrocity saw Utah territorial militiamen kill 120 or more members of an Arkansas wagon train?

The Mountain Meadows Massacre of September 1857 saw militiamen kill about 120 members of the Baker-Fancher party in southern Utah; John D. Lee, the only man tried, was executed by firing squad in 1877.

The Salt Lake Temple took how many years to build?

The cornerstone was laid on 6 April 1853 and the temple was dedicated on 6 April 1893, exactly 40 years later, by the church's president.

The Salt Lake Temple's walls are built from stone quarried where?

The temple's walls are quartz monzonite, a pale igneous stone quarried in Little Cottonwood Canyon and hauled about 20 miles to the site by ox team and later by rail.

How many spires does the Salt Lake Temple have?

The Salt Lake Temple has six spires: the three on the east stand for the Melchizedek priesthood and the three on the west for the Aaronic priesthood.

Latter-day Saint temples are closed to the public after dedication; what do they hold beforehand?

Before a temple is dedicated the church holds an open house, letting the public tour the building; after dedication only members holding a temple recommend may enter.

Which ordinance for the dead did Joseph Smith first preach at an 1840 funeral in Illinois?

Baptism for the dead, first preached by Joseph Smith at a funeral in August 1840, lets living members be baptised by proxy for deceased ancestors, driving the church's vast genealogical work.

What percentage of their income are Latter-day Saints asked to give as tithing?

Latter-day Saints are asked to tithe ten percent of their income; paying a full tithe is one of the requirements for a temple recommend.

The church's health code, dictated by Joseph Smith as a revelation in 1833, is known as what?

The Word of Wisdom, recorded as section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, was dictated by Joseph Smith on 27 February 1833 in Ohio.

The church's health code bans 'hot drinks', which has been interpreted as forbidding which two beverages?

Church leaders have long interpreted 'hot drinks' as coffee and tea; hot chocolate is allowed, and the church said in 2012 that caffeinated soda is not prohibited.

How long do young male Latter-day Saint missionaries typically serve?

Young men serve two years and young women 18 months; missionaries and their families cover a standard monthly cost themselves.

The name tags worn by LDS missionaries give their surname with which title for men?

Male missionaries are addressed as 'Elder' plus their surname, the title of their priesthood office; women are 'Sister'.

Roughly how many volunteer missionaries did the church report in the field as of 2024?

The church's 2024 statistical report counted more than 100,000 missionaries in all, combining full-time teaching missionaries with a growing corps of service missionaries.

As of 2024 the church reported a worldwide membership of over how many?

The church's 2024 statistical report put worldwide membership at just over 17.5 million, up from about 17.2 million a year earlier.

In which year did the church end its ban on Black men of African descent in the priesthood?

The ban ended in June 1978 with a revelation announced under president Spencer W. Kimball and printed as Official Declaration 2 in the Doctrine and Covenants.

How many apostles sit in the church's second-highest governing quorum?

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ranks second only to the First Presidency; its senior member by ordination becomes church president when the office falls vacant.

Who was announced as church president in October 2025 following the death of Russell M. Nelson?

Dallin H. Oaks, the senior apostle and Nelson's first counselor, was set apart as the church's 18th president on 14 October 2025, following the succession by seniority used since the 1840s.

Since 2018 the church has asked that its members no longer be referred to by which nickname?

The nickname Mormons comes from the Book of Mormon; in August 2018 president Russell M. Nelson asked that the church's full name be used and the nickname dropped.

Since which year have more Latter-day Saints lived outside the United States than inside it?

Membership outside the United States overtook the US total in 1996; Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines went on to hold the largest memberships after the US.

The famous 360-voice choir dropped 'Mormon' in 2018 to become the Tabernacle Choir at where?

The choir became the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in October 2018 under the church's naming guidance; it dates from August 1847, weeks after the pioneers arrived.

The choir's weekly programme, aired since July 1929, is called what?

Music & the Spoken Word began on 15 July 1929 on KSL radio, making it one of the longest-running continuous broadcasts in the world.

Which US president dubbed it 'America's Choir'?

Ronald Reagan called it 'America's Choir'; the choir sang at his 1981 inaugural parade and has appeared at several other presidential inaugurations, from Johnson's in 1965 to Trump's in 2017.

The church's flagship university, founded in 1875, is located in which Utah city?

The church's flagship university, BYU, sits in Provo, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City; it opened in 1875 as an academy named for the church's second president.

What is the name of BYU's cougar mascot?

Cosmo the Cougar has been BYU's mascot since 1953, cheering for teams known as the Cougars.

BYU–Idaho in Rexburg was known by what name until 2001?

Ricks College, a two-year church school in Rexburg named for Thomas E. Ricks, became the four-year BYU–Idaho in 2001.

FamilySearch, the church's free genealogy service, was founded in 1894 under what name?

Founded on 13 November 1894 as the Genealogical Society of Utah, the organisation took the FamilySearch name in the internet era and grew into the world's largest genealogy organisation.

Where does FamilySearch keep its master copies of genealogical records?

FamilySearch keeps its masters in a vault built into Granite Mountain, southeast of Salt Lake City; opened in 1965, it holds microfilm and digital copies in climate-controlled chambers.

Which Bible translation does the LDS Church use in English?

The church uses the King James Version in English and since 1979 has published its own edition with footnotes cross-referenced to the Book of Mormon and other standard works.

Church leaders and members are described as believing the president is a 'prophet, seer and' what?

'Prophet, seer and revelator' is the formal title sustained for the church president and the apostles; it was applied to Joseph Smith from the church's earliest years.

Mitt Romney served a 30-month LDS mission in which country?

Mitt Romney served in France from 1966 to 1968, surviving a serious car crash there; he later served as a bishop in Belmont, Massachusetts, and president of the Boston Stake.

'The Book of Mormon' was written by Robert Lopez and which two South Park creators?

Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote the musical with Robert Lopez of Avenue Q; it opened on Broadway in March 2011 and won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

How did the LDS Church respond to the Broadway musical mocking it?

The church's response was simple: it bought ads in the playbill with lines like 'You've seen the play, now read the book', treating the show as a chance to promote its scripture.

Which church declaration is printed as Official Declaration 1 in the Doctrine and Covenants?

The 1890 Manifesto, Official Declaration 1, announced the church's intention to submit to laws against plural marriage and opened the way to Utah statehood in 1896; a Second Manifesto followed in 1904.

Aurelia Spencer Rogers first organised Primary, the church's children's organisation, in 1878 in which Utah town?

Aurelia Spencer Rogers held the first Primary meeting in Farmington, Utah, in August 1878 with Eliza R. Snow's blessing; Louie B. Felt became its first general president in 1880.

Primary serves children in which age range?

Primary serves children ages 3 to 11, after nursery for toddlers; older children move on to the Young Men and Young Women organisations.

What is the name of the Primary class for three-year-olds?

Sunbeams is the class for three-year-olds, the youngest Primary class; older children move through CTR classes and then Valiant classes.

The Primary theme, 'All thy children shall be taught of the Lord', comes from which book of the Bible?

It is Isaiah 54:13, and Primary opens each week with a prayer, a scripture or Article of Faith, and a short talk given by children.

How many Articles of Faith are there?

Joseph Smith set out the thirteen Articles of Faith in his 1842 Wentworth letter to a newspaper editor; the first begins 'We believe in God, the Eternal Father'.

Who wrote the words to the children's hymn 'I Am a Child of God' in 1957?

Naomi W. Randall wrote the words in 1957 at the request of the Primary general board and sent them to Mildred Tanner Pettit, who composed the music.

What do the letters CTR on a CTR ring stand for?

CTR stands for Choose the Right, a motto drawn from the hymn 'Choose the Right'; the green CTR shield was introduced for Primary in 1970.

At what age are Latter-day Saint children baptised, the 'age of accountability'?

Children are baptised at eight, which the Doctrine and Covenants calls the age of accountability; baptism is by immersion, performed by a priesthood holder.

In which river did Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery baptise each other on May 15, 1829?

Smith and Cowdery baptised each other in the Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pennsylvania, after saying John the Baptist had conferred the Aaronic priesthood on them that day.

The wooded spot near Joseph Smith's home where he said he prayed in the spring of 1820 is known as what?

The Sacred Grove, a stand of woods on the Smith farm in Manchester, New York, is where Smith said he saw God and Jesus Christ in the First Vision of 1820.

On which yearly return visit after first seeing the plates in 1823 did Smith get them?

Smith said he returned to the hill each September 22 and was allowed to take the plates on the fourth yearly return visit, in 1827, four years after first seeing them.

Mormon crickets, said to have been eaten by gulls to save 1848 pioneer crops, are really what?

Mormon crickets are really katydids — flightless shield-backed katydids, Anabrus simplex, not true crickets; the 1848 'miracle of the gulls' is commemorated by the Seagull Monument in Salt Lake City.

Which was the first temple completed in Utah, dedicated in 1877?

The St. George Utah Temple, dedicated in April 1877, was the first temple completed in Utah; Logan followed in 1884 and Manti in 1888, all before the Salt Lake Temple.

Book of Mormon prophet Enos, who prayed all day and night, was the son of which record-keeper?

Jacob was Nephi's brother, and Enos received the record from him.

Ammon, son of Mosiah, served a mission among the Lamanites lasting how many years?

Alma 17 says the sons of Mosiah taught among the Lamanites for fourteen years; Ammon's converts, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, were the parents of the two thousand stripling warriors.

According to Joseph Smith in 1834, what was the name of the brother of Jared, unnamed in the Book of Mormon?

Joseph Smith reportedly gave the name Mahonri Moriancumer while blessing Reynolds Cahoon's infant son in 1834; the Book of Ether itself never names the brother of Jared.

The church teaches that the Garden of Eden was located in which US state?

Joseph Smith taught that Eden lay in Jackson County, Missouri, where he planned the city of Zion before local settlers expelled the Saints in 1833.

In which year did the church create the law of tithing, replacing the communal law of consecration?

The revelation on tithing, Doctrine and Covenants 119, was given at Far West on 8 July 1838, after the communal law of consecration had been set aside; members often paid in livestock and produce.

Which church-run thrift store chain, founded in 1938, is part of its welfare programme?

Deseret Industries, founded in 1938 as part of the church welfare programme, runs thrift stores that resell donated goods and give job training to people who need work.

Which of these is one of the church's four canonical 'standard works' besides the Bible and Book of Mormon?

The Pearl of Great Price, canonised in 1880, joins the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as the four standard works.

Which dessert brand gives the Latter-day Saint heartland around Utah its 'Belt' nickname?

Jell-O is so tied to church potlucks that Utah's Senate named it a favourite state snack in 2001, after Utahns campaigned to win back the title of top consumer.

Which Latter-day Saint, a former missionary in Spain, won 74 games of Jeopardy! in a row in 2004?

Ken Jennings served as a volunteer missionary in Madrid years before his record streak, and he later became the quiz show's host.

Which Wild West outlaw was born Robert LeRoy Parker to Latter-day Saint converts in Utah?

Butch Cassidy left home as a teenager and took his alias surname from Mike Cassidy, a cattle thief who had been his mentor on a dairy ranch.

In the Primary song 'Popcorn Popping', the blossoms that look like popcorn grow on which tree?

Apricot blossoms are the 'popcorn' in Georgia W. Bello's song, which children act out with improvised actions as they sing.

In the Book of Mormon, which brass ball with two spindles guided Lehi's family like a compass?

Liahona, the family's name for the ball, pointed the way only while they had faith and heeded it, and it stopped working when they rebelled at sea.

A Latter-day Saint congregation, called a ward, is led by an unpaid member with which title?

Bishop is a volunteer calling: he is chosen from among the ward's own members and serves without pay, usually for four to seven years.

Which night of the week do Latter-day Saint wards keep free of meetings for Family Home Evening?

Monday became the preferred night in 1970, though the idea goes back to a 1915 letter urging families to set aside a regular 'Home Evening'.

Which 'Empress of Soul', raised a Baptist, was baptised a Latter-day Saint in 1997?

Gladys Knight followed her son and daughter into the church, then created and directed the Saints Unified Voices gospel choir.

In the Book of Mormon, which son of Lehi builds a ship in the land of Bountiful?

Nephi builds the ship at God's command, and during the voyage his brothers tie him up, freeing him only after a storm drives them back.

Latter-day Saint farm boy Philo Farnsworth, born in a Utah log cabin, pioneered which invention?

Television's key idea came to him from ploughing: the back-and-forth rows suggested scanning an image as lines, and his first transmitted picture was one straight line.

In the Book of Mormon, which powerful man in Jerusalem keeps the brass plates that Lehi's sons go back for?

Laban's plates were a record of the Jews' laws, customs, history and lineage, which Lehi wanted his family to carry with them.

In the Book of Mormon, what is the name of Lehi's wife, who crosses the ocean with him?

Sariah famously complains to Lehi when she fears their sons have died on an errand, then gains her own testimony when they come back safely.

In the Book of Mormon, which prophet is burned to death after rebuking wicked King Noah?

Abinadi's words persuaded one of the king's own priests, Alma, who went on to become a prophet himself.

In the Book of Mormon, which prophet leads 2,000 young 'stripling warriors' and calls them his sons?

Helaman credits their survival to faith taught by their mothers: every one of the young soldiers is wounded, yet none is killed.

In the Book of Mormon, which ruler has a tower built so crowds camped in tents can hear him?

King Benjamin still could not be heard by everyone, so he had his words written down and sent out among those beyond the sound of his voice.

In the Book of Mormon, which Lamanite prophet preaches from a city wall as arrows miss him?

Samuel had already been rejected by the city once, so he returned and spoke from its wall, foretelling the signs of Christ's birth and death.

In Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon, what do travellers hold to reach the tree of life?

An iron rod runs along the riverbank to the tree, and when the dreamer's sons ask what it means, they are told it is the word of God.

In the Book of Mormon, Ammon defends the flocks of which Lamanite king at the waters of Sebus?

Lamoni first has Ammon bound as a prisoner, then is so pleased with him that he offers a daughter in marriage; Ammon asks to be a servant instead.

Which early scribe to Joseph Smith lost the first 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon?

Martin Harris was a farmer who had given $50 toward the translation; the pages had never been copied and are presumed destroyed.

Joseph Smith said he dug up the record behind the Book of Mormon from which hill in New York?

Cumorah is a drumlin, a hill shaped by glaciers, and it formerly hosted a large, free outdoor pageant each July.

Which weekday religion classes for Latter-day Saint teenagers began beside a Utah high school in 1912?

Seminary began beside a Salt Lake City high school; where church members are few, teenagers attend early-morning or home-study classes instead.

Which Latter-day Saint children's magazine, launched in 1902, shortened its title at the end of 1970?

The Friend was called The Children's Friend for nearly seven decades and was run by the church's Primary organisation.

Five to ten Latter-day Saint wards usually form which larger unit, led by its own president?

A stake borrows its name from an Old Testament image of a tent made firm by strengthening its stakes, and it works much like a diocese.

Which Utah state holiday on July 24 marks the first Latter-day Saint settlers' arrival in 1847?

Pioneer Day fills Utah with parades, fireworks and rodeos, and church members in other countries mark it too with songs, dances and potlucks.

Latter-day Saints are told which tribe of Israel they belong to during which rite of lifelong guidance?

A patriarchal blessing is given by an ordained patriarch, who lays his hands on the recipient's head, and is modelled on the blessings Jacob gave his sons before he died.

Which Latter-day Saint author and BYU graduate dreamed the idea for her 'Twilight' vampire novels?

Stephenie Meyer had no experience as an author before the series, and her membership of the church shaped the novels.

Which family group from Ogden, Utah, began as a barbershop quartet of Latter-day Saint brothers?

The Osmonds first sang at their weekly church services, were spotted performing at Disneyland, and topped the pop chart in 1971 with 'One Bad Apple'.

Which Latter-day Saint and former BYU player coached the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl titles?

Andy Reid reached BYU almost by accident: its coach wanted his junior-college teammate and recruited him too, to help persuade the other player to come.

Which 2004 cult comedy set in Preston, Idaho, grew out of a short film by two BYU film students?

Napoleon Dynamite, its director said, was the name of a man he met on the streets of Illinois while serving as a missionary.

Which hotel chain grew from a 1927 root beer stand run by a returned Latter-day Saint missionary?

Marriott's founder passed through sweltering Washington on his way home from his mission and watched a pushcart of cold drinks sell out in minutes.

Which biblical name is given to the spectacle-like stones Joseph Smith said he used to translate?

Urim and Thummim was a later label: the phrase never appears in the Book of Mormon itself and was first linked to the spectacles in 1832.

In which New York village did printer E. B. Grandin publish the first edition of the Book of Mormon?

Palmyra was where Grandin had started as an apprentice printer at eighteen, at a newspaper office he went on to buy.

Which New Testament epistle's promise of wisdom to all who ask God led young Joseph Smith to pray?

James 1:5 so impressed the teenager that he went into the woods near his home and knelt for what he called his first vocal prayer.

In Latter-day Saint scripture, which star is described as nearest to the throne of God?

Kolob comes from an account of the stars in the Book of Abraham, and it gives its name to the hymn 'If You Could Hie to Kolob'.

In the Book of Mormon, what do the Zoramites call the high prayer stand that admits one person?

Rameumptom means 'the holy stand': worshippers climbed it one by one to offer the same prayer of thanks, then did not speak of God again until the next gathering.

In the Book of Mormon, which animals are listed beside elephants as useful to the Jaredites?

Cureloms are never described: the verse naming them only ranks them with elephants as the animals most useful to man.

Which language became the first other than English in which the Book of Mormon was printed, in 1851?

Danish came first: missionaries reached Denmark just after a new constitution granted freedom of religion, and their earliest converts were Baptists.

In the Book of Mormon, what does a Nephite commander call the banner made from his torn coat?

The title of liberty read 'In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children', and he raised it on a pole.

In the Book of Mormon, which leader gives his name to a secret band of robbers and assassins?

Gadianton took over a group first formed by Kishkumen, whose members swore a pact to keep an assassin's identity secret.

The Jaredites of the Book of Mormon leave the Old World at the time of which Old Testament event?

The Tower of Babel story has every nation's language confounded, but Jared's people are spared and later cross the sea in barges.

In the Book of Mormon, what do the Lamanite converts later called the people of Ammon do with their weapons?

They bury them as a sign of their covenant never to fight again; years later their sons, who had sworn no such oath, go to war in their place.

Who was the mother of the Latter-day Saint founding prophet, noted for a memoir of her son and his ancestors?

Lucy Mack Smith's memoir appeared as Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations; she outlived five of the six sons she raised to manhood.

In the Book of Mormon, which anti-Christ demands a sign from Alma and is struck dumb as a result?

Korihor then admits the devil had appeared to him as an angel and taught him what to say, and he is later trodden down and dies.

In the Book of Mormon, which officer enters an enemy camp and kills King Amalickiah with a javelin?

Teancum later let himself down over a city wall and killed Ammoron, the dead king's brother and successor, with a javelin, but he was caught and slain.

Which land serves as the Nephites' capital and religious centre for much of the Book of Mormon?

Zarahemla already had its own people when Nephite refugees arrived: the two societies united and the Nephite leader became king of them all.

Which flower's bulbs fed hungry Latter-day Saint pioneers and later became Utah's state flower?

Sego lily bulbs were a food the Shoshone taught the settlers to dig, and the plant was formally made the state flower in 1911.

In the Book of Mormon, which lawyer offers Amulek six onties of silver to deny that God exists?

Zeezrom is introduced as 'expert in the devices of the devil', and the same chapter sets out the Nephite money system just before his bribe.

Replicas of which Bertel Thorvaldsen marble of the risen Jesus were adopted by Latter-day Saint leaders?

Christus was carved for a Lutheran church rebuilt after a British naval bombardment; the church took up replicas to stress how central Jesus is to its teaching.

In the Book of Mormon, which 'exceedingly curious man' builds large ships that vanish in the west sea?

Hagoth built them near a narrow neck of land; one shipload set out northward a second time and 'were never heard of more'.

Which programme replaced home teaching and visiting teaching among Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2018?

Ministering deliberately plays down teaching: members are asked instead to consider prayerfully what the people assigned to them need, and to serve them.