The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Beginnings , the first president of the Church of Christ|alt=Portrait of Joseph Smith (circa 1842) Joseph Smith formally organized the church as the Church of Christ, on April 6, 1830, in western New York; the church's name was later changed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In 1831, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and began establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri, Smith regrouped with the remaining church in Far West, Missouri, but tensions soon escalated into violent conflicts with the Missouri settlers. Believing the Latter Day Saints to be an insurrection, the Missouri governor ordered that they be "exterminated or driven from the State". In 1839, the Latter Day Saints converted a swampland on the banks of the Mississippi River into Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the church's new headquarters. On June 27, 1844, Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, Because Hyrum was Joseph's designated successor, their deaths caused a succession crisis, Pioneer era led the LDS Church from 1844 until his death in 1877.|alt=Photograph of Brigham Young between 1866-1877 For two years after Smith's death, conflicts escalated between Mormons and other Illinois residents. Brigham Young led his followers, later called the Mormon pioneers, westward to Nebraska and then in 1847 on to what later became the Utah Territory, which at the time had been part of the lands of the Ute, Goshute, and Shoshone nations, and claimed by Mexico until 1848. Around 80,000 settlers arrived between 1847 and 1869, Young incorporated the LDS Church as a legal entity, and initially governed both the church and the state as a theocratic leader. He also publicized the practice of plural marriage in 1852. Modern research suggests that around 20 percent of Mormon families may have participated in the practice. The Utah Mormon War ensued from 1857 to 1858, which resulted in the relatively peaceful invasion of Utah by the United States Army. The most notable instance of Mormon violence during this conflict was the Mountain Meadows massacre, in which leaders of a local Mormon militia ordered the massacre of a civilian emigrant party who was traveling through Utah during the escalating military tensions. After the massacre was discovered, the church became the target of significant media criticism for it. After the Army withdrew, Young agreed to step down from power and be replaced by a non-Mormon territorial governor, Alfred Cumming. Nevertheless, the LDS Church still wielded significant political power in the Utah Territory. Coterminously, tensions between Mormon settlers and Indigenous tribes continued to escalate as settlers began colonizing a growing area of tribal lands. While Mormons and Indigenous peoples made attempts at peaceful coexistence, skirmishes ensued from about 1849 to 1873 culminating in the armed conflicts of Wakara's War, the Bear River Massacre, and the Black Hawk War. After Young's death in 1877, he was followed in the church presidency by John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff successively, who resisted efforts by the United States Congress to outlaw Mormon polygamous marriages. In 1878, the United States Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. United States, decreed that "religious duty" to engage in plural marriage was not a valid defense to prosecutions for violating state laws against polygamy. Conflict between Mormons and the U.S. government escalated to the point that, in 1890, Congress disincorporated the LDS Church and seized most of its assets. Soon thereafter, Woodruff issued a manifesto that officially suspended the performance of new polygamous marriages in the United States. Relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, such that Utah was admitted as a U.S. state in 1896. Relations further improved after 1904, when church president Joseph F. Smith again disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued a "Second Manifesto", calling for all plural marriages in the church to cease. Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy. Modern times was the first built in the eastern half of the United States since 1846.|alt=Photograph of Washington D.C. Temple in 2011 During the 20th century, the church grew substantially and became an international organization. In 2000, the church reported over 60,000 missionaries and global church membership stood at just over 11 million. Nominal worldwide membership surpassed 16 million in 2018. Slightly under half of church membership lives within the U.S. Academics have called the denomination a Restorationist church, a new religious movement, and a potential world religion. The church has become a strong proponent of the nuclear family and at times played a prominent role in political matters, including opposition to MX Peacekeeper missile bases in Utah and Nevada, the Equal Rights Amendment, A number of official changes have taken place to the organization during the modern era. In 1978, the church reversed its previous policy of excluding Black men of African descent from the priesthood, which had been in place since 1852; From 1913 to 2020 the church was a major sponsor of Scouting programs for boys, particularly in the United States. The LDS Church was the largest chartered organization in the Boy Scouts of America, but in 2020, the church ended its relationship with the BSA and began an alternate, religion-centered youth program, which replaced all other youth programs. During the second half of the 20th century and early 21st, the church has responded to various challenges to its doctrine and authority. Challenges have included rising secularization, challenges to the correctness of the translation of the Book of Abraham, and primary documents forged by Mark Hofmann purporting to contradict important aspects of official early church history. The church and its members have also experienced prejudice and violence, including a shooting in Grand Blanc, Michigan on September 28, 2025, that left four members dead. ==Beliefs==

of Jesus, as depicted in this replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus statue located in the North Visitors' Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.|alt=Replica Christus statue in a background of planets, stars, and space dust Nature of God LDS Church theology includes the belief in a Godhead composed of God the Father, his son, Jesus, who Latter-day Saints believe to be the Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three separate persons who share a unity of purpose or will; however, they are viewed as three distinct beings. This is in contrast with the predominant Christian view, which holds that God is a Trinity of three distinct persons in one essence. The Latter-day Saint conception of the Godhead is similar to what contemporary Christian theologians call social trinitarianism. The church also believes that God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are separate beings with bodies of flesh and bone, while the Holy Ghost lacks such a physical body. According to statements by church leaders, God sits at the head of the human family and is married to a Heavenly Mother, who is the mother of human spirits. However, church leaders have also categorically discouraged prayers to her and counseled against speculation regarding her. Jesus Christ Church members believe in Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God and Messiah, his crucifixion as a conclusion of a sin offering, and his subsequent resurrection. Jesus is also seen as the elder brother of all who live in this world. The church teaches that Jesus performed a substitutionary atonement. In contrast with other Christian denominations, the church teaches this atonement began in the garden of Gethsemane and continued to his crucifixion (rather than the orthodox belief that the crucifixion alone was the physical atonement). The church also teaches that Jesus is the true founder and leader of the church itself. The physical establishment of the church by Smith in 1830 is seen as simply the reestablishment of the same primitive church that existed under Jesus and his Apostles. especially its current president. the divinity of Jesus, his atonement and resurrection, and a form of apostolic succession. The LDS Church differs from other churches within contemporary Christianity in other ways. Differences between the LDS Church and most of traditional Christianity include disagreement about the nature of God, belief in a theory of human salvation that includes three heavens, a doctrine of exaltation which includes the ability of humans to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, However, church members self-identify as Christians. The faith itself views other modern Christian faiths as having departed from true Christianity by way of a general apostasy and maintains that it is a restoration of 1st-century Christianity and the only true and authorized Christian church. Church leaders assert it is the only true church and that other churches do not have the authority to act in Jesus' name. Cosmology and plan of salvation The church's cosmology and plan of salvation include the doctrines of a pre-existence, an earthly mortal existence, three degrees of heaven This view on the doctrine of theosis is also referred to as becoming a "joint-heir with Christ". The process by which this is accomplished is called exaltation, a doctrine which includes the reunification of the mortal family after the resurrection and the ability to have spirit children in the afterlife and inherit a portion of God's kingdom. The most significant LDS ordinances may be performed via proxy in behalf of those who have died, such as baptism for the dead. The church teaches that all will have the opportunity to hear and accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, either in this life or the next. Within church cosmology, the fall of Adam and Eve is seen positively. The church teaches that it was essential to allow humankind to experience separation from God, to exercise full agency in making decisions for their own happiness. Restorationism was called to be a modern-day prophet through a visitation from God the Father and Jesus Christ.|alt=Stained glass depiction of Joseph Smith's First Vision (1913, artist unknown) The LDS Church teaches that, subsequent to the death of Jesus and his original apostles, his church, along with the authority to act in Jesus Christ's name and the church's attendant spiritual gifts, were lost, due to a combination of external persecutions and internal heresies. The "Restoration"—as begun by Joseph Smith and embodied in the church itself—refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ. This restoration is associated with a number of events which are understood to have been necessary to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus. Leadership , president of the church|alt=Portrait of Dallin H. Oaks in 2023 The church is led by a president. Within the church, he is referred to as "the Prophet". He is considered to be a "prophet, seer and revelator", and is the only person who is authorized to receive revelation from God on behalf of the whole world or entire church. As such, the church teaches that he is essentially infallible when speaking on behalf of God—although the exact circumstances when his pronouncements should be considered authoritative are debated within the church. In any case, modern declarations with broad doctrinal implications are often issued by joint statement of the First Presidency; they may be joined by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as well. Church members believe Joseph Smith was the first modern-day prophet. Following the death of church president Russell M. Nelson, senior apostle Dallin H. Oaks was announced as president on October 14, 2025. Normally, the president chooses two other ordained apostles as counselors, and together they form the First Presidency, the presiding body of the church. Twelve other apostles form the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When a president dies, his successor is chosen from the remaining apostles. By longstanding convention, the longest-tenured apostle becomes the next president of the church. In recent years, this process has contributed to the church's leadership being of increasingly advanced age, given that apostles serve for life. New apostles are chosen by the church president after the death of an existing apostle. The First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, first two Quorums of Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric make up the general authorities of the church. The general presidencies of the church-wide Relief Society, Sunday School, Young Women, Young Men, and Primary organizations make up the general officers of the church. Women serve as presidents and counselors in the presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary, while men serve as presidents and counselors of the Sunday School and Young Men. Senior church leaders have continued to emphasize conservative teachings on marriage and gender to the present time. LDS Church members are encouraged to set aside one evening each week, typically Monday, to spend together in "Family Home Evening" (FHE), which typically consists of gathering as a family to study the faith's gospel principles, and other family activities. Daily family prayer is also encouraged. The Book of Mormon is a foundational sacred book for the church; the terms "Mormon" and "Mormonism" come from the name of the book itself. The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni told Smith about golden plates containing the record, guided him to find them buried in the Hill Cumorah, and provided him the means of translating them from Reformed Egyptian. It claims to give a history of the inhabitants from a now-extinct society living on the American continent and their distinct Judeo-Christian teachings. The Book of Mormon is very important to modern Latter-day Saints, who consider it the world's most correct text. The Bible, also part of the church's canon, is believed to be the word of God—subject to an acknowledgment that its translation may be incorrect, or that authoritative sections may have been lost over the centuries. Most often, the church uses the Authorized King James Version. of the more doctrinally significant verses from the translation are included as excerpts in the current LDS Church edition of the Bible. Other revelations from Smith are found in the D&C, and in the Pearl of Great Price. and that they are therefore authorized teachers of God's word. In addition to doctrine given by the church as a whole, individual members of the church believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in conducting their lives, and in revealing truth to them, especially about spiritual matters. Generally, this is said to occur through thoughts and feelings from the Holy Ghost, in response to prayer. Similarly, the church teaches its members may receive individual guidance and counsel from God through blessings from priesthood holders. In particular, patriarchal blessings are considered special blessings that are received only once in the recipient's life, which are recorded, transcribed, and archived. ==Practices==

Rituals {{Annotated image| image = Mormon baptism circa 1850s.png| image-width = 600| image-left = -280| image-top = -425| width = 250| height = 250| float = left In the church, an ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony that has spiritual and symbolic meanings, and is performed under priesthood authority. For some ordinances, the act is tied to a covenant between the ordinance recipient and God. The ordinance of baptism is believed to bind its participant to Jesus Christ, who saves them in their imperfection if they continually keep their promises to him. Baptism is performed by immersion, and is typically administered to children starting at age eight. Other ordinances performed in the church include confirmation, the sacrament (analogous to the Eucharist or holy communion), priesthood ordination, patriarchal blessing, anointing of the sick, and priesthood blessings. Diet and health The LDS Church asks its members to adhere to a dietary code called the Word of Wisdom, in which they abstain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and illicit or harmful substances. The Word of Wisdom also encourages the consumption of herbs and grains along with the moderate consumption of meat. Sexuality Church members are expected to follow a moral code called the law of chastity, which prohibits adultery, homosexual behavior, and sexual relations before or outside of marriage. As part of the law of chastity, the church strongly opposes pornography, and considers masturbation an immoral act. Law of chastity violations can be grounds for church discipline; resulting penalties may include having access to the temple and sacrament revoked. The church discourages romantic dating until around the age of 16. Tithing and other donations Church members are expected to donate one-tenth of their income to support the operations of the church. After initially relying on a communal lifestyle known as the law of consecration throughout most of the 1830s, the church created the law of tithing in July 1838 when the membership was concentrated in Missouri. Church members would frequently tithe by giving ten percent of their livestock and produce; nowadays donations are generally done with money. to $33 billion Local leadership is not paid, and is expected to tithe as well. Full-time missionaries, however, are not expected to pay tithing as they are usually paying to be a missionary. Missionary service typically commit to 18–24 months of full-time service.|alt=A pair of two young adult male missionaries All able-bodied LDS young men are expected to serve a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission. Missionaries do not choose where they serve or the language in which they will proselytize, and are expected to fund their missions themselves or with the aid of their families. All proselytizing missionaries are organized geographically into administrative areas called missions. The efforts in each mission are directed by an older adult male mission president. , there will be 506 missions of the LDS Church. Although missionary service is expected for men, it is not compulsory and is not a requirement for retaining church membership. Unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 29 may also serve as missionaries, generally for a term of 18 months. Retired couples and single men over the age of 40 are also encouraged to serve missions, with terms ranging from six to 23 months. Unlike younger missionaries, these senior missionaries may serve in non-proselytizing capacities such as humanitarian aid workers or family history specialists. Sabbath day observance Church members are expected to set aside Sundays as a day of rest and worship. Typically, weekly worship meetings occur solely on Sundays. Shopping and recreation are discouraged on Sundays as well. ==Worship and meetings==

Weekly meetings |alt=A group of people sitting in rows of seats Meetings for worship and study are held at meetinghouses, which are typically utilitarian in character. Also included in weekly meetings are times for Sunday School, or separate instructional meetings based on age and gender, including the Relief Society for women. Church congregations are organized geographically. Temple worship |alt=Photograph of the Salt Lake Temple in 2008 In LDS theology, a temple is considered to be a holy building, dedicated as a "House of the Lord" and held as more sacred than a typical meetinghouse or chapel. In temples, church members participate in ceremonies that are considered the most sacred in the church, including marriage, and an endowment ceremony that includes a washing and anointing, receiving a temple garment, and making covenants with God. Baptisms for the dead—as well as other temple ordinances on behalf of the dead—are performed in the temples as well. Then after the temple is dedicated, permission to enter is reserved only for church members who pass periodic interviews with ecclesiastical leaders and receive a special recommendation card, called a temple recommend, that they present upon entry. To perform ordinances in temples on behalf of deceased family members, the church emphasizes genealogical research, and encourages its lay members to participate in genealogy. It operates FamilySearch, the largest genealogical organization in the world. Conferences Twice each year (the first weekend of April and October), general authorities and general officers address the worldwide church through general conference. General conference sessions are translated into as many as 80 languages and are broadcast from the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City. During this conference, church members formally acknowledge, or "sustain", the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. Individual stakes also hold formal conferences within their own boundaries biannually; wards hold conferences annually. ==Organization and structure==

Name and legal entities The church teaches that it is a continuation of the Church of Christ restored in 1830 by Joseph Smith. This original church underwent several name changes during the 1830s, being changed to "The Church of the Latter Day Saints", "The Church of Jesus Christ", "The Church of God", Finally, after Smith died, Brigham Young and the largest body of Smith's followers incorporated the church in 1851 by legislation of the Utah Territory under the name "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", which included a hyphenated "Latter-day" and a British-style lower-case d. Common informal names for the church include the LDS Church, the Mormon Church, and the Latter-day Saints Church. The church requests that the official name be used when possible or, if necessary, shortened to "the Church" or "the Church of Jesus Christ". Subsequent to this announcement, the church's premier vocal ensemble, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, was officially renamed and became the "Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square". Reaction to the name change policy has been mixed. Legally, the church currently functions as a corporation sole, incorporated in Utah. Utah Property Management Associates (UPMA), formerly Zions Securities Corporation (ZSC), is a subsidiary of Property Reserve Inc., which manages property owned by the Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mostly in Salt Lake City, Utah. They manage major corporate, residential, and retail spaces along with parking lots and plazas. Priesthood hierarchy and church service The LDS Church is organized in a hierarchical priesthood structure administered by its male members. Members of the church-wide leadership are called general authorities. They exercise both ecclesiastical and administrative leadership over the church and direct the efforts of regional leaders down to the local level. General authorities, general officers and mission presidents work full-time for the church, and typically receive stipends from church funds or investments. and young adults in broadcasts and at the Church Educational System (CES) schools, such as Brigham Young University (BYU). Local congregations are typically led by bishops, who perform similar functions to pastors in the Protestant tradition, or parish priests in the Roman Catholic Church. All males who are living the standards of the church are generally considered for the priesthood and are ordained to the priesthood as early as age 11. Ordination occurs by a ceremony where hands are laid on the head of the one ordained. The priesthood is divided into an order for young men aged 11 years and older (called the Aaronic priesthood) and an order for men 18 years of age and older (called the Melchizedek priesthood). However, women are not formally ordained to the priesthood, and they do not participate in public functions administered by the priesthood—such as passing the Sacrament, giving priesthood blessings, or holding leadership positions over mixed-gender congregations. Since 2013, the Ordain Women organization has sought formal priesthood ordination for women. In 2019, church leadership authorized LDS women to serve as witnesses for baptisms, a ceremonial role previously reserved for male priesthood holders. Each active church member is expected to receive a calling, or position of assigned responsibility within the church. Church members are expected to neither ask for specific callings, nor decline callings that are extended to them by their leaders. Leadership positions in the church's various congregations are filled through the calling system, and the vast majority of callings are filled on a volunteer basis. Members volunteer general custodial work for local church facilities. Programs and organizations , in Provo, Utah, one of several educational institutions sponsored by the church|alt=Photograph of Brigham Young University with a view of Y Mountain The church operates several programs and organizations in the fields of proselytizing, education, and church welfare such as LDS Humanitarian Services. Many of these organizations and programs are coordinated by the Priesthood Correlation Program, which is designed to provide a systematic approach to maintain worldwide consistency, orthodoxy, and control of the church's ordinances, doctrines, organizations, meetings, materials, and other programs and activities. is the world's largest library dedicated to genealogical research.|alt=Exterior of the Family History Library The church's welfare system, initiated in 1930 during the Great Depression, provides aid to the poor. Leaders ask members to fast once a month and donate the money they would have spent on those meals to help the needy, in what is called a fast offering. Other church programs and departments include Family Services, which provides adoption resource referrals, marital and family counseling, psychotherapy, and addiction counseling; the LDS Church History Department, which collects church history and records; and the Family History Department, which administers the church's large family history efforts, including FamilySearch, the world's largest family history library and organization. Other facilities owned and operated by the church include Temple Square, the Church Office Building, the Church Administration Building, the Church History Library and the Granite Mountain Records Vault. Finances Since 1941, the church has been classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization and is therefore tax-exempt. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States. The church has not released church-wide financial statements since 1959. In the absence of official statements, people interested in knowing the church's financial status and behavior, including both members of the church and people outside the church, have attempted to estimate or guess. In 1997, Time magazine called the LDS Church one of the world's wealthiest churches per capita. The church has stated that its for-profit, non-profit, and educational subsidiary entities are all audited by professionals independent from other church entities. headquarters in Salt Lake City|alt=Exterior of Deseret Book Company headquarters The church receives significant funds from tithes and fast offerings. It has been estimated that during the 2010s its net worth increased by about $15 billion per year ($ billion in ), and by $22 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2020 estimate by The Wall Street Journal, the LDS Church's investment fund had a net worth of around $100 billion. In 2020, the church-owned investment firm Ensign Peak Advisors publicly reported management of $37.8 billion of financial securities. By summer 2023 assets including "international shares as well as bonds, hybrid investments, real estate and major stakes in private equity" were estimated to exceed $163 billion. ==Culture==

Due to the differences in lifestyle promoted by church doctrine and history, members of the church have developed a distinct culture. It is primarily concentrated in the Mormon corridor of the Intermountain West. Many of the church's more distinctive practices follow from their adherence to the Word of Wisdom—which includes abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea—and their observance of Sabbath-day restrictions on recreation and shopping. Common, distinctive cuisine includes funeral potatoes and Jello salad. Cultural taboos exist on piercings and tattoos Media and arts has received various awards and has traveled extensively since its inception.|alt=The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle LDS-themed media includes cinema, fiction, websites, and graphical art such as photography and paintings. The church owns a chain of bookstores called Deseret Book. The church also produces several pageants annually depicting various events of the primitive and modern-day church. Its Easter pageant Jesus the Christ has been identified as the "largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world". The church encourages entertainment without violence, sexual content, or vulgar language; many church members specifically avoid rated-R movies. The church's official choir, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, was formed in the mid-19th century and performs in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. They have traveled to more than 28 countries, and are considered one of the most famous choirs in the world. The choir has received a Grammy Award, four Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and the National Medal of Arts. Political involvement in the U.S. (left) and apostle Dallin H. Oaks (right) presenting U.S. president Barack Obama with his genealogy at the Oval Office in July 2009|alt= The LDS Church states it generally takes no partisan role in politics, but encourages its members to play an active role as responsible citizens in their communities, including becoming informed about issues and voting. The church maintains that the faith's values can be found among many political parties. A 2012 Pew Center on Religion and Public Life survey indicated that 74 percent of U.S. members lean towards the Republican Party. Some liberal members say they feel that they have to defend their worthiness due to political differences. Democrats and those who lean Democrat made up 18 percent of church members surveyed in the 2014 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Survey. The church sometimes involves itself in politics when it believes the issues at hand to have moral implications or that they "directly affect [its] mission, teachings or operations." It supported a gay rights bill in Salt Lake City which bans discrimination against homosexual persons in housing and employment, opposed gambling, opposed storage of nuclear waste in Utah, and supported an approach to U.S. immigration policy as outlined in the Utah Compact. It also opposed a ballot initiative legalizing medicinal marijuana in Utah, but supported a possible alternative to it. In 2019 and 2021, the church stated its opposition to the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination in the United States on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, but supported alternate legislation that it said would protect both LGBTQ rights and religious freedom. In 2022, the church stated its support for the Respect for Marriage Act—which codified same-sex marriage as legal in the United States—due to the "protections for religious freedom" it included. In the 117th United States Congress, there are nine LDS Church members, including all six members of Utah's congressional delegation, all of whom are Republicans. Utah's current governor, Spencer Cox, is a church member, as are supermajorities in both houses of the Utah State Legislature. ==Demographics==

The church reports a worldwide membership of 17 million, of which over 6.8 million live in the U.S. The church's definition of "membership" includes all persons who were ever baptized, or whose parents were members while the person was under the age of eight (called "members of record"), who have neither been excommunicated nor asked to have their names removed from church records. Although the church does not publish attendance figures, researchers estimate that attendance at weekly LDS worship services globally is around 4 million. Members living in the U.S. and Canada constitute 46 percent of membership, Latin America 38 percent, and members in the rest of the world 16 percent. Church members and some others from the U.S. colonized this region in the mid-to-late 1800s, dispossessing several Indigenous tribes. The church experienced rapid growth in the 20th century, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 21st century, however, church membership growth has slowed. In 2022, eight of the top ten nations with the highest LDS membership growth rate were in Africa, and Latino people are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups with millions of LDS adherents in Latin American countries. In the United States, church members tend to be more highly educated than the general population. The racial and ethnic composition of membership in the United States is one of the least diverse in the country. Black membership is significantly lower than the general U.S. population. A 2016 survey found a majority (54%) of millennials raised in the church had disaffiliated. Activity rates vary with age, and disengagement occurs most frequently between age 16 and 25. Young single adults are more likely to become inactive than their married counterparts, and women tend to be more active than men. ==Humanitarian services==

sailors moving LDS Church-donated humanitarian supplies to Beirut, Lebanon, in 2006|alt=Forklift carrying boxes of humanitarian aid The LDS Church is widely known for providing worldwide humanitarian service. In 2016, the church reported that it had spent a total of $1.2 billion on humanitarian aid over the previous 30 years. Independent reporting has found that the church's charity organization, LDS Charities, gave a total of $177 million from 2008 to 2020. The church also distributes money and aid to disaster victims worldwide. In 2017, the church partnered with Catholic Relief Services and other organizations to provide aid to several African and Middle Eastern nations. In 2010, it partnered with Islamic Relief to help victims of flooding in Pakistan. Latter-day Saint Charities increased the conversion of stockpiled raw foods into finished food products during the COVID-19 pandemic and donated healthcare supplies to 16 countries affected by the crisis. The church has donated $4 million to aid refugees fleeing from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, the church gave $32 million to the United Nations World Food Programme, in its largest known one-time donation to a humanitarian organization so far. ==Criticism and controversies==

Modern criticism of the church includes disputed claims, allegations of historical revisionism by the church, child sexual abuse, sexism, racism, and anti-LGBTQ+ teachings. Notable 20th-century critics included Jerald and Sandra Tanner and historian Fawn Brodie. Child sexual abuse The church has been criticized for a number of abuses allegedly perpetrated or covered up by local church leadership; several cases have been settled out of court. In other cases, church leaders have been criticized for: allegedly failing to report abuse to law enforcement; improperly invoking clergy–penitent privilege in so doing; and failing to keep records of sexual abuse claims which were reported through its Helpline phone number. Also, general archaeological and genetic evidence has not supported the book's statements about any known indigenous peoples of the Americas. Since its publication in 1842, the Book of Abraham, currently published as part of the canonical Pearl of Great Price, has also been a major source of controversy. Numerous non-Mormon Egyptologists, beginning in the late 19th century, have disagreed with Joseph Smith's explanations of the book's facsimiles. Translations of the original papyri—by both Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists—do not match the text of the Book of Abraham as purportedly translated by Joseph Smith. The transliterated text from the recovered papyri and facsimiles published in the Book of Abraham contain no direct references to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. Scholars have also asserted that damaged portions of the papyri were reconstructed incorrectly by Smith or his associates. and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890 by between 20 and 30 percent of Latter-day Saint families. It was instituted privately in the 1830s by founder Joseph Smith and announced publicly in 1852 at the direction of Brigham Young. The church defended the practice as a matter of religious freedom, while the federal government aggressively sought to eradicate it; in 1862, the United States Congress passed the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, which prohibited plural marriage in the territories. The church does allow divorced or widowed men to be sealed to other women without cancelling any existing sealings. Minorities Black people , an enslaved Black man, was reported to have driven the first wagon of LDS pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.|alt=Artistic portrait of Green Flake during the 1890s The teachings, attitudes, and practices of top LDS Church leaders towards Black people have changed significantly from the church's founding years, and the church has faced criticism and controversy on these topics. Joseph Smith allowed several Black men to be ordained as priests during his presidency, but also taught that the dark skin of people of Black African ancestry was a sign of a curse from God. Both Smith and Brigham Young taught that Black people were subject to the biblical curse of Ham, and curse of Cain. prevented most men of Black African descent from being ordained to the church's lay, all-male priesthood; supported racial segregation in its communities and schools; taught that righteous Black people would be made White after death; and opposed interracial marriage. Leaders taught on many occasions during this time that Black people were less righteous in the pre-existence. The temple and priesthood racial restrictions were lifted by top leaders in 1978 following public pressure during the United States' civil rights movement. In 2013, the church directly disavowed its previous teachings on race for the first time. In 2018, the Church formed an alliance with the NAACP in an effort to improve race relations. Native American people Over the past two centuries, the relationship between Native American people and the LDS Church has included friendly ties, displacement, battles, massacres, slavery, education placement programs, official and unofficial discrimination, and criticism. More recently, LDS researchers and publications generally favor a smaller geographic footprint of Lamanite descendants. There is no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the historicity of the Book of Mormon or Middle Eastern origins for Native American peoples. The settlers initially had some peaceful relations, but because resources were scarce in the desert, hostilities broke out with the local Native Americans. Within 50 years of Mormon settlement, the population of Utah's Native Americans was reduced by almost 90 percent. The church ran an Indian Placement Program between the 1950s and the 1990s, wherein indigenous children would live in the homes of church members during one or more school years. Criticism resulted during and after the program, including claims of improper assimilation and even abuse. Church leaders taught for decades that Native Americans' darker skin would be made lighter due to their righteousness. LGBTQ individuals voicing their opposition to the church's support of Prop 8|alt=Protesters holding signs opposing Prop 8. A sign reads "Vote No on Prop 8" and "Equality for All" The church's policies and treatment of sexual minorities and gender minorities have long been the subject of external criticism, as well as internal controversy and disaffection by members. Because of its ban against same-sex sexual activity and same-sex marriage, the LDS Church taught for decades that any adherents attracted to the same sex could and should change that through sexual orientation-change efforts and "righteous striving". The church provided therapy and programs for attempts to change sexual orientation. Current teachings and policies leave gay and bisexual members with the options of entering a mixed-orientation opposite-sex marriage or lifelong celibacy. Some have argued that church teachings against homosexuality and the treatment of LGBTQ members have contributed to their elevated rates of PTSD, depression, suicide, and teen homelessness. The church's decades-long political involvement opposing U.S. same-sex marriage laws has further garnered criticism and protests. Those considering gender-affirming surgery are not allowed to be baptized in the LDS Church, and those who have already undergone surgery need special clearance from the First Presidency before baptism. Undergoing a "trans-sexual operation", including feminizing surgery or masculinizing surgery like chest reconstruction (i.e., "top" surgery), may imperil the membership of a current member. Ordinances after baptism, such as receiving the priesthood and temple endowments, are done according to individuals' listed birth sex. Members who gender-express through clothing or personal pronouns that differ from the norm for the sex assigned at their birth will receive membership restrictions and a notation on their membership records. In modern popular opinion, non-Mormons in the U.S. generally consider Smith a "charlatan, scoundrel, and heretic." The Book of Mormon musical mocks his account of the golden plates. In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, writing in Slate, lambasted Smith as a mountebank, charlatan, and fraud (and the church itself as a "ridiculous cult" and a "racket" that became a religion). Financial controversy The church has fought to keep its internal financial information out of the public record. The church's First Presidency stated that "the Church complies with all applicable law governing our donations, investments, taxes, and reserves," and that "a portion" of funds received by the church are "methodically safeguarded through wise financial management and the building of a prudent reserve". The church has not directly addressed the fund's size to the public, but third parties have treated the disclosures as legitimate. The disclosure has led to criticism that the church's wealth may be excessive. The church has transferred more than a billion dollars of tax-free tithing collected in Canada to church universities over 15 years. In October 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald announced that while the church publicly claimed to have donated US$1.35 billion to charity between 2008 and 2020, its private financial reports showed that it donated only US$0.177 billion. In February 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a $5 million penalty to the church and its investment company, EP. The SEC alleged that the church concealed its investments and their management in multiple shell companies from 1997 to 2019; the SEC believes these shell companies were approved by senior church leadership to avoid public transparency. The church released a statement that in 2000, EP "received and relied upon legal counsel regarding how to comply with its reporting obligations while attempting to maintain the privacy of the portfolio." After initial SEC concern in June 2019, the church stated that EP "adjusted its approach and began filing a single aggregated report." ==See also==