The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement which began in the early 19th century and is generally considered to be founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., whom those involved in the movement regard to be a prophet. It is one of a number of movements within Restorationism, which includes the Restoration Movement and the Millerite movement. These Restorationists attempted to transcend Protestant denominationalism, and to restore what they considered a form of Christianity truer to their interpretation of the New Testament. The Latter Day Saint movement resulted in a number of religious denominations, some of which include a set of doctrines, practices, and cultures collectively known as Mormonism. (Note: Not all Latter Day Saint denominations may be properly called Mormon.)

Brief history

Main article: History of the Latter Day Saint movement

The driving force behind the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, Jr., and to a lesser extent, during the movement's first two years, Oliver Cowdery. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey testified to having seen angels who told them that Christ's original church had been lost, and restored to them various keys to organize and lead the true Church of Christ. Joseph Smith, with the assistance of various scribes (to record), claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon from a set of Golden Plates.

The first Latter Day Saint church was formed in April 1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns

From 1831 until the mid-1830's, the movement's theology and failed attempts at Christian communal living were greatly influenced by Sidney Rigdon, a minister within the Restoration Movement who had been associated with the Disciples of Christ. In the late 1830's, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's headquarters moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt became the church's first dynamic writer of religious tracts and theological essays. William Law and several other leading Mormons publically accused Joseph Smith of blasphemy, atheism and of being a false prophet, resulting in some schisms in the church. Many of these people later returned to the church.

Following Smith's murder by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, these and other prominent members of the church claimed to be Smith's legitimate successor resulting in a Succession Crisis. This crisis resulted in several permanent schisms, the body of the church breaking in to several denominations. The two main branches of the movement are sometimes called the "Prairie Saints" (those that remained in the region) and the "Rocky Mountain Saints" (those who followed Brigham Young to what would become Utah).

Today, there are many schism organizations claiming to be a part of the Latter Day Saint movement. Most of these organizations are very small. Most Latter Day Saints belong to the largest denomination, called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reports more than 11 million members worldwide. The second largest denomination is the more ecumenical Community of Christ which reports over 200,000 members.

Denominations through 1844

Denominations which formed prior to the death of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. include:

• The Pure Church of Christ -- organized by Wycam Clark -- 1831 (defunct).
• The Church of Christ (Parrishite) -- organized by Warren Parrish -- 1837 (defunct).
• The Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife -- organized by George M. Hinkle -- 1840 (defunct).
• The True Church
  
  
  
  of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- organized by William Law -- 1844 (defunct).

"Prairie Saint" denominations

Prairie Saint denominations include:

• The Church of Christ, later called the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion -- organized by Sidney Rigdon -- 1844. The original organization of this church dissolved by 1847.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) -- a reorganization of the Rigdonites under William Bickerton -- 1862. This denomination continues to this day and has several thousand members worldwide.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) -- organized by James J. Strang -- 1844. Today this denomination has a following of a few hundred faithful and is headquartered in Voree (now Burlington) Wisconsin.
  • The Church of Christ -- a schism in the Strangite church organized by Aaron Smith -- 1846 (defunct).
• The Church of Christ (Whitmerite) -- organized by David Whitmer -- 1847 and 1871. Extant until around 1925.
• The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) -- organized by Alpheus Cutler -- 1853. Survives today with a handful of members in Independence, Missouri.
  • The Restored Church of Jesus Christ (Eugene O. Walton) -- organized by Eugene O. Walton -- 1980. This church is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA, and has 25 members.
• The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) (Hedrickites) -- organized by Granville Hedrick -- 1863. Headquarted today on the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri.
  • The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message -- organized by Otto Fetting and William Draves -- 1929 and 1943. Headquartered today in Independence, Missouri, USA, on Lacy Road. A denomination which split with the Temple Lot church over reported revelations from John the Baptist.

"Rocky Mountain Saint" denominations

Rocky Mountain Saint denominations include:

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- organized by Joseph Smith Jr. -- 1830. This organization is by far the largest Latter Day Saint denomination.
  • The Church of the First Born -- organized by Joseph Morris -- 1861. Probably defunct, remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century.
  • The Church of Zion -- organized by William S. Godbe -- 1868 (defunct).
  • The Apostolic United Brethren -- organized by Lorin C. Woolley in the 1920s. Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah.
  • The Kingston clan -- organized by Thomas R. King -- 1926. A large group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
  • The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- organized by John Y. Barlow -- 1935. Headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona, this is the largest group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
  • The Aaronic Order -- organized by Maurice L. Glendenning in 1942. Its web site is .
  • The New Covenant Church of God -- organized by Christopher C. Warren -- 1986.
  • The True & Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days -- organized by James D. Harmston -- 1994. Headquartered in Manti, Utah, this is a relatively small group that practices plural marriage.
  • Reform Mormonism -- founded 2002. A home-based, non-ecclesiastical, progressive branch of Mormonism with unique liturgy and holidays.

see also: Polygamous Mormon fundamentalists

For a discussion of the usage of "Mormon," "Latter Day Saint," "Latter-day Saint," and related terms, see Mormon.

RLDS / CoC denominations

• The Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- organized by Joseph Smith III -- 1860. This movement gathered together many followers of other Latter Day Saint denominations. Based in Independence, Missouri, the Community of Christ is the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination.
  • Independent RLDS/Restoration Branches -- a schismatic movement from the Community of Christ composed of independent branches who oppose doctrinal changes made since the 1980s.
  • The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- organized by Frederick Niels Larson -- 2000, chiefly from former members of the Community of Christ who oppose recent doctrinal innovations.
  • The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- organized by several RLDS seventies -- 1989. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA. Its web site is .
  • The Church of Christ (David B. Clark) -- organized by David B. Clark -- 1985. Headquartered in Oak Grove, Missouri, USA. Its web site is .

References

• Steven L. Shields, Divergent Paths of the Restoration: A History of the Latter Day Saint Movement, Los Angeles: 1990.

See also

• List of articles about Mormonism
• List of religions
• Latter Day Saint
• History of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Mormon
• Mormonism
• Opposition to Mormonism
• Cultural Mormons Movimiento de los Santos de los Últimos Días