Mormon Origins: 6 Things That Led to Development of Christian Denomination

The Mormon Church originated from the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith in the 19th century. Today millions of Christians worldwide are members of the religion, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Here are six things that led to the growth of the church:

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1. Young Joseph Smith, Jr. had been looking for a faith to follow after his family moved from New England to the farming community in Palmyra, New York in 1816. He was only 10-years-old. Smith was confused and troubled by the disagreements among the different faiths in the area. According to Patheos, Smith's "confusion over which church to join, and how to be saved, was intensified by the heightened emotional atmosphere characteristic of camp meetings and other features of the evangelical revivalism that washed over the region in waves." He prayed for guidance in choosing the right faith.

2. Smith had his first vision at age 14 in 1820, which he wrote about years later. "His prayer for guidance led to an experience that became the founding event of Mormonism and gave rise to his career as a prophet," says Patheos. In his vision, he saw a pillar of light around "two beings, God the Father and Jesus," who told him his sins were forgiven and that he should not seek any church because all of them had gone astray.

3. Another vision occurred three years later when, through the intervention of an angel named Moroni, Smith discovered the location of golden plates buried near his home. They included the history of an ancient civilization in America, as well as a visit from Jesus Christ. The messenger told him he could obtain the plates at a later time.

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4. Moroni would visit him once a year for the next five years. Then in 1827, he was told  to finally translate the plates. With the help of his wife Emma and other scribes, Smith dictated the text of the information within the plates. The text was published in 1830 as the "Book of Mormon." 

5. Smith began developing his role as a prophet and church elder between 1828 and 1830. He started to gain followers by explaining his belief that God would continue to speak to him with ongoing revelations that formed the foundation of his new faith.

6. About a hundred Christians had joined the Mormon religion and had been baptized in New York by the end of 1830 when Smith founded the Church of Christ. The name would change to Church of the Latter-day Saints in 1834 and then to the current name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838.

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