Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Introduction
History
Scriptures
Doctrines
Institutions and practices
Structure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Community of Christ

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Brigham Young migrating to Salt Lake City, Utah

temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, a white multi-tiered Mormon temple with a spire, stands behind trees along the Snake River and a small waterfall in Idaho Falls.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

World map using color-coded regions to show the predominant religions in each area during the early 1980s. Christianity, Islam (Sunni and Shi'i), Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Sikhism, indigenous religions, Judaism, nonreligious populations, and uninhabited areas are all represented by different colors and symbols, with a legend explaining each. The map highlights religious majorities by region, such as Christianity in th

Salt Lake City and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

At a Glance

Mormon summary

Related Questions

According to Joseph Smith, how did Moroni lead him to the golden plates?
At what age are children baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
At what ages can male members enter offices in the Aaronic Priesthood?
How are General Authorities sustained at the church's General Conference?
How are local congregations organized into wards and stakes in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
How did Brigham Young become the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
How did Joseph Smith describe his First Vision?
How did Joseph Smith say that he translated the Book of Mormon?
How did Latter-day Saint settlers use irrigation to farm in the Great Salt Lake Valley?
How did the end of polygamy help Utah gain statehood in 1896?
How do Latter-day Saint beliefs about the Godhead differ from the Christian doctrine of the Trinity?
How do Latter-day Saints understand the purpose of baptism?
How does a temple differ from a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse?
How is genealogy connected to baptism for the dead in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
How long do young men and young women traditionally serve as Latter-day Saint missionaries?
What are the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
What are the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms in Latter-day Saint belief?
What do Latter-day Saints believe happens after death?
What is the role of the Council of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
What responsibilities does a bishop have in a Latter-day Saint ward?
What role do faith and repentance have in Latter-day Saint beliefs about salvation?
What route did Mormon pioneers follow on the Mormon Trail?
What story does the Book of Mormon tell about Lehi's family?
When was the Book of Mormon first published?
When was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized?
Which books of scripture are used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Which ceremonies take place inside Latter-day Saint temples?
Which leaders make up the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Who were the Nephites and Lamanites in the Book of Mormon?
Why did Brigham Young lead Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo to the Great Salt Lake Valley?
Why did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints change its procedures for submitting Holocaust victims' names for proxy baptism?
Why did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints end the practice of polygamy in 1890?
Why do members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider the Book of Mormon scripture?
Why does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasize continuing revelation?
Why does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform baptism by proxy for deceased people?
Why has missionary work been important to the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Why was the LDS Conference Center built in Salt Lake City?
Why were Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum killed in Carthage, Illinois?
What is the Church of Pakistan?
How is the Church of Pakistan governed?
Is the Church of North India Catholic or Protestant?
Is the Church of South India Anglican?
What is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS)?
Who is Warren Jeffs, and what happened to him?
Why does the FLDS practice polygamy?
What makes the FLDS different from other fundamentalist Mormon groups?
Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?

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External Websites

Hartford Institute for Religion Research - Encyclopedia of Religion and Society - Mormonism
PBS - American Experience - Timeline: The Early History of the Mormons
CNN US - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Fast Facts
Pew Research Center - Mormons in America - Religious Beliefs and Practices

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Mormon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Mormon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Mormon temple Mormon temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

religion

Also known as: LDS, Mormonism

Written by

J. Gordon Melton

Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Institute for Studies in Religion, Baylor University; Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion, Woodway, Texas. Author of La Chiesa...

J. Gordon Melton

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026 •History

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), church that traces its origins to a religion founded by Joseph Smith in the United States in 1830. The term Mormon, often used to refer to members of this church, comes from the Book of Mormon, which was published by Smith in 1830; use of the term is discouraged by the church. Now an international movement, the church is characterized by a unique understanding of the Godhead,...