History of Mormonism- Latter-day Prophets, Part III

The history of Mormonism is a long and storied one, and one that has been moved forward and guided by the hands of many amazing men and women. Since the inception of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, all told, there have been sixteen Prophets who have led the Church. Below is a handy list of each of these great men, along with a brief bio and some major accomplishments they made during their ministry as President of the Church.

9. David O. McKay Throughout his life, David O. McKay was devoted to education. When his grandmother died, she bequeathed $5000 to his mother, with the explicit instructions that it be used solely for the education of David and his brother. These funds got David through his time at the University of Utah, where he graduated as valedictorian and class president. In his professional career, McKay performed as an educator at both the high school and college levels, eventually becoming the principal of what would become Weber State University. At the age of 32, McKay was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As an apostle, McKay's passion for education did not wane, He became the superintendent of the Church's Sunday school. In this capacity, he spearheaded the establishment of LDS seminaries being built near many high schools in Utah, allowing Mormon high school students in the state the option to take a religion class in conjunction with their academic classes. During President McKay's ministry as Prophet the membership of the LDS Church nearly tripled, jumping from 1.1 million in 1951 to 2.8 million when he died in 1970. Being a general authority for almost 64 years, David O. McKay served in this capacity longer than anyone else besides Eldred G. Smith.

10. Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith was the son of Joseph F. Smith, the sixth President of the Church. He also served as apostle longer than anyone else in Church history, spanning from 1910 to 1972. Though his ministry as Prophet was markedly short (two and half years), he got a lot done in that short amount of time. Among his accomplishments were the restructuring of the Church Sunday School system and the Church Department of Social Services. President Smith also retooled the Church's official magazines, introducing the Ensign (for adults), the New Era (for teens), and the Friend (for Children). He oversaw a constant growth in the number of missionaries serving.

11. Harold B. Lee As a child, Lee was a bit accident prone, but his life was saved on a handful of occasions by his mother. At age eight, he accidentally spilled lye all over himself, and his mother poured vinegar on him to neutralize the dangerous chemicals. Later as a teen, Lee punctured an artery on a broken bottle, which was cleaned, but became severely infected. His mother, once again thinking fast, burned a wool sock and rubbed the ashes in Harold's open wound which over time, fixed the problem. Lee helped spearhead the standardization of Sunday School curriculum, meaning that on any given week, Mormons across the world are learning the same principles and lessons regardless of which ward or stake they are in. President Harold B. Lee had one of the shortest ministries as the President of the Church, having been ordained in July 1972, and dying just a year and a half later in December 1973 from a sudden pulmonary embolism.

12. Spencer W. Kimball Spencer W. Kimball was very shocked to receive a call to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1943. He felt so inadequate for the job, that he asked J. Reuben Clark, who had informed him of the matter, if he could pray about it for a few days. Kimball took to praying and fasting heavily about the matter, and obtained peace about the matter when dreamed about the life of his grandfather, Heber C. Kimball. Spencer W. Kimball says that in that moment his doubts were washed away, and that "I felt nearer [to] my Lord than ever at any time in my life." As Prophet, President Kimball continually implored members to "lengthen their stride", and saw a growth in the building of Temples at a faster pace than in any time previous in the history of Mormonism.

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Other Parts of this Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

History of Mormonism- Latter-day Prophets, Part II

The history of Mormonism is a long and storied one, and one that has been influenced by the hands of many amazing men and women. Since the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, there have been sixteen Prophets who have led the Church. Below is a handy list of each of these great men, along with a brief bio and some major accomplishments they made in their ministry.

5.Lorenzo Snow Lorenzo Snow was grew up in a family that valued hard work and a good education. As a result, Snow was well-educated, a graduate of Oberlin College. He was very involved in his community, serving in several leadership positions in both the Mormon Church and also the Utah government. As President of the Church, Lorenzo Snow championed the LDS practice of tithing. At a time when the Church was struggling financially, the practice was indeed divinely inspired, and allows the Church to do much more in regards to philanthropy and humanitarian efforts, as well as streamlining the efficiency of the Church in general.

6. Joseph F. Smith Joseph F. Smith has the distinction of being the last Prophet of the Church to have known Joseph Smith, the founding Prophet. Joseph F. Smith was indeed related to Joseph Smith, a nephew of the founder. As President of the Church, Joseph F. Smith did much in the way of acquiring historical landmarks, such as the birthplace of Joseph Smith in Vermont, and the Seagull Monument in Temple Square. He strove to improve public relations of the Church. Smith oversaw the construction of many new meetinghouses and the improvement of the Church's educational programs at colleges and universities.

7. Heber J. Grant In 1856, when President Grant was only nine days old, his father died died of pneumonia. Raised primarily by his mother, Grant learned earlier on the value of hard work and perfecting one's talents. As a boy, he desired to join the local little league baseball team, but was too fumbling and awkward to have any real chance of doing so. Determined, he practiced for hours by himself until he eventually was skilled enough to join a team that would go on to win the Utah Territorial Championship. In another case, he found in business that his penmanship was less than desirable. Once again practicing the skill tirelessly, he became so skilled that he was invited to teach penmanship at a local academy. One of President grants greatest achievements was that of the institution of the Church welfare program in 1936 during the heat of the Great Depression. The welfare program was, and still is today, essentially a tool to help struggling members get back on their feet, and to promote industry and charitable service among members and non-members alike. The welfare program remains to this day a strong force for good in philanthropic and humanitarian efforts.

8.George Albert Smith Not one to let adversity hold him back, George Albert Smith overcame many obstacles to achieve success in his life. While working as a railroad surveyor as a young man, his eyes were permanently damaged by the glare of the sun. Over time, Smith found that his travels were exacerbating issues of severe physical weakness. This was eventually diagnosed as a severe autoimmune disease, known as lupus erythematosus. Smith was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1903, and in the early 1920's he served in the capacity of President of the British and European Missions of the Church. At this time, he preached all over Europe. As Prophet, George Albert Smith sent supplies to Europe at the end of the Second World War, and made considerable efforts to revive the LDS Church's missionary efforts. All told, it is surmised that in his lifetime, he traveled nearly one million miles traveling in service of the Church.

To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here to chat live with real Mormon missionaries.

Other articles in this series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

History of Mormonism- Latter-day Prophets, Part I

The history of Mormonism is a long and storied one, and one that has been influenced by the hands of many amazing men and women. Since the official founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, there has been a total of sixteen Prophets who have headed the Church. Below is a handy list of each of these great men, along with a brief bio and some major accomplishments they made in their ministry. (More to follow)

1.Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith was the first and founding president of the Church. In 1820, he was appeared to by God the Father and Jesus Christ. He was told during this experience, known as "The First Vision", that the Lord's true Church was no longer upon the earth, because of a great apostasy long ago. He was instructed to restore God's Church to the earth, and to translate an ancient record which would become the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible, which supplements the Bible as a second witness of Jesus Christ. During his life, he faced extreme persecution for his beliefs and claims, and in 1844, he was killed by an assassin's bullet, when an angry mob stormed the jail where he and his brother Hyrum were wrongly imprisoned. Joseph Smith was an extremely hard worker, and a man who gave everything to get the Church off the ground,and to further the work of God.

2. Brigham Young Following the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young was ordained as the Prophet. Perhaps his most famous accomplishments were his strong leadership and his instrumental role in leading the Saints west. On July 24, 1847, he and the first wave of Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, when he famously said, "It is enough, this is the right place. Drive on." In 1853, Brigham Young broke ground and began the fourty-year construction of the Salt Lake Temple. Under the direction of President Young, the Saints would take the Salt Lake Valley--originally a desert wasteland--and cultivate the land allowing for fertile crops and thriving agriculture, a tremendous undertaking to say the least.

3.John Taylor Born in England in 1808, Taylor was originally Christened into the Church of England, but converted to Methodism at age sixteen. In the early 1830's, he and his family emigrated to what is now Toronto, Canada. In 1836, he was introduced to the Mormon Church, and converted soon after. He held several leadership roles throughout the Church, and eventually succeeded Brigham Young as President in 1880. As Prophet of the Church, he was instrumental in promoting the Church-wide institution of the Primary Association, a curriculum of Sunday school classes for grade-school age children. He also helped the Quorum of the Seventy become more organized and streamlined.

4.Wilford Woodruff President Woodruff was well-known for keeping diaries, and his extensive journal-keeping was and is a great asset for historians of Mormonism. Without his writings, much of that which was said by Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and many other Church leaders might have been lost forever. During Wilford Woodruff's ministry as Prophet of the Church, the Salt Lake Temple was finally completed in 1893, solidifying a spiritual beacon for the Saints and beautiful example of American architecture. Woodruff also organized the Genealogical Society of Utah, a major leap forward in the Church's family history efforts, and a group which still benefits the Church and its members' genealogical pursuits to this day.

If you would like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here to chat live with real missionaries!

Other Articles in this Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV