In 2025, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon Church, recorded 385,490 convert baptisms. The figure surpassed its previous record of 330,877 in 1990.
As of December 31, 2025, the church had 17.89 million members worldwide, with 204 operating temples and 451 missions across different countries. Despite its global reach, the church originated in New York, United States. Around 6.93 million of its members still live in the country, accounting for less than 40% of its worldwide membership.
A New Religious Movement in 1830s America
The church was founded by Joseph Smith Jr. on April 6, 1830. At the time, western New York was experiencing the Second Great Awakening, a period of intense religious revival that gave rise to various movements offering new interpretations of Christianity.
Smith claimed to have received a vision around 1820. He later said he had translated golden plates into The Book of Mormon, which was printed in Palmyra, New York, in March 1830. The book became one of the church’s central scriptures.
Unlike most Christian denominations, the church recognizes four scriptural texts: the Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. It also believes that divine revelation continues through modern prophets.
Its understanding of God differs from the doctrine of the Trinity held by Catholicism and many Protestant denominations. Latter-day Saints regard God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three distinct beings united in purpose. These theological differences have long shaped debates over the church’s place within Christianity.
The Journey West
After establishing the church, Smith led his followers from New York to Ohio and later Missouri. Their growing community faced hostility and conflict with local residents and authorities.
In 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an executive order directing that members of the movement be exterminated or driven from the state. That same year, 17 people were killed in an attack at Haun’s Mill.
Smith’s followers eventually settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. In June 1844, Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob while being held in jail. Following disputes over church leadership, Brigham Young led many of the remaining followers out of Nauvoo in 1846.
Their destination was the Great Salt Lake Valley, now part of Utah, roughly 2,100 kilometres away. Young’s pioneer company arrived on July 24, 1847, after 111 days of travel from Winter Quarters. Utah became a US territory in 1850.
Missouri’s extermination order remained formally in place for more than a century. It was finally rescinded in 1976, when Governor Christopher S. Bond acknowledged that it violated fundamental rights, including religious freedom.
Statehood and a Changing Identity
Conflict with the federal government continued in Utah, particularly over polygamy. The church publicly acknowledged the practice in 1852, prompting Congress to pass a series of laws restricting it. The Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887 went further, dissolving the church’s corporate status.
In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff issued a manifesto announcing a shift away from plural marriage. Utah became the 45th US state in January 1896. Its constitution guaranteed women the right to vote and hold public office.
Over time, the church became more integrated into American society. In 2018, church president Russell M. Nelson urged members and the public to use the institution’s full name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, rather than the nickname “Mormon,” to emphasize Jesus Christ’s central role in its beliefs.
From Utah to a Global Community
Church membership in the United States grew from approximately 5.21 million at the end of 2000 to 6.93 million at the end of 2025. However, a 2023–2024 Pew Research Center survey estimated that Latter-day Saints accounted for around 2% of US adults.
Utah remains the church’s largest centre, with approximately 2.21 million members according to church records. Yet the proportion of Utah adults who identify as Latter-day Saints has declined, from 58% in 2007 to 50% in 2023–2024.
Nearly two centuries after its founding in New York, Mormonism has grown from a small American religious movement into an international church. Its history reflects a journey shaped by religious revival, persecution, westward migration and changing relationships with American society.
