April 6: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) changes its name to
Community of Christ to differentiate itself from the LDS Church.
March 30: Release of Brigham City, murder mystery set in Mormon community.
November 22: Confessions of a Mormon Boy by
Steven Fales opens (later becoming an
off Broadway show), dealing with Fales' homosexuality, and disaffection with the church.[7]
December 14: Release of The Other Side of Heaven, which becomes the highest grossing Mormon-themed movie of all time.
July 15: Under the Banner of Heaven is published by noted author
Jon Krakauer. It juxtaposes the history of LDS Church, and a modern double murder committed in the name of God by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism. The church issued an official statement criticizing historical errors in the book and its anti-religion tone.[10]
July 9:
Apia Samoa Temple burns down during renovations, and is later rebuilt.
June 11: Release of Napoleon Dynamite, a mainstream film set in a Mormon community, by
Jared Hess. It made more than a hundred times its original budget.
August 1: One million LDS Church members in Mexico.[16]
August 7: The last official performance of the pageant City of Joseph is held in
Nauvoo, Illinois. It is replaced in 2005 with a new pageant commemorating Joseph Smith's 200th birthday.
December 23: The 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth is celebrated,[21] preceded by a variety of events throughout the year.[22]
Tamil translation of the Book of Mormon.
2006
March 12: First broadcast of
HBO's Big Love, a series about Mormon fundamentalists in Utah. The LDS Church criticizes the show for not differentiating clearly between mainstream and schismatic Mormonism. An LDS Church public statement cites concerns over the program's depiction of abuse, polygamy, use of stereotypes, and television's depiction of moral and civic values in general.[23] In March 2009, the LDS Church stated that HBO displayed insensitivity to church members by depicting simulated segments of the church's
Endowment ceremony in an episode of Big Love.[24][25][26] The church also stated that the show had continued to blur the distinction between the LDS Church and "the show's fictional non-Mormon characters."[24]
October: The
Book of Mormon's introduction is modified to say the
Lamanites "are among the ancestors of the American Indians," replacing the statement that "they are the principal ancestors." This is seen as a reaction to recent
geography and
DNA studies.[29]
April 30 – May 1:
PBS broadcasts The Mormons, a four-hour documentary about the LDS Church, featuring numerous interviews of major scholars, church members, and top leaders.
June 26: LDS Church announces it has called its one millionth
missionary.[31]
September 11: The
Mountain Meadows massacre 150th anniversary memorial is held, with descendants of the victims and LDS leaders attending. A statement by
Henry B. Eyring expresses regret, meant as an apology.[32]
October 6:
Henry B. Eyring is sustained as Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
April 3: The
FLDS Church's
compound nearby
Eldorado, Texas is raided by officers of the State of Texas, acting on a call reporting child abuse. 533 women and children were removed from the ranch.
March:
Glenn Beck, a prominent conservative political commentator on
Fox News and Mormon convert, launches the
9-12 Project along with a new edition of
W. Cleon Skousen's 1981 book The 5,000 Year Leap, which becomes the top seller on
Amazon.com. Commentators note its relationship to Mormon 1950s anti-communism.[49]
April: The CES Letter, an online document outlining problems with LDS Church teachings, is released and goes on to gain prominence among disaffected church members.[80][81][82]
June 23: LDS missionaries begin online proselyting activities through
social media.[83]
July–August: The British Pageant opens at the
Preston England Temple grounds, commemorating LDS history in the British Isles. It is the first such
LDS pageant in Europe.[84]
September: Essays begin to be published to the church's website about controversial gospel topics, such as
polygamy,
race,
violence, and scriptural translation.[85][86][87] Following public reaction, some essays were covered in the national media.[88][89][90][91][92]
October: The priesthood session of General Conference is broadcast publicly on television for the first time.[93]
October 9: The Saratov Approach, a film about the kidnapping of two missionaries serving in Russia, is released.[94]
March 14:
LDS missionaries are withdrawn from Venezuela and Ukraine amidst civil unrest.[96]
March 29: The first General Women's Meeting is held for ages 8 and up, replacing annual meetings for the
Relief Society and
Young Women. The following November this was designated an official session of
General Conference.[97]
June:
Kate Kelly and
John Dehlin are notified of church discipline for advocacy on certain controversial church issues, among similar reports of others facing discipline.[99] Both would be excommunicated. Some commentators saw this as a crackdown ending the "Mormon Moment".[100][101][102]
October 4: The first non-English talks are delivered to the church's
General Conference.[103]
October 10: Meet the Mormons, a documentary film produced by the LDS Church, debuts in 200 movie theaters nationwide.[104]
March 4: The "Utah Compromise" is struck between the LDS Church and LGBT advocates, creating a
nondiscrimination law in Utah that also includes religious protections.[108]
July 5: After the
gay marriage is legalized in the U.S., LDS Church services read and discuss a letter reaffirming the church's position on marriage and calling for civility.[113]
August 18: Women are given official positions on three top LDS Church priesthood councils, where they had participated previously only on invitation.[116]
August 26: The LDS Church announces it will stay in the national Boy Scouts of America program, despite concerns over permitting openly gay scout leaders.[118]
September 22: LDS apostle
Richard G. Scott dies at 86, leaving three vacancies in the quorum for the first time since 1906.[119]
September 27: Some LDS survivalists anticipate cataclysms at a "
blood moon"
lunar eclipse, based on a vision to
Julie Rowe.[120] A church press release distances itself from such "speculation."[121][122]
November 5:
New LDS Church policy requires
disciplinary council for
apostasy for members in
same-sex marriages, and children currently living with same-sex couples cannot be
baptized,
blessed,
ordained, or become
missionaries before turning 18 and disavowing same-sex marriage.[129][130] This garners controversy and is criticized by gay rights supporters, including some Mormons.[131] The church states that the policy was a response to recent legalizations of gay marriage, and intended to protect the child's relationships in such families.[129] Another statement adds that restrictions do not apply to children already baptized and active.[132]
January 2:
Activists occupy an Oregon wildlife refuge amidst wide media coverage.
Ammon Bundy, the leader, and other Mormons involved have religious motives, but this is rejected by the LDS Church.[134] Commentators suggest a political rift among Mormons.[135]
February 23:
FLDS Church leaders in the
Short Creek Community are arrested by the FBI and charged with orchestrating food stamp fraud through church-owned business and coaching church members to participate.[136]
March 26: At General Conference, an outreach effort called "I Was A Stranger" is launched for LDS members to help refugees, at a time when large numbers from the Middle East and Africa were
fleeing unrest and seeking entry into Europe.[139]
June: Historically reliable Republican voters, Mormons are reported to dislike the party's candidate,
Donald Trump, particularly his morality, rhetoric, and positions against Muslims and immigrants. In Utah's Republican caucus in March, Trump had come in 3rd with 14% of the vote.[144]
July 19: A day before the Russian government passes
anti-terror laws restricting most religious proselyting, the LDS Church promises to comply with these laws and designates missionaries serving in Russia as "volunteers".[145]
March 2: The LDS Church files a legal notice against
MormonLeaks alleging copyright violation of a posted PowerPoint presentation. MormonLeaks later re-posted the presentation.[150][151]
October 27: LDS Church announces changes to
General Conference. Rather than having both General Priesthood and General Women's Sessions each conference, the General Priesthood session will only occur in April with the General Women's session in October. These sessions will occur on Saturday evening following the Saturday afternoon session. [160]
January 2:
Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the LDS Church, dies at the age of 90.[164]
January 8: The New York Times obituary of Thomas S. Monson focuses on controversial church issues during his presidency, to the protests of Latter-day Saints, leading to a response article from the Times.[165]
January 18: An online petition with 11,000 signatures asks to remove sexual questions from youth worthiness interviews given by LDS bishops.[168][169] In June, the church clarifies that parents may accompany their youth in interviews.[170][171]
March 19: The Ensign announces the discontinuation of the monthly First Presidency Message, with the last one being in April's issue.[172]
March 21: A former
MTC president is accused of sexual assault by a female missionary during his term in the 1980s. In a taped interview, he makes some corroborating admissions.[173][174]
May 30: Research into LDS Church private investments are released online by MormonLeaks, suggesting over $32 billion of holdings.[175][176]
March 31-April 1: General Conference brings new milestones:
High Priest Quorums are now reserved for certain leaders, with all other High Priests transferred into their local Elders Quorums.[178]
Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching are replaced with
Ministering.[179]
New temples will be planned for India and Russia.[180]
April 12: Russell M. Nelson, still early in his presidency, undertakes a world tour to England, Israel, Kenya, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, China and throughout the Americas.[181]
May 9: The LDS Church announces that in 2020 a new youth program will replace its long-standing involvement with the
Boy Scouts of America.[182]
June 1: Music and preaching at the 'Be One' celebration marks 40 years since the
end of the
priesthood and temple ban on black Latter-day Saints.[183]
June 18: The LDS Church created committees tasked with forming a unified hymnbook and children's songbook for the church. The intent of this project was to allow each language edition to have the same songs in the same order. The church allowed submissions for new hymns from the membership of the church until July 2019.[184]
August: As
midterm congressional elections approach, Latter-day Saint dislike of
Donald Trump is reported to reduce their support for conservative candidates.[185] A post-election survey in November confirms lower support for Trump.[186][187]
August 18: The LDS Church asks that all refer to it by its full name, and stop using nicknames including Mormon or LDS.[188]
September 4: The LDS Church publishes the first volume of Saints, a narrative history that uses current scholarship and covers some historical controversies.[192]
October 5: The
Mormon Tabernacle Choir's name is changed to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, following the new church policy to avoid the name Mormon.[193]
October 6-7: General Conference brings new milestones:
Latter-day Saint Sunday worship meetings are changed to a 2-hour block, replacing the 3-hour block introduced in 1980.[194]
The Women's Session is incorporated into the 2-day schedule for General Conferences held in October, alternating its timeslot with the Priesthood Session in April.[93]
December 14: LDS youth advance to their next older
classes and
quorums in the January before their 12, 14, or 16-year-old birthdays, instead of on their actual birthdays.[200]
^Alternate date of April 21 is given in:
"Chronology of Church History". Church History. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
^While not considered a schism of the Church of Christ (Fettingite) and its founder Otto Fetting, the Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff accepted Fetting's revelations, but it did not immediately break with the Fettingites in 1929. Nerren and Long instead formed a separate sect in 1932, which was later joined by five other former Temple Lot congregations by 1941.
— (III.) Minuscule, founded in the 19th century*† —
*^ Membership worldwide; generally church-reported; with an occasional exception †^ Once larger
^Organized the
Church of Christ, the Latter Day Saint movement's original organization, of which multiple denominations currently believe themselves the true successor
^Members consider themselves as remaining adherents of the (historical)
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (As of 2011, litigation by the Community of Christ against Restoration Branch individuals and entities generally established CofC's right to both the full and abbreviated RLDS name.)
April 6: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) changes its name to
Community of Christ to differentiate itself from the LDS Church.
March 30: Release of Brigham City, murder mystery set in Mormon community.
November 22: Confessions of a Mormon Boy by
Steven Fales opens (later becoming an
off Broadway show), dealing with Fales' homosexuality, and disaffection with the church.[7]
December 14: Release of The Other Side of Heaven, which becomes the highest grossing Mormon-themed movie of all time.
July 15: Under the Banner of Heaven is published by noted author
Jon Krakauer. It juxtaposes the history of LDS Church, and a modern double murder committed in the name of God by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism. The church issued an official statement criticizing historical errors in the book and its anti-religion tone.[10]
July 9:
Apia Samoa Temple burns down during renovations, and is later rebuilt.
June 11: Release of Napoleon Dynamite, a mainstream film set in a Mormon community, by
Jared Hess. It made more than a hundred times its original budget.
August 1: One million LDS Church members in Mexico.[16]
August 7: The last official performance of the pageant City of Joseph is held in
Nauvoo, Illinois. It is replaced in 2005 with a new pageant commemorating Joseph Smith's 200th birthday.
December 23: The 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth is celebrated,[21] preceded by a variety of events throughout the year.[22]
Tamil translation of the Book of Mormon.
2006
March 12: First broadcast of
HBO's Big Love, a series about Mormon fundamentalists in Utah. The LDS Church criticizes the show for not differentiating clearly between mainstream and schismatic Mormonism. An LDS Church public statement cites concerns over the program's depiction of abuse, polygamy, use of stereotypes, and television's depiction of moral and civic values in general.[23] In March 2009, the LDS Church stated that HBO displayed insensitivity to church members by depicting simulated segments of the church's
Endowment ceremony in an episode of Big Love.[24][25][26] The church also stated that the show had continued to blur the distinction between the LDS Church and "the show's fictional non-Mormon characters."[24]
October: The
Book of Mormon's introduction is modified to say the
Lamanites "are among the ancestors of the American Indians," replacing the statement that "they are the principal ancestors." This is seen as a reaction to recent
geography and
DNA studies.[29]
April 30 – May 1:
PBS broadcasts The Mormons, a four-hour documentary about the LDS Church, featuring numerous interviews of major scholars, church members, and top leaders.
June 26: LDS Church announces it has called its one millionth
missionary.[31]
September 11: The
Mountain Meadows massacre 150th anniversary memorial is held, with descendants of the victims and LDS leaders attending. A statement by
Henry B. Eyring expresses regret, meant as an apology.[32]
October 6:
Henry B. Eyring is sustained as Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
April 3: The
FLDS Church's
compound nearby
Eldorado, Texas is raided by officers of the State of Texas, acting on a call reporting child abuse. 533 women and children were removed from the ranch.
March:
Glenn Beck, a prominent conservative political commentator on
Fox News and Mormon convert, launches the
9-12 Project along with a new edition of
W. Cleon Skousen's 1981 book The 5,000 Year Leap, which becomes the top seller on
Amazon.com. Commentators note its relationship to Mormon 1950s anti-communism.[49]
April: The CES Letter, an online document outlining problems with LDS Church teachings, is released and goes on to gain prominence among disaffected church members.[80][81][82]
June 23: LDS missionaries begin online proselyting activities through
social media.[83]
July–August: The British Pageant opens at the
Preston England Temple grounds, commemorating LDS history in the British Isles. It is the first such
LDS pageant in Europe.[84]
September: Essays begin to be published to the church's website about controversial gospel topics, such as
polygamy,
race,
violence, and scriptural translation.[85][86][87] Following public reaction, some essays were covered in the national media.[88][89][90][91][92]
October: The priesthood session of General Conference is broadcast publicly on television for the first time.[93]
October 9: The Saratov Approach, a film about the kidnapping of two missionaries serving in Russia, is released.[94]
March 14:
LDS missionaries are withdrawn from Venezuela and Ukraine amidst civil unrest.[96]
March 29: The first General Women's Meeting is held for ages 8 and up, replacing annual meetings for the
Relief Society and
Young Women. The following November this was designated an official session of
General Conference.[97]
June:
Kate Kelly and
John Dehlin are notified of church discipline for advocacy on certain controversial church issues, among similar reports of others facing discipline.[99] Both would be excommunicated. Some commentators saw this as a crackdown ending the "Mormon Moment".[100][101][102]
October 4: The first non-English talks are delivered to the church's
General Conference.[103]
October 10: Meet the Mormons, a documentary film produced by the LDS Church, debuts in 200 movie theaters nationwide.[104]
March 4: The "Utah Compromise" is struck between the LDS Church and LGBT advocates, creating a
nondiscrimination law in Utah that also includes religious protections.[108]
July 5: After the
gay marriage is legalized in the U.S., LDS Church services read and discuss a letter reaffirming the church's position on marriage and calling for civility.[113]
August 18: Women are given official positions on three top LDS Church priesthood councils, where they had participated previously only on invitation.[116]
August 26: The LDS Church announces it will stay in the national Boy Scouts of America program, despite concerns over permitting openly gay scout leaders.[118]
September 22: LDS apostle
Richard G. Scott dies at 86, leaving three vacancies in the quorum for the first time since 1906.[119]
September 27: Some LDS survivalists anticipate cataclysms at a "
blood moon"
lunar eclipse, based on a vision to
Julie Rowe.[120] A church press release distances itself from such "speculation."[121][122]
November 5:
New LDS Church policy requires
disciplinary council for
apostasy for members in
same-sex marriages, and children currently living with same-sex couples cannot be
baptized,
blessed,
ordained, or become
missionaries before turning 18 and disavowing same-sex marriage.[129][130] This garners controversy and is criticized by gay rights supporters, including some Mormons.[131] The church states that the policy was a response to recent legalizations of gay marriage, and intended to protect the child's relationships in such families.[129] Another statement adds that restrictions do not apply to children already baptized and active.[132]
January 2:
Activists occupy an Oregon wildlife refuge amidst wide media coverage.
Ammon Bundy, the leader, and other Mormons involved have religious motives, but this is rejected by the LDS Church.[134] Commentators suggest a political rift among Mormons.[135]
February 23:
FLDS Church leaders in the
Short Creek Community are arrested by the FBI and charged with orchestrating food stamp fraud through church-owned business and coaching church members to participate.[136]
March 26: At General Conference, an outreach effort called "I Was A Stranger" is launched for LDS members to help refugees, at a time when large numbers from the Middle East and Africa were
fleeing unrest and seeking entry into Europe.[139]
June: Historically reliable Republican voters, Mormons are reported to dislike the party's candidate,
Donald Trump, particularly his morality, rhetoric, and positions against Muslims and immigrants. In Utah's Republican caucus in March, Trump had come in 3rd with 14% of the vote.[144]
July 19: A day before the Russian government passes
anti-terror laws restricting most religious proselyting, the LDS Church promises to comply with these laws and designates missionaries serving in Russia as "volunteers".[145]
March 2: The LDS Church files a legal notice against
MormonLeaks alleging copyright violation of a posted PowerPoint presentation. MormonLeaks later re-posted the presentation.[150][151]
October 27: LDS Church announces changes to
General Conference. Rather than having both General Priesthood and General Women's Sessions each conference, the General Priesthood session will only occur in April with the General Women's session in October. These sessions will occur on Saturday evening following the Saturday afternoon session. [160]
January 2:
Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the LDS Church, dies at the age of 90.[164]
January 8: The New York Times obituary of Thomas S. Monson focuses on controversial church issues during his presidency, to the protests of Latter-day Saints, leading to a response article from the Times.[165]
January 18: An online petition with 11,000 signatures asks to remove sexual questions from youth worthiness interviews given by LDS bishops.[168][169] In June, the church clarifies that parents may accompany their youth in interviews.[170][171]
March 19: The Ensign announces the discontinuation of the monthly First Presidency Message, with the last one being in April's issue.[172]
March 21: A former
MTC president is accused of sexual assault by a female missionary during his term in the 1980s. In a taped interview, he makes some corroborating admissions.[173][174]
May 30: Research into LDS Church private investments are released online by MormonLeaks, suggesting over $32 billion of holdings.[175][176]
March 31-April 1: General Conference brings new milestones:
High Priest Quorums are now reserved for certain leaders, with all other High Priests transferred into their local Elders Quorums.[178]
Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching are replaced with
Ministering.[179]
New temples will be planned for India and Russia.[180]
April 12: Russell M. Nelson, still early in his presidency, undertakes a world tour to England, Israel, Kenya, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, China and throughout the Americas.[181]
May 9: The LDS Church announces that in 2020 a new youth program will replace its long-standing involvement with the
Boy Scouts of America.[182]
June 1: Music and preaching at the 'Be One' celebration marks 40 years since the
end of the
priesthood and temple ban on black Latter-day Saints.[183]
June 18: The LDS Church created committees tasked with forming a unified hymnbook and children's songbook for the church. The intent of this project was to allow each language edition to have the same songs in the same order. The church allowed submissions for new hymns from the membership of the church until July 2019.[184]
August: As
midterm congressional elections approach, Latter-day Saint dislike of
Donald Trump is reported to reduce their support for conservative candidates.[185] A post-election survey in November confirms lower support for Trump.[186][187]
August 18: The LDS Church asks that all refer to it by its full name, and stop using nicknames including Mormon or LDS.[188]
September 4: The LDS Church publishes the first volume of Saints, a narrative history that uses current scholarship and covers some historical controversies.[192]
October 5: The
Mormon Tabernacle Choir's name is changed to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, following the new church policy to avoid the name Mormon.[193]
October 6-7: General Conference brings new milestones:
Latter-day Saint Sunday worship meetings are changed to a 2-hour block, replacing the 3-hour block introduced in 1980.[194]
The Women's Session is incorporated into the 2-day schedule for General Conferences held in October, alternating its timeslot with the Priesthood Session in April.[93]
December 14: LDS youth advance to their next older
classes and
quorums in the January before their 12, 14, or 16-year-old birthdays, instead of on their actual birthdays.[200]
^Alternate date of April 21 is given in:
"Chronology of Church History". Church History. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
^While not considered a schism of the Church of Christ (Fettingite) and its founder Otto Fetting, the Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff accepted Fetting's revelations, but it did not immediately break with the Fettingites in 1929. Nerren and Long instead formed a separate sect in 1932, which was later joined by five other former Temple Lot congregations by 1941.
— (III.) Minuscule, founded in the 19th century*† —
*^ Membership worldwide; generally church-reported; with an occasional exception †^ Once larger
^Organized the
Church of Christ, the Latter Day Saint movement's original organization, of which multiple denominations currently believe themselves the true successor
^Members consider themselves as remaining adherents of the (historical)
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (As of 2011, litigation by the Community of Christ against Restoration Branch individuals and entities generally established CofC's right to both the full and abbreviated RLDS name.)