The 1830 publication of the "Book of Mormon" by Joseph Smith, officially established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe that Smith, under divine guidance, translated a set of golden plates into the Book of Mormon. This was the first of s...

Why the Latter-day Saints closely adhere to the Word of Wisdom In her paper "In the Presence of the Past: Continuity and Change in Twentieth-Century Mormonism," Jan Shipps argues that the strict adherence to the word of wisdom present in the Church today began its evolution after the 18...