It happened in a patch of woods in upstate New York. Most people call it the "Sacred Grove" now, but back in the spring of 1820, it was just a regular farm. A fourteen-year-old kid named Joseph Smith Jr. walked into those trees because he was stressed out. Religion was messy in the 19th century. Preachers were screaming at each other, claiming they had the only path to heaven, and Joseph just wanted to know which one was right. He didn't plan on starting a global movement. He was just a farm boy with a question.
That moment—what members now call the First Vision—is the bedrock. If you’re looking for who started the Church of Latter Day Saints, the short answer is Joseph Smith. But the long answer is a lot more complicated than a single name. It involves gold plates, a lot of legal drama, and a group of six men sitting in a small log home in Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830.
Honestly, the world Smith lived in was a pressure cooker of spiritual anxiety. This was the "Burned-over District." This region of New York earned that nickname because it had been swept over by so many religious revivals that there was no "fuel" (unconverted souls) left to burn. People were desperate for something concrete. Smith didn't just offer another sermon; he offered a restoration. He claimed he wasn't starting a new brand of Christianity, but rather bringing back the original version that had been lost for centuries.
The Gold Plates and the Hill Cumorah
The story really picks up speed three years after that first vision. Smith claimed an angel named Moroni visited him and told him about an ancient record engraved on gold plates. These plates were buried in a hill near his home.
Imagine being a neighbor of the Smiths back then. You’d probably think it sounded wild. He was a poor kid from a family that struggled with debt. But Smith was persistent. He eventually took the plates and began the "translation" process. He didn't do this alone, though. He had scribes, mostly Martin Harris and later a schoolteacher named Oliver Cowdery.
They sat behind curtains or worked with the plates covered by a cloth. Smith used stones called the Urim and Thummim, and sometimes a "seer stone" placed in a hat to see the words. It sounds strange to modern ears. But in the 1820s, folk magic and religious mysticism were intertwined for many rural Americans. By 1830, they had a manuscript. They called it the Book of Mormon.
Organizing the Church in a Log Cabin
April 6, 1830. That’s the official birthday. Joseph Smith, his brothers Hyrum and Samuel, and a few others gathered at the home of Peter Whitmer Sr. Under New York law, you needed at least six people to officially incorporate a religious society.
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They met the requirement.
The early days were chaotic. The group was tiny. They were called the "Church of Christ" initially. It wasn't until 1838 that the name was finalized as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Smith was the "First Elder," but he was also the Prophet. People didn't just follow his teachings; they followed him. He had this magnetic quality. Even his critics admitted he was charismatic.
Why the "Latter Day" Part Matters
The term "Latter Day" isn't just a fancy label. It reflects the core belief of the founders that they were living in the final days before the second coming of Jesus.
- Restoration vs. Reformation: Most churches at the time were trying to fix existing ones (reforming). Smith said the whole thing was broken and needed a total reboot (restoration).
- New Scripture: The Bible wasn't enough. They believed God was still speaking.
- Authority: Smith claimed he received the "Priesthood" directly from heavenly messengers like John the Baptist.
This was a radical departure from mainstream Protestantism. It's why they got kicked out of almost every town they settled in. From New York to Ohio, then Missouri, and eventually Illinois. Every time they moved, the church grew, but so did the tension.
The Role of the "Three Witnesses"
Joseph Smith might have been the face of the movement, but he knew people wouldn't just take his word for it. He had help. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris signed a statement saying they actually saw the gold plates and the angel.
They're known as the Three Witnesses.
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Interestingly, all three of them eventually had massive falling outs with Joseph Smith. They left the church or were excommunicated at different points. But here’s the kicker: none of them ever recanted their testimony about the plates. Even when they were bitter and angry at Joseph, they insisted the plates were real. That's a detail historians find fascinating. It adds a layer of complexity to the "who started it" narrative. It wasn't just one guy’s hallucination; it was a shared experience for a small, dedicated inner circle.
The Succession Crisis: Who Took Over?
You can't talk about who started the church without mentioning the 1844 breaking point. In June of that year, Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob while he was in jail in Carthage, Illinois.
The church went into a tailspin.
There was no clear "VP" ready to take the reins. For a while, it looked like the whole movement might vanish. Several people stepped up.
- Brigham Young: The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He argued the Apostles should lead.
- Sidney Rigdon: A high-ranking counselor who claimed he should be the "Guardian" of the church.
- James Strang: He claimed he had a letter from Joseph appointing him the successor.
- Joseph Smith III: Joseph's son, though he was only a child at the time.
Most of the members followed Brigham Young. He’s the one who led the famous trek across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. If Joseph Smith was the one who started the church, Brigham Young was the one who saved it from collapsing. He was the practical architect. He built cities, irrigation systems, and a massive organizational structure that still exists today.
Meanwhile, the followers of Joseph Smith III eventually formed the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now known as the Community of Christ. They stayed in the Midwest. So, depending on which branch you’re looking at, the answer to "who started it" might include different leaders who took the mantle after Smith’s death.
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Modern Misconceptions
People often confuse the LDS Church with other groups. No, the "Mormons" aren't the Amish. They use technology. They’re everywhere—from the halls of the U.S. Senate to K-pop groups.
Another big one: the church didn't start in Utah. It started in New York. The Utah association only happened because they were fleeing religious persecution in the East. By the time they reached the Great Salt Lake in 1847, they were looking for a place where nobody would bother them.
Final Practical Takeaways
If you're digging into this history for a project, a family search, or just out of curiosity, keep these points in mind:
Check the Primary Sources. The Joseph Smith Papers Project has digitized almost everything Smith ever wrote. It’s the gold standard for factual research. If you want to know what he actually said versus what people say he said, go there.
Distinguish Between the Branches. There are dozens of groups that trace their origins back to Joseph Smith. The Utah-based "LDS Church" is the largest, but the Community of Christ is the second largest and has a very different theological vibe.
Understand the Context. You can't separate the founding of the church from the American Frontier. It was a time of invention, westward expansion, and deep religious searching. Smith was a product of his time, even as he tried to transcend it.
The story of the Church of Latter Day Saints is ultimately a story about a young man who asked a question and a group of people who were willing to walk across a continent to find the answer. Whether you view Smith as a prophet, a charismatic leader, or a controversial figure, his impact on the American religious landscape is undeniable. He didn't just start a church; he started a culture that currently claims over 17 million members worldwide.
To understand the full scope of this movement, your next logical step is to look at the articles of faith penned by Smith in 1842. They provide the most concise summary of what the original founders actually believed. Following that, exploring the Exodus to the West will show how the church transformed from a small New York sect into a global powerhouse.