April 6, 1830 “The Church of Christ” is officially organized in Fayette, New York in the home of Peter and Mary Whitmer. Just one month prior, the Book of Mormon had been published. Between then and the Church’s organization believers in the Book of Mormon would meet on weekdays but go to their old churches on Sunday. Some members had been baptized before the organizational meeting on April 6.
A revelation (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20) was given at that founding meeting, which contained basic principles including the duties of members and of the priesthood, their meetings, and the sacrament, and can be considered a kind of constitution for the Church.
The first official missionary for the church is Samuel Smith, brother of the prophet, who goes to Mendon, NY. The mission lasts three days, he is unable to sell any copies of the Book of Mormon, but gives two away, one of which later falls into the hands of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball.
More missionaries are called (they’re not called missionaries – they’re called to “go on a journey” to preach the gospel). First “foreign” missionaries are Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson, who are called to go west “unto the Lamanites”. They go as far as Independence, Missouri and are thus the first to step foot in the land soon to be designated as Zion, or the New Jerusalem. As they pass through Kirtland, Ohio, many are baptized (127 people), including Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, and Newell K. Whitney.
Statistics of the early church: More men than women, most common first name is John for men, Mary for women, most common surname is Smith, average age is 23, ancestry is mostly from the British Isles, 2nd generation get a lot of Book of Mormon names.
In the early days the Church was commanded to gather – first to Kirtland, then to places like Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley. It wasn’t until Heber J. Grant (in 1923?) that members in California were told they didn’t need to gather, that they could be “in the world but not of the world”.
Missionaries continue to be called today, including young Elders, young Sisters, and senior missionaries. We hope you’ll talk to them!