The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Corporate brand

A global Christian denomination headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with congregations, temples, missionary programs and humanitarian operations across the world.

Last updated October 19, 2026

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Overview

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian denomination and the largest organization in the Latter Day Saint movement. It was organized by Joseph Smith in western New York on April 6, 1830, initially under the name Church of Christ. Its theology is centered on Jesus Christ, modern revelation, priesthood authority, family life, missionary work and a canon of scripture known as the standard works, which include the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Members commonly refer to themselves as Latter-day Saints; the organization has also historically been called the LDS Church or the Mormon Church, although church leaders have increasingly asked members and the public to use the full institutional name or the shorter form Church of Jesus Christ. The church developed during the Second Great Awakening, a period of intense religious experimentation in the United States. Under Smith, its early communities moved from New York to Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. Conflict with neighboring communities, disputes over religious and political authority, and opposition to the church’s practices contributed to repeated migration. In 1844, Smith was killed in Carthage, Illinois, creating a succession crisis. Most members eventually followed Brigham Young, who led a westward migration to the Salt Lake Valley beginning in 1846. Salt Lake City subsequently became the church’s headquarters and the center of a large Latter-day Saint settlement network in the American West. The church is governed through a hierarchical structure led by a president, whom members regard as a prophet, seer and revelator. The president and two counselors form the First Presidency, supported by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other general authorities. Local congregations are organized into wards and branches, while stakes and missions coordinate regional administration. Worship generally includes weekly Sunday meetings, religious instruction, and participation in programs for children, youth and adults. Temples are distinct from ordinary meetinghouses and are used for ceremonies regarded by members as especially sacred. Missionary work is one of the church’s most visible activities. Full-time missionaries serve in many countries, teach about the church’s beliefs, distribute religious materials and invite people to worship. The church also operates extensive educational, welfare and humanitarian programs. Its affiliated institutions and assets include universities, publishing and media operations, historic sites, agricultural holdings and investment-management entities. Ensign Peak Advisors manages a substantial investment portfolio for the church, while other related organizations administer property and operating activities. These financial and institutional structures have periodically attracted public scrutiny, particularly concerning disclosure and governance. According to church-reported figures, membership exceeded 17.5 million in 2024, although independent researchers have debated how membership totals correspond to active participation. The church has a substantial presence in the United States, Latin America and the Pacific, with congregations and temples in many other regions. Its public identity combines religious authority, family-oriented social teaching, missionary outreach, community service and a growing effort to communicate directly through digital media. It remains an active global religious organization rather than a commercial consumer brand; the requested food-industry classification does not fit the subject.

History

The church emerged in the religious revival culture of early nineteenth-century New York. Joseph Smith reported receiving divine revelations and, according to Latter-day Saint belief, translated the Book of Mormon from an ancient record. He organized the Church of Christ in 1830 with a restorationist claim that priesthood authority and the original Christian church had been restored. The organization soon attracted converts beyond its founding communities and adopted new names, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Early growth was accompanied by institutional experimentation and persistent conflict. Members established communities in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, where the church built systems of religious administration, economic cooperation and missionary expansion. Tensions with surrounding populations involved theology, settlement patterns, political influence, land ownership and disputed practices. These conflicts led to expulsions from Missouri and the abandonment of the church’s settlement at Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith was killed by a mob in 1844 while awaiting trial, precipitating a contested succession. Brigham Young became the principal leader of the largest successor group. Beginning in 1846, he directed a migration to the Great Basin, where Latter-day Saints established Salt Lake City and a network of settlements. The church’s nineteenth-century history in Utah was shaped by colonization, temple construction, missionary work and prolonged conflict with the United States over political autonomy and plural marriage. The church officially announced the discontinuation of plural marriage in 1890 and later issued further statements opposing continued plural unions. Utah achieved statehood in 1896, after which the church increasingly adapted its institutional life to the legal and political framework of the United States. During the twentieth century, the organization expanded from a predominantly western American church into an international denomination. Missionary work, translation of scripture and educational programs supported growth in Latin America, Europe, the Pacific, Africa and Asia. The church built meetinghouses and temples outside North America, strengthened local leadership and developed worldwide welfare and humanitarian programs. It also established or expanded institutions such as Brigham Young University, the Church Educational System, publishing operations and family-history services. Public communication evolved alongside this expansion. Family-oriented public-service advertising, including the long-running Homefront series, presented broadly applicable messages about family life while identifying the church at the conclusion. Later campaigns invited audiences to request religious materials or visit church websites. In 2010 and 2011, the “I’m a Mormon” campaign used personal stories from members in television, print, outdoor and digital media to challenge stereotypes and make the denomination more familiar to the public. In 2018, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged use of the church’s full name and discouraged institutional reliance on “Mormon” as a nickname, producing a significant change in branding and communications. The church’s modern administration combines ecclesiastical leadership with a complex network of legal entities. Contributions, property, educational institutions, publishing, agriculture and investment operations support its activities. Ensign Peak Advisors became the focus of public attention after a 2019 whistleblower complaint and later securities-reporting scrutiny. In 2022, the church and Ensign Peak reached an SEC settlement concerning earlier reporting arrangements. The church said it had cooperated with regulators and corrected its filing approach. In the twenty-first century, the church has continued constructing temples, expanding digital missionary communication and coordinating disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. It has also preserved historic sites and acquired important Latter-day Saint-era buildings and documents, including the Kirtland Temple in 2024. Its current identity is that of a centralized but globally distributed Christian denomination, combining traditional religious authority with modern media, education, welfare and asset-management systems.

2024
Kirtland Temple acquired
[8]Church acquires the Kirtland Templeksltv.com
The church acquired the Kirtland Temple and other historic assets from Community of Christ.
2022
SEC settlement
[4]Church Issues Statement on SEC Settlementnewsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
The church and Ensign Peak Advisors settled a securities-reporting matter and acknowledged errors in the prior filing approach.
2018
Institutional naming policy emphasized
[3]Russell M. Nelsonchurchofjesuschrist.org
Russell M. Nelson urged use of the church’s full name and reduced official use of the nickname Mormon.
2010
“I’m a Mormon” campaign tested
[7]LDS advertising campaign elicits significant increase in website visitorsdeseret.com
The church tested a member-profile advertising approach in several U.S. cities before broader expansion.
1890
Plural marriage discontinued
[1]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsen.wikipedia.org
Church leadership issued a public declaration ending the practice of plural marriage as an authorized institution.
1847
Brigham Young leads the Utah settlement
[1]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsen.wikipedia.org
Brigham Young assumed leadership of the largest successor body and directed settlement in the Salt Lake Valley.
1844
Joseph Smith killed
[1]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsen.wikipedia.org
Smith’s death in Illinois triggered a succession crisis and the eventual division of the Latter Day Saint movement.
1830
Church organized in New York
[2]Church Presidentsnewsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
Joseph Smith organized the Church of Christ on April 6, 1830, marking the formal beginning of the denomination.

Products and positioning

A global, family-oriented Christian denomination emphasizing restored priesthood authority, continuing revelation, missionary service, temple worship, community participation and humanitarian assistance.

Religious scripture · 1830
The Book of Mormon
A foundational scripture of Latter-day Saint belief, first published in 1830. The church distributes it in many languages as part of missionary and member education, alongside the Bible and other texts recognized as scripture.
Religious education and genealogy
Church educational and family-history services
The church provides religious instruction through seminaries, institutes and other educational programs, and operates family-history resources that help users research genealogical records and perform temple-related services.
Humanitarian services
Humanitarian and welfare programs
Church welfare and humanitarian operations provide disaster response, food, medical supplies, clean water, employment support and other assistance through church channels and partnerships with outside organizations.

Controversies

2026
LDS Church sues Mormon Stories podcast for trademark infringement
In April 2026, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a lawsuit against Open Stories Foundation and John P. Dehlin, operator of the 'Mormon Stories' podcast. The Church alleged unlawful use of trademarked and copyrighted material. According to the filing, the claims included a blue 'MORMON STORIES' logo with a light-rays design that was said to imitate the Church's logos.
Source 1 Source 2
2022
SEC settlement over securities filings
The SEC announced a settlement involving the church and Ensign Peak Advisors over earlier use of multiple limited-liability companies to submit separate Form 13F filings. The parties resolved the matter without the church admitting the broader allegations described in public commentary.
Source
2019
Ensign Peak investment-disclosure allegations
A former Ensign Peak employee filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that the investment manager used structures that obscured the scale of its holdings and questioned its tax-exempt treatment. The allegations prompted extensive media and regulatory attention.
Source

2018Use the full name of the Church
Worldwide
Church leadership shifted institutional communications toward the full name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and away from routine use of Mormon as the organization’s name.
Outcome. The change affected websites, social-media accounts, style guidance and public messaging, although Mormon remains a historical and colloquial descriptor.
Source
2010I’m a Mormon
United States · United Kingdom · Digital markets
The campaign featured ordinary members describing their lives, occupations and faith, with advertising placed on television, buses, billboards, print and the internet. It was designed to counter stereotypes and lead audiences to member profiles and church information.
Outcome. Reports described increased visits to Mormon.org after the New York launch and subsequent expansion into additional media markets. Official use of the campaign’s nickname later became inconsistent with the church’s naming guidance.
Source
1980Homefront
United States · International markets
A long-running public-service advertising series presented messages about family relationships and home life, usually identifying the church only in the closing sign-off. The format helped the church communicate values to a broad, nonmember audience.
Outcome. The series became a recognizable part of the church’s public-affairs advertising and was later reduced as broadcast public-service practices changed.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
Acquire Kirtland Temple and historic materialsM&A
Background
Community of Christ and the church negotiated an exchange involving historically significant buildings, manuscripts and artifacts, with discussions beginning in 2021.
Action taken
The church acquired the Kirtland Temple and related assets and assumed responsibility for their preservation and stewardship.
Aftermath
The temple remained an historic building, with the church announcing plans for renewed public access and preservation.
Source
2022
Consolidate securities reportingOther
Background
Ensign Peak had previously used multiple entities to report portions of the church’s investment portfolio, a practice later challenged by the SEC.
Action taken
The church and Ensign Peak settled with the SEC and continued filing a single aggregated report for the relevant holdings.
Aftermath
The church said it regretted the mistakes, had cooperated with regulators and considered the matter resolved.
Source
2018
Reorient official naming and communicationsStrategy
Background
Church leaders concluded that the nickname Mormon did not adequately express the organization’s focus on Jesus Christ and could create confusion with other groups in the Latter Day Saint movement.
Action taken
President Russell M. Nelson directed members and institutions to use the full church name or Church of Jesus Christ in official communications.
Aftermath
Church websites, social channels and style practices were progressively renamed, while historical references and colloquial usage continued in public discourse.
Source

Recent events

2024
Church acquires Kirtland Temple and related historic assets[8]Church acquires the Kirtland Templeksltv.com
M&A · Other
The church purchased the Kirtland Temple and other historic buildings, manuscripts and artifacts from Community of Christ after discussions that began in 2021.
2024
Farmland Reserve acquires large U.S. farmland portfolio[14]Farmland Reserve acquires large U.S. farmland portfolioagriculture.com
M&A
Farmland Reserve, an entity affiliated with the church, purchased approximately 41,554 acres across 46 farms in eight states for a reported $289 million.
2019
Mormon Tabernacle Choir adopts a new name[15]Mormon Tabernacle Choir adopts a new namethetabernaclechoir.org
Campaign · Other
The internationally known choir became The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square as part of the church’s broader naming direction.
2019
Church and LGBTQ advocacy groups support Utah nondiscrimination legislation[16]Church and LGBTQ advocacy groups support Utah nondiscrimination legislationnewsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
Regulation · Other
The church publicly supported Utah legislation providing protections in housing and employment for LGBTQ people while maintaining its doctrine on marriage and sexual conduct.
2018
The church requests use of its full name[17]The church requests use of its full namenewsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
Campaign · Other
President Russell M. Nelson asked members and the public to use The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rather than institutional labels centered on “Mormon” or the abbreviation “LDS.”
2018
Church announces major temple-building program[18]Church announces major temple-building programnewsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
Product launch · Other
The church announced a large increase in planned temples, continuing a long-term strategy of making temple worship more geographically accessible to members.
2011
Church launches expanded “I’m a Mormon” advertising campaign[6]Latter-day Saints launch “I’m a Mormon” ad campaignreuters.com
Campaign
The church expanded a public-awareness campaign across multiple United States media markets, using member profiles and television, transit and billboard advertising to address misconceptions and direct audiences to Mormon.org.

Sources18 sources

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