Official sources first

Church History

Explore the Restoration and the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the Church's current history resources. On this page, official Church History materials and the Saints history are the governing source path for historical questions.

Ask a History Question Open Official Church History

Source standard: focusChrist may summarize and explain, but the linked official Church History resources are the source of truth on this page. When a detail is uncertain or the source path does not establish it clearly, the history assistant is instructed to say so rather than fill the gap from model memory.

Source-grounded study assistant

Ask Church History

Ask naturally. The assistant predicts the likely historical source family, adds verified official study routes, remembers the current conversation for follow-up questions, and keeps official Church History and Saints above model memory.

Official Source Hub

Ask about a person, event, place, practice, date, or historical question. Official Church History sources will be shown with the response. Follow-up questions stay in the same conversation until you choose New Question.

The current narrative history

Read Saints Across Four Eras

The Church's Saints series currently presents the history from the early Restoration through 2020 in four volumes. Use the era cards as the primary narrative path, then move into topic-specific Church History sources when a question needs closer examination.

Volume 1 1815–1846

The Standard of Truth

Early Restoration, Joseph Smith, the rise of the Church, Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo, and the opening of the westward exodus.

Read on ChurchofJesusChrist.org → Volume 2 1846–1893

No Unhallowed Hand

The pioneer era, settlement and global gathering, conflict and change, temples, plural marriage, and the closing decades of the nineteenth century.

Read on ChurchofJesusChrist.org → Volume 3 1893–1955

Boldly, Nobly, and Independent

A changing worldwide Church through modernization, two world wars, new institutions, growing missions, and expanding international membership.

Read on ChurchofJesusChrist.org → Volume 4 1955–2020

Sounded in Every Ear

The increasingly global Church, worldwide growth, temples, missionary expansion, institutional change, and the modern era through 2020.

Read on ChurchofJesusChrist.org →

Verified official index

Go Deeper by Source Type

The official Church History hub brings together narrative history, topic studies, primary-vision resources, women's history, historical podcasts, essays, question-based videos, and global histories. These routes are indexed into the history assistant above and remain available here for deeper study.

Church History Topics

Use the A–Z topic collection for people, events, practices, places, controversies, organizations, and historical developments.

First Vision

Study Joseph Smith's First Vision through the Church's dedicated historical resources and accounts.

Women's History

Explore women, organizations, experiences, and contributions across Latter-day Saint history.

Joseph Smith Papers Podcasts

Continue into Church-hosted historical podcast series connected with Joseph Smith-era documents and events.

Gospel Topics Essays

Use the Church's in-depth essays when a historical question intersects with doctrine, practice, or complex historical context.

Answers to Church History Questions

Follow concise Church-produced answers on frequently asked historical questions and sensitive subjects.

Global Histories

Study how the Church developed in countries and communities around the world rather than viewing history only through the American West.

Saints Library

Open all four Saints volumes together with Saints Stories and the Saints podcast from the official history library.

Continue the journey