Kirtland, Ohio was little more than a crossroads when the missionaries to the
Lamanites stopped here en route to Missouri in late 1830. Parley P. Pratt, who
had an association with Sidney Rigdon, stopped to see his friend. This visit
produced the conversion of Sidney Rigdon, which in turn produced the harvest of
Rigdon's congregation, who had been Campbellites. After Rigdon's visit to Joseph
Smith in New York, as well as a revelation by the prophet, the gathering of
Latter-day Saints in Ohio began in 1831. This gathering was accelerated by the
construction of the Kirtland Temple, which was completed in 1836. Latter-day
Saint settlement in Ohio continued until 1838, at which time most of the
faithful Latter-day Saints moved down to Missouri to join their brethren.
A short chronology of the Church in Ohio:
- 1830: missionaries to the Lamanites arrive in Ohio and preach to Sidney
Rigdon
- 1831: Joseph Smith and others make their homes in Ohio
- 1832: Joseph Smith receives Doctrine and Covenants 76 at Hiram, Ohio;
later, persecution forces him to leave Hiram
- 1834: the construction of the Kirtland temple begins
- 1836: the temple is completed; pentacostal experiences are recorded
- 1837-38: the faithful Latter-day Saints mostly leave Ohio for the West
| Ohio: an
interview by Milton V. Backman |
Please click here to hear the interview. The interview
is in MP3 format.
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