Temples cross oceans. Switzerland, England, New Zealand and Japan all receive one, missionary work expands sharply, and correlation reshapes how the Church teaches and publishes. In 1978 Official Declaration 2 extends the priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy members without regard to race.
1,187 entries in this era, shown 200 to a page. This is page 4 of 6, covering 1970 to 1974. See the same material on the moving timeline.
First Presidency statement quotes Church Historian's Office against alleged "Horse Shoe Prophecy." It attributes prophecy to John Taylor rather than to Joseph Smith and concludes: "There is no record by any of the General Authorities about it; nor is there anything in the diaries of which we have copies." Current LDS president Joseph Fielding Smith recently ends fifty-year service as church historian.
France mission is created
France-Belgium mission is created
France-Switzerland mission is created
French-Polynesia mission is created
German Central mission is created
Germany North mission is created
Germany South mission is created
Germany West mission is created
Became President of the Church.
Died in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In 1970 there were 7,590 missionaries called to serve.
Indiana-Michigan mission is created
Ireland mission is created
Italy mission is created
Japan Central mission is created
Japan East mission is created
Japan West mission is created
Received first of several distinguished Boy Scouts of America Awards.
Joseph Fielding Smith was set apart as the tenth Church president.
Kansas-Missouri mission is created
Kentucky-Tennessee mission is created
Korea mission is created
LDS headquarters invites only prominent Republicans to Salt Lake City airport to greet U.S. president Richard M. Nixon who has asked to meet with First Presidency. This excludes Utah's Democratic governor Calvin M. Rampton who "almost had to force his way into the receiving line." First Presidency secretary Francis M. Gibbons latter acknowledges that this is "a snafu in protocol." DESERET NEWS reports that Nixon addresses crowd of 15,000 from steps of Church Office Building at 47 East South Temple Street, but Nixons cancel their scheduled tour of Temple Square because of what Utah's Congressional representative Laurence J. Burton describes as "stupid, crazy, threatening" posters of "dissident groups." Presidency secretary Gibbons later describes these as "militant blacks" and antiwar protesters.
Manitoba-Minnesota mission is created
Mexico mission is created
Mexico North mission is created
Mexico Southeast mission is created
Mexico West mission is created
Monday was designated for family home evening throughout the Church; no other Church activity was to be scheduled during that time.
Montana-Wyoming mission is created
Mormon Pavilion dedicated at Expo '70 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at President Richard M. Nixon's inauguration.
NEW YORK TIMES article, "A Challenge to Some Hallowed Tenets of Mormonism," discusses recently-discovered Book of Abraham Papyri.
New Zealand North mission is created
North Carolina-Virginia mission is created
Norway mission is created
Oklahoma mission is created
Ontario-Quebec mission is created
Oregon mission is created
Pennsylvania mission is created
Peru mission is created
Peru-Ecuador mission is created
Philippines mission is created
President David O. McKay died in Salt Lake City at age 96.
President Joseph Fielding Smith was ordained and set apart as the 10th president of the Church and chose Presidents Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner as counselors.
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) formed; Bonneville International owns six radio stations.
Samoa mission is created
Scotland mission is created
South Africa mission is created
Spain mission is created
Monday night designated for family home evening.
Spencer W. Kimball publishes The Miracle of Forgiveness.
Sweden mission is created
Switzerland mission is created
Texas North mission is created
1970 Church Membership 2,930,810
The first stake in Africa was organized in Transvaal, South Africa.
The first stake in Asia was organized in Tokyo, Japan.
The Instructor ceases publication.
The Internet is invented as four host computers are connected into the initial ARPANET.
The Latter Day Saints' Millennial Star ceases publication in London after 130 years.
The Relief Society Magazine ceases publication (Marianne C. Sharp, editor).
Tongan mission is created
Uruguay-Paraguay mission is created
Washington mission is created
West Spanish America mission is created
After BYU's WYE MAGAZINE publishes some poetry and fiction which general authorities and others find offensive, the university's administration "confiscated those copies that had not been delivered (1,000 out of 2,000)." Two years later general authorities require BYU Press to destroy its entire press run of Thomas E. Cheney's GOLDEN LEGACY, because he includes some vulgarisms in J. Golden Kimball's folk tales. Cheney republishes it with independent press and without offending stories.
Alabama-Florida mission is created
All LDS women were automatically enrolled as members of the Relief Society; dues were eliminated.
Andes Peru mission is created
Apollo 15 astronauts present to President Joseph Fielding Smith a Utah state flag that has traveled with them to the moon.
Bonneville Broadcast Consultants organized in New Jersey to market satellite programming.
BYU Board of Trustees adopts a policy of not hiring mothers with small children and of replacing "where possible working mothers that are presently employed."
BYU's Ballroom Dancers win formation division of British Open Amateur Ballroom championships. This is first U.S. team of formation dancers to compete abroad.
China Hong Kong mission is created
Church Historical Department formed in a reorganization.
Church membership reaches 3 million; Church issues the Health Services Handbook.
CHURCH NEWS reports that registered nurse Marilyn Lyons and Dr. Blair L. Bybee, church's first medical missionaries, are departing for assignments in Tonga and Samoa by direction of Welfare Services Missionary Program. First Presidency letter of Jan 22, 1973 solicits missionaries from U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Latin America. Redefined as "welfare missionaries," 768 Mormons without medical degrees are giving humanitarian aid and instruction throughout world by 1980. Decade later more than 350 "health missionaries" with medical or health degrees are also serving in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, Pacific islands, and Eastern Europe.
Colombia mission is created
DESERET NEWS publishes on front page of local section a First Presidency statement which condemns upcoming Salt Lake City performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR as "a profane and sacrilegious attack upon true Christianity." Although statement advises everyone to oppose this production, audience fills Salt Palace to "near capacity" for musical's only scheduled performance on Oct. 12.
During church's first area conference in Manchester, England, there is formal meeting of joint council of First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles. This is first such council meeting outside United States in Mormon history.
Ensign, New Era and Friend magazines began publication.
Fiji mission is created
Twelve thousand British members gather for the first area conference, a pattern repeated across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
First Presidency secretary Joseph Anderson writes that conscientious objectors can teach, partake of sacrament, hold church offices, and receive temple recommends.
First stake organized in Asia, in Tokyo, Japan.
Florida Fort Lauderdale mission is created
General Handbook of Instructions published; Church membership surpasses 2.5 million; Utah population about 1 million; 7,590 new missionaries sent out.
Genesis Group is organized for Salt Lake Valley's 200 LDS African-Americans to meet for auxiliary organizations, while attending sacrament meetings in their respective wards. Apostle Gordon B. Hinckley sets apart Ruffin Bridgeforth, Jr. as president, with Darius Gray and Eugene Orr as counselors.
Georgia-South Carolina mission is created
Gordon B. Hinckley named president of the Deseret News Publishing Company.
In 1971 there were 8,344 missionaries called to serve.
Italy North mission is created
Italy South mission is created
James D. Morask, paraplegic for four years after automobile accident, regains feeling and movement in his legs immediately after his LDS baptism. Eight months later, CHURCH NEWS reports that he is now walking "with braces to give his legs support and has learned to drive again."
Underwent open heart surgery.
Keene Curtis receives "Tony" award from League of American Theatres and Producers as best supporting actor in Broadway musical "The Rothschilds."
Mary Beth Rampton, wife of the Utah Governor Calvin Rampton, gives a talk on Mother's Day at the Federal Heights Ward in Salt Lake City: "To assist myself in talking about motherhood, I have drawn two illustrative concepts from my study of prehistory. The first is the concept of the Mother Goddess. The Heavenly Father whom we today know and love and worship is a masculine God; but it is interesting to know that the oldest deity of whom archaeologists have found evidence is feminine Mother Goddess, whose little stone and clay figurines have been found in upper Paleolithic sites over most of the world. She was the goddess of the fruitfulness of the earth and its creatures, the source of the earth's abundant life, charged with nurture. . She became, as the centuries passed, Ninhursag, the mother-goddess of the Sumerians; the Minoan mother-goddess of ancient Crete; Demeter, the earth goddess among the older Greek gods."
Nauvoo mission is created
Peru Andes mission is created
President Smith faints during First Presidency meeting, and goes to temple council meeting "over he protests of the Brethren." During Thursday meeting on Oct. 21 he becomes ill and has "to be helped from the council room."
Publication of new Church magazines began: the Ensign for adults, the New Era for youth and the Friend for children.
Sports tournaments and dance festivals directed to a regional basis.
Taiwan mission is created
1971 Church Membership 3,090,953
The Children's Friend ceases publication; The Friend first published (Lucile Reading, editor).
The Ensign (official magazine of the Church) first published (Doyle L. Green, editor).
The first area conference of the Church was held in Manchester, England. Before the program of holding large area conferences ended in 1980, 63 were held throughout the world.
The New Era (official youth magazine) first published (Brian K. Kelley, managing editor).
The Twelve Apostles meet to discuss what the duties and responsibilities of the Church Patriarch, Eldred G. Smith, should be. A senior apostle objects to the fact that while some of the apostles sat on the second row in General Conference, the Patriarch sat at the end of the first row near the First Presidency. After this Patriarch Smith's seat is changed (both in General Conference and in the monthly meeting of the General Authorities) from between the Presidency and the Twelve to below the Twelve. After Eldred G. Smith the office of Church Patriarch, the only hereditary office in the Church, is eliminated.
Thomas S. Ferguson writes: "Hugh Nibley's Era articles on the Book of Abraham aren't worth a tinker--first, because he is not impartial, being the commissioned and paid defender of the faith. Second, because he could not, he dated not, he did not, face the true issue: 'Could Joseph Smith translate Egyptian?' I clipped every one of his articles, and have them in a single file--and I have reviewed them--looking in vain for that issue"
Presided over first area conference of the Church in Manchester, England.
Venezuela mission is created
Wesley Walters and Fred Poffarl find Justice Neely's bill for trying the case of "Joseph Smith The Glass Looker March 20. 1826" in Bainbridge, New York 1826. It is among dead-storage documents in the basement of the county jail in Norwich, New York. Mormons had claimed the trial never took place. This find established that it had.
Argentina East mission is created
Bonneville Communications begins producing the award-winning Homefront series of PSAs.
Brazil North Central mission is created
Brazil South Central mission is created
Church Internal Communications Department organized.
CHURCH NEWS article about Mrs. Viola Clawson's recent retirement as supervisor of all-male guides on Salt Lake Temple Square since 1942. She had total discretion in their appointment, assigned days/hours, and release.
Church sports programs end at the regional level instead of all-church level.
Church sports tournaments and dance festivals were directed to be held on a regional basis instead of an all-Church basis.
Colorado mission is created
During first visit of current LDS president to Jerusalem, Harold B. Lee conducts sacrament meeting in Garden Tomb, and by "inspiration of the moment" organizes branch with David B. Galbraith as president. He "shocked" new branch presidency by denying their request to have branch's worship services on Jewish Sabbath. Months later, Lee relents and authorizes LDS branch in Jerusalem to worship on Saturday.
First Presidency letter authorizes young men to be ordained to office of elder at age eighteen, no longer limiting elder's office to age for missionaries.
First Presidency letter: "We are concerned that adequate attention be given to members of the Church who do not speak the language of the majority where they live." It authorizes wards and branches to have priesthood and auxiliary classes taught in foreign languages, or organization of branches/wards for sufficient numbers of Mormons who speak foreign languages. This fulfills Apostle Spencer W. Kimball's ernest proposal to temple meeting on July 1, 1970.
Set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Harold B. Lee ordained as eleventh president of the Church.
Harold B. Lee was set apart as the eleventh Church president.
In 1972 there were 7,874 missionaries called to serve.
Incorporation of Deseret Trust Company to manage centrally controlled church trusts and endowments (in contrast to church stock and bond portfolios managed by major investment houses in New York City).
International mission is created
Jean Miles Westwood is elected national chair of Democratic Party, first Mormon and first woman to head major political party in United States.
Became President of the Church.
Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth president of the Church, dies.
L. Patrick Gray, FBI director, offers to help LDS church security to protect members of First Presidency against assassination attempts by Ervil LeBaron's followers.
May Presidency letter that "fluoridation of public water supplies to prevent tooth decay" is on of the "non-moral issues" that Mormons should vote on "according to their honest convictions." John Birch Society, which Apostle Ezra Taft Benson and many other Mormons support, is condemning fluoridation as Communist "plot."
New Mexico-Arizona mission is created
New set of missionary lessons completed for all missions.
Ogden Utah Temple was dedicated 18–20 January 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith.
Ohio-West Virginia mission is created
Ontario mission is created
Presidency letter that "all existing student wards be converted into student branches" to avoid ordaining men in their twenties to office of high priest. "It also sometimes creates social dislocation where these young men are members of high priests quorums where the age level is much higher than in elders or seventies quorums."
President Harold B. Lee was ordained and set apart as the 11th president of the Church, with Presidents N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney as counselors.
President Joseph Fielding Smith died at age ninety-five.
President Lee and Elder Hinckley hold a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
President Smith died in Salt Lake City at age 95.
Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple was dedicated 9 February 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith.
This is an operating temple dedicated by Spencer W. Kimball
Public Affairs Department of the Church organized (Wendell J. Ashton, managing director).
Quebec mission is created
Organized the Jerusalem Branch at the Garden Tomb.
1972 Church Membership 3,218,908
This translation of พระคัมภีร์ มอรมอน was done for Thailand. Additional Information:New translation completed in 2010[6]. Reference information: Anderson, Kai A. (June 1997), "In His Own Language", Liahona: 29,
The Church Historical Department was formed in a reorganization of the Church Historian's Office. Church library, archives, and history divisions were created within the new department.
The MIA was realigned into the Aaronic Priesthood and Melchizedek Priesthood MIA and was placed directly under priesthood leadership.
THE NEW YORK TIMES calls the newly ordained President of the Church, Harold B. Lee, a "veteran administrator of church affairs who is credited with developing and forwarding many innovations." It suggests that one of the major issues confronting Lee is controversy over blacks. TIME magazine later quotes a Lee associate as saying that he was a "genius for organization. The Church runs like a great beautiful computer, clicking away. Everything is in its place." Although Lee, at 73, is the youngest Church President in 40 years he lives only a year and a half after assuming the Church presidency.
The Ogden Temple was dedicated by President Joseph Fielding Smith.
The Ogden Utah Temple was dedicated by Joseph Fielding Smith.
The Provo Temple was dedicated by President Smith.
The Provo Utah Temple was dedicated by Joseph Fielding Smith.
TIME magazine quotes an associate of recently installed president Harold B. Lee as saying that he was a "genius for organization. The Church runs like a great beautiful computer, clicking away. Everything is in its place."
A new set of missionary lessons was completed for use in all missions. It was the first change in missionary lessons since 1961.
Australia Northeast mission is created
Canada-Maritimes mission is created
CHURCH NEWS reports that LDS New Zealander Susan Vickers has won Miss Auckland beauty contest despite her refusal to wear bikini swimming suit.
Dakota-Manitoba mission is created
Became President of the Church.
First agricultural missionaries sent to the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission.
First Presidency letter urges 78,800 Mormons in Washington state to vote against referendum to allow nineteen-year-olds to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.
Set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Harold B. Lee, eleventh president of the Church, dies.
HBO becomes the first channel delivered via satellite; KRIC (Ricks College) begins broadcasting.
Illinois mission is created
In 1973 there were 9,471 missionaries called to serve.
Indiana mission is created
Japan-Nagoya mission is created
Michigan mission is created
Minnesota-Wisconsin mission is created
North Carolina mission is created
President Harold B. Lee died in Salt Lake City at age 74.
President Harold Bee Lee's secretary replies on Lee's behalf in response to a letter from a member to President Lee. The letter quotes President Lee: "I was shocked to have you raise the question about oral lovemaking in the genital area among married couples.' Heaven forbid any such degrading activities which would be abhorrent in the sight of the Lord. For any Latter-day Saint, and particularly those who have been taught in the sacred ordinances of the temple, to engage in any kind of perversions of this sacred God-given gift of procreation, would be sure to bring down the condemnation of the Lord whom we would offend were we to engage in any such practice."
President Spencer W. Kimball was ordained and set apart as the 12th president of the Church, with Presidents N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney as counselors.
Gave a major address to Regional Representative of the Twelve on expanding missionary work.
Spencer W. Kimball was set apart as the twelfth Church president.
T. Edgar Lyon tells the Mormon History Association of his stake president's instructions when he began teaching seminary: "Brother Lyon, we want you to settle down, buy a home, and vote the Republican ticket."
Thailand mission is created
1973 Church Membership 3,306,658
The creation of the Welfare Services Department was announced in general conference. The new organization brought the three welfare units — health services, social services and welfare — into full correlation.
The first Church agricultural missionaries to leave the United States were sent to the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission.
The First Presidency issued a letter approving the organization of three wards exclusively for non-student singles not living at home. This experiment was initially intended to involve only Salt Lake Valley residents. However, by 1976 permission to establish a singles ward was extended worldwide. To be considered the ward must have a membership potential of more than 200 singles between the ages of 18 and 35. In 1982 this requirement was modified to read: "if the population could assure the function of the ward would be carried out property."
The first stake on mainland Asia was organized in Seoul, Korea.
The Marriott Activities Center at BYU was dedicated. Seating 22,000, it was the largest such arena on any university campus in the United States.
The Uniform System for Teaching Families published for missionaries.
Virginia mission is created
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives "Oscar" to two Mormons: Keith Merrill (director, documentary "The Great American Cowboy") and James Payne (set design, "The Sting"). They are first Mormon winners in 33 years, but LDS nominees are Leigh Harline (music scores, 1943, 1944, 1963), Arnold Friberg (art work, "The Ten Commandments," 1956), Russ Tamblyn (supporting actor, "Peyton Place," 1957), Tamblyn also receives Golden Globe award in 1956 as "most promising newcomer," as does LDS Ruth Buzzi in 1973 for her supporting role in television's "Laugh in." Within days, Council on International Non-theatrical Events (CINE) gives its "Golden Eagle" award to Brigham Young University for "Cipher In the Snow," which receives international distribution among schools and various religious denominations. In 1989 LDS church and Bonneville International also receive two Golden Eagle awards for their "Homefront" public-service advertisements. Individual Mormons who win Golden Eagle include Curt Bestor (1988) and Martin L. Andersen (1994).
AFRICA TODAY reports that BYU singing group "Brigham Young University Sounds" toured South Africa. The usual name of the group, "Sounds of Freedom" was changed for this trip. The white apartheid government of South Africa thought the word "freedom" might be too politically charged, since it is normally associated with the struggle for black majority rule. The group performed with the South African Defense Forces Band and proceeds from the concerts benefitted the South African Border Relief Fund and the Rhodesian Terrorist Victims' Relief Fund. According to AFRICA NEWS, "Both funds were set up by whites to support military efforts against African black guerrilla movements seeking majority rule."
Alaska Anchorage mission is created
All of the Church's shortwave properties sold.