<P> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints traces its origins to western New York , where Joseph Smith , founder of the Latter Day Saint movement , was raised . Joseph Smith gained a small following in the late 1820s as he was dictating the Book of Mormon , which he said was a translation of words found on a set of `` golden plates '' that had been buried near his home in western New York by an indigenous American prophet . On April 6 , 1830 , in western New York , Smith organized the religion 's first legal church entity , the Church of Christ . The church rapidly gained a following , who viewed Smith as their prophet . The main body of the church moved first to Kirtland , Ohio in the early 1830s , then to Missouri in 1838 , where the 1838 Mormon War with other Missouri settlers ensued , culminating in adherents being expelled from the state under Missouri Executive Order 44 signed by the governor of Missouri . After Missouri , Smith built the city of Nauvoo , Illinois , near which Smith was killed . After Smith 's death , a succession crisis ensued , and the majority voted to accept the Quorum of the Twelve , led by Brigham Young , as the church 's leading body . </P>
<P> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints traces its origins to western New York , where Joseph Smith , founder of the Latter Day Saint movement , was raised . Joseph Smith gained a small following in the late 1820s as he was dictating the Book of Mormon , which he said was a translation of words found on a set of `` golden plates '' that had been buried near his home in western New York by an indigenous American prophet . On April 6 , 1830 , in western New York , Smith organized the religion 's first legal church entity , the Church of Christ . The church rapidly gained a following , who viewed Smith as their prophet . The main body of the church moved first to Kirtland , Ohio in the early 1830s , then to Missouri in 1838 , where the 1838 Mormon War with other Missouri settlers ensued , culminating in adherents being expelled from the state under Missouri Executive Order 44 signed by the governor of Missouri . After Missouri , Smith built the city of Nauvoo , Illinois , near which Smith was killed . After Smith 's death , a succession crisis ensued , and the majority voted to accept the Quorum of the Twelve , led by Brigham Young , as the church 's leading body . </P>
where did the church of latter day saints originated
where did the church of latter day saints originated
western New York
western New York