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The church was organized in 1830 in the [[Burned-over district|Burned-Over District]] of upstate New York, by [[Joseph Smith]]. As the Church grew, new converts gathered in [[Ohio]] and [[Missouri]]. While the Latter-day Saints in [[Kirtland]], Ohio, experienced persecution, those gathered in Missouri were repeatedly driven from town to town by angry mobs. Having been forced from Missouri in 1839, Church members gathered in Illinois and built a thriving city called [[Nauvoo]] in a swampy bend of the Mississippi River. However, within seven years they were again forced from their homes. Led by [[Brigham Young]], these pioneers trekked 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) westward to the Salt Lake Valley, to escape persecution, and founded [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], where the Latter-Day Saint Church continues to be headquartered today. The church has now expanded to more than 13 million members.<ref>[http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=86e6635a56d8f010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3e0511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD LDS Newsroom - Early Church History]</ref><ref>[http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=d10511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD Worldwide Church Statistics] LDS.org</ref>

The church was organized in 1830 in the [[Burned-over district|Burned-Over District]] of upstate New York, by [[Joseph Smith]]. As the Church grew, new converts gathered in [[Ohio]] and [[Missouri]]. While the Latter-day Saints in [[Kirtland]], Ohio, experienced persecution, those gathered in Missouri were repeatedly driven from town to town by angry mobs. Having been forced from Missouri in 1839, Church members gathered in Illinois and built a thriving city called [[Nauvoo]] in a swampy bend of the Mississippi River. However, within seven years they were again forced from their homes. Led by [[Brigham Young]], these pioneers trekked 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) westward to the Salt Lake Valley, to escape persecution, and founded [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], where the Latter-Day Saint Church continues to be headquartered today. The church has now expanded to more than 13 million members.<ref>[http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=86e6635a56d8f010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3e0511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD LDS Newsroom - Early Church History]</ref><ref>[http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=d10511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD Worldwide Church Statistics] LDS.org</ref>

Church members follow a law of health known as the [[Word of Wisdom]] that promotes healthy eating as well as avoiding tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs.<ref>[http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/89 The Word of Wisdom] Scriptures.lds.org</ref>

Church members follow a law of health known as the [[Word of Wisdom]] that promotes healthy eating as well as avoiding tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/89 The Word of Wisdom|title=Scriptures.lds.org|accessdate=March 9, 2020}}</ref>

The U.S religious landscape survey published in February 2008 shows that [[Mormon]]s have the largest families closely followed by Muslims.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/25/america/25usreligion.php U.S religious landscape survey]</ref>

The U.S religious landscape survey published in February 2008 shows that [[Mormon]]s have the largest families closely followed by Muslims.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/25/america/25usreligion.php U.S religious landscape survey|acessdate=March 9, 2020}}</ref>

 

In 2018, it was declared that the church would no longer use shortened names such as "Mormon" or "LDS church" to identify themselves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/mormons-latter-day-saints-claiming-only-true-church-new-name-guidelines-al-mohler.html|title=Mormons Claiming to Be the Only True Church With New Name Guidelines, Al Mohler Says|date=August 21, 2018|accessdate=March 9, 2020|publisher=[[The Christian Post]]|author=Michael Gryboski}}</ref>

== Mormons' relationship to Christianity ==

== Mormons' relationship to Christianity ==