Church Membership at end of year: 64,154
New Converts : 11,514
Percent Change from previous year: 21.87% (1)
[Deseret] Captain John Gunnison and a surveying party traveled part of the Old Spanish Trail before turning north along the Sevier River. (2)
[Deseret] Fremont returns to Utah in a futile attempt to find a feasible transcontinental railroad route. (2)
[Deseret] In October, Indians kill Gunnison and a number of others. (2)
[Deseret] The Walker War with the Ute Indians begins over slavery among the Indians. (2)
[Deseret] On February 14 President Brigham Young broke ground for the Salt Lake Temple. The LDS Church begins the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. (3)
[Deseret] The Social Hall was dedicated on January 1. (3)
[Deseret] The Walker War with the Ute Indians begins over slavery. (3)
-- During 1853-1856
* Jonathan Grimshaw -- primary scribal author for this period. Writings used in assembling The History of the Church (often cited as HC) (originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; first published under the title History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; nicknamed Documentary History of the Church or DHC) (4)
* Leo Hawkins -- primary scribal author for this period. Writings used in assembling The History of the Church (often cited as HC) (originally entitled History of Joseph Smith; first published under the title History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; nicknamed Documentary History of the Church or DHC) (4)
-- During 1853
[OREGON TRAIL] The cholera epidemic has nearly burned itself out and the gold rush is back on: 70,000 people head west in these years, about 50,000 in '52 and 20,000 in '53. Half leave from St. Joe and half from Omaha, and half head to California and half to Oregon. (5)
[Periodicals] Le Reflecteur; T.B.H. Stenhouse Geneva, Switzerland FRENCH (Periodical) (6)
-- During 1853-1854
[Periodicals] Seer, The; Orson Pratt Washington, D.C. and Liverpool, England (Periodical) (6)
-- During 1853-1856
[Periodicals] Zion's Watchman, The; Agustus A. Farnham Sydney, Australia (Periodical) (6)
-- During 1853
John C. Fremont began his 5th expedition west, his 2nd into the Colorado Mountains, and traveled across Kansas, southern Colorado and Utah in search of a railroad route over the Central Rockies. The group reached Mormon settlements in Utah. Fremont brought along photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho, who took hundreds of daguerreotypes. Many of the images were lost in an 1881 NYC warehouse fire. In 1994 Robert Shlaer set out to recreate the images and in 2000 published "Sights Once Seen: Daguerreotyping Fremonts Last Expedition Through the Rockies." (7)
-- Jan 16, 1854
[Lucy Mack Smith] Orson Pratt sends Lucy some copies of the printed work and the promise of a $100 "present." (8)
Footnotes:
1 - Wikipedia, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Membership History, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
2 - History to Go, Trappers, Traders and Explorers, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/trapperstradersandexplorers.html
3 - History to Go, Pioneers and Cowboys, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/pioneersandcowboys.html
4 - Wikipedia, History of the Church, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Church
5 - Clackamas Heritage Partners, http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=107Itemid=75
6 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, Appendix 3: Church Periodicals
7 - Ratnikas, Algis, TimelinesDb, http://www.timelinesdb.com/listevents.php?subjid=201title=Utah
8 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
