Church Membership at end of year: 57,038
New Converts : 1,283
Percent Change from previous year: 2.30% (1)
[Deseret] On June 19 the first Episcopal Church service was held in Salt Lake City under the direction of Rev. Vaux, chaplain at Fort Laramie at the Tabernacle. (2)
[OREGON TRAIL] 30,000 travel the trails with no single objective in mind. Destinations include Colorado, Utah, California and Oregon. Stagecoaches make their first appearance on the Oregon Trail with the Leavenworth and Pikes Peak Express carrying passengers and mail. Horace Greeley follows his own advice and goes west. (3)
[West] Oregon became the 33rd state. (4)
-- Jan 29, 1860
[Lucy Mack Smith] Orson Pratt is chastised for doctrinal errors at a Quorum of the Twelve meeting. He capitulates and apologizes on Sunday, 30 January, then apologizes personally to Brigham Young on Monday, 31 January. (5)
-- During early 1860
[Lucy Mack Smith] William Smith is rebaptized LDS but soon withdraws. (5)
-- Mar 19, 1860
[U.S. Religious History] American politician and fundamentalist religious leader William Jennings Bryan was born. (6)
-- Apr 3, 1860
First Pony Express rider reached Salt Lake City. (7)
-- Apr 6, 1860
[Lucy Mack Smith] Twenty-seven-year-old Joseph Smith III accepts the presidency of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at Amboy, Illinois. Emma Smith Bidamon accompanies him to the conference and also affiliates with the new church, as do Alexander Hale and David Hyrum. (Frederick dies in 1862 without joining the RLDS Church.) (5)
-- Apr 7, 1860
[Deseret] the first Pony Express rider arrived in Salt Lake City having left Sacramento, California on the evening of April 3. On April 9 the first Pony Express rider from the east arrived in Salt Lake City, having left St. Joseph, Missouri on the evening of April 3. (2)
-- Aug 26, 1860
George Q. Cannon is ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (8)
[Quorum of the Twelve] George Q. Cannon ordained. (9)
-- Sep 24, 1860
Last handcart company arrived in Salt Lake City. (7)
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, Pioneers and Cowboys, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/pioneersandcowboys.html
3 - Clackamas Heritage Partners, http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=107Itemid=75
4 - Hale, Van, Mormon Miscellaneous, Rocky Mountain Prophecy, http://www.mormonmiscellaneous.com/radioprogramblog/id8.html
5 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books
6 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://bit.ly/Fwgbe
7 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
8 - Wikipedia, 19th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
9 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
