The First Presidency of the Church, in their General Epistle, proposed, for the Saints who should emigrate by the P. E. Fund, to cross the plains with handcarts. (1)
-- During 1855 October
A branch of the Church was organized in Dresden, Germany. (1)
-- Nov 22, 1855
[Lucy Mack Smith] Enoch Tripp visits Lucy in Nauvoo. She kisses him and sends her love to Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other friends. (2)
-- 1855
Church Membership at end of year: 63,974
New Converts : -4,455
Percent Change from previous year: -6.51% (3)
-- 1855 1855
During this year grasshoppers and drouth caused a great failure of crops in Utah. (1)
-- During 1855
Deseret Philharmonic Society is organized in Salt Lake City. (4)
-- During 1855-1905
[Deseret] LDS church leaders wanting to promote home industries develops the silk industry in Utah. Silk was one of a series of home industries--launched to establish a diversified economy--that included breweries, tobacco growing, cotton growing, lace making, and the making of straw hats. These enterprises were an essential part of the cooperative economy the Mormons sought to establish in their promised land. Home industry was meant to keep money in Utah rather than have it spent for costly imports from thousands of miles away. (4)
-- During 1855
Fast day inaugurated as first Thursday of each month. [See Fast and Testimony Meeting.] (5)
[Lucy Mack Smith] An inventory of materials in the Historian's Office includes "Mother Smith's history in manuscripts." (2)
[OREGON TRAIL] Indian wars do what cholera could not and keep emigration down to only 5000 each year. Travel changes with the beginning of freight traffic leaving Leavenworth, Atchison, and Westport. The largest freight company is the firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell. (6)
-- During 1855-1857
[Periodicals] The Mormon; John Taylor New York City, New York (News Paper) (7)
-- During 1855-1861
[Periodicals] Der Darsteller der; German Mission Geneva and Zurich, Heiligen der Letzten Switzerland Tage GERMAN (Periodical) (7)
-- During 1855
[Utah Statehood] Encouraged by President Pierce's willingness to allow Brigham Young to continue as the territorial governor, the Mormons began a second effort to achieve statehood. When the fifth territorial legislature convened in Fillmore (briefly the territorial capital) on December 10, 1855, it passed an act authorizing the election of delegates to a constitutional convention. (8)
-- May 4, 1856
The Ship 'Thornton' leaves Liverpool, England carrying 764 saints. They were all being led by James G. Willie. (9)
-- May 14, 1856
Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, d. Nauvoo, age 81. (5)
Lucy Mack Smith dies, having spent her last three years with Emma. (10)
Footnotes:
1 - Richards, Franklin Dewey and Little, James A., Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, Church Chronology, Ch.66, p.306
2 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books
3 - 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
4 - History to Go, Pioneers and Cowboys, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/pioneersandcowboys.html
5 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
6 - Clackamas Heritage Partners, http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=107Itemid=75
7 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, Appendix 3: Church Periodicals
8 - Thatcher, Linda, History to Go, Statehood Chronology, http://www.onlineutah.com/statehoodchronology.shtml
9 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Kingdom, "On This Day," https://www.lds.org.uk/show_oda.php
10 - Proctor, Scott and Maurine Jensen, editors, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother: Revised and Enhanced
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
