An abandoned child was left at the door of Mrs -- The first circumstance of the kind known in Salt Lake City. (1)
-- Jun 26, 1870
[U.S. Religious History] Under the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, Congress officially declared Christmas to be a national holiday. (2)
-- Jul 3, 1870
[Quorum of the Twelve] Albert Carrington ordained. (3)
-- Aug 12, 1870
A discussion commenced, in Salt Lake City, between Professor O. Pratt and Dr. J P. Newman, chaplain of the U. S. Senate. Question. "Does the Bible sanction polygamy?" (1)
-- Aug 30, 1870
Martin Harris (age 88) arrived in Salt Lake City and bore Testimony to truth of Book of Mormon at General Conference. (4)
Martin Harris arrived in Salt Lake City and testified at general conference. (5)
-- Sep 15, 1870
Gov. J. W. Shafer issued a proclamation, forbidding the assembly of the militia of Utah Territory for any purpose except by his orders. (1)
-- 1870
Church Membership at end of year: 90,130
New Converts : 1,698
Percent Change from previous year: 1.92% (6)
-- During ca. 1870
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] Plays the part of a robber in a play entitled "The Robbers of the Rocky Mountains" at the Salt Lake Theatre. (7)
-- During 1870
[Deseret] Utah Territory enfranchises women. (8)
The Liberal Party organizes to oppose The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The People's Party organizes to support the church and oppose the Liberal Party shortly afterwards. Until this point, politics was run by the church almost exclusively, since the vast majority of citizens were members in the church. (9)
Women's Suffrage is rewarded with another victory, as the Utah Territory follows the Wyoming Territory's lead in giving the right to vote to women. It remains in effect until 1887, when it is banned by federal legislation. This was pushed by the People's Party because there were only a few non-Mormon women in the state. This gave the People's Party an overwhelming advantage at the polls. (9)
[Utah Statehood] Gentiles and dissident Mormons organized the Liberal party in Utah in February 1870. Until the formation of national parties in the territory the Liberal party and the People's party of the Mormons would frame political debate in Utah along religious lines. (10)
Footnotes:
1 - Richards, Franklin Dewey and Little, James A., Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, Church Chronology, Ch.66, p.306
2 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://bit.ly/Fwgbe
3 - 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)
4 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
5 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
6 - 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
7 - Larsen, Stan (editor), A Ministry of Meetings:The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson, Significant Mormon Diaries Series No. 6, A Rudger Clawson Chronology, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City 1993
8 - History to Go, Statehood, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/statehood.html
9 - Wikipedia, 19th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
10 - Thatcher, Linda, History to Go, Statehood Chronology, http://www.onlineutah.com/statehoodchronology.shtml
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
