-- During January 1986
[U.S. Religious History] Jerry Falwell held a press conference in Washington, D.C., in order to announce that he was changing the name of the Moral Majority to the Liberty Foundation. This new title never caught on and was abandoned before long. (1)
-- During March 1986
[U.S. Religious History] Father Charles E. Curran, a moral theologian at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., revealed that the Vatican had given him an ultimatum: retract his views on birth control, divorce, and other matters pertaining to sexuality, or lose the authority to teach Roman Catholic doctrine. Thousands protested this ultimatum and Curran refused to retract; eventually, the Vatican revoked his license to teach as a Catholic theologian and in 1987 he was suspended from Catholic University entirely. (1)
-- Apr 30, 1986
Church membership was estimated to have reached the 6-million member milestone. (2)
Worldwide Church Membership is estimated to have reached Six Million [6 000 000]. (3)
-- Jun 22, 1986
The 1,600th stake of the Church was created by President Monson in Kitchener, Ontario. (2)
-- Jul 6, 1986
New missionary discussions, which focus on "teaching from the heart," were approved for use in all English-speaking missions. (2)
-- Oct 4, 1986
Seventies quorums in stakes throughout the Church were discontinued. (2)
-- Oct 9, 1986
Joseph B. Wirthlin is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (4)
-- Oct 11, 1986
In the first Churchwide Young Women activity, an estimated 300,000 gathered at sites around the world to release helium-filled balloons containing personal messages from the young women. (2)
-- Oct 24, 1986
Denver Colorado Temple; Location: Centennial, Colorado, USA; Announcement: 31 March 1982; Dedication: 24 October 1986 by Ezra Taft Benson; Style: Modern, single-spire design (5)
-- 1986
Church Membership at end of year: 6,166,974
New Converts : 247,491
Percent Change from previous year: 4.18% (6)
[African Americans in Utah] The Utah legislature reluctantly voted in 1986 to make the federal holiday observing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a state holiday. The state holiday is named Martin Luther King/Human Rights Day. The favorable vote was influenced by external considerations as well as broad-based support from a cross-section of the Utah populace. (7)
[Democrats in Utah] Defeats for Governor in 1984 and 1988, and for the U.S. Senate in 1980, 1982 and 1986 seemed to suggest that the party was facing hard times for the foreseeable future. (8)
Footnotes:
1 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://am-rel-hist.gu.ma
2 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html
3 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Kingdom, "On This Day," https://www.lds.org.uk/show_oda.php
4 - Wikipedia, 20th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)
5 - Wikipedia, List of Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_temples_of_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints#List_of_temples
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 - Utah History Encyclopedia: African Americans in Utah, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/a/African_Americans.html
8 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Democrats in Utah, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/d/DEMOCRATIC.html
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
