-- May 14, 1977
Aaronic Priesthood program adopted title Young Men. (1)
-- May 22, 1977
Formation of a new Church Activities Committee, with responsibility for coordinating cultural arts and physical activities, was announced. (2)
Church Activities Committee organized. (1)
-- May 30, 1977
Poland granted legal status to the Church. (2)
-- Jun 19, 1977
[U.S. Religious History] John Nepomuceno Neumann was canonized by Pope Paul VI, becoming the first American-born male saint. Neumann was the fourth Bishop of the Philadelphia Diocese and his most important mark on American Catholicism may be his creation of the parochial school system. (3)
-- Jul 1, 1977
In response to continued growth in membership worldwide, the geographic subdivisions of the Church, previously known as areas, were renamed zones, and the 11 zones were subdivided into areas. Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were assigned as zone advisers and area supervisors. (2)
-- Aug 24, 1977
[Spencer W. Kimball] Dedicates Poland for future Church workthe first visit of a President of the Church behind what was then known as the Iron Curtain. (4)
-- During August 1977
The Ensign for the blind replaces The New Messenger. Began publication in 1953. (5)
-- Oct 1, 1977
The Church published A Topical Guide to the Scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first product of a continuing scriptural-aids project established by the First Presidency. (2)
-- Oct 28, 1977
Bonneville Entertainment Inc. organized to produce films and television features. It is dissolved in 1982. (5)
-- Nov 10, 1977
[U.S. Religious History] Pope Paul VI abolished the automatic excommunication imposed on divorced American Catholics who remarried. This penalty of excommunication was first handed down by the Plenary Council of American Bishops in 1884. (3)
-- 1977
Church Membership at end of year: 3,969,220
New Converts : 226,471
Percent Change from previous year: 6.05% (6)
[Catholic Church in Utah] Bishop James E. Kearney (1884-1977) brought national renown to Utah as a missionary entity of the American Catholic Church. (7)
Footnotes:
1 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
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 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://am-rel-hist.gu.ma
4 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, Salt Lake City, Utah
5 - Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984
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 Historical Encyclopedia: Catholic Church in Utah, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/c/CATHOLIC.html
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
