The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (sometimes known as the Mormon Church), as it is know today, was once called The Church of Christ. Officially the church was organized first on April 6, 1830. Joseph Smith and his followers were persecuted constantly for their beliefs. Mormon history indicates Missionaries were sent out to different areas of the east, and after a rapid growth in Kirtland, Ohio, and to avoid the constant persecution, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio. According to Mormon history they built a temple in Kirtland but after a few years the persecution grew to a point where they were driven out of the city. The Church moved to Missouri and Nauvoo, but it wasn’t until they moved to Utah where they finally found peace, where the church headquarters currently are.