Church History by the Decade 1940's

 

1940	Church Membership	862,664
1936	LDS missionaries coach	German b-ball teams & officiated in the 36 Berlin Olympics.
1940	Book of Mormon 1st	Printed in Portugese
1940-Mar. 29	J. Reuben Clark called meeting of auxiliary executives,	"home is basis of righteous life, & no other instrumentality can take its place nor fulfill its essential functions. Auxiliaries to aid the home it its problems.
1940-Oct. 14	Missionaries told to	Return home from Pacific Islands because of the threat of war.
1941-Apr.	137 Stakes
1941-Apr. 6	Assistants to the Twelve first called:	Marion G. Romney, Thomas E. McKay, Clifford E. Young, Alma Sonne, Nicholas G. Smith
1941-Apr. 6	Harold B. Lee to 12
1942-Apr.	General Conference	Held in Salt Lake Temple due to restrictions in travel.
1943-March 7	The Navajo-Zuni Mission	First mission designated only for Indians.
1943	Ezra Taft Benson	Ordained an apostle. Oversaw relief efforts of Church in Europe after World War II.
1943-Aug. 13	Draft age 18 in USA	young men  ordained elders at the age of 18. formerly 19.
1943-Oct	Spencer W. Kimball	Ordained an apostle
1945	1st non-English	Temple ordinances given in Spanish
1945-May 14	HJ Grant died (88)
1945-May 21	George Albert Smith	Sustained as President. JFSmith president of SL Temple
1945-Aug. 13	Tabernacle opened for	The first time in almost 4 years.
1945-Aug. 14	WW II ended- Saint in uniform numbered	about 100,000= 1 in 10 members.  5,714 LDS killed, wounded or MIA. Several German Pow's were baptized.
1945-Sept. 23	Idaho Falls Temple	Dedicated by George Albert Smith
1946-Jan. 1	Church began sending supplies to Europe led by Ezra Taft Benson.	Missions re-opened. Elder Matthew Cowley re-opened Pacific.-Many healings. One day he gave blessings to 76. Boyd K. Packer baptized Tatsui Sato in Japan.
1946-	Missionaries reached	2,244. By 1950- 5,156
1946	1st Presidency said that	No more music during passing of sacrament.
1947	Finnish Mission	organized
1947	Uruguay mission created	Missionary work formally organized in Central America
1947	Mission Presidents call	Counselors. 1 local and 1 missionary
1947-Jan. 1	Church membership	Reached 1 million
1947-July 24	George Albert Smith	Dedicated the "This is the Place Monument"
1947-Fall	Indian student	Placement program began.
1948	One million people	Visit Temple Square for first time in one year
1948-May 21	All Church building operations postponed	High cost of building has led  brethren to consider the matter of Church building operations, Wards  must furnish their proportionate share of construction costs
1948-Oct. 17	Mormon Tab.Choir's	1,000th weekly --Music and the Spoken Word broadcast.
1949	Intermountain Indian	School opened in Brigham City. Boyd Packer 1st Seminary tchr.
1949	Ground broken for	Primary Children's hospital. 1.25 million dollars.
1949-Oct.	General Conference	Telecasts begin to Salt Lake audience.