The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being 1,830 years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh,

it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month which is called April.

Doctrine in Covenants 20, verse 1.

Hey listeners, this is Neil from Book Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question,

how did the establishment of Jesus Christ's church in 1830 comply with the law?

The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

then called the Church of Christ on April 6, 1830, was carried out by the will and commandments

of God and also established agreeable to the laws of our country. For a long time, historians

misunderstood the implications of this statement. Recent analysis by David Keith Stott,

a practicing attorney in New York, significantly clarifies how the establishment of the church

was done in accordance with New York law and customs of the time. As Stott explains, there were

two ways to organize a church in New York in 1830. One was to establish a religious

corporation, and the other was to establish a religious society. Specific statutes in New York

law dictated the procedures for the incorporation of a church. While the historical accounts of

the church's organization in 1830 have some superficial resemblances to some of the legal incorporation requirements, key details are missing.

For instance, there is no evidence that trustees were selected to administer the church's business affairs, nor that a certificate of incorporation was ever filed with the county clerk.

Thus, Stott argues that on April 6, 1830, the church was organized as an unincorporated religious society. Fewer legal

requirements were involved with this type of establishment, but there were still customary

practices and procedures expected to be followed. Drawing on the typical practices of Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, and Episcopalians,

Stott shows that the organization of the church followed the norms in place around 1830.

Stott specifically identifies five ways these norms were followed.

As they prepared to organize the church, Joseph Smith said

...