Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints functions as a worldwide Christian restorationist faith that provides regular worship services, scripture study, and religious instruction to its adherents. It maintains a global missionary program that sends volunteers to teach its beliefs and perform community service in numerous countries. The organization also operates educational institutions, including universities and seminaries, that offer academic and religious training to students. In addition, it runs extensive humanitarian aid efforts, supplying food, clothing, and disaster relief to populations in need regardless of religious affiliation.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America, the church reports a membership numbering in the millions spread across continents, with congregations established in dozens of nations. Its presence is visible through a network of meetinghouses and temples that serve as centers for worship and community gatherings. The church’s humanitarian arm, often highlighted in disaster responses, collaborates with governmental and non‑governmental partners to deliver aid efficiently.

Distinguishing characteristics of the faith include a lay clergy model where local leaders serve without professional remuneration, and a strong emphasis on family history and genealogical research facilitated by the freely accessible FamilySearch database. The church also operates a distinctive welfare system that provides assistance to members facing economic hardship, funded through voluntary contributions. Its temple building program, which creates sacred spaces for specific rites, sets it apart from many other Christian denominations.

Structurally, the church is governed by a hierarchical leadership headed by a president who is regarded as a prophet, seer, and revelator, assisted by two counselors and a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This leadership oversees both ecclesiastical affairs and the temporal assets held by the corporation known as the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The organization is a non‑profit religious entity; it does not have a parent company or subsidiaries in the commercial sense, and its properties and funds are administered for the benefit of its membership and humanitarian missions.