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Joseph Smith, first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, knew that the Church would grow in this way.  Joseph often received revelations from God, and the Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of many of those revelations. Several of them speak to the exponential growth of the Church:

• “For, verily, the sound must go forth from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth–the gospel must be preached unto every creature, with signs following them that believe” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:64)

• “The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 65:2)

• “And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:37)

The Book of Mormon (a record of nations in the ancient Americas translated by Joseph Smith) also contains prophecies about The Church of Jesus Christ and its growth:

• “In the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed” (1 Nephi 15:13)

• “And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men” (2 Nephi 25:17)

• “Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them” (3 Nephi 16:7).

Even the Bible contains prophecies about The Church of Jesus Christ filling the earth and gathering God’s children:

• “That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3)

• “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6)

• “As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day” (Ezekiel 34:12)

The Church of Jesus Christ has placed heavy emphasis on missionary work ever since its restoration in 1830 — it is the “great commission” of the Lord. In the early days of the Church, Mormon missionaries went to Europe to teach, and soon after that, entered Asia and the Pacific islands. In 2012, Mormon leadership lowered the minimum age for full-time missionaries from 19 to 18 for men, and from 21 to 19 for women. As of 2013, The Church of Jesus Christ had over 80,000 full-time missionaries serving all around the world. This missionary force is key in the fulfillment of prophecies about the spreading of the gospel around the world.

During his ministry as prophet, Joseph Smith prophesied powerfully about the influence the gospel would have on the world:

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done (History of the Church, 4:540).

Why Would Anyone Want to Join Such a Church?

Skeptics can’t deny that something has to account for the rapid growth of The Church of Jesus Christ, especially with the lifestyle changes new converts have to make. Anyone baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ is required to give up coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, and commit to live the law of chastity, which in many cases, requires converts to marry their significant other or end their relationship. Some converts even encounter harsh disapproval from friends and family members.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, one of the general leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ, said that converts to the Church have powerful reasons for doing so. These reasons include love for the Savior, opportunities to make a difference, and paths to dear blessings like guidance, healing, and knowledge. (Read this talk given by President Uchtdorf.)

Mormons bear a unique and powerful message of peace and redemption. Mormon missionaries encourage people to ask God for themselves whether or not the message they share is true. The Church of Jesus Christ teaches each member that he or she needs to develop a personal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Mormon missionaries are not called to convince or prove to investigators of the truth; anyone can receive his or her own personal witness of the Mormon message through studying the Book of Mormon and sincerely praying about it.

At the very end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni, the last of the Book of Mormon prophets, extends this invitation:

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:4 – 5).

The rapid growth of The Church of Jesus Christ is not evidence of highly trained salespersons or polished marketing (most missionaries are young men and women in their late teens and early 20s). The exponential rise in membership is explained by the fact that the message Mormons have to share is true, that its promises are real. Millions of people all over the world have put the message to the test, and God has answered them personally.  If you’re interested in what Mormons have to say, you can chat with missionaries here. You can order a free Book of Mormon by clicking here.

“I am pleased to announce that effective immediately, all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19. I am not suggesting that all young men will—or should—serve at this earlier age.Rather, based on individual circumstances, as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available.

As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21.”

Mormon missionaries teach about Jesus Christ.

Reaction was swift and bishops (lay ministers) are reporting a rapid response from teenagers, some emailing for appointments to discuss missions the moment the announcement was made. It is anticipated that the announcement will increase the number of missionaries in the field, due to the ability to serve before getting caught up in other life choices.

This announcement will also impact the populations of church-owned universities and sports teams, eventually leading to an older student population and initially opening up more spots for new students.

Mormons serve at their own expense. They often begin saving money in childhood so that much of the expense is really their own, helping them to appreciate the experience more. They also study their faith more intensely than teens of most faiths, with a Pew forum study showing that Mormon teens were better able to discuss their faiths and to show a sincere commitment to it than most other teens. Preparation includes study as a family and an individual, attendance in weekly Sunday School and youth classes, and also attendance in daily religious study before school. They are taught to read the scriptures for themselves and to pray for a personal testimony.

Now, with the possibility of serving at an even younger age, parents and teens are being asked to step up their preparations. In order to accommodate the anticipated increase in numbers, training will be shortened, which means missionaries must arrive better prepared. This will help teens become even better acquainted with their faith.

Missions are recognized as a way to help teenagers mature rapidly. It requires strict self-discipline because there are many rules designed to help teens stay morally safe and focused on their work. This discipline, much like the discipline received by people in the military for example, helps teens to become more adult and better prepared for the rigors of adult life. Because they are expected to do community service on their missions, they train themselves to notice the needs of others and then to meet them. They become exposed to new cultures, new ideas, and diversity of people. They learn to cope with rejection and develop courage and tact. All these skills make them very competent adults.

A meeting with church leaders was originally scheduled earlier in the year. However, when President Hinckley, who was then president of the Church, died, the funeral was scheduled for the same day as President Obama’s trip to Utah. President Obama respectfully bowed out of the meeting, although his wife came for a visit with church leaders later on.

When President Obama was inaugurated, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve represented the church. President Uchtdorf said afterwards, “”It was a great experience we had — to see a unity there that I hope will last on and continue throughout the years of this administration.” Elder Ballard said, “”I left with a feeling that the people of America are going to unite behind this new president and his administration and that we need to pray for him. We need to exercise our prayers and help him accomplish the great objectives that he has set.” (See Mormon Times, “LDS leaders feel ‘deep emotion’ at inauguration” by Scott Taylor for the entire story.)

Mormons teach that family life can continue on after death, and so they do family history work as part of their religion. These are their own family members, people with whom they will spend eternity, and they consider it important to get to know them.

In addition, Mormons teach that a loving God would not punish a person simply because he did not have an opportunity to learn the gospel and decide whether or not he wanted to live it. Since the Bible teaches that baptism is required for salvation, as is accepting Jesus into a person’s life, many people would be unfairly denied an opportunity for salvation if their lives didn’t happen to lead them to someone who could teach them the truth. Mormons do not believe God is unfair.

Mormons believe each person will, to satisfy justice and mercy, must be given the opportunity to learn truth and choose whether or not to accept it. Those who die are taught the truth and, after they’ve been dead at least one year, a living person who is directly related to the deceased person can submit that person’s genealogical information. Then a living person, acting as proxy, can be baptized and confirmed for that person. However, this does not automatically make that person a Mormon. If he had learned the gospel during his lifetime, he would have been able to agree to or reject the truth. Even some who come to know what they are being taught is true choose not to accept church membership and the responsibilities of discipleship to the Savior that come with that membership.

The same is true of those who die and learn of the gospel after death. Although at that point in time, they will clearly know what is true and what isn’t, some will prefer not to accept it. Therefore, simply having a proxy ordinance done does not make that person a Mormon. This is a choice he must make for himself, because agency, the right to choose, is central to the Creator’s plan for us. If the deceased person rejects the ordinance, it is as if it was never performed.

While President Obama may not choose to use his genealogy for this purpose, it is certain he will find it interesting to explore his ancestors, some of whom were among the earliest settlers of this country. He is, in fact, descended through the same Hinckley line as Gordon B. Hinckley, former president of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

(See his genealogy—not the one the church is presenting–on Wargs.com.)