A convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of one month, Parley P. Pratt began a missionary journey to Ohio in 1830 among Native Americans. On his way, Pratt and his three fellow missionaries baptized 127 people within just a few weeks, including the minister Sidney Rigdon and much of his congregation. Kirtland, Ohio, became Church headquarters from 1831 to 1838. In its prime, Kirtland was home to 3,200 members.
In 1831, Church President Joseph Smith and his wife visited Ohio and stayed at the Newel K. Whitney store. Church members sacrificed their time, money, and belongings to build a temple in Kirtland. In 1836, after three years of labor, the temple was complete. Two years later, members were forced to leave nearly everything they owned in Kirtland, including the temple, to gather with other Saints in Missouri. As a result, the Church no longer uses the temple edifice.
Most Church members completed the trek to Missouri by 1838. Full-time missionaries returned to Kirtland in 1977. In 1979, the Church acquired the Newel K. Whitney store, which is now a well-visited historic site.
