Lorenzo Snow

Actions as Church President

As he began his tenure as president, President Snow had to deal with the aftermath of legal battles with the United States over the practice of plural marriage. Men engaging in plural marriage were still being arrested and confined in Utah Territory. However, many members of the LDS church did not chose to accept the validity of the 1890 Manifesto written by President Wilford Woodruff, and there was a strong division of opinion even in the priesthood hierarchy of the church.

Related Topics:
Plural marriage - Utah Territory - 1890 Manifesto - Wilford Woodruff

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The LDS church was also in severe financial difficulties, some of which were related to the legal problems over plural marriage. President Snow approached this problem first by issuing short terms bonds with a total value of one million dollars. This was followed by emphatic teaching on God's law of tithing. It was during this time that the Church officially adopted the principle of tithing, the payment of 10% of one's earnings, as a hallmark of membership. In a short period of time, the members' practice of paying a tithe reduced the church's debt and financial difficulties to a manageable level.

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Lorenzo Snow died of pneumonia in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1901, and was succeeded in office by Joseph F. Smith.

Related Topics:
Salt Lake City, Utah - 1901 - Joseph F. Smith

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