How the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Scandal Shaped Early Mormonism

LDS Perspective

The Kirtland Safety Society represented a significant financial and spiritual trial for the early Church during the mid-1830s. Founded in November 1836 by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, the institution was established to provide capital for economic growth, support the gathering of Saints to Ohio, assist displaced Saints in Missouri, and further the establishment of Zion. When the Ohio state legislature declined to issue a banking charter, the Society operated as an unchartered joint-stock company beginning in January 1837, issuing its own notes as currency in accordance with common practices of the era. However, the venture faced immediate opposition and collapsed by August 1837 during the broader Panic of 1837, a national economic depression triggered by fiscal policy changes in Britain

Historical Perspective

The Kirtland Safety