LDS history (a bit)

On March 28, 1836 the Church's first temple was dedicated in Kirkland , Ohio by Joseph Smith. Excerpt from the dedicatory prayer: "But thou knowest that thou hast a great love for the children of Jacob, who have been scattered upon the mountains for a long time, in a cloudy and dark day. We therefore ask thee to have mercy upon the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem from this hour, may begin to be redeemed; and the yoke of bondage may begin to be broken off from the house of David; and the children of Judah may begin to return to the lands which thou didst give to Abraham, their father."

On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob in Carthage , Illinois . They were slain shortly after reading together a book written by Josephus.

After the murders the presiding apostles issued a "proclamation to the World." It said , in part, "The Jews among all nations are commanded to prepare to return to Jerusalem in Palestine , and to rebuild that city to the Lord. And also to organize and establish their own political government under their own rulers, judges and governors in that country."

For more than five decades (1870s-1920s), the Church seriously considered establishing a Mormon colony in Palestine .