Today, President Obama met with Thomas S. Monson (above), the president of the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).
While they're friendly now, the Mormon Church and the federal government have often had a rocky relationship--from founder Joseph Smith's decision to advocate "theodemocracy" in place of the American system of government, to bouts of persecution and open warfare.
Click here to read more about the interaction between the U.S. government and the Mormon Church, from Joseph Smith to the present day.
--Dylan Matthews
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