The story of the early Mormon influence in Ocean County was affected by several outside factors.

In a 2001 issue of the Brigham Young University quarterly, Stephen J. Fleming wrote about Mormonism in the New Jersey Pines. He explained, “In June 1844, when Joseph Smith was martyred at Carthage, Illinois, Mormons were now faced with the question of who would be the prophet’s successor as Brigham Young, Sydney Rigdon, William Smith, and James Strang all put forth claims.