The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the Mormon Church, was organized on 6 April 1830 in Fayette, New York, by Joseph Smith. As the Church grew, new converts gathered in Ohio and Missouri. While the Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, experienced persecution, those gathered in Missouri were repeatedly driven from town to town by angry mobs. Having been forced from Missouri in 1839, Church members gathered in Illinois and built a thriving city called Nauvoo in a swampy bend of the Mississippi River. However, within seven years they were again forced from their homes. Led by Brigham Young, these pioneers fled 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) westward to the Salt Lake Valley, to escape persecution, and founded Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Latter-Day Saint Church continues to be headquartered today. The church has now expanded to more than 12.5 million members.

Church members follow a law of health known as the Word of Wisdom that promotes healthy eating as well as avoiding tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs.

Beliefs

Latter-day Saints (Mormons) believe in Christ, and they strive to follow his example. They testify of Christ and their Church bears his name. From the organization of the LDS Church in 1830, the Church's doctrine focused on Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith, Jr. wrote in 1842 to Chicago Democrat editor John Wentworth a statement of Church beliefs. The first of these 13 doctrinal declarations, later called the Articles of Faith, stated the following:

“We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

"The Articles of Faith are thirteen statements written by the Prophet Joseph Smith describing some of the basic teachings and ordinances of the Church". [1]

The LDS website states:

"We believe in the Jesus of the New Testament, and we believe what the New Testament teaches about Him. We do believe things about Jesus that other Christians do not believe, but that is because we know, through revelation, things about Jesus that others do not know."

Members of the church believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct glorified beings, that God, the Father of all spirits (even including Lucifer) and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in a vision in the spring of 1820 in response to Joseph's prayer requesting to know which of the many local Christian denominations he should join himself with, and that They told him that he should join with none of them. The reason behind this direction was as follows, according to LDS beliefs: the organization or "church" put in place by Jesus Christ during His ministry both before and after His resurrection was meant to remain as long as there were faithful followers, although there was clear understanding that a "falling away" (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3) or apostasy would take place, destroying for a time this organization (though not destroying faith in Jesus Christ, which did persist). This church organization provided a structure whereby two key components were maintained: the Priesthood, and continuing and direct revelation from the ascended Jesus Christ to His chosen Apostles.

According to LDS beliefs, the Priesthood is the authority given by Jesus Christ to His Apostles and others, both to direct the Church, as well as to perform the associated and necessary ordinances, such as baptism by water immersion, and giving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Without this authority, it would be impossible to perform them in an authorized manner (see Acts 8:18-23). This authority, in actuality a covenant of service, only placed on men and not at all a legitimate source of self-aggrandizement, could only be passed from one authorized holder to another worthy man through the laying on of hands. Thus, while although initially the full quorum of 12 Apostles was maintained (see Acts 1:15-26), the Apostles were killed one by one and the Lord, in His mercy, ceased to give these murderers further opportunity of condemning themselves as more Apostles were not chosen. Thus, without the Priesthood and without the continuing revelation that the Lord provided to His Apostles to lead and guide the church, it fell way, as had been prophesied.

Therefore, LDS doctrine teaches of the necessity of a complete restoration rather than simply a reformation, and for this reason, Joseph Smith was called by God to be the first prophet, in the same sense as Moses, Isaiah, or Peter, since the times of the New Testament. Mormons believe that since Joseph Smith, the leaders of the Church, from Brigham Young to Gordon B. Hinckley today, were and are prophets, with the complete Priesthood authority (restored through the laying on of hands by first John the Baptist and then by Apostles Peter, James and John). Mormons revere these men just as the Biblical prophets are revered and in particular, honor Joseph Smith for being the man through whom God and Jesus Christ chose to restore Their church to the earth.

Scriptures

The four standard works of the Church are:

• The King James Version of the Bible - both the Old and New Testaments
• The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ - Translation of the spiritual record of two ancient civilizations in the western hemisphere, one from the time of the Tower of Babel to about 600 B.C., and the other from 600 B.C. to 421 A.D.
• Doctrine and Covenants - Modern-day revelation as received by the Prophet Joseph Smith and other modern-day prophets
• Pearl of Great Price - Selection of translations, revelations and narrations from the Prophet Joseph Smith

Book of Mormon

President Gordon B. Hinckley said the following about the Book of Mormon in an October, 2002 General Conference address entitled "The Marvelous Foundation of Our Faith":

"This remarkable book stands as a testimonial to the living reality of the Son of God. The Bible declares that 'in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established' (Matt. 18:16). The Bible, the testament of the Old World, is one witness. The Book of Mormon, the testament of the New World, is another witness.

I cannot understand why the Christian world does not accept this book. I would think they would be looking for anything and everything that would establish without question the reality and the divinity of the Savior of the world."

Restoration of the Priesthood

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that on May 15, 1829 A.D., the resurrected John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Aaronic priesthood, which includes the authority to baptize. Later, the resurrected Peter, James, and John appeared to them and conferred the Melchizedek priesthood.

Wards

Wards are geographically-defined congregations of the church. The Bishop is the spiritual leader of the ward and he serves with two counselors, all three chosen from among the body of the Ward. Bishops are usually called to serve for a period of five years and do so on a volunteer and unpaid basis, without formal ecclesiastical training, and while maintaining their secular professions.

The entire ward meets every week on Sunday to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and to receive counsel. The meetings are divided into three different hours:

• First hour - Sacrament meeting. Our main purpose in attending sacrament meeting is to renew our covenants through partaking of the sacrament and to worship our Heavenly Father through hymn singing and prayer. Sacrament meeting provides an opportunity for members to strengthen their faith, find inner peace and spiritual healing, receive inspiration, and be instructed in the gospel. A member of the bishopric begins the meeting welcoming all members and visitors. There is an opening hymn followed by an opening prayer (invocation). This is followed by conducting ward business where members are released and sustained from callings. Then the sacrament of bread and water is prepared, blessed by the priesthood, and passed to the congregation. The sacrament is a renewal of the covenants each member made at baptism to remember the Lord Jesus Christ and to keep his commandments. On the first Sunday of the month, the meeting conductor starts off the bearing of testimonies by offering his own personal testimony. A testimony is a personal witness that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. As inspired by the Spirit, other members give their testimonies. On the other three Sundays, there are talks from members. The sacrament meeting concludes with a closing hymn and prayer.
• Second hour - Sunday School, Primary and Nursery. Its purposes are to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthen individuals and families by encouraging them to study the scriptures, obey the commandments, receive the essential ordinances, and keep the associated covenants. All the adults and youth meet in Sunday School classes. Children younger than twelve and three or older attend Primary. Children who are at least 18 months old but who are not yet 3 years old on 1 January may attend nursery at the discretion of their parents.

Adult Sunday School - The adults meet in several different classes. New members to the Church usually attend a Gospel Essentials class where they learn the basic teachings of the Church. Most of the other adults attend a Gospel Doctrine class where they are instructed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the scriptures. The main subjects rotate every four years: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and the last year is Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price and Church history. The bible used by Church members is the King James Version.

Youth Sunday School - The youth meet in several different classes according to their ages. There are usually separate classes for twelve and thirteen year olds, fourteen and fifteen year olds and sixteen and seventeen year olds. When they turn eighteen, the member starts attending the adult classes.

Primary - The purpose of Primary is to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and help them learn to live it.

Nursery - The purpose of the nursery class is to provide a loving, safe, organized place where young children can increase their understanding of and love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, have positive experiences in a Church setting, and grow in feelings of self-worth.

• Third hour - Priesthood, Relief Society, Young Men, Young Women, Primary and Nursery. The men meet in Priesthood, the adult women meet in Relief Society,the male youth meet in Young Men, the female youth meet in Young Women and the children continue to meet in Primary or Nursery.

Priesthood - The purpose of the priesthood meetings are to increase priesthood holders’ knowledge of the gospel; strengthen their dedication to becoming better husbands, fathers, sons, and neighbors; and help them become active participants in fulfilling the mission of the Church.

Relief Society - The purpose of Relief Society is to provide relief for the poor and needy and to bring people to Christ.

Young Men - The purpose of the Young men group is to prepare the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, to receive the ordinances of the temple, and to serve a full-time mission.

Young Women - The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman, ages 12 to 18, "come unto Christ".

General Conference

The church holds a semi-annual General Conference (in April and October, five two-hour sessions over two days) during which members listen to spoken messages from the Prophet and President of the church, his two counselors, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders. These messages are received by members of the church as modern-day revelation, just as the words of Peter were received by the followers of Jesus Christ in his day. Many members travel to Salt Lake City for the two-day conference, but the proceedings are broadcast via satellite throughout the world (as well as streamed on the internet) so that the entire church can participate.

The semi-annual conference was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for 132 years, but in 2000, the church completed construction of the Conference Center and has held the conference there since April 2000. The Conference Center's primary feature is an auditorium that seats 21,000.

Controversy

Relationship to Christianity

Position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider themselves Christians. They worship Jesus Christ as their Creator (see John 1:3), their Savior and Redeemer, and ultimately their eternal Judge. They believe that the events described in the New Testament in reality occurred, including Jesus Christ's virgin birth, his sinless life and miraculous ministry, and his suffering, death, and literal resurrection, through which forgiveness of sin, salvation (understood in LDS doctrine to indicate resurrection and immortality, a free gift to all; see 1 Corinthians 15:22), and ultimately exaltation (returning to and eternally dwelling in the presence of God and Jesus Christ and becoming "joint-heirs with Christ"; see Romans 8:17), are made possible.

The eleventh of the above-mentioned thirteen articles of faith contains the following statement:

“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." (see Articles of Faith 1:11)

Positions of Various Christian Groups

There are significant differences between Mormonism and mainstream Protestant denominations. These differences have led to the desire on the part of some to actively speak against the LDS Church and its members. Doctrines of the church have been distorted or even fabricated to highlight these differences, and many misconceptions exist. Several Christian churches have released statements in opposition to the church and its doctrines.

The United Methodist Church has stated that the Mormon faith has "some radically differing doctrine on such matters of belief as the nature and being of God; the nature, origin, and purpose of Jesus Christ; and the nature and way of salvation." The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod goes further, stating that it, "together with the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States, does not regard the Mormon church as a Christian church." However, the Roman Catholic Church doesn't have high regard for the theology of the Lutheran Church or most other protestant denominations either.

While the Southern Baptist Convention states that the Mormon religion is "not consistent with biblical Christianity." Beliefnet.com details a number of differences between the Mormon faith and traditional Christianity.

Mormons differ from other Christian denominations on a number of key issues:

• They believe that God and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct yet glorified beings.
• They do not believe in the concept of "original sin", but instead that all people will be held accountable only for their own sins and transgressions.
• They believe that works (e.g. faith in Christ, repentance, baptism by water, receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and living a Christlike life) are required to qualify oneself for salvation but that salvation is only ultimately attained through the grace of God and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (as opposed to the belief in salvation through works, i.e. somehow acquiring ones own salvation independent of God or Jesus Christ, a belief not held by the LDS church).
• They believe that God was once a mortal man, and that all individuals who have ever lived or who will yet live, including Jesus & Lucifer, are the spirit children of God the Father.
• They believe that all people have the ultimate potential, through the grace of God, of not only returning to His presence (salvation) but becoming like Him (exaltation; see Romans 8:16-17).
• They believe that Joseph Smith was visited by God and Jesus Christ when he was 15 years old, and was chosen to be the prophet through whom Christ's church was restored to the earth.
• They believe that after His resurrection, Jesus Christ visited and ministered to believers who lived in the western hemisphere, and that the spiritual records of these people were collected and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon into a single work subsequently completed by his son Moroni and ultimately buried in a hill in upstate New York circa 421 A.D.
• They believe that the angel Moroni, in his resurrected state, appeared to Joseph Smith when he was 17 years old and told him of this record which Joseph eventually retrieved, translated through the power of God, and published as The Book of Mormon, later retitled, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
• They believe that God has continued to call prophets and apostles in the present day just as he did in Biblical times, starting with Joseph Smith, and that these men lead the restored church by revelation from Jesus Christ rather than through the sole reliance on human understanding.
• They believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).

Polygamy

Early ill will towards Mormons was sparked in part by its early practice of polygamy, which was sanctioned from 1840 until 1890. Even though it was officially discontinued in 1890, Mormonism and polygamy continue to be associated in the minds of the uninformed.

A 1998 statement by current LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley states:

This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.

However, in addition to "the" Church (the 12.5-million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), there continue to be small splinter groups, which also consider themselves to be Mormons and do practice polygamy. The most notable is the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (often called "Fundamentalist Mormons.") This group numbers about ten thousand. It broke from the Mormon church in 1890 over the issue of polygamy. It made headlines in 2006 and 2007, when leader Warren Jeffs was arrested by the FBI and indicted by a grand jury on charges of arranging illegal "marriages" between male followers and underage girls.

External Links

• www.lds.org Official Church Website
• www.mormon.org Official Church Website for Investigators
• scriptures.lds.org Official Online Version of the LDS Scriptures
• FamilySearch.org Official Church Genealogy Website, "the largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world."
• LDSChurchTemples.com "News, schedules, photographs, and interesting facts of the temples of the LDS Church"
• About Mormons
• Wikipedia article on the LDS Church

Links to Groups Not in Favor of the Mormon Church

• JesusNotJoseph
• Mormonism Research Ministry
• The Mormon Church & the Nature of God