Introduction

The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, commonly known as "Mormonism," was founded in 1830, by Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844). Smith founded the Latter-day Saints (LDS) Church after he was unable to determine which Christian church was true. According to LDS scripture, he prayed for guidance in 1820 and was then visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ, who were said to have appeared to him to declare that no church held the entire truth and that he would lead a restoration of the gospel in its fullness.

LDS doctrine states that in 1823, Smith was visited by an angel named Moroni, who told him about a divine record written on golden plates. After a time, Smith received these plates and published the Book of Mormon, a text that purported to be a translation of these plates. In 1830, Smith organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the state of New York.

Shortly after the establishment of the LDS church, Smith and his followers moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where the LDS community grew. In 1838, the main body of the church moved to Missouri, but hostilities between the Latter-day Saints and Missourians soon required the church body to relocate again to Illinois. The Mormons established a new community in Nauvoo and built a temple there. In 1844 Smith was killed by a mob while being held in a jail in the city of Carthage. With threats against the LDS community growing, Smith’s successor Brigham Young decided to move the entire church once again. After traveling across the Midwest in wagon trains, the Latter-day Saints finally settled in present-day Salt Lake City, Utah, where their headquarters are now located.

Mormon Beliefs

Non-Trinitarians: Mormons are Non-Trinitarian. They believe that God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three separate, but equally important, personages.

Sacred Texts: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are the standard works accepted by the church as scripture. Members are encouraged to seek personal revelation from God on any matter of importance.

Priesthood: LDS doctrine holds that Jesus delegates authority to mortals through what is known as the priesthood³"Priesthood" in the LDS Church refers to the authority of God, through which individuals can perform ordinances and miracles. It is thought that the priesthood includes power that Jesus gave his apostles to perform miracles and cast out demons. Men are ordained to receive or "hold" the priesthood, and a group of these men is called a "quorum".. Smith and his secretary, Oliver Cowdery, are said to have been visited by John the Baptist, who ordained them as priests in the Aaronic Priesthood.⁴The Aaronic Priesthood is considered to be the lesser of the two main priesthoods within the LDS Church. The Aaronic Priesthood is named after Moses' brother Aaron, whom Mormons believe held this priesthood in the Old Testament. Usually, males who are considered by Church authority as worthy become deacons in the Aaronic Priesthood at age 12. Later, they were purportedly visited by Simon Peter, James, and John, who ordained them apostles in the Melchizedek Priesthood.⁵The Melchizedek Priesthood is the greater of the two main priesthoods in the LDS Church. It is sometimes referred to as "The Holy Priesthood" or the "Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God." Adult males who are considered to be worthy by Church authority can enter into the Melchizedek Priesthood as elders of the church, which then qualifies them to enter into church leadership positions. Today, the senior living apostle is the president of the LDS Church. All the apostles are sustained as "prophets, seers and revelators."⁶"The Sustaining of Church Officers." All worthy males above age twelve hold the priesthood. The LDS Church has no paid clergy, and priesthood holders are called by church authorities to serve as lay ministers.

Church structure: The most basic unit of the LDS Church is a ward, or local congregation, which is overseen by a bishop. Multiple wards constitute a stake,⁷A "stake" is a term given to multiple congregations within the LDS Church that form an administrative unit. A stake must be composed of at least 3 wards and 16 congregations. which operate under the direction of a stake president. Multiple stakes form areas, which are overseen by members of the Quorums of the Seventy.⁸"Quorums of the Seventy" are bodies of certain priesthood holders in the Melchizedek priesthood who are charged with overseeing missionary work. Members of these quorums are often required to travel as a means of spreading the Gospel. These areas are considered to be the primary administrative units between the stakes and the church as a whole. They are under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles⁹The "Quorum of the Twelve Apostles" is a part of the hierarchical structure in the LDS church. Members of the "Quorum" are said to be Apostles with authority to prophecy and receive revelations from God. , which is under the direction of the First Presidency¹⁰The "First Presidency" is the highest governing body in the LDS Church consisting of the President and anywhere from 2-8 counsels. The job of the First Presidency is to act as guidance for the Church as a whole. . No person may serve in any capacity without the sustaining vote of those he or she will serve.

Ordinances: Latter-day Saints observe five sacraments, which they call "the ordinances of salvation": Baptism by immersion, Confirmation (of those over age 8), Ordination¹¹"Ordination" in the LDS Church refers to the ordination into the priesthood. This is only available for men who are deemed worthy. Worthiness is based upon one's moral behavior as well as personal testimony in believing in the doctrine of the LDS Church. Until 1973, members of African-American descent were not allowed in the priesthood. The LDS Church holds that in 1973 Spencer W. Kimball, the president of the church at that time, received a revelation allowing African Americans into the priesthood. (for men), the Endowment¹²"Endowment" refers to a gift given to mankind from God or the heavenly realms. In the past, these have been the institution of the High Priesthood, as well as other rituals given to the Church. , and Celestial Marriage¹³"Celestial Marriage" refers to the doctrine of marriage in the LDS Church that states that all marriages are between a man and a woman and are sealed by a church authority in the LDS temple to last for this life as well as the afterlife, as long as they abide by the covenants established in the marriage ritual. These covenants include being obedient to the Lord's commandments, remaining chaste and pure, and being willing to sacrifice everything for the Lord. . The Eucharist¹⁴Eucharist, which is called "the sacrament" by Latter-Day Saints, is viewed as a renewal of baptismal covenants. In this sense, it is viewed as an extension of baptism, rather than as a separate and distinct ordinance., which Latter-day Saints refer to as “the sacrament,” is administered during the weekly worship service, and Unction (the blessing of the sick) is performed as needed.

Dietary Law: The Word of Wisdom serves as LDS dietary law. Alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee are banned. A healthy diet of grains, fruits, and limited meat is encouraged.

Polygamy: Polygamy was practiced from about 1840 until officially ended in 1890. Some Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints (FLDS) still practice polygamy in modern times.