God Wants You To Learn And Grow
Another purpose of this life is to learn and grow. We gain a lot of knowledge through experiencesboth good and bad. The Book of Mormon teaches us that this is a crucial aspect of this life: There is an opposition in all things. If not so, … righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad . As we experience both joy and sadness, both success and defeat, we learn how to follow God. Our experiences make us better people. They also help us appreciate what we have.
When Mormons Aspired To Be A White And Delightsome People
A historian looks at the legacy of racism in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
So many recent events in American life have been a call for the country to grapple with its legacy of racism and white supremacy, including the violence in Charlottesville and even the 2016 election. These events have created turmoil among some conservative Christian groups, who have triedin fits and startsto confront their own racial divisions.
One group, however, has taken a slightly different path: Mormons. While a majority of Mormons voted for Trump in the 2016 election, he fared far worse than previous Republican presidential candidates among the minority religious group. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, many in Mormon-heavy Utah doubted the presidents moral character and strength as a role model.
Romney Was Concerned His Mormon Faith Would Hurt His Politics
In the political arena, while seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney became concerned that his Mormon identity might be hurting him in the polls. In an attempt to assuage the publics misgivings, in December 2007 he gave a speech that some commentators compared to one John F. Kennedy delivered in 1960 to address concerns about his Roman Catholicism. While acknowledging his faith, Romney argued that if elected, his oath to the U.S. Constitution, rather than his faith, would outline his paramount duty.
Although Romney did not win the Republican nomination in 2008, he did run in 2012, and very little of the campaign centered around his religion or that of his running-mate, Wisconsin representative Paul Ryan, who was a Roman Catholic. A Pew study shows that the percentage of white evangelicals who voted for Romney was almost identical to the percentage of Mormons who did so .
This article was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2017 and 2019. Dennis Miles is a reference and instruction librarian at Texas Wesleyan University.
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Beliefs And Practices Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
Mormon Doctrine Joseph Smith, Jr.God the FatherJesus
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ that he was the Son of God, born of , lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared again to his disciples, and now resides, authoritatively, on the right hand side of God. In brief, some beliefs are in common with Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. However, teachings of the LDS Church differ significantly in other ways and encompass a broad set of doctrines, so that the above-mentioned denominations usually place the LDS Church outside the bounds of orthodox Christian teaching as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
The church’s core beliefs, circa 1842, are summarized in the “Articles of Faith“, and its four primary principles are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin, and the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Who Are The Latter
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the full name of this organization.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more colloquially referred to as the LDS Church or the Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church.Its members believe that their church is the restoration of the first church that Jesus Christ established, and they reject the trinitarian doctrine of the Christian faith.
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Hierarchy In Mormonism Vs Traditional Christianity
In Mormonism the hierarchy of authority begins with Jesus Christ himself and continues to the Presidency of the Church. The President of the Church is the highest ecclesiastical authority on the Earth and is often referred to as the Prophet. He, along with his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, are believed to have direct communication with Jesus Christ and are often referred to as special witnesses of Christ because of this close relationship with Him. The Prophet is assisted by two counselors, who together with him form the First Presidency of the Church. The Presidency, along with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which have equal authority, unitedly lead the church. These leaders are considered to be prophets, seers, and revelators. No decision is made for the Church as a whole without absolute unanimity on the part of these 15 men.
In Christianity, with Jesus Christ as Son of God, the hierarchy consists of priests, ministers, pastors and bishops.
Where Are Your Horns And Tail
Well, where are yours? Actually, even though Ive heard this before, I didnt think anyone actually believed it. But several LDS Living readers shared their experiences with this myth:
Did you know that Latter-day Saints have horns? True story! Back in 1977, I was talking to a sailor at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock who honestly thought that.
I’m middle-aged and heard the horns and tail story from my mother, who encountered people who wanted to see hers when she was a girl.
A kid in third or fourth grade said he heard that we have horns and a tail. We apparently keep our tail hidden and file down our horns so people won’t know about them. Even at 8 or 9, I found that so funny that I wasn’t mad or embarrassed.
I had a guy on a plane get really, really surprised to realize that the person he had been chatting with for a couple of hours was a Latter-day Saint, because he sincerely believed that we all had horns, and I did not. No jokean educated businessman in the ’90s who was heading to Park City to ski, and he was not kidding.
I moved to Oklahoma when I was in second grade. The other children in my class asked to feel my horns. I guess they thought that Latter-day Saints had horns that they had to file down to fit in. I let them feel my head, no horns.
The important thing to remember: Latter-day Saints are people, just like everybody else. Right down to our lack of horns and tails.
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The Book Of Mormon Is Another Testament Of Jesus Christ
As further confirmation of the divinity of the work Joseph Smith was called to do, the Lord revealed a volume of ancient scripture which had been recorded on the American Continent. Joseph Smith was given power to translate this record, which came to be known as the Book of Mormon. It contains the writings of prophets who lived and taught in the Americas at the time the Bible was being written in Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon contains many beautiful truths about the Savior Jesus Christ, and stands with the Bible as a second witness that Jesus was more than just a man: He was the very Messiah prophesied of in times of old, the Savior and the Redeemer of Mankind.
Because it was translated by the power of God, the Book of Mormon also serves as a witness that Joseph Smith was called by God, for if the Book of Mormon is a true record inspired by God, then Joseph Smith must also be a prophet. By knowing that Joseph Smith was a prophet, men and women can also know that the church he was led to organize is Christ’s church today.
Duties And Expectations Of Church Members
For members of the church, the greatest commandment is to love God with all their heart and the second is to love others as they love themselves. All other commandments are considered appendages to these great commandments /Matthew#22:37-40″ rel=”nofollow”> Matt 22:37-40). Members are encouraged to pray several times a day, to perform good works, and to read scriptures daily.
Members are expected to donate their time, money, and talents to the church, and those who have participated in the endowment ceremony make an oath to donate all that they have, if required of them, to the Lord. To be in good standing and to enter the church’s temples, church members are asked to tithe their income to the church, which is officially interpreted as 10 percent of annual income. In addition, members are invited to donate monthly charitable “fast offerings” , which are used to help the poor and needy in the community members are also encouraged to make other humanitarian donations through the church.
Church members are permitted to think or believe freely on any issue, but are discouraged from publicly criticizing local leaders or general authorities repeated public criticism of the church or its leaders may subject a person to church discipline for apostasy. The church maintains a Strengthening Church Members Committee which monitors members’ publications and refers critical material to local authorities for possible disciplinary action.
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Myth : Mormons Practice Polygamy
Polygamy, also known as plural marriage, was a central practice for Mormons in the 19th century, but the church outlawed it in 1904 and anyone suspected of practicing polygamy today is excommunicated.
In 1840, Joseph Smith received a revelation directing church members to reinstate the ancient practice of plural marriage as a way of quickly growing the faith’s numbers. Since plural marriage was illegal in the United States, Mormons became an outlaw people and the subject of bitter persecution, driven from place to place until they finally found sanctuary in the wilds of Utah, which wasn’t yet a state.
In 1890, as Mormons were lobbying Congress to admit Utah as a state, the then-prophet of the church Wilford Woodruff promised to end the practice of plural marriage in the faith. And in 1904, polygamy officially became punishable by excommunication from the church.
The ongoing confusion about Mormons and polygamy is that there are splinter sects living in Northern Mexico and rural parts of Arizona and Utah who continue to practice polygamy and call themselves the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These groups, which often dress in 19th-century garb and live in isolated compounds, are separate and distinct from mainstream Mormons.
The Doctrine Of Jesus Christ:
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Historic Christianity |
Mormonism |
| Jesus Christ was the virgin born God incarnate who existed in all time with the Father and Holy Spirit in the eternal Trinity. As a man He possessed two natures -human and divine. He lived a sinless life and willingly died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. | Jesus was the spiritual first born Son of God in the preexistence. Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother .And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn . He is also the only begotten physical offspring of God by procreation on earth. Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal father. That is why he is called the Only Begotten Son . His atonement provides immortality for all people regardless of their faith. Christ thus overcame physical death. Because of his atonement, everyone born on this earth will be resurrected . . . This condition is called immortality. All people who ever lived will be resurrected, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous . |
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There Are A Few Different Sects Of The Mormon Church
A common misconception is that all Mormons are part of the LDS church. The LDS church is the main group with its roots with Joseph Smith. Another group of Mormons that are not affiliated with the official LDS church is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This sect came to media attention with the conviction of church leader Warren Jeffs. The FLDS do practice polygamy, which was suspended by the LDS church in 1890.
Another different offshoot of Mormonism is the Apostolic United Brethren, which has members in many states. This group came about when their leader, Joseph W. Musser, split with other Mormon fundamentalists. This group practices polygamy as well.
Another Arizona sect, called Centennial Park group, came from conflict over leadership in the 1980s leadership of the FLDS church. The Centennial Park group, unlike other sects of the FLDS church, advocates spreading the groups message. While they do practice polygamy, they are against underage girls being forced to marry.
The Holy Ghost Will Reveal To Mankind The Truth Of All Things
As in ancient times, the Lord has promised that men need not rely on the words and testimonies of others to know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. Men have been promised that they can each receive his own witness that this is true. One such promise is located near the end of the Book of Mormon:
- âBehold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder them in your hearts.
- âAnd when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
- âAnd by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.â
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the true gospel has been restored to the earth, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church. They believe that each individual member has prayed to receive a witness from the Holy Ghost of that truth and that anyone who prays sincerely to that effect will receive the same answer directly from the Lord.
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The Book Of Mormon Is The Second Sacred Text Of Mormons
Next to the bible, the LDS church believes in the Book of Mormon. Mormon prophets who lived from 600 BC to AD 400 wrote the book. As we touched on above, the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the ancient book by what he called a revelation from God.
It has since been translated into more than 80 languages and more than 150 million copies have been printed. According to the book, Christ established his church in the Old World, or ancient America. People lived in unity for nearly 200 years after Jesus. Later, people abandoned Christs teachings and a war of extermination occurred.
The book refers to Jesus almost 4,000 times. The LDS church calls it another testament of Jesus Christ.
Religious Beliefs And Practices
The survey confirms that Mormons are highly religious. About eight-in-ten say that religion is very important in their lives. A similar number says they pray every day. And upwards of three-quarters say they attend religious services at least once a week. More than two-thirds of Mormons fit all three of these descriptions, saying that religion is very important to them, that they pray every day and that they go to church every week. By this measure, Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Protestants.
Mormons are also firm believers in the teachings of their church. Asked whether they believe wholeheartedly in all the teachings of the LDS Church or whether they find some of the teachings of the church hard to believe, three-quarters of the Mormons surveyed say they believe wholeheartedly in all the churchs teachings.
LDS Church leaders encourage Mormons to keep a supply of food in storage in case of catastrophe, recommending that at least three months of supplies be kept on hand. Eight-in-ten Mormons say they keep a supply of food in storage, including 58% who keep at least a three-months supply.
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Things Mormons Wish Non
The fast-growing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims more than 16 million members worldwide, yet remains one of the least-understood religions on the planet. Even though the Church outlawed polygamy more than a century ago, many people still think Mormons can have more than one wife. And a lot of folks still confuse Mormons with Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Amish.
To help set the record straight about Mormon beliefs and practice, we spoke with Matthew Bowman, the chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University and the author of “The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith.”