New Handbook Additions Condemn Any Threatening Bullying Degrading Violent Or Otherwise Abusive Language Or Images Posted By Members
The church’s General Handbook has strengthened its language about online posts by members.
Memo to Latter-day Saint social media commenters: Your church has added strong wording to its General Handbook, condemning threatening, bullying, degrading, violent, or otherwise abusive language or images online.
No groups or individuals are specifically named, but there is no exception for those claiming to defend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including users associated with @DezNat , who frequently employ harsh rhetoric and drawings of knives and guns to attack church critics or Latter-day Saint progressives.
If online threats of illegal acts occur, the new section says, law enforcement should be contacted immediately.
Further, members should avoid all statements of prejudice toward others, the new wording states. It links to the handbooks section on prejudice, which says, This includes prejudice based on race, ethnicity, nationality, tribe, gender, age, disability, socioeconomic status, religious belief or nonbelief, and sexual orientation.
Latter-day Saints should share uplifting content, the updated handbook says, and strive to be Christlike to others at all times, including online, and reflect a sincere respect for all of Gods children.
Adam Ebberts, who has used and defended the #DezNat hashtag, acknowledged Wednesday on Twitter that the handbook language is probably a #DezNat inspired policy.
Other changes included:
Finances Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
The finances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not a matter of public record. In the absence of official statements, people interested in knowing the churchs financial status and behavior, including both members of the church and people outside the church, have attempted to estimate or guess. According to the church, their funding comes from the donations of its members and the principal expense is in constructing and maintaining facilities.
When the LDS Church takes in more donations than it pays out in period expenses, it uses the surplus to build a reserve for capital expenditures and for future years when period expenses may exceed donations. The church invests its reserve to maintain the principal and generate a reasonable return and directs its investments into income-producing assets that may help it in its mission, such as farmland– and communication-related companies and the City Creek Center .
The LDS Church has not publicly disclosed its financial statements in the United States since 1959. The church does disclose its financials in the United Kingdom and Canada where it is required to do so by law. In the UK, these financials are audited by the UK office of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Frequently Asked Questionsabout The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
- Where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is situated?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be found at the following address: United States, Gig Harbor, WA 98329, 12521 134th Ave NW.
- What is the phone number for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
You can try dialing 858-9414 during business hours.
- What are the working hours at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works at the following schedule: Sun: 8AM – 5PM.
- What is the user rating of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Nicelocal?
On average, this place is rated 4.7 out of 5.Visit theThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reviewspage to see what others have to sayabout this place or to leave your own feedback!
- Can you trust the information found on this listing?
Nicelocal is doing its best to post correct information about establishments in its catalog.If you see an inaccuracy or if you are an official representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please contact us by using the feedback form.
Recommended Reading: Where To Buy Dandelion Tea
Restorationism And Prophetic Leadership
The LDS Church teaches that, subsequent to the death of Jesus and his original apostles, his church, along with the authority to act in Jesus Christ’s name and the church’s attendant spiritual gifts, were lost, due to a combination of external persecutions and internal heresies. The restorationas represented by the church began by Joseph Smithrefers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ. This restoration is associated with a number of events which are understood to have been necessary to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament, and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus. In particular, Latter-day Saints believe that angels appeared to Joseph Smith and a limited number of his associates, and bestowed various priesthood authorities on them.
Mormons Using The Web To Control Their Own Image
Try this. Type church, Old Testament or even friend into Google, and the Web site of the LDS church, the Mormons, pops up near the top of the list.
In the age of the Internet, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has found a way to dominate what is arguably todays most important information source: the search engine.
Its all about Mormons controlling their own image, church officials say. Theyve been doing that for a century or more. And now, with two of their own vying for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential race, and a Broadway hit and reality television generating huge interest in the denomination, much is at stake.
Were jumping into the conversation because there is a big one going on about Mormons, and we want to be a part of it, said Stephen Allen, head of the churchs missionary department. When someone goes into Google, if the first 10 sites are people who hate us, we lose in terms of our message.
Their doctrine requires Mormons to proselytize, and it would be foolish not to strategize at a time of heightened interest, church officials and supporters say.
There may be other reasons, as well. Recent polls have shown that many Americans hold unfavorable views of Mormons, who number 6 million in the United States, or 1.7 percent of the U.S. adult population. Many evangelicals, who make up a large part of the Republican base, question whether Mormons are Christian.
You May Like: Where To Buy Sage Tea
Other Historical Documents Of Local Church Units
The Historical DepartmentArchive Search Room also has the following types of historical records:
Minute Books from 1837 to 1977. You will find minutes of priesthood quorums, Relief Societies, other auxiliary organizations, and general ward and stake minutes. The minutes may provide dates of blessings, baptisms, confirmations, and ordinations that you will not be able to find elsewhere.
Quarterly Reports of branches, wards, stakes, and missions. These reports provide the names of the leaders in the various organizations. Stake and mission reports are available to the present. The ward and branch reports are available between 1956 and 1983.
Restoration Of The Church Of Jesus Christ
While Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His Church. Following His death and the deaths of His Apostles, some of the precious truths He taught and His sacred authority were lost for a time.11 This time period is known as the Great Apostasy.
In the spring of 1820, a young man named Joseph Smith prayed to God with great concern for the salvation of his own soul and to know which church he should join. God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph12 and began to prepare him to bring back the precious truths and the sacred authority that had been lost from the Church Jesus Christ formed while on the earth. Under the Lords direction, Joseph Smith organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830.
Through the power of God, Joseph Smith translated an ancient record written by prophets who lived on the American continents and taught and testified of Jesus Christ.13 This ancient record is called the Book of Mormon and stands alongside the Bible as another testament that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.
Also Check: How Much Sugar In Twisted Tea Light
Lgbt Students At Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is the largest religious university in North America and is the flagship institution of the LDS Church’s educational system. Large surveys of over 7,000 BYU students in 2020 and 2017 found that over 13% had marked their sexual orientation as something other than âstrictly heterosexual,â while the other survey showed that .2% had reported their gender identity as transgender or something other than cisgender male or female.
A BYU study from 1950 to 1972 showed that 10% of BYU men and 2% of BYU women indicated having had a “homosexual experience.”:45 Several LGBT rights organizations have criticized BYU’s Honor Code as it relates to LGBT students and The Princeton Review has regularly ranked BYU among the most LGBT-unfriendly schools in the United States. As of 2017 BYU campus offered no official LGBT-specific resources.
Official Websites Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors many websites for the benefit of Church members, news media, and others who are interested in learning more about the Church. You can tell if a site is from the Church because it will have the Church logo. Individuals and Church units are not authorized to use the logo on anything they create.
In an effort to reflect the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and better convey the faiths commitment to follow Jesus Christ, LDS.org, Mormon.org, and other Church communication channels have made changes to reflect the full name of the Church. In the letter titled, “Using the correct name of the Church,” the First Presidency wrote, “Jesus Christ is at the center of His Church and we will be blessed as we strive to make Him the center of our lives.”
The following are the websites owned and managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as “the Mormon Church.”
Read Also: How Much Is Mcdonalds Sweet Tea
Views On Gender Diversity And Identity
Expressions and identities for sexuality and gender are “separate, but related” aspects of a person and stem from similar biological origins. According to current church policy, transgender and other gender diverse individuals who have undergone an âelective transsexual operationâ are banned from temple rites or receiving priesthood authority. Additionally, a transgender individual who has undergone gender-confirming surgery may be baptized only with First Presidency approval, and those considering it are barred from baptism. The church has acknowledged differences between gender identity and sexual orientation stating that they have “unfinished business in teaching on .” Gender identity and roles play an important part in Latter-Day Saint teachings which teaches a strict binary of spiritual gender as literal offspring of divine parents.
Mission Of The Church
The mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help all of Gods children come to Jesus Christ3 through learning about His gospel, making and keeping promises with God , and practicing Christlike love and service.4
Members of the Church believe in helping individuals and families fulfill the commandments to love God and to love your neighbor.5 Members do so by living the gospel of Jesus Christ,6 caring for those in need,7 inviting all to receive the gospel,8 and uniting families through family history and temple work.9
Don’t Miss: Does Green Tea Strengthen Teeth
Tithing And Other Donations
Church members are expected to donate one-tenth of their income to support the operations of the church, including construction of temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings, and other church uses. Members are also encouraged to abstain from food and drink on the first Sunday of each month for at least two consecutive meals. They donate at least the cost of the two skipped meals as a fast offering, which the church uses to assist the poor and needy and expand its humanitarian efforts.
All able LDS young men are expected to serve a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission. Missionaries do not choose where they serve or the language in which they will proselytize, and are expected to fund their missions themselves or with the aid of their families. Prospective male missionaries must be at least 18 years old and no older than 25, not yet married, have completed secondary school, and meet certain criteria for physical fitness and spiritual worthiness. Missionary service is not compulsory, nor is it required for young men to retain their church membership.
Unmarried women 19 years and older may also serve as missionaries, generally for a term of 18 months. However, the LDS Church emphasizes that women are not under the same expectation to serve as male members are, and may serve solely as a personal decision. There is no maximum age for missionary service for women.
Religious Authority And Ritual
Smith’s teachings were rooted in . He taught that the restored through him was a of the early Christian faith, which had been lost in the . At first, Smith’s church had little sense of hierarchy his religious authority was derived from visions and revelations. Though Smith did not claim exclusive prophethood, an early revelation designated him as the only prophet allowed to issue commandments “as Moses”. This religious authority encompassed economic and political as well as spiritual matters. For instance, in the early 1830s, he temporarily instituted a form of , called the , that required Latter Day Saints to give to the church all their property, to be divided among the faithful. He also envisioned that the theocratic institutions he established would have a role in the worldwide political organization of the Millennium.
Smith taught that the High Priesthood’s endowment of heavenly power included the powers of , allowing High Priests to effect binding consequences in the afterlife. For example, this power would enable proxy baptisms for the dead and that would be effective into the afterlife. Elijah’s sealing powers also enabled the , or “fulness of the priesthood”, which, according to Smith, sealed married couples to their .
Don’t Miss: Does Walmart Sell Matcha Green Tea Powder
South Australia Not The Only State To Take Part
Basically the Mormon Church has an agreement in place in parts of Australia to preserve its historical information.
Director of State Records of South Australia, Simon Froude said State Records of South Australia wasn’t the only Government archive facility to have an agreement with them.
“Victoria has a current agreement with them and I know that New South Wales and Tasmania have also had agreements with them in the past,” he said.
“The partnership with FamilySearch allows us to increase that reach so that members of the public who live in regional areas who aren’t able to get to our Gepps Cross site or who live interstate or overseas, are able to actually access the records of the state of South Australia.”
Mr Froude said anybody could access the records online, but they would have to sign up by creating an account which requires your name, birth date and sex.
You also need to tick a box, detailing whether you are a Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, provide your email address and select your country.
“If you don’t want to do that you can always access the records via State Records for a small administration fee, around about $9,” he said.
“And obviously, people can still come into our research centre and access the physical records.”
He said the Government had also saved a lot of money in the process.
Informal And Abbreviated Names
Because of the belief in the Book of Mormon among Joseph Smith’s followers, in the 1830s people outside the church began to refer to its members as “Mormonites” or “Mormons” and the church as the “Mormon Church”. Smith and other church leaders considered these informal or abbreviated terms to be derogatory and inappropriate, as editorialized in 1834:
Others may call themselves by their own, or by other names, and have the privilege of wearing them without our changing them or attempting so to do but we do not accept the above title, nor shall we wear it as our name, though it may be lavished out upon us double to what it has heretofore been.
âSecond Elder Oliver Cowdery,
Today, it remains common for individuals and media outside of the church to refer to it as the “Mormon Church”. Church leaders have resisted these practices and have asked members not to refer to the church in these ways.
In 2001, the LDS Church Saints issued a style guide on its name, requesting that those writing about the church adhere to the following guidelines:
- In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
- Please avoid the use of “Mormon Church”, “LDS Church” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints.”
- When a shortened reference is needed, the terms “the Church” or “the Church of Jesus Christ” are encouraged.
- When referring to Church members, the term “Latter-day Saints” is preferred, though “Mormons” is acceptable.
Read Also: Does Tea Irritate The Bladder
Sexual Orientation Change Efforts
Because of its ban against same-sex sexual activity and same-sex marriage the LDS Church has a long history of teaching that its adherents who are attracted to the same sex can and should attempt to alter their feelings through righteous striving and sexual orientation change efforts . These current teachings and policies leave homosexual members with the option of potentially harmful attempts to change their sexual orientation, entering a mixed-orientation opposite-sex marriage, or living a celibate lifestyle without any sexual expression .:11:20â21
While the LDS church has somewhat softened its stance toward LGBTQ individuals in recent years, leaders continued to communicate into 2015 that changing one’s sexual orientation was possible through personal righteousness, prayer, faith in Christ, psychotherapy, and group therapy and retreats. In the 60s and 70s Church leaders taught that homosexuality was a curable disease and they encouraged self-help attempts by homosexual members to change their sexual orientation and cultivate heterosexual feelings.:13â19 To assist in this, leaders developed an aversion therapy program on BYU campus for gay adolescents and adults in ’59 since simply being attracted to people of the same sex was an excommunicable sin under church president Kimball.:2 The on-campus aversion therapy program lasted into the mid-90s.:90