Criticism Of Joseph Smith
In the 1830s, the church was criticized for Smith’s handling of a banking failure in Kirtland, Ohio. After the Mormons migrated west, there was fear and suspicion about the LDS Church’s political and military power in Missouri, culminating in the 1838 Mormon War and the Mormon Extermination Order by Governor Lilburn Boggs. In the 1840s, criticism of the church included its theocratic aspirations in Nauvoo, Illinois. Criticism of the practice of plural marriage and other doctrines taught by Smith were published in the Nauvoo Expositor. Opposition led to a series of events culminating in the death of Smith and his brother while jailed in 1844.
Overview Of Episcopal Churches
The definition of the word episcopal has variation among Christian traditions. There are subtle differences in governmental principles among episcopal churches at the present time. To some extent the separation of episcopal churches can be traced to these differences in , that is, their theological understanding of church and church governance. For some, “episcopal churches” are churches that use a hierarchy of bishops who identify as being in an unbroken, personal .
“Episcopal” is also commonly used to distinguish between the various organizational structures of . For instance, “Presbyterian” is used to describe a church governed by a hierarchy of assemblies of elected , referred to as . Similarly, “episcopal” is used to describe a church governed by bishops. Self-governed local congregations, governed neither by elders nor bishops, are usually described as “”.
More specifically, the capitalized appellation “Episcopal” is applied to several churches historically based within , including those still in communion with the .
Using these definitions, examples of specific episcopal churches include:
Some churches practice congregational polity or a form of presbyterian polity. Others, including the , practice episcopal polity the Church of Sweden also counts its bishops among the . This is also the case with some American Lutheran churches, such as the , , , and the .
Lgbt Mormon Suicides And Homelessness
In society at large LGBT individuals especially youth are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide due to minority stress stemming from societal anti-LGBT biases and stigma, rejection, and internalized homophobia. Some individuals and organizations have linked church teachings against homosexuality and the treatment of LGBT Mormons by other members and leaders as contributing to LGBT Mormon suicides. LDS historian Gregory Prince stated that by condemning homosexuality as “evil, self-inflicted, and impossible in postmortal existence” LDS church leaders have enabled harsh behavior by its members with the alarming number of LDS LGBT homeless and Utah’s highest per capita teen suicide rate in the country manifesting the effects of this cruelty.:4 LGBT Mormon suicides and experiences with suicidal ideation have received media coverage.
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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.
What Is The Latter
For Latter-day Saints, mortal existence is seen in the context of a great sweep of history, from a pre-earth life where the spirits of all humankind lived with Heavenly Father to a future life in His presence where continued growth, learning and improving will take place. Life on earth is regarded as a temporary state in which men and women are tried and testedand where they gain experiences obtainable nowhere else. God knew humans would make mistakes, so He provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would take upon Himself the sins of the world. To members of the Church, physical death on earth is not an end but the beginning of the next step in Gods plan for His children.
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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.
Episcopal Government In Other Denominations
The and the in may sometimes be called “episcopal”. In these latter cases, the form of government is not radically different from the form, except that their councils of bishops have hierarchical over the local ruling bodies to a greater extent than in most and other . As mentioned, the Lutheran Church in Sweden and Finland are exceptions, claiming apostolic succession in a pattern somewhat like the Anglican churches. Otherwise, forms of polity are not mandated in the Lutheran churches, as it is not regarded as having doctrinal significance. Lutheranism, for historical reasons, has tended to adopt theories of episcopal authority . In the United States, the Lutheran churches tend to adopt a form of government more comparable to . A small minority of exists.
Most churches of the tradition follow an episcopal system, at least in name. Congregational governance is strongly emphasized, and each congregation elects its pastor. Bishops enforce inter-congregational unity and may discipline pastors for breaking from traditional norms.
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Are Mormons And Latter
- Copied to Clipboard
From time to time Mormons are asked to clarify what the correct name of their church is, and how to appropriately refer to a member of their religion.
‘Mormon Helping Hands’ Participate in’ Project Twin Streams’
The correct name of the church to which Mormons belong is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While most members of the Church do not mind being called “Mormons,” a more formal way to refer to a person who belongs to the faith is “a Latter-day Saint,” or “a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
The nickname “Mormon” came about because of one of the Church’s sacred texts, “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”
Book of Mormon
Latter-day Saints look to The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price as scripture.
On some occasions media professionals and others refer to “The Mormon Church,” or “The Church of Latter-day Saints,” or “The LDS Church.”
While these names are not offensive to members of the Church, it is appreciated when the full and correct name of the Church is used. This is because Latter-day Saints are devoted followers of Jesus Christ and having His name included in the name of the Church is important to them.
Read more about media style for journalists reporting on the Church or any of its members.
Watch a video of Latter-day Saint leader, Elder M. Russell Ballard, talking about the significance of the name of the Church.
Why Is Family Life So Central To Latter
- about genealogy and the Mormon archives.
Mormons believe that the family is an eternal unit and central to Gods plan. In fact, eternal progression toward Godhood is limited to those who marry for time and eternity in a ceremony conducted by a properly ordained member of the LDS priesthood in a Mormon temple. Church President Hinckley has also stressed the importance of the family during mortal life, saying, If you want to reform a nation, you begin with families, with parents who teach their children principles and values that are positive and affirmative and will lead them to worthwhile endeavors. That is the basic failure that has taken place in America. And we are making a tremendous effort to bring about greater solidarity in families. Parents have no greater responsibility in this world than the bringing up of their children in the right way, and they will have no greater satisfaction as the years pass than to see those children grow in integrity and honesty and make something of their lives, adding to society because they are a part of it. To strengthen families, many Mormons observe family home evening. This is one night a week generally Monday that a family spends together praying, learning about scripture, sharing things from their lives, and playing games or engaging in other fun at-home activities.
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Continuing And Perfecting The Pattern
During Jesus Christs mortal ministryas well as during His visit to the ancient Americas after His ResurrectionHe established His Church. It was called the Church of Jesus Christ , and the members were called Saints . Like the prophets who had preceded Him and testified of Him, Jesus received His instructions and His authority from God, our Heavenly Father .
During Jesus Christs mortal ministry and after His Resurrection, He established His Church.
Events At The Organization
By later accounts, the April 6 organizational meeting was a charismatic event, in which members of the congregation had visions, prophesied, spoke in tongues, ecstatically shouted praises to the Lord, and fainted. At this meeting, the church formally ordained a lay ministry, with the priesthood offices of deacon, teacher, priest, and elder. Smith and Cowdery, according to their 1831 account, were each ordained as an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church. This account was edited in 1835 to state that Smith was ordained the First Elder, and Oliver Cowdery was ordained the Second Elder.
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God The Father Jesus Christ And The Holy Ghost
In LDS Church teachings, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are referred to as the “Godhead“. According to LDS scripture, the Godhead has the following attributes:
- They are three separate and distinct beings.
- They are collectively “one God”, meaning that they are united in spirit, mind, and purpose. According to LDS theology, Jesus is “one” with the Father in the same way as he asked his disciples to be “one” with him and each other.
- Jesus and the Father have physical “bodies of flesh and bone”, while the Holy Spirit does not, though the Holy Spirit has a “spirit body”.
- God the Father is understood to be the literal father of the spirits of humanity, as well as the literal father of both the spirit and physical body of Jesus.
The church’s view of the Godhead breaks with Nicene Creed tradition and believes it returns to the teachings taught by Jesus. It does not accept the creed’s definition of Trinity that the three are “consubstantial” nor the Athanasian Creed‘s statement that they are “incomprehensible”, arguing that the LDS view is self-evident in the Bible that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate personsâthree divine beings as illustrated in Jesus’ farewell prayer, his baptism at the hands of John, his transfiguration, and the .
God the Father
Jesus Christ
Holy Ghost
The Plan Of Salvation
The term Plan of Salvation is used to describe how the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring about the immortality and eternal life of humankind. It includes the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement, along with all God-given laws, ordinances, and doctrines. Members believe that after this life is the Resurrection and Judgment.
The gift of immortality is also believed to be freely given to all because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his subsequent Resurrection, although salvation from sin is conditional. Entrance to the highest Heavenly Kingdom, the “Celestial Kingdom,” is only granted to those who accept Jesus through baptism into the church by its priesthood authority, follow Church doctrine, and live righteous lives. Faith alone, or faith without works is not considered sufficient to attain exaltation.
Kingdoms
According to the Church, the Celestial Kingdom is where the righteous will live with God and their families. This kingdom includes multiple degrees of glory, the highest of which is exaltation. Those who have had the ordinances of eternal marriage, which is performed in temples, and baptism may be exalted if they are found worthy by God. Accountable individuals must be baptized and repent to gain entrance to the Celestial Kingdom Latter-day Saints profess that all children who die before the age of accountability automatically inherit a celestial glory.
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Establishing Doctrine Infallibility And Opinion
When the church president is speaking in his official capacity, his words are not considered “infallible”. Members of the church are considered not fully justified in their actions if they “blindly” follow the president. The church has counseled its members that they should reject statements that contradict what is found in church scriptures “regardless of the position of the man who says it”. Instructions given or positions taken by the president of the church can be changed by a future president of the church because of the Latter-day Saint belief in “continuing revelation“. It is accepted that a church president will occasionally revise or clarify instructions of past church presidents. One apostle of the church counseled to “beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence”.
Not everything said by the prophet is considered to be doctrine. Joseph Smith taught that “a prophet is a prophet only when he was acting as such”. When the church president declares new doctrine, “he will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church”. If the doctrine is not accepted by the church as the word of God, members are not bound by it, even if it comes from the President of the Church.
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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How Is Lds Different From Christianity
Even though the term Christian is sometimes linked to specific creedal beliefs that the Church does not adhere to, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints use the term to emphasize their faith in the divine nature of Jesus Christ.Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all mankind.by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.in the year 2015.
Why Is The Mormon Temple Central To The Faith What Happens In The Temple Why Can’t Non
The Mormon temple is considered an earthly point of contact with higher spheres of being. Mormons believe that God is present in the temple space. This makes it a sacred place set aside to learn things that allow individuals to progress toward becoming like God — the temple ordinances, especially celestial marriage, make “eternal progression toward Godhood” possible. The family unit is central to Mormonism, and the primary ritual function of the temple is to perform ceremonies that seal families together, thus allowing them to dwell together for eternity when they pass on to the celestial kingdom. The specific rituals supporting this function are — in which a husband, wife and children are officially bound together — and baptism for the dead — through which individuals who died without accepting the Latter-day Saints’ Gospel and no longer possess the physical body required for baptism are represented by living proxies, thereby granting them the opportunity to join their families in the celestial kingdom.
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