History UsefulNotes / Mormonism

Mormons are a Restorationist-Christian church, with approximately 15 million members as of 2013. Though the church is commonly thought of as a US sect, more members currently live outside of the United States than in it.

While [[http://www.lds.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], aka "LDS Church" (or "Mormonism", even to its own members) is the largest denomination of Mormonism, there are many Mormon splinter-groups. Consider it a parallel to ChristianityIsCatholic: Mormons Are Latter-day Saints.[[note]] Other significant Mormon denominations include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known for polygamy, a practice condemned by the LDS Church). The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Latter Day Saints) which split from Mormonism over a succession dispute after Joseph Smith, Jr's death: although it is viewed to be part of the Latter-day saint movement, it does not consider itself to be Mormon, and belief in the historicity of the Book of Mormon is not a requirement.[[/note]] Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Latter_Day_Saint_denominations extensive list]] of other smaller Mormon splinter groups as well. However, around 90% of Latter-day Saints are LDS; it outnumbers the next-largest denomination by over ten million.[[note]] (LDS are generally reluctant to refer to non-LDS as "Mormon", primarily because they resent the association with the Fundamentalist version. This treatment varies among non-LDS groups, which may or may not refer to themselves as "Mormon".) Most of this article is focused on the first group listed - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[[/note]]

The LDS church itself prefers the term "Latter-day Saints" or just "Saints" (meaning, in this context, "disciples", or "followers"), for while Mormon is the name of both a key holy text and prophet it isn't and has never been the Church's actual name. "Mormon" was a derisive term used by the church's critics, but nowadays LDS frequently refer to themselves by the term too. The adjective "LDS" is common among the membership, as in "LDS culture" or "LDS fiction".

They exert a great deal of peer- and familial pressure on their young men to do missionary work, such that despite their small size and limited appeal they have 65,000 full-time missionaries as of 2013. While most of these operate within the USA, where they can speak the language and actually have appeal to the locals, they also do some work in the wider world. Within the USA most people's image of them is a polite young teenager in shirt and tie, knocking on your door and wanting to share some unspecified 'good news' with you and give you a free book. (Though they could just as easily be Jehovah's Witnesses, especially outside the USA)

-->-- The 13 Articles of Faith

The Latter Day Saint movement considers Literature/TheBookOfMormon to be Christian ExpandedUniverse material. The Book Of Mormon is a purely 'historical' text, and it is 'the Doctrine and Covenants' that contain all the information about how the Mormons' Church should be run and how its believers should live their lives. [[note]] These contain 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History [[/note]]. Together these are considered "The Standard Works" and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, they comprise the current Mormon Canon of Scripture. All of these are subject to editing by the Church's President and Presiding Council, provided it has a sustaining vote from the membership, on the grounds that the Church (or, more specifically, its leaders) embody God's will and/or directly commune with it.

Mormons are a Protestant-Christian sect in the USA.

Another temple-related item is the wearing of the ''temple garment'' or "Mormon underwear" as it is commonly known (it's basically a white t-shirt and white boxers that extend to the knee). Much like a priest's collar or cardinal's vestments, the garment is an article of sacred clothing (almost exclusively simple white cotton/poly) worn under regular clothing to remind practicing members of the covenants they have made. It is sometimes believed to provide spiritual and/or physical protection, much in the same way that other Christians might view a cross/crucifix or pocket bible. Another purpose is to maintain modesty; the general rule is that if one's outfit would expose the garment, it's too skimpy (the outfit, not the garment).

The Latter Day Saint movement consider's their BookOfMormon to be Christian ExpandedUniverse material. The Book Of Mormon is a purely 'historical' text, and it is 'the Doctrine and Covenants' that contain all the information about how the Mormons' Church should be run and how its believers should live their lives. [[note]] These contain 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History [[/note]]. Together these are considered "The Standard Works" and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, they comprise the current Mormon Canon of Scripture. All of these are subject to editing by the Church's President and Presiding Council, provided it has a sustaining vote from the membership, on the grounds that the Church (or, more specifically, its leaders) embody God's will and/or directly commune with it.

The Latter Day Saint movement consider's their BookOfMormon to be Christian ExpandedUniverse material. The Book Of Mormon is a purely 'historical' text, and it is 'the Doctrine and Covenants' that contain all the information about how the Mormons' Church should be run and how its believers should live their lives. [[note/]] These contain 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History [[/note]]. Together these are considered "The Standard Works" and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, they comprise the current Mormon Canon of Scripture. All of these are subject to editing by the Church's President and Presiding Council, provided it has a sustaining vote from the membership, on the grounds that the Church (or, more specifically, its leaders) embody God's will and/or directly commune with it.

Mormons are possibly one of the most misunderstood group of people. They share some beliefs with most mainstream Christian denominations, with some key differences.

The Latter Day Saint movement may perhaps be viewed as Christianity's very own ExpandedUniverse material. This Expanded Universe material includes the Book of Mormon (containing about a dozen other books, which, perhaps oddly, for the most part don't teach any of the more distinctive attributes of the Mormon religion), the Doctrine and Covenants, containing 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History. These are called the "Standard Works", and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, comprise the (current) Mormon canon of scriptures, which are "open" - meaning they can be expanded, contracted, or re-arranged at any time by unanimous agreement of the church's Presidency and presiding council, and a sustaining vote from the membership.

While [[http://www.lds.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], commonly referred to as the "LDS Church" (colloquially as "Mormonism", even amongst some Latter-day Saints) is the largest denomination of Mormonism, they are often erroneously presented as the only denomination. Consider it a parallel to ChristianityIsCatholic: Mormons Are Latter-day Saints. Other significant Mormon denominations include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known for polygamy, a practice condemned by the LDS Church). The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Latter Day Saints) which split from Mormonism over a succession dispute after Joseph Smith, Jr's death: although it is viewed to be part of the Latter-day saint movement, it does not consider itself to be Mormon, and belief in the historicity of the Book of Mormon is not a requirement. Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Latter_Day_Saint_denominations extensive list]] of other smaller Mormon splinter groups as well. However, around 90% of Latter-day Saints are LDS; it outnumbers the next-largest denomination by over ten million. (LDS are generally reluctant to refer to non-LDS as "Mormon", primarily because they resent the association with the Fundamentalist version. This treatment varies among non-LDS groups, which may or may not refer to themselves as "Mormon".) Most of this article is focused on the first group listed - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Also, while it is common for the media and people who are not members to refer to them as "Mormon", the LDS church itself regards "Latter-day Saints" or just "Saints" (meaning, in this context, "disciples", or "followers") as more correct, as while Mormon is the name of both a key scripture and a prominent prophet in the church, it has never been the actual name of the church. Historically, "Mormon" was a term first used by the church's critics, and intended to be derogatory, but nowadays LDS frequently refer to themselves as Mormon, even amongst other Mormons. As an adjective, "LDS" is more common among the membership, as in "LDS culture" or "LDS fiction".

They're also really dedicated to spreading their religion, as this article shows - being the most active modern practitioner of proselytism, fielding over 65,000 full-time missionaries as of 2013. Those teenagers you see dressed in shirt and tie, who want to share great news with you? Always knocking on your door? Mormons. (Or sometimes Jehovah's Witnesses, a vastly different group, although sometimes conflated by outsiders.)

Another temple-related item is the wearing of the ''temple garment'' or "Mormon underwear" as it is commonly known (it's basically a white t-shirt and white boxers that extend to the knee). Much like a priest's collar or cardinal's vestments, the garment is an article of sacred clothing (almost exclusively simple white cotton/poly) worn under regular clothing to remind practicing members of the covenants they have made. It is sometimes believed to provide spiritual and/or physical protection, much in the same way that other Christians might view a cross/crucifix or pocket bible. Another purpose is to maintain modesty; the general rule is that if one's outfit would expose the garment, it's too skimpy.

** This last is a subject of some debate, even among Mormons, because the man/god concept, although generally accepted by the Church, is not strictly official doctrine. Many point out that being like man doesn't preclude being a God. After all, Jesus was God both before and during his Incarnation, so the same is true of God the Father. Which leads to the alternate interpretation that God while God gained a mortal body (which then was transfigured into an immortal body). Indeed this comparison to Jesus was the context in which Joseph Smith placed the doctrine during the King Follet sermon, and thus would be considered the more authoritative interpretation.

The debate over whether Mormons are Christians stems mostly from this non-Trinitarian and non-monotheistic perspective of the godhead (which is variously viewed as polytheist, monolatrist [meaning "one worship"], i.e. that there are multiple gods in existence, but you may only worship one of them; in comparison to monotheism, where there is only one god.). For Mormons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Beings working together with a common purpose. A rough analogy would be a modern republic: separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches which collectively form one government. Most of the rest of Christianity considers the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to be of one single essence and nature: one absolute monarch who functions in all roles (although it's a bit more complicated than that). Mormons do not ascribe to the trinitarian Nicene Creed, which most Christian denominations (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) consider to be a hallmark of orthodoxy (from the Greek for "right belief"). Thus, in the eyes of most of Christianity, Mormons are technically a new religion, just as Christianity is a new religion and not just a "splinter sect of Judaism". Most Mormons would insist that since they profess to follow the teachings of Christ that they are Christian.

Mormons are probably one of the most misunderstood group of people. They share some beliefs with most mainstream Christian denominations, with many major key differences. The Latter Day Saint movement may perhaps be viewed as Christianity's very own ExpandedUniverse material. This Expanded Universe material includes the Book of Mormon (containing about a dozen other books, which, perhaps oddly, for the most part don't teach any of the more distinctive attributes of the Mormon religion), the Doctrine and Covenants, containing 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History. These are called the "Standard Works", and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, comprise the (current) Mormon canon of scriptures, which are "open" - meaning they can be expanded, contracted, or re-arranged at any time by unanimous agreement of the church's Presidency and presiding council, and a sustaining vote from the membership.
While [[http://www.lds.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], commonly referred to as the "LDS Church" (colloquially as "Mormonism", even amongst some Latter-day Saints) is the largest denomination of Mormonism, they are erroneously often presented as the only denomination. Consider it a parallel to ChristianityIsCatholic: Mormons Are Latter-day Saints. Other significant Mormon denominations include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known for polygamy, a practice condemned by the LDS Church). The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Latter Day Saints) which split from Mormonism over a succession dispute after Joseph Smith, Jr's death: although it is viewed to be part of the Latter-day saint movement, it does not consider itself to be Mormon, and belief in the historicity of the Book of Mormon is not a requirement. Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Latter_Day_Saint_denominations extensive list]] of other smaller Mormon splinter groups as well. However, around 90% of Latter-day Saints are LDS; it outnumbers the next-largest denomination by over ten million. (LDS are generally reluctant to refer to non-LDS as "Mormon", primarily because they resent the association with the Fundamentalist version. This treatment varies among non-LDS groups, which may or may not refer to themselves as "Mormon".) Most of this article is focused on the first group listed - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

* '''God''', or '''Heavenly Father''', is an all-knowing, all-powerful being of flesh and bone, and has been from all of our known existence. However, "What man is, God once was. What God is, man may become." This means that God was once a mortal being that had to go through temptations, but He was able to keep His god's commandments and become a God to rule over his own domain.
** This last is a subject of some argument, even among Mormons, because the man/god concept, although generally accepted by the Church, is not strictly official doctrine. Many point out that being like man doesn't preclude being a God. After all, Jesus was God both before and during his Incarnation, so the same is true of God the Father. Which leads to the alternate interpretation that God while God gained a mortal body (which then was transfigured into an immortal body). Indeed this comparison to Jesus was the context in which Joseph Smith placed the doctrine during the King Follet sermon, and thus would be considered the more authoritative interpretation.

The debate over whether Mormons are Christians stems mostly from this non-Trinitarian and non-monotheistic perspective of the godhead (which is variously viewed as polytheist, monolatrist [meaning "one worship"], i.e. that there are multiple gods in existence, but you may only worship one of them; in comparison to monotheism, where there is only one god.). For Mormons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Beings working together with a common purpose. The rough analogy would be a modern republic: separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches which collectively form one government. Most of the rest of Christianity considers the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to be of one single essence and nature: one absolute monarch who functions in all roles (although it's a bit more complicated than that). Mormons do not ascribe to the trinitarian Nicene Creed, which most Christian denominations (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) consider to be a hallmark of orthodoxy (from the Greek for "right belief"). Thus, in the eyes of most of Christianity, Mormons are technically a new religion, just as Christianity is a new religion and not just a "splinter sect of Judaism". Most Mormons would insist that they are Christian.

Most of the LDS leadership were in polygamous marriages up until the cessation of the practice, and much of the core church membership in the Western US today have polygamist ancestors. Records of plural marriages can be easily located in the Church's genealogical records, which are freely available to non-members, and despite the cessation of the practice they are still considered "valid" to Church members. It seems that only a minority of Church membership ever actually practiced plural marriage. Members considered exceptionally faithful were invited by Church leadership to select plural wives when they were considered able to support additional wives. The consent of the first wife on a specific potential second wife was required before a second wife could be chosen, consent of the first and second wives was required for a third, etc.

Polygamy was introduced in 1842 by prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. but not practiced openly until the migration to Utah in 1847. Members of the church accepted it as a revelation of God. The practice was officially terminated in 1890 by a declaration (often called "the Manifesto" by Church members) by Wilford Woodruff, the then President of the Church, that he had recevied a revelation that if the Church did not stop the practice it would be destroyed. The LDS Church had attempted to overturn anti-polygamy laws by claiming freedom of religion, but had lost their final appeal before the US Supreme Court, and the court was about to legally disincorporate the Church.

Most of the LDS leadership were in polygamous marriages up until the cessation of the practice, and much of the core church membership in the Western US today have polygamist ancestors. It's very hard to get any solid information on the practice, however, as the modern LDS church [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness is deeply embarrassed about it]]. Claims such as only a tiny percentage of the church ever practicing it, or most plural wives being widows, are common and fairly far from the truth. Jon Krakuer's ''Under the Banner of Heaven'' provides solid information about both the doctrine of plural marriage and splinter sects of the church that continue to practice it.

One popular television series with Mormon influences was BattlestarGalactica, created by Glen A. Larson, a member of the LDS Church. This is seen with the Quorum of Twelve, ruling council of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, which references the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church, and Kobol clearly being inspired from Kolob, the planet or star near which God is said to dwell. Aliens in the original series were also depicted strongly resembling the Mormon portrayal of angels.

One popular television series with Mormon influences was BattlestarGalactica, whose creator Glen A. Larson was a member of the LDS Church. This is seen with the Quorum of Twelve, ruling council of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, which references the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church, and Kobol clearly being inspired from Kolob, the planet or star near which God is said to dwell. Aliens in the original series were also depicted strongly resembling the Mormon depiction of angels.

One popular television series with Mormon influences was [[BattlestarGalactica]], whose creator Glen A. Larson was a member of the LDS Church. This is seen with the Quorum of Twelve, ruling council of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, which references the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church, and Kobol clearly being inspired from Kolob, the planet or star near which God is said to dwell. Alien beings in the original series were also depicted strongly resembling the Mormon depiction of angels.

When the church first started and even well into the 20th century, the members were not well liked, to put it lightly. It was common for mobs to force church members from their communities, threatening to kill them if they did not leave. Some even harassed the church members specifically to kill them. One of the most tragic massacres took place at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haun%27s_Mill_massacre Haun's Mill]]. The governor of Missouri (within which many Mormons lived, believing Jackson County had been the site of the Garden of Eden, and that Jesus Christ would return there), ordered them expelled from the state on pain of death. In 1844, a mob killed Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage, Illinois, where they had been jailed on charges that their followers has destroyed the offices of a newspaper which claimed Smith practiced polygamy. This sort of persecution is what drove the Mormons to settle in Utah, which was outside the boundaries of the United States at the time and where no one would bother them.

Polygamy was introduced in 1842 by prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. but not practiced openly until the migration to Utah in 1847. Members of the church accepted it as a revelation of God. The practice was officially terminated in 1890 by a declaration (often called "the Manifesto" by Church members) by Wilford Woodruff, the then President of the Church, that he had recevied a revelation that if the Church did not stop the practice it would be destroyed. The LDS Church had attempted to overturn anti-polygamy laws, but had lost their final appeal before the US Supreme Court, and the court was about to legally disincorporate the Church.

The new territory had a bumpy relationship with the Federal government, owing to disputes over the amount of influence Brigham Young wielded over the population as both political and spiritual leader and the LDS practice of polygamy. Poor communication and disgruntled federal officials who found it difficult to work with unresponsive LDS citizens caused the brief but highly-publicized Utah War in 1857-58, when an entire Army division was sent to remove Young as governor because President James Buchanan had been led to believe that Utah was in open rebellion. Sensationalist media reports, pumped by allegations of heathen polygamy, predicted a bloodbath when the division reached Salt Lake City. In the end there were no actual battles fought. It was in this climate, however, that a band of LDS militiamen waylaid a pioneer wagon train from Arkansas as it was passing through southern Utah. In an event known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, they killed most of the travelers and sent their children to be raised with local families. The militia leader would later be executed by the territorial government after being excommunicated by the Church.

Eventually, a non-LDS governor was installed in Young's place, as Young continued to lead the Church. During this time, the building of settlements went on, including the construction of more temples (including the iconic [[http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/saltlake/ Salt Lake Temple]]). They also continued the practice of polygamy until after the deaths of Young and his successor, John Taylor, despite the passage of several Acts of Congress that explicitly outlawed it and even took steps to curtail LDS power in the territory. Wilford Woodruff became prophet in 1887. Faced with the arrests of dozens of practitioners of polygamy and the probable seizure of all Church property by the federal government, he issued the 1890 Manifesto, which declared that no marriages against the law of the land would be recognized by the Church. In response, several fundamentalist groups broke away from the LDS Church and fled to isolated areas in the US, Canada, and Mexico in order to continue practicing polygamy (some of which continue to do so today).

The LDS Church has had something of a mixed record on social issues. Current issues aside (which [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment we will not discuss here]]), the Church has been at times surprisingly progressive and alarmingly backwards. On one hand, women's rights were strongly advocated in the Territory of Utah. Utah would become the second territory (after Wyoming) to grant full suffrage to women in 1870. However, in 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act, which aimed to disenfranchise the Church and curtail its power in the territory, stripped this right from women. They would not regain voting rights until the admission of Utah as a state in 1896 (which enshrined the right of women to vote in the state constitution, about which the federal government could not do a thing).

The LDS Church also ran an extensive social-support network and effectively ran much of the economy in Utah from essentially the beginning of settlement until the 1950s or so. This tradition is derived from a system used in early Mormon communities, called the United Order, which an objective analysis could not fail to call a form of Christian socialism. Indeed, in the early 20th century, leftists and Mormons often found common ground on several issues, particularly on matters concerning the working poor. However, a desire not to be associated with the Left during the RedScare led the Church to change its tune, hence the current association of Mormonism with the political Right in general and the Republican Party in particular. The Church does continue to run an extensive social-support network, but is no longer quite so dominant in the economy of Utah.

In the Mormon view, because God understands that not everyone has a chance to be baptized during their lifetime, there is an ordinance called Baptism For The Dead, where righteous members are baptized as proxies for those who have died. Other necessary ordinances can also be performed for the dead by proxy members. These people (then residing in Spirit Prison or Paradis) can then decide whether they accept the ordinances or not. Therefore, they still have a chance to enter the Celestial Kingdom even if they never heard about Joseph Smith while alive. (Also, see below section on Temples).

* For clarification, that "The great and abominable church" is not a reference to the medieval church, but was a symbol for man's pride and avarice in a parable/vision. It is thought that as the bible was copied down by hand, people would read doctrine that might've contradicted or confused their personal beliefs and values, and would've had the text altered slightly to more closely read to what they believed. This could have been done to justify a man's actions, or less malevolently, the copier thought that the slight alteration would make the scripture easier to understand, unknowingly altering the meaning.

The family is one of the major focal points of the Church. Sunday meetings at the church provide adapted teaching for each member of the family based on age and gender, ranging from the nursery and the primary school for children, young men's and young women's groups, and adult men's and women's groups. Specific wards are created for the young single adults in the church (between ages 18 and 30) in order to meet others of their own age group and find prospective partners for marriage. Separate wards are also created for single adults over 30, for much the same reasons. In 1995, the leaders of the Church released the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", an official declaration of the church regarding several of the church's doctrines and beliefs regarding the family; some included are that the family unit was created by God for the benefit of His children on earth; that marriage is sacred and is to be shared between only a man and a woman; sex outside of marriage is sin; and that abusers of spouse or of children will one day account to God for their acts. A copy of the full document can be found [[http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html here.]]

Often mistakenly called the preexistence, pre-mortal life was when we lived with God as His spiritual sons and daughters. Here, God introduced the Plan of Salvation and ordained His spirit children to important roles in mortal life. Lucifer proposed a second plan which would have ensured that all the children of God would return to Him, but at the cost of all free will by making Lucifer omnipotent. Free will, or agency, is more or less the entire point of existence. When God rejected Lucifer's plan, there was a "war in heaven," during which one-third of God's children chose to follow Lucifer. They were cast out of heaven as a result. The remaining two-thirds accepted God's plan, and Jesus Christ was chosen as the Savior who would make repentance possible. The Earth was then created to serve as mankind's home during mortal life. Please note that the LDS Church does not believe that Earth is the only planet bearing life -- God has created "worlds without number," and many of these are also inhabited by His children.

Three years later, Smith was visited by an angel named Moroni, who told him of golden plates hidden in a hill near the Smith family's farm. Moroni directed Smith to the plates' location, but warned him not to take them just yet. Moroni told Smith to return to the spot once a year for the next four years to receive instruction. The fourth year (1827) Smith was allowed to take the plates, and was ordered to translate the writing therein into English. This was the source material for the Book of Mormon, which was published in 1829.

When the church first started and even well into the 20th century, the members were not well liked, to put it lightly. It was common for mobs to force church members from their communities, threatening to kill them if they did not leave. Some even harassed the church members specifically to kill them. One of the most tragic massacres took place at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haun%27s_Mill_massacre Haun's Mill]]. In 1844, a mob killed Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage, Illinois, where they had been jailed for accusations of polygamy. This sort of persecution is what drove the Mormons to settle in Utah, which was outside the boundaries of the United States at the time and where no one would bother them.

While [[http://www.lds.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], commonly referred to as the "LDS Church" (colloquially as "Mormonism", even amongst some Latter-day Saints) is the largest denomination of Mormonism, they are erroneously often presented as the only denomination. Consider it a parallel to ChristianityIsCatholic: Mormons Are Latter-day Saints. Other significant Mormon denominations include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known for polygamy, a practice condemned by the LDS Church). The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Latter Day Saints) which split from Mormonism over a succession dispute after Joseph Smith, Jr's death: although it is considered part of the Latter-day saint movement, it does not consider itself to be Mormon, and belief in the historicity Book of Mormon is not a requirement. Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Latter_Day_Saint_denominations extensive list]] of other smaller Mormon splinter groups as well. However, around 90% of Latter-day Saints are LDS; it outnumbers the next-largest denomination by over ten million. (LDS are generally reluctant to refer to non-LDS as "Mormon"; primarily because they resent the association with the Fundamentalist version. This treatment varies among non-LDS groups, which may or may not refer to themselves as "Mormon".) Most of this article is focused on the first group listed - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Also, while it is common for the media and people who are not members to refer to them as "Mormon", the LDS church itself regards "Latter-day Saints" or just "Saints" (meaning, in this context, "disciples", or "followers") as more correct, as while Mormon is the name of both a key scripture and a prominent prophet in the church, it has never been the actual name of the church. Historically, "Mormon" was a term first used by the church's critics, and intended to be derrogatory, but nowadays LDS frequently refer to themselves as Mormon, even amongst other Mormons. As an adjective, "LDS" is more common among the membership, as in "LDS culture" or "LDS fiction".

** This last is a subject of some argument, even among Mormons, because the man/god concept although generally accepted by the Church is not strictly official doctrine. Many point out that being like man doesn't preclude being a God. After all, Jesus was God both before and during his Incarnation, so the same is true of God the Father. Which leads to the alternate interpretation that God while God gained a mortal body (which then was transfigured into an immortal body). Indeed this comparison to Jesus was the context in which Joseph Smith placed the doctrine during the King Follet sermon, and thus would be considered the more authoritative interpretation.

The debate over whether Mormons are Christians stems mostly from this non-Trinitarian and non-monotheistic perspective of the godhead (which is variously viewed as polytheist, monolatrist [meaning "one worship"], i.e. that there are multiple gods in existence, but you may only worship one of them; in comparison to monotheism, were there is only one god.). For Mormons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Beings working together with a common purpose. The rough analogy would be a modern republic: separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches which collectively form one government. Most of the rest of Christianity considers the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to be of one single essence and nature: one absolute monarch who functions in all roles (although it's a bit more complicated than that). Mormons do not ascribe to the trinitarian Nicene Creed, which most Christian denominations (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) consider to be a hallmark of orthodoxy (from the Greek for "right belief"). Thus, in the eyes of most of Christianity, Mormons are technically a new religion, just as Christianity is a new religion and not just a "splinter sect of Judaism". Most Mormons would insist that they are Christian.

** The Terrestrial Kingdom is next, which Jesus presides over and which is still good but not as good

The family is one of the major focal points of the Church. Sunday meetings at the church provide adapted teaching for each member of the family based on age and gender, ranging from the nursery and the primary school for children, young men's and young women's groups, and adult men's and women's groups. Specific wards are created for the young single adults in the church (between ages 18 and 35) in order to meet others of their own age group and find prospective partners for marriage. In 1995, the leaders of the Church released the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", an official declaration of the church regarding several of the church's doctrines and beliefs regarding the family; some included are that the family unit was created by God for the benefit of His children on earth; that marriage is sacred and is to be shared between only a man and a woman; sex outside of marriage is sin; and that abusers of spouse or of children will one day account to God for their acts. A copy of the full document can be found [[http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html here.]]

The debate over whether Mormons are Christians stems mostly from this non-Trinitarian and non-monotheistic perspective of the godhead (which is variously viewed as polytheist, monolatrist [meaning "one worship"], i.e. that there are multiple gods in existence, but you may only worship one of them; in comparison to monotheism, were there is only one god.). For Mormons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Beings working together with a common purpose. The rough analogy would be a modern republic: separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches which collectively form one government. Most of the rest of Christianity considers the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to be of one single essence and nature: one absolute monarch who functions in all roles (although it's a bit more complicated than that). Mormons do not ascribe to the trinitarian Nicene Creed, which most Christian denominations (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) consider to be a hallmark of orthodoxy (from the Greek for "right belief"). Thus, in the eyes of most of Christianity, Mormons are technically a new religion, just as Christianity is a new religion and not just a "splinter sect of Judaism". Most Mormons would insist that they are Christian, and, in the eyes of outsiders, no one cares, the internecine struggle is either funny or ridiculous, and they're all counted together as long as they say something about Jesus (along with Moonies, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, and all sorts of crazy groups).

Most of the LDS leadership were in polygamous marriages up until the cessation of the practice, and much of the core church membership in the Western US today have polygamist ancestors. It's very hard to get any solid information on the practice, however, as the modern LDS church is deeply embarrassed about it. Claims such as only a tiny percentage of the church ever practicing it, or most plural wives being widows, are common and fairly far from the truth. Jon Krakuer's ''Under the Banner of Heaven'' provides solid information about both the doctrine of plural marriage and splinter sects of the church that continue to practice it.

Polygamy was introduced in 1842 by prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. but not practiced openly until the migration to Utah in 1847. Members of the church accepted it as a revelation of God. The practice was officially terminated in 1890 by a declaration (often called "the Manifesto" by Church members) by Wilford Woodruff, the then President of the Church, that he had recevied a revelation that if the Church did not stop the practice it would be destroyed. The LDS Church had attempted to overturn anti-polygamy laws, but had lost their final appeal before the US Supreme Court, and the court was about to legally disincorporate the Church. There is some evidence that additional polygamous marriages were conducted outside of US borders after 1890, but in 1904 the Church began to enforce the prohibition on polygamous marriages with a "Second Manifesto", and entering a polygamous marriage then became grounds for Church discipline and excommunication.

Most of the LDS leadership were in polygamous marriages up until the cessation of the practice, and much of the core church membership in the Western US today have polygamist ancestors. It's very hard to get any solid information on the practice, however, as the modern LDS church is deeply embarrassed about it. Claims such as only a tiny percentage of the church ever practiced it, or that most plural wives were widows, are common and fairly far from the truth. Jon Krakuer's ''Under the Banner of God'' provides solid information about both the doctrine of plural marriage and splinter sects of the church that continue to practice it.

Only a minority of the Church membership ever actively practiced polygamy. Members who wished to enter plural marriages generally had to receive the approval of their Stake President. Approval was not given if the man was not in good standing or if the Stake President did not believe he could support multiple wives and their children. A man's first wife also had to agree to accept a specific woman as second wife, both first and second wives had to agree to accept a third wife, etc. Wives were almost always given seperate rooms in a home as "theirs", and sometimes entirely seperate homes and associated lands, if their husband was wealthy enough. Most of the LDS leadership were in polygamous marriages up until the cessation of the practice, and much of the core church membership in the Western US today have polygamist ancesters.

!!For more information
----
http://www.exmormon.org/tract2.htm

[[http://www.exmormon.org/tract2.htm]]
If there is any question that you have that is not answered, ask it in the discussion. Other more-knowledgeable individuals will try to answer it in the discussion as well as in this article. For a more exhaustive source, the church has a website designed for non-members at [[http://www.mormon.org www.mormon.org]].

Mormons are probably one of the most misunderstood group of Christians. They share some beliefs with most mainstream Christian denominations, with many major key differences. The Latter Day Saint movement may perhaps be viewed as Christianity's very own ExpandedUniverse material. This Expanded Universe material includes the Book of Mormon (containing about a dozen other books, which, perhaps oddly, for the most part don't teach any of the more distinctive attributes of the Mormon religion), the Doctrine and Covenants, containing 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where some of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines appear, and they tend to be among the most controversial among critics of the church), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History. These are called the "Standard Works", and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, comprise the (current) Mormon canon of scriptures, which are "open" - meaning they can be expanded, contracted, or re-arranged at any time by unanimous agreement of the church's Presidency and presiding council, and a sustaining vote from the membership.

Polygamy was introduced in 1842 by prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Members of the church accepted it as a revelation of God. The practice was officially terminated in 1890 by a declaration (often called "the Manifesto" by Church members) by Wilford Woodruff, the then President of the Church, that he had recevied a revelation that if the Church did not stop the practice it would be destroyed. The LDS Church had attempted to overturn anti-polygamy laws, but had lost their final appeal before the US Supreme Court, and the court was about to legally disincorporate the Church. There is some evidence that additional polygamous marriages were conducted outside US borders after 1890, but in 1904 the Church began to enforce the prohibition on polygamous marriages with a "Second Manifesto", and entering a polygamous marriage then became grounds for Church discipline and excommunication.

Mormons are probably one of the most misunderstood group of Christians. They share some beliefs with most mainstream Christian denominations, with many major key differences. The Latter Day Saint movement may perhaps be viewed as Christianity's very own ExpandedUniverse material. This Expanded Universe material includes the Book of Mormon (containing about a dozen other books, which, oddly, teach none of the distinctive attributes of the Mormon religion), the Doctrine and Covenants, containing 132 sections of varying length, from several sentences to several pages and two "Official Declarations;" The Pearl of Great Price, containing the Book of Abraham, the Book of Moses, (these last two are where the LDS Church got the germ of the polytheistic or monolatristic ideas that would later most distance it from mainstream Christianity), Joseph Smith-Matthew and Joseph Smith-History. These are called the "Standard Works", and, along with the King James Version of the Bible, comprise the (current) Mormon scriptures, which are "open" - meaning they can be expanded, contracted, or re-arranged at any time by unanimous agreement of the church's Presidency and presiding council, which would then be submitted to the membership for sustaining vote. Eminent Protestant Christian scripture scholar Bruce Metzger (head of the translation committee for the RSV and NRSV Bibles, and long-standing editor of the New Oxford Annotated Bible until his death in 2005) defined the difference between an "open canon" (canon, from the Greek, meaning "measuring stick", in this means a list of authoritative books for a religion) and a closed canon (common to all mainstream Christianity, even if the contents are disagreed upon) thus: "An open canon is a list of authoritative books: a closed canon is an authoritative list of books."

While [[http://www.lds.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], commonly referred to as the "LDS Church" (colloquially as "Mormonism", even amongst some Latter-day Saints) is the largest denomination of Mormonism, they are erroneously often presented as the only denomination. Consider it a parallel to ChristianityIsCatholic: Mormons Are Latter-day Saints. Other significant Mormon denominations include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known for polygamy, a practice condemned by the LDS Church). The Community of Christ split from Mormonism over a succession dispute after Joseph Smith, Jr's death: although it is considered part of the Latter-day saint movement, it does not consider itself to be Mormon, and belief in the historicity Book of Mormon is not a requirement. Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Latter_Day_Saint_denominations extensive list]]. However, around 90% of Latter-day Saints are LDS; it outnumbers the next-largest denomination by over ten million. (LDS are generally reluctant to refer to non-LDS as "Mormon"; primarily because they resent the association with the Fundamentalist version. his treatment varies among non-LDS groups, which may or may not refer to themselves as "Mormon".) Most of this article is focused on the first group listed - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Also, while it is common for the media and people who are not members to refer to them as "Mormon", LDS members more commonly use "Latter-day Saints" or just "Saints" (meaning, in this context, "disciples", or "followers"), as while Mormon is the name of both a key scripture and a prominent prophet in the church, it is not the actual name of the church. Historically, members never referred to themselves as "Mormon", but nowadays they frequently refer to themselves as such, even amongst other Mormons. As an adjective, "LDS" remains more common, as in "LDS culture" or "LDS fiction".

They're also really dedicated to spreading their religion, as this article shows - being the most active modern practitioner of proselytism, fielding over 52,000 full-time missionaries as of 2010. Those teenagers you see dressed in shirt and tie, who want to share great news with you? Always knocking on your door? Mormons. (Or sometimes Jehovah's Witnesses, a vastly different group, although sometimes conflated by outsiders.)

The godhead consists of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, however, conceived of in a vastly different way to the Trinity of Nicene Christianity.

** Actually, this is a subject of argument, even among Mormons, because the man/god concept falls under Talmudic-like leadership opinion rather than official doctrine. Many point out that being like man doesn't preclude being a God. After all, Jesus was God both before and during his Incarnation, so the same is true of God the Father. Which leads to the alternate interpretation that God while God gained a mortal body (which then was transfigured into an immortal body). Indeed this comparison to Jesus was the context in which Joseph Smith placed the doctrine during the King Follet sermon, and thus would be considered the more authoritative interpretation.

The debate over Mormons being Christians stems mostly from this non-Trinitarian and non-monotheistic perspective of the godhead (which is variously viewed as polytheist, monolatrist [meaning "one worship"], i.e. that there are multiple gods in existence, but you may only worship one of them; in comparison to monotheism, were there is only one god.). For Mormons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Beings working together with a common purpose. The rough analogy would be a modern republic: separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches which collectively form one government. Mainline trinitarian Christianity considers the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to be of one single essence and nature: one absolute monarch who functions in all roles. As a result, Mormons do not ascribe to the trinitarian Nicene Creed, which all mainstream Christians (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) consider to be the hallmark of orthodoxy (from the Greek for "right belief"); thus the characterization of Mormons as outside the fold of Christianity, as the rest of Christendom considers those groups which are not Nicene non-Christian. Thus, in the eyes of most of Christianity, Mormons are a new religion, just as Christianity is a new religion and not just a "splinter sect of Judaism"; in the eyes of many Mormons, they are Christian, and, in the eyes of outsiders, no one cares, the internecine struggle is either funny or ridiculous, and they're all counted together as long as they say something about Jesus (along with Moonies, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, and all sorts of crazy groups).

The Plan of Salvation also contributes to the idea that Mormons aren't Christian, because it's significantly different from the traditional heaven/hell afterlife of most denominations. It's a bit complicated at first, so taking a look at [[http://www.ldsces.org/inst_Manuals/nt-trm/images/salv-1.gif this diagram]] might be useful.

* The Spirit World!

** Generally bad people go to Spirit Prison to await final judgment. They are taught the gospel by people who are in Paradise, and are given a chance to accept the plan of salvation and the ordinances that go along with it.
* The church teaches that all people, not just the righteous, will be resurrected, meaning their body and spirit will once again be united.
* Following the resurrection, everyone gets judged one last time.
* Basically, there are three different levels of "heaven":
** The Celestial Kingdom is the highest, where one can regain the presence of God
** The Terrestrial Kingdom is next, which is still good but not as good
** And the Telestial Kingdom is the lowest, and even though it's the lowest, it's still greater than we can comprehend as mortals.
** There's also Outer Darkness, where you go only if you deny the Holy Ghost after first believing in Its power. Basically, only those who were once true believers themselves that devote their lives to bringing down the teachings of God .

The Mormons also believe that in order to go to the Celestial Kingdom, one must have undergone several "ordinances", such as baptism and temple marriage. Children under 8 are immediately considered pure of any sin, as 8 is the "age of accountability" when they become responsible for their actions -- this is why the Mormons baptize people at the age of 8 or older, depending on when they are introduced to the church. Because God understands that not everyone has a chance to be baptized during their lifetime, there is an ordinance called Baptism For The Dead, where righteous members are baptized as proxies for those who have died. Other necessary ordinances can also be performed for the dead by proxy members. Then those people can decide whether they accept it or not. Therefore, they still have a chance to enter the Celestial Kingdom. (Also, see below section on Temples).

In 1820, Joseph Smith, Jr. was a 14-year-old boy who, like many in the United States at the time, was caught up in the Second Great Awakening, a time of great religious fervor and evangelism. His family was greatly interested in religion, and different members ended up joining different sects. After reading the Bible (and James 1:5 in particular) he decided to pray for direction in which sect to join. He went into a grove of trees, knelt, and prayed. He then saw a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, who instructed him not to join any church, but that the "fullness of the gospel" would be made known to him. This is known as the First Vision, and its end result would be the establishment of a new religion, now called Mormonism.

When the church first started and even well into the 20th century, the members were not well liked, to put it lightly. It was common for mobs to force church members from their communities, threatening to kill them if they did not leave. Some even harassed the church members specifically to kill them. One of the most tragic massacres took place at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haun%27s_Mill_massacre Haun's Mill]]. In 1844, a mob killed Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage, Illinois, where they had been jailed for accusations of polygamy. This sort of persecution is what drove the Mormons to settle in Utah where no one would bother them.

For starters, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer practices polygamy. In fact, being married to more than one living wife is grounds for excommunication (being kicked out, with all saving ordinances rendered null and void). The only "Mormons" who do practice it are a splinter group called the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who have a history of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLDS#Legal_trouble_and_leadership_struggles legal trouble]] involving forced marriages and abuse. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs previous leader]] is currently serving 10 years for being an accomplice to the rape of a minor, and no successor has been officially confirmed. Naturally, the FLDS is strongly denounced by the LDS church.

Polygamy was introduced in 1842 by prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Members of the church accepted it as a revelation of God, and also ceased it according to the succeeding prophet's words, the reason being that it conflicted with a more important rule: Follow the Law of the Land.

The main body of the Church resettled in Illinois, in and around a small town named Commerce. Eventually, the town grew to become one of the largest cities in Illinois at the time and was renamed "Nauvoo" (nah-VOO). Joseph Smith would become mayor and a militia leader sanctioned by the state government, but bloc-voting and rumors of polygamy caused violence to flare up once more. Smith was arrested for destroying the press of an anti-Mormon newspaper on the basis that it was inflaming local prejudice. He was taken to nearby Carthage Jail. Soon, it was assaulted by a mob, and Smith was shot and killed, along with his brother Hyrum.

This precipitated a succession crisis, for there was no clear line of succession. The largest group chose to follow Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve. He was soon made President of the Church, and he decided, after a failed appeal for protection from the federal government, that the best course of action was to leave the United States entirely and head west, deep into Mexican territory. By 1846, the bulk of the LDS had left Nauvoo, leaving behind a newly completed temple that had taken five years to build. It would be burned down by arsonists in November of that year.

Under Young's direction, various settlements were built over a wide area extending from present-day Alberta to Sonora. The Church followed a policy of "building Zion," sending missionaries worldwide and then encouraging converts to emigrate to Deseret, as the region was called. Within a year of arriving, Deseret found itself a part of the United States as a result of Mexico's defeat in the Mexican-American War. Young immediately petitioned to have Deseret added to the Union as a state, but Congress, wary of Deseret's enormous size (which included the majority of the Mormon settlements and stretching to the Pacific Coast and including the then-insignificant town of Los Angeles) chose to create the Territory of Utah instead. Young became the first Territorial Governor.

This time period in Utah is controversial, owing to Young's often tense relationship with the federal government and disputes over the amount of influence he wielded over the population as both political and spiritual leader. Poor communication and disgruntled federal officials who found it difficult to work with unresponsive LDS citizens caused the brief but highly-publicized Utah War in 1857-58, when an entire Army division was sent to remove Young as governor because President James Buchanan had been led to believe that Utah was in open rebellion. Sensationalist media reports, pumped by allegations of heathen polygamy, predicted a bloodbath when the division reached Salt Lake City. It was in this climate that a band of LDS militiamen waylaid a pioneer wagon train from Arkansas as it was passing through southern Utah. In an event known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, they killed most of the travelers and sent their children to be raised with local families. The militia leader would later be executed by the territorial government after being excommunicated by the Church.

Eventually, a non-LDS governor was installed in Young's place, as Young continued to lead the Church. During this time, the building of settlements went on, including the construction of more temples (including the iconic [[http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/saltlake/ Salt Lake Temple]]). They also continued the practice of polygamy until after the deaths of Young and his successor, John Taylor, despite the passage of several Acts of Congress that explicitly outlawed it, and even took steps to curtail LDS power in the territory. Wilford Woodruff became prophet in 1887. Faced with the arrests of dozens of practitioners of polygamy and the probable seizure of all Church property by the federal government, he issued the 1890 Manifesto, which declared that polygamy would no longer be allowed. In response, several fundamentalist groups broke away from the LDS Church and fled to isolated areas in the US, Canada, and Mexico in order to continue practicing polygamy.

The LDS Church has had something of a mixed record on social issues. Current issues aside (which [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment we will not discuss here]]), the Church has been at times surprisingly progressive and alarmingly backwards. On one hand, women's rights were strongly advocated in the Territory of Utah. Utah would become the second territory (after Wyoming) to grant full suffrage to women in 1870. However, in 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act, which aimed to disenfranchise the Church and curtail its power in the territory, stripped this right from women. They would not regain voting rights until the admission of Utah as a state in 1896 (which enshrined the right of women to vote in the Constitution, about which the federal government could not do a thing).

The LDS Church also ran an extensive social-support network and effectively ran much of the economy in Utah from essentially the beginning until the 1950s or so. This tradition is derived from a system used in early Mormon communities, called the United Order, which an objective analysis could not fail to call a form of Christian socialism. Indeed, in the early 20th century, leftists and Mormons often found common ground on several issues, particularly on matters concerning the working poor. However, a desire not to be associated with the Left during the RedScare led the Church to change its tune, hence the current association of Mormonism with the political Right in general and the Republican Party in particular.

The Church's positions on race were often quite ugly, at least officially. This was eventually changed, although not without difficulty. Since this is a particularly controversial matter--even within the Church--we will [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment leave it at that]].

Being that the church is well established in the United States and all over the world as well as being in a very visual position with the missionary Elders, there have been plenty of references to the church and its members in all forms of media. A near-guaranteed joke to Mormons will be had if there is any mention of a man having multiple wives, which has already been well discussed on this page.