The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Created | Updated Nov 7, 2005
Note: This entry is to inform people about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints and, although the researcher has tried to keep to the truth about the church, it does not represent the official line of the Church, nor is it in any way endorsed by the First Presidency of the Church and anyone wishing to know more official documentation should visit official website www.mormon.org which is endorsed by the leaders of the Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, Better known by the nick name of 'the Mormon Church' or some times by error in some places 'the church of the latter-day saints' is an international organisation of excess of 10 million members, although by many it is seen as a cult. It is also interesting to note that, although the majority of members reside outside of North America (More members are in Europe or South American) it is seen as an American Church. This is in part due to the origins in New York, but is seen by many as one of the worlds fastest growing groups.
The LDS Church sees itself as being Christian, although many within the Catholic, Orthodox and Protistant groups do not aggree with this. The crux of the matter is a belief in the trinity.
History
The Church was founded on the 6th of April 1830 in Upstate New York, not Utah as most people believe. The First meeting was attended by 6 members along with others who had heard of the new Church and had read the Book of Mormon.
The Church had been founded by a man by the name Joseph Smith who had clamed that he had seen a number of visions; accounts of these can be found on the Church Web sites, or can be recounted by asking any member of the Church, and will not be documented by the researcher here. the First of these involved an appearance by God the Father and Jesus Christ the second by an angel called Moroni, who, it is clammed, was a prophet in ancent America and had hidden a record close by. This, Joseph Smith claimed, was the Book of Mormon, which he clamed to have translated, '...by the gift and power of God' (see the Book of Mormon). It is also claimed by Joseph Smith and the Members of the Church that Joseph was visited by John the Baptist as well as Peter, James and John-Jesus's Apostles-before the 6th of April.
As the Church Grew the Members moved to Kirkland, Ohio; Independence, Missouri and Nauvoo; Illinois. The majority of the moves were due to persecution of the members, for example on the 27th of October 1838 in Missouri the governor, LM Bloggs, gave an order that "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary", This Extermination order was only reconsidered in 1976.
It is interesting to note that during the period that the church was in Missouri more members lived in the United Kingdom than the United States. (If those had not emigrated the Church centre may have been Manchester rather than Salt Lake)
In 1844 Joseph Smith was assassinated by a mob in a jail in Illinois, where he had been taken for his protection. The Church was told to leave the United States and, under the Leadership of Brigham Young, left to what is now Utah, which at the time was under the control of Mexico. Here the Church continued to grow and build Salt Lake City and the Tabernacle which the Church is famous for today.
Beliefs
Members of the LDS church have a core belief in the Bible as well as the book of Mormon, a record of ancient America and consist of the writings of the people who came, it is alleged, from Jerusalem and settled in America approximately 600BC. These people, the Nephites, died out about 400AD and one of the prophets, name Mormon and his son, Moroni, both wrote the records on gold plates that were hidden and interpreted by Joseph Smith.
Members of the Church have other beliefs, in fact in answer to a question Joseph Smith wrote 13 ‘Articles of Faith’ that details the beliefs of the Members of the Church and can be found elsewhere on the internet, in summary they believe in god, his Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost; that Adam was the first man; the saving of all mankind through Jesus Christ though works and actions; Baptism by immersion; prophecy and the continuing of revelation; gathering of Israel and being honest and good in all that they do.
Another important aspect of LDS belief is that of the sacred nature of the family, to the extent that a proclamation was made by the leadership of the church near the end of the last centaury. LDS importance of the family stems from a belief that instead of a marriage ending at death (‘Till death do you part’ is still said in Christian marriage ceremonies) a man and wife can be married for eternity.
This importance of the family is what leads many LDS to work hard looking for their ancestors. Morons also have temples as part of their worship, and are the only Christian sect to do so. These are sacred places where marriage for eternity takes place and other instruction and sacred ceremony’s take place. The Sacrad Temple Garment is gained in the Temple, which is a white top and bottom peice that Members ware as an outward symbol of there covenants.
Leadership
The Church is lead by, what the membership calls, a Prophet who has two councillors to aid him. With him are 12 Apostles who each have special assignments.
The prophet, sometimes referred to as President travels the world to speak to groups of LDS (what members of the church refer to themselves as) as well as individuals. The current President is Gordon B. Hikley.
There have been a number of Presidents since Joseph Smith these are:
Brigham Young
John Taylor
Willfred Woodriff
Lorenzo Snow
Joseph F. Smith
Heber J, Grant
George Albert Smith
David O. McKay
Joseph Feilding Smith
Harold B. Lee
Spencer W. Kimball
Ezra Taff Benson
Howard W. Hunter
Gordon B. Hinkley
Local leadership of the Church is the Bishop. This is a person who will have a full time job since the Church is a lay church, even the President and the apostles are not paid for the time they work for the church. The Bishop also has two councillors.
Organisation
The Church has a number of Organisations or auxiliaries with in it to work with the members. These are: Relief Society, a woman’s group for learning about the gospel and giving aid to one another; Sunday School and Youth as well as weekday learning activities for the youth and young single adults such as Institute and Seminary. These are all run by volunteers and help the members to have a social presence as well as giving the members help and learning.
Members of the Church
Members of the Church are varied; most would like to think that they are keeping the life in line with the principles of the church. But the case is usually quite different. Some fall into pit holes of becoming arrogant, clickish and so it feels uncomfortable for a person going to this church for the first time (as is currently the case of the church unit the researcher currently attends). These people though are in the minority and people who meet them should try and get past these to the ones who realise that one of the founding things the church stands for is that not everyone is perfect but falls short and needs to repent.
Most members do, in fact realise this and are struggling though life the same as everyone, but they are set apart because of outward actions, ie the abstinence from tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco.
The Word of Wisdom
This is the name of the health law that LDS observe. To the Mormon it is more than simply abstinence from tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. It is also considered to be a spiritual law where if one follows the advice then you will get special blessings.
However this health law also deals with the eating of meats, which is said to be eaten sparingly and that fruit and vegetables are to be eaten more often. This aspect is never told to those who hear about this law. Also that by following these principles a person can get benefits of health.
The researcher feels it is unfair that, when people talk about this law they have to find a reason (ie caffeine in coffee) but when it is brought to the attention of the individual that this law is similar to Halal and Kosher it is dismissed, because the Mormon religion is considered to be a Christian religion and other Christian sects do not have a health law.
Plural Marriage
Polygamy is not practiced by the church members anymore. People who clam to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and practice such things are normally excommunicated from the church. Please refer to the official church authorities for more on the history of this area. Suffice it to say it was pacticed only by those who the leaders of the Church felt were able to understand and not take advantage of the situation and in many ways was used due to the fact that many men had been killed ether fighting those who opposed the church, or in passage accross the plains to Utah where the members finaly settled. The practice ended in 1890 where then presedent Woodruff said "...I now pubicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land." (Official Declaration 1 Doctorine and Covernants)
Terms used in the Church
Some people who attend Church get confused by some terms and abbreviations. Although not exhaustive these are interpretations for some of the ones used in British Churches, although used elsewhere world wide the researcher has only known people from the other English speaking countries the church is established in, and has not attended there himself and cannot clam to be an expert.
Investigator: one who is meeting with the missionaries investigating what the church is about.
Youth: The organisation for young men and young women (age 12 to 18)
YSA: Young Single Adults, for people age 18-30 as a sort of cattle farm for to find future spouse.
Institute: A regular weekday church learning group for members 18-30. Mostly for members at university.
Exaltation: Living with Heavenly Father for ever
Eternal Life: Same as Exaltation.
Atonement: When the Saviour in Gethsemane took upon him the sins of those who repent.
Sacrament: The Lords Supper
If you attend a service at a Latter-day Saints church and there are words you don’t understand then please speak to the Missionaries. They ware badges and will be more than happy to speak to you. Just make it clear that you don’t wish to join the church if you do not wish to. Saves a lot of time.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, Better known by the nick name of 'the Mormon Church' or some times by error in some places 'the church of the latter-day saints' is an international organisation of excess of 10 million members, although by many it is seen as a cult. It is also interesting to note that, although the majority of members reside outside of North America (More members are in Europe or South American) it is seen as an American Church. This is in part due to the origins in New York, but is seen by many as one of the worlds fastest growing groups.
The LDS Church sees itself as being Christian, although many within the Catholic, Orthodox and Protistant groups do not aggree with this. The crux of the matter is a belief in the trinity.
History
The Church was founded on the 6th of April 1830 in Upstate New York, not Utah as most people believe. The First meeting was attended by 6 members along with others who had heard of the new Church and had read the Book of Mormon.
The Church had been founded by a man by the name Joseph Smith who had clamed that he had seen a number of visions; accounts of these can be found on the Church Web sites, or can be recounted by asking any member of the Church, and will not be documented by the researcher here. the First of these involved an appearance by God the Father and Jesus Christ the second by an angel called Moroni, who, it is clammed, was a prophet in ancent America and had hidden a record close by. This, Joseph Smith claimed, was the Book of Mormon, which he clamed to have translated, '...by the gift and power of God' (see the Book of Mormon). It is also claimed by Joseph Smith and the Members of the Church that Joseph was visited by John the Baptist as well as Peter, James and John-Jesus's Apostles-before the 6th of April.
As the Church Grew the Members moved to Kirkland, Ohio; Independence, Missouri and Nauvoo; Illinois. The majority of the moves were due to persecution of the members, for example on the 27th of October 1838 in Missouri the governor, LM Bloggs, gave an order that "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary", This Extermination order was only reconsidered in 1976.
It is interesting to note that during the period that the church was in Missouri more members lived in the United Kingdom than the United States. (If those had not emigrated the Church centre may have been Manchester rather than Salt Lake)
In 1844 Joseph Smith was assassinated by a mob in a jail in Illinois, where he had been taken for his protection. The Church was told to leave the United States and, under the Leadership of Brigham Young, left to what is now Utah, which at the time was under the control of Mexico. Here the Church continued to grow and build Salt Lake City and the Tabernacle which the Church is famous for today.
Beliefs
Members of the LDS church have a core belief in the Bible as well as the book of Mormon, a record of ancient America and consist of the writings of the people who came, it is alleged, from Jerusalem and settled in America approximately 600BC. These people, the Nephites, died out about 400AD and one of the prophets, name Mormon and his son, Moroni, both wrote the records on gold plates that were hidden and interpreted by Joseph Smith.
Members of the Church have other beliefs, in fact in answer to a question Joseph Smith wrote 13 ‘Articles of Faith’ that details the beliefs of the Members of the Church and can be found elsewhere on the internet, in summary they believe in god, his Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost; that Adam was the first man; the saving of all mankind through Jesus Christ though works and actions; Baptism by immersion; prophecy and the continuing of revelation; gathering of Israel and being honest and good in all that they do.
Another important aspect of LDS belief is that of the sacred nature of the family, to the extent that a proclamation was made by the leadership of the church near the end of the last centaury. LDS importance of the family stems from a belief that instead of a marriage ending at death (‘Till death do you part’ is still said in Christian marriage ceremonies) a man and wife can be married for eternity.
This importance of the family is what leads many LDS to work hard looking for their ancestors. Morons also have temples as part of their worship, and are the only Christian sect to do so. These are sacred places where marriage for eternity takes place and other instruction and sacred ceremony’s take place. The Sacrad Temple Garment is gained in the Temple, which is a white top and bottom peice that Members ware as an outward symbol of there covenants.
Leadership
The Church is lead by, what the membership calls, a Prophet who has two councillors to aid him. With him are 12 Apostles who each have special assignments.
The prophet, sometimes referred to as President travels the world to speak to groups of LDS (what members of the church refer to themselves as) as well as individuals. The current President is Gordon B. Hikley.
There have been a number of Presidents since Joseph Smith these are:
Brigham Young
John Taylor
Willfred Woodriff
Lorenzo Snow
Joseph F. Smith
Heber J, Grant
George Albert Smith
David O. McKay
Joseph Feilding Smith
Harold B. Lee
Spencer W. Kimball
Ezra Taff Benson
Howard W. Hunter
Gordon B. Hinkley
Local leadership of the Church is the Bishop. This is a person who will have a full time job since the Church is a lay church, even the President and the apostles are not paid for the time they work for the church. The Bishop also has two councillors.
Organisation
The Church has a number of Organisations or auxiliaries with in it to work with the members. These are: Relief Society, a woman’s group for learning about the gospel and giving aid to one another; Sunday School and Youth as well as weekday learning activities for the youth and young single adults such as Institute and Seminary. These are all run by volunteers and help the members to have a social presence as well as giving the members help and learning.
Members of the Church
Members of the Church are varied; most would like to think that they are keeping the life in line with the principles of the church. But the case is usually quite different. Some fall into pit holes of becoming arrogant, clickish and so it feels uncomfortable for a person going to this church for the first time (as is currently the case of the church unit the researcher currently attends). These people though are in the minority and people who meet them should try and get past these to the ones who realise that one of the founding things the church stands for is that not everyone is perfect but falls short and needs to repent.
Most members do, in fact realise this and are struggling though life the same as everyone, but they are set apart because of outward actions, ie the abstinence from tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco.
The Word of Wisdom
This is the name of the health law that LDS observe. To the Mormon it is more than simply abstinence from tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. It is also considered to be a spiritual law where if one follows the advice then you will get special blessings.
However this health law also deals with the eating of meats, which is said to be eaten sparingly and that fruit and vegetables are to be eaten more often. This aspect is never told to those who hear about this law. Also that by following these principles a person can get benefits of health.
The researcher feels it is unfair that, when people talk about this law they have to find a reason (ie caffeine in coffee) but when it is brought to the attention of the individual that this law is similar to Halal and Kosher it is dismissed, because the Mormon religion is considered to be a Christian religion and other Christian sects do not have a health law.
Plural Marriage
Polygamy is not practiced by the church members anymore. People who clam to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and practice such things are normally excommunicated from the church. Please refer to the official church authorities for more on the history of this area. Suffice it to say it was pacticed only by those who the leaders of the Church felt were able to understand and not take advantage of the situation and in many ways was used due to the fact that many men had been killed ether fighting those who opposed the church, or in passage accross the plains to Utah where the members finaly settled. The practice ended in 1890 where then presedent Woodruff said "...I now pubicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land." (Official Declaration 1 Doctorine and Covernants)
Terms used in the Church
Some people who attend Church get confused by some terms and abbreviations. Although not exhaustive these are interpretations for some of the ones used in British Churches, although used elsewhere world wide the researcher has only known people from the other English speaking countries the church is established in, and has not attended there himself and cannot clam to be an expert.
Investigator: one who is meeting with the missionaries investigating what the church is about.
Youth: The organisation for young men and young women (age 12 to 18)
YSA: Young Single Adults, for people age 18-30 as a sort of cattle farm for to find future spouse.
Institute: A regular weekday church learning group for members 18-30. Mostly for members at university.
Exaltation: Living with Heavenly Father for ever
Eternal Life: Same as Exaltation.
Atonement: When the Saviour in Gethsemane took upon him the sins of those who repent.
Sacrament: The Lords Supper
If you attend a service at a Latter-day Saints church and there are words you don’t understand then please speak to the Missionaries. They ware badges and will be more than happy to speak to you. Just make it clear that you don’t wish to join the church if you do not wish to. Saves a lot of time.
