Misplaced Pages

#654345

146-523: Opposition to Mormonism began before the first Latter Day Saint church was established in 1830 and continues to the present day. The most vocal and strident opposition occurred during the 19th century, particularly the forceful expulsion from Missouri and Illinois in the 1830s and 1840s, during the Utah War of the 1850s, and in the second half of the century when the practice of polygamy in Utah Territory

292-501: A Great Apostasy began in Christianity not long after the ascension of Jesus , marked with the corruption of Christian doctrine by Greek and other philosophies, and followers dividing into different ideological groups. Additionally, Latter Day Saints claim the martyrdom of the apostles led to a loss of priesthood authority to administer the church and its ordinances . According to Latter Day Saint churches, God re-established

438-469: A plan of salvation whereby they could progress and "have a privilege to advance like himself." The spirits were free to accept or reject this plan, and a "third" of them, led by Satan rejected it. The rest accepted the plan, coming to earth and receiving bodies with an understanding that they would experience sin and suffering. In Mormonism, the central part of God's plan is the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that one purpose of earthly life

584-668: A 2001 chapel-bombing in Croatia. Although a position on anti-Mormonism is not part of the official doctrine of the LDS Church, it has been mentioned specifically in a number of general conference talks made by church general authorities . Marvin J. Ashton , speaking as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , began a fall 1982 conference by relating an experience he had with a protester outside Temple Square . He went on to declare "[t]o

730-465: A Rigdon supporter, to assume leadership and the surviving members of Smith's immediate family remained unaffiliated with any larger body until 1860, when they formed the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with Joseph's eldest son Joseph Smith III as prophet. These various groups are sometimes referred to under two geographical headings: "Prairie Saints" (those that remained in

876-454: A belief that Jesus began his atonement in the garden of Gethsemane and continued it to his crucifixion, rather than the orthodox belief that the crucifixion alone was the physical atonement; and an afterlife with three degrees of glory , with hell (often called spirit prison ) being a temporary repository for the wicked between death and the resurrection. Additionally, Mormons do not believe in creation ex nihilo , believing that matter

1022-491: A bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me. In New York and Pennsylvania , anti-Mormonism dealt mainly with issues including whether or not Smith actually had the gold plates ; whether those plates belonged to the people rather than Smith; whether or not Smith ever really had had visions (at least ones of theological import); Smith's treasure-digging episodes; and alleged occult practices by Smith. In Ohio , anti-Mormons focused on

1168-829: A chronicle of early Israelites who left the Near East and traveled to the Americas . The book begins c.  600 BC with the departure from Jerusalem of the family of the prophet Lehi at the urging of God , and their sailing c.  589 BC to the Americas. It tells of people in the Americas (i.e., First Nations Americans ) with a belief in Christ hundreds of years before his birth ; their witnessing his personal visitation to them after his resurrection ; and of their eventually losing Christianity after generations of wars and apostasy . The Book of Mormon and continuing revelations would be

1314-694: A community hundreds of miles away in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah . Beginning in 1849, every federally appointed official left Utah under duress. In 1857 President Buchanan concluded that the Mormons in the territory were rebelling against the United States . In response, President Buchanan sent one-third of the United States army to Utah in 1857 in what is known as the Utah War . Much of this anti-Mormon sentiment

1460-412: A complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express the doctrines of Mormonism using standard biblical terminology, and claim to have similar views about the nature of Jesus ' atonement , resurrection , and Second Coming as traditional Christianity . Nevertheless, Mormons agree with non-Mormons that their view of God is significantly different from the trinitarian view of

1606-640: A council of three distinct divine persons consisting of God the Father, Jesus Christ (his firstborn Son , whom Latter Day Saints refer to as Jehovah ), and the Holy Ghost . Latter Day Saints believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct beings, and that the Father and Jesus have perfected, glorified, physical bodies, while the Holy Ghost is a spirit without a physical body. Latter Day Saints also believe that there are other gods and goddesses outside

SECTION 10

#1733092559655

1752-859: A deadlier form. In May 1989, members of a terrorist organization called the Zarate Willka Armed Forces of Liberation murdered two Mormon missionaries in La Paz, Bolivia. Another Bolivian terrorist group, the Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army , claimed responsibility for two attacks against Mormon chapels. The Lautaro Youth Movement in Chile conducted 27 small-scale bombings against LDS meetinghouses in 1992. The MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base lists 149 individual attacks that have been carried out against Mormon targets in Latin America since 1983. It also lists

1898-431: A degree of orthodoxy by excommunicating or disciplining its members who take positions or engage in practices viewed as apostasy. For example, the LDS Church excommunicates members who practice polygamy or who adopt the beliefs and practices of Mormon fundamentalism. One way Mormon fundamentalism distinguishes itself from mainstream Mormonism is through the practice of plural marriage . Fundamentalists initially broke from

2044-402: A great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create

2190-405: A legitimate factual or religious debate. Eric Johnson, for example, makes a distinction between "personal animosity and intellectual dialogue". Johnson insists that he is motivated by "love and compassion for Mormons", and that while he "[might] plead guilty to being against Mormon ism ", he finds the suggestion that he is anti- Mormon "both offensive and inaccurate". Stephen Cannon elaborates, It

2336-694: A means to salvation. However, beginning with his accounts of the First Vision in the 1830s and 1840s, Smith—who said that Christ had told him not to join any existing church—departed significantly from traditional Christianity, claiming all churches of his day were part of a Great Apostasy that had lost the authority to direct Christ's church. Mormonism does not characterize itself as a Protestant religion, as Smith taught that he had received revelation direct from Christ to restore his original church. Mormons believe that God, through Smith and his successors, restored these truths and doctrinal clarifications, and, initiating

2482-625: A new heavenly dispensation, restored the original church and Christianity taught by Jesus. For example, Smith rejected the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity as of one body and substance, with no "body, parts, or passions", and instead taught that the Godhead included God, the Eternal Father, also known as Elohim ; his only-begotten son in the flesh, Jesus Christ, also known as Jehovah , the savior and redeemer of

2628-572: A number of points: notably for the vitriolic tone of some of their more polemical pieces, their resistance to change, and their unauthorized publication of several copyrighted documents. In recent years, however, the apologists' antagonism toward the Tanners has somewhat subsided. In their study of anti-Mormon "word games", for example, Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks have nothing negative to say about them. Instead, they enlist them as allies against New Age anti-Mormons like Ed Decker, whose fabrications

2774-467: A revelation from God that officially changed the name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". In 1844, William Law and several other Latter Day Saints in church leadership positions publicly denounced Smith's secret practice of polygamy in the Nauvoo Expositor , and formed their own church . The city council of Nauvoo, Illinois , led by Smith, subsequently had the printing press of

2920-541: A spouse. Mormons also perform other ordinances, which include the Lord's supper (commonly called the sacrament ), naming and blessing children , giving priesthood blessings and patriarchal blessings , anointing and blessing the sick , participating in prayer circles , and setting apart individuals who are called to church positions. In Mormonism, the saving ordinances are seen as necessary for salvation, but they are not sufficient in and of themselves. For example, baptism

3066-765: A statement condemning the "defacement and destruction of property." In November 2008, the United States Postal Service delivered envelopes containing white powder to two LDS Church temples —the Los Angeles California Temple and the Salt Lake Temple —and to the Knights of Columbus ' national headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut , prompting a hazardous materials response and a federal domestic terrorism investigation. The LDS Church blamed opponents of

SECTION 20

#1733092559655

3212-636: A temple and correctly processed there before the ordinance ritual is performed. Only ordinances for salvation are performed on behalf of deceased persons. Mormons believe in the Old and New Testaments, and the LDS Church uses the Authorized King James Version as its official scriptural text of the Bible . While Mormons believe in the general accuracy of the modern day text of the Bible, they also believe that it

3358-607: A tributary of the Great Salt Lake the Jordan River . The LDS Church has a Jerusalem Center in Israel , where students focus their study on Near Eastern history, culture, language, and the Bible. There has been some controversy involving Jewish groups who see the actions of some elements of Mormonism as offensive. In the 1990s, Jewish groups vocally opposed the LDS practice of baptism for

3504-419: A vision in the spring of 1820. Called the " First Vision ", Smith said that God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ , appeared to him and instructed him to join none of the existing churches because they were all wrong. During the 1820s, Smith chronicled several angelic visitations, and was eventually told (by the angels) that God would use him to re-establish the "true Christian church." Joseph Smith said

3650-519: Is "traditional anti-Mormonism", typified by Rev. Wesley Walters , Jerald and Sandra Tanner , and Walter Martin . Anti-Mormons in this category generally try to explain Mormonism in naturalistic terms. They appeal to "Joseph Smith's environment and his (wicked or pathological) character, perhaps assisted by a co-conspirator or two", as a sufficient explanation for Mormon origins. "New Age anti-Mormonism", according to Peterson, "is quite different. It admits

3796-534: Is also helpful to know that Mormons are a group of people united around a belief system. Therefore, to be "anti-Mormon" is to be against people. Christians who desire to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Mormons are never to come against people of any stripe. Yes, evangelical Christians do have strong disagreements with Mormonism, but the argument is with a belief system and not a people. The LDS people are no better or no worse than any other group of people. Any dispute

3942-629: Is eternal, and creation involved God organizing existing matter. Much of the Mormon belief system is geographically oriented around the North and South American continents. Mormons believe that the people of the Book of Mormon lived in the western hemisphere , that Christ appeared in the western hemisphere after his death and resurrection, that the true faith was restored in Upstate New York by Joseph Smith, that

4088-578: Is incomplete and that errors have been introduced. According to Mormon theology, many lost truths are restored in the Book of Mormon , which Mormons hold to be divine scripture and equal in authority to the Bible. The Mormon scriptural canon also includes a collection of revelations and writings contained in the Doctrine and Covenants which contains doctrine and prophecy and the Pearl of Great Price which addresses briefly Genesis to Exodus. These books, as well as

4234-510: Is manifest), visions, visitations of divine beings, and others. Joseph Smith used the example of the Lord's revelations to Moses in Deuteronomy to explain the importance of continuous revelation: God said, "Thou shalt not kill"; at another time he said, "Thou shalt utterly destroy." This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted, by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which

4380-517: Is not limited to church members. For instance, Latter Day Saints believe that the United States Constitution is a divinely inspired document. Mormons are encouraged to develop a personal relationship with the Holy Ghost and receive personal revelation for their own direction and that of their family. The Latter Day Saint concept of revelation includes the belief that revelation from God is available to all those who earnestly seek it with

4526-485: Is required for exaltation , but simply having been baptized does not guarantee any eternal reward. The baptized person is expected to be obedient to God's commandments, to repent of any sinful conduct subsequent to baptism, and to receive the other saving ordinances. Because Mormons believe that everyone must receive certain ordinances to be saved, Mormons perform ordinances on behalf of deceased persons . These ordinances are performed vicariously or by "proxy" on behalf of

Anti-Mormonism - Misplaced Pages Continue

4672-526: Is revealed through a patriarch by the power of the priesthood. Smith hired Joshua (James) Seixas, son of Gershom Mendes Seixas and Hebrew school teacher at Congregation Shearith Israel , to teach Mormon leaders Hebrew. Smith himself attended some of these classes and went on to use his basic Hebrew in teachings. For example, Smith named the largest Mormon settlement he founded Nauvoo , which means "beautiful" (pl.) in Biblical Hebrew . Brigham Young named

4818-486: Is satanic in nature, and that it is a political conspiracy by nature. Protesters have been visible as "street preachers" at LDS General Conferences , outside of LDS pageants, and temples. At the Sacramento temple, for example, protesters dispersed pamphlets to visitors who came to take a guided tour. They also held up signs directing people to websites critical of the LDS Church. Notably, protesters also made an appearance at

4964-448: Is that Mormonism is a form of Christianity, but is distinct enough from traditional Christianity so as to form a new religious tradition, much as Christianity has roots in but is a distinct religion from Judaism. The Mormonism that originated with Smith in the 1820s shared strong similarities with some elements of 19th-century Protestant Christianity including the necessity of baptism, emphasis on family, and central doctrine on Christ as

5110-563: Is that each person may receive confirmation that particular doctrines taught by a prophet are true, as well as gain divine insight in using those truths for their own benefit and eternal progress. In the church, personal revelation is expected and encouraged, and many converts believe that personal revelation from God was instrumental in their conversion. Mormonism categorizes itself within Christianity , and nearly all Mormons self-identify as Christian . For some who define Christianity within

5256-500: Is the "only true and living church" because divine authority was restored to it through Smith. In addition, Mormons believe that Smith and his legitimate successors are modern prophets who receive revelation from God to guide the church. They maintain that other Christian religions have a portion of the truth and are guided by the light of Christ . Smith's cosmology is laid out mostly in Smith's later revelations and sermons, but particularly

5402-541: Is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 17 million nominal members, including over 17 million belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 250,000 in Community of Christ , and several other denominations with memberships generally ranging in

5548-444: Is to be a disagreement with the "ism", not the "Mormon". Even some members of the church who write negatively about it have had their writings labeled anti-Mormon. Ex-Mormons who write about the church are likewise frequently labeled anti-Mormon, even when their writings are not inflammatory in nature. The debate on who is "anti-Mormon" frequently arises in Mormon discussions of authors and sources. Stephen Cannon has argued that use of

5694-448: Is to learn to choose good over evil. In this process, people inevitably make mistakes, becoming unworthy to return to the presence of God. Mormons believe that Jesus paid for the sins of the world and that all people can be saved through his atonement. Mormons accept Christ's atonement through faith, repentance, formal covenants or ordinances such as baptism, and consistently trying to live a Christ-like life. According to Mormon scripture,

5840-677: Is true that, just as some Mormons want nothing more than to ridicule and insult those with whom they disagree, some Christians have done the same. This is wrong and always will be wrong. Some other individuals have been seen throwing copies of the Book of Mormon on the ground, stepping on them, and portray using temple garments, which LDS hold sacred, as toilet tissue, and other similarly offensive actions. However, nearly every evangelical ministry, including those that actively challenge truth claims of Mormonism, vehemently condemns this sort of offensive and belligerent behavior, and further object to being placed in

5986-533: Is used by some to describe all thought perceived as critical of the LDS Church. Siding with the latter, less-inclusive understanding of the term, Latter-day Saint scholar William O. Nelson suggests in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism that the term includes "any hostile or polemic opposition to Mormonism or to the Latter-day Saints, such as maligning Joseph Smith , his successors, or the doctrines or practices of

Anti-Mormonism - Misplaced Pages Continue

6132-567: The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. One group that actively organizes peaceful protests, a non-profit organization called Mormonism Research Ministry, insists that its activities are not "anti-Mormon". Our goal at MRM is not to be antagonistic. In fact, whenever a representative of MRM speaks publicly on this subject, we often emphasize how Christians should reflect a Christ-like attitude when sharing their faith. We must be firm in our convictions but compassionate and patient as well. ... It

6278-653: The Adam–God doctrine and Trinitarianism. Mormonism describes itself as falling within world Christianity , but as a distinct restored dispensation ; it characterizes itself as the only true form of the Christian religion since the time of a " Great Apostasy " that began not long after the ascension of Jesus Christ . According to Mormons this apostasy involved the corruption of the pure, original Christian doctrine with Greek and other philosophies, and followers dividing into different ideological groups. Additionally, Mormons claim

6424-463: The Book of Abraham , the Book of Moses , and the King Follett discourse . Mormon cosmology presents a unique view of God and the universe, and places a high importance on human agency . In Mormonism, life on earth is just a short part of an eternal existence. Mormons believe that in the beginning, all people existed as spirits or "intelligences", in the presence of God. In this state, God proposed

6570-496: The Book of Mormon was translated into English from writings he found on golden plates in a reformed Egyptian language; they were translated with the assistance of the Urim and Thummim and seer stones . He said an angel first showed him the location of the plates in 1823; they were buried in a nearby hill . With the assistance of Martin Harris , an early follower, Smith began dictating

6716-454: The Book of Mormon , which he published in 1830 as a complement to the Bible . Based on the teachings of this book and other revelations, Smith founded a Christian primitivist church, called the "Church of Christ ". The Book of Mormon attracted hundreds of early followers, who later became known as " Mormons ", "Latter Day Saints", or just "Saints". In 1831, Smith moved the church headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio , and in 1838 changed its name to

6862-416: The Book of Mormon witnesses , as "perhaps the most infamous liars and impostors that ever breathed. ... By their deception and lies, they swindle them out of their property, disturb social order and the public peace, excite a spirit of ferocity and murder, and lead multitudes astray on the subject in which, of all others, they have the deepest interest." He voiced outrage at "the miscreants who are battening on

7008-506: The Church of Christ that Smith established. Other than differences in leadership, these groups most significantly differ in their stances on polygamy, which the Utah -based LDS Church banned in 1890, and Trinitarianism , which the LDS Church does not affirm. The branch of theology which seeks to maintain the practice of polygamy is known as Mormon fundamentalism and includes several different churches. Other groups affirm Trinitarianism, such as

7154-525: The Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), and describe their doctrine as Trinitarian Christian restorationist . Cultural Mormonism is a term coined by cultural Mormons who identify with the culture, especially present in much of the American West , but do not necessarily identify with the theology. The doctrines of Mormonism began with

7300-597: The Expositor destroyed. In spite of Smith's later offer to pay damages for destroyed property, critics of Smith and the church considered the destruction heavy-handed. Some called for the Latter Day Saints to be either expelled or destroyed. Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, the Assistant President of the Church , were both killed by a mob while in a Carthage, Illinois jail , and several individuals within

7446-700: The Garden of Eden was located in North America, and that the New Jerusalem would be built in Missouri . For this and other reasons, including a belief by many Mormons in American exceptionalism , Molly Worthen speculates that this may be why Leo Tolstoy described Mormonism as the "quintessential 'American religion ' ". Although Mormons do not claim to be part of Judaism , Mormon theology claims to situate Mormonism within

SECTION 50

#1733092559655

7592-541: The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible , have varying degrees of acceptance as divine scripture among different denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. In Mormonism, continuous revelation is the principle that God or his divine agents still continue to communicate to mankind. This communication can be manifest in many ways: influences of the Holy Ghost (the principal form in which this principle

7738-563: The Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of the Latter Day Saint movement, although since 2018 there has been a push from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to distance itself from this label. One historian, Sydney E. Ahlstrom , wrote in 1982 that, depending on

7884-736: The Midwest United States ); and "Rocky Mountain Saints" (those who followed Young to what would later become the state of Utah). Today, the vast majority (over 98 percent) of Latter Day Saints belong to the LDS Church, which reports over 16 million members worldwide. The second-largest denomination is the Missouri-based Community of Christ, which reports 252,000 members. Small denominations that trace their origins to Rigdon, James Strang , or other associates of Smith's still exist, and several fundamentalist sects which separated from

8030-585: The Nicene Creed of the 4th century. Mormons consider the Bible as scripture and have also adopted additional scriptures. These include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants , and Pearl of Great Price , although not all denominations use all books as part of their scriptures. Mormons not only practice baptism and celebrate the eucharist but also participate in religious rituals not practiced in traditional Christianity. Focusing on differences, some Christians consider Mormonism "non-Christian"; members of

8176-534: The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , which supports lineal succession of leadership from Smith's descendants, and the more controversial Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints , which defends the practice of polygamy . The movement began in western New York during the Second Great Awakening when Smith said that he received visions revealing a new sacred text,

8322-487: The Utah Lighthouse Ministry . The Tanners' work has included "publishing [reprints of] many hard-to-find Mormon historical documents" and "[debating] virtually every significant topic in Mormonism". During their prolific career, they have published more than two hundred items on a variety of social, doctrinal, and historical issues. Despite the high caliber of some of their work, the Tanners have been criticized on

8468-532: The White Horse Prophecy , which argues that Mormons will be called upon to preserve the Constitution as it hangs "by a thread". In Mormonism, an ordinance is a religious ritual of special significance, often involving the formation of a covenant with God. Ordinances are performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ . The term has a meaning roughly similar to that of

8614-671: The deification of man . After the destruction of the press of the Nauvoo Expositor and institution of martial law , Joseph Smith was arrested on charges of treason against the state of Illinois and incarcerated in Carthage Jail where he was killed by a mob on June 27, 1844. The persecution in Illinois became so severe that most of the residents of Nauvoo fled across the Mississippi River in February 1846. In 1847, Mormons established

8760-459: The ecumenical creeds and the definition of the Trinity . (In contrast, the second-largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Community of Christ , is Trinitarian and monotheistic .) Mormons hold the view that the New Testament prophesied both the apostasy from the teachings of Christ and his apostles as well as the restoration of all things prior to the second coming of Christ. Some notable differences with mainstream Christianity include

8906-514: The martyrdom of the Apostles led to the loss of Priesthood authority to administer the Church and its ordinances. Mormons believe that God re-established the 1st-century early Christian church as found in the New Testament through the restoration of Joseph Smith. In particular, Mormons believe that angels such as Peter , James , John , and John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and others and bestowed various Priesthood authorities on them. Mormons thus believe that their Church

SECTION 60

#1733092559655

9052-400: The "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". After the church in Ohio collapsed due to a financial crisis and dissensions, in 1838, Smith and the body of the church moved to Missouri. However, they were persecuted and the Latter Day Saints fled to Illinois. After Smith was killed in 1844, a succession crisis led to the organization splitting into several groups. The largest of these,

9198-433: The "latter days", before the Second Coming of Christ , and is used to distinguish the members of the church, which considers itself the restoration of the ancient Christian church. Members are therefore often referred to as " Latter-day Saints " or "LDS", and among themselves, "saints". The Latter Day Saint movement classifies itself within Christianity, but as a distinct restored dispensation . Latter Day Saints hold that

9344-497: The 1980s largely as a result of the rise of Third-wave Pentecostalism and its emphasis on spiritual warfare . Traditional anti-Mormons, according to Peterson, are those who "are content to argue that Mormonism is untrue" and "incompatible with the Bible." While some may believe that Satan was indirectly involved in the founding of the LDS Church, they place little emphasis on his role. For them, naturalistic and historical explanations are always preferable to supernatural ones. Among

9490-435: The 19th century, but vigorous opposition by the United States Congress threatened the church's existence as a legal institution. Further, polygamy was also a major cause for the opposition to Mormonism in the states of Idaho and Arizona. In the 1890 Manifesto , church president Wilford Woodruff announced the official end of plural marriage. Due to this formal abolition of plural marriage, several smaller groups broke with

9636-467: The American standing army in 1857 to Utah in what is known as the Utah War . More recent persecution against Mormons in the U.S. has occasionally taken the shape of acts of vandalism against church property. At an LDS Church building in Orangevale , Sacramento County , vandals spray painted "No on 8" and "No on Prop 8" on the front sign and sidewalk. An affiliate group of the radical Trans/Queer organization Bash Back! , claims credit for pouring glue into

9782-423: The Americas centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ are considered to be among the ancestors of pre-Columbian Native Americans . Joseph Smith argued that the millennial New Jerusalem was to be built in America (10th Article of Faith ). In the Doctrine and Covenants , Smith records God as saying "it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established

9928-423: The Book of Mormon and the Bible. Personal prayer is encouraged as well. The LDS Church is by far the largest branch of Mormonism. It has continuously existed since the succession crisis of 1844 that split the Latter Day Saint movement after the death of founder Joseph Smith, Jr. The LDS Church seeks to distance itself from other branches of Mormonism, particularly those that practice polygamy. The church maintains

10074-462: The Book of Mormon from ancient gold plates and it is historically accurate , and that Native Americans are descended from Israelites who left Jerusalem in 600 BC . The court case was tossed out before trial. A court judge called it an "abuse" of court process. Tangible acts of violence against Latter-day Saints are considerably less common in the United States today than they were in the 19th century. The first significant violent persecution occurred in

10220-473: The Book of Mormon, the early Church of Christ faced persecution from residents of several towns when they tried to gather and "establish God's kingdom on the earth". To avoid confrontation in Palmyra, New York the members moved to Kirtland, Ohio , and hoped to establish a permanent New Jerusalem or City of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri . However, they were expelled from Jackson County in 1833 and fled to other parts of Missouri in 1838. Violence between

10366-500: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The two broad movements outside mainstream Mormonism are Mormon fundamentalism , and liberal reformist Mormonism. Mainstream Mormonism is defined by the leadership of the LDS Church which identifies itself as Christian. Members of the LDS Church consider their top leaders to be prophets and apostles , and are encouraged to accept their positions on matters of theology, while seeking confirmation of them through personal study of

10512-448: The Church. Though sometimes well intended, anti-Mormon publications have often taken the form of invective, falsehood, demeaning caricature, prejudice, or legal harassment, leading to both verbal and physical assault." Many of those who have been labeled "anti-Mormon" object to the designation, arguing that the term implies that disagreement or criticism of Mormonism stems from some inherent "anti-Mormon" prejudice, rather than being part of

10658-400: The Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood" (D&C 101:79–80). To Mormons, this places America as the originator of religious liberty and freedom, while noting a need to expand these American values worldwide. Although officially shunned by the LDS Church, fundamentalist Mormons believe in

10804-487: The Earth's creation was not ex nihilo , but organized from existing matter. The Earth is just one of many inhabited worlds, and there are many governing heavenly bodies, including the planet or star Kolob , which is said to be nearest the throne of God . Mormon theology teaches that the United States is a unique place and that Mormons are God's chosen people , selected for a singular destiny. The Book of Mormon alludes to

10950-502: The Godhead, such as a Heavenly Mother —who is married to God the Father—and that faithful Latter-day Saints may attain godhood in the afterlife. Joseph Smith taught that God was once a man on another planet before being exalted to Godhood. This conception differs from the traditional Christian Trinity in several ways, one of which is that Mormonism has not adopted or continued to hold

11096-639: The Institutional LDS Church and its doctrines and policies. In March 2014, a court case was brought against LDS Church president Thomas S. Monson in the United Kingdom. Monson was accused by disaffected member Tom Phillips of breaching the Fraud Act 2006 . The summons alleged that two men were induced to pay tithes to the LDS Church by church teachings which are objectively untrue. The allegedly untrue teachings included that Joseph Smith translated

11242-490: The LDS Church after it rejected plural marriage in 1890 claim tens of thousands of members. Most members of Latter Day Saint churches are adherents to Mormonism , a theology based on Joseph Smith's later teachings and further developed by Brigham Young, James Strang and others who claimed to be Smith's successors. The term Mormon derives from the Book of Mormon , and most of these adherents refer to themselves as Latter Day Saints or Mormons. Mormonism and Christianity have

11388-410: The LDS Church after that doctrine was discontinued around the beginning of the 20th century. Mormon fundamentalism teaches that plural marriage is a requirement for exaltation (the highest degree of salvation), which will allow them to live as gods and goddesses in the afterlife. Mainstream Mormons, by contrast, believe that a single Celestial marriage is necessary for exaltation. In distinction with

11534-424: The LDS Church and formed denominations following what they called Mormon fundamentalism . However, the LDS Church has experienced the most growth out of any of the churches following Mormonism, with a current membership of over 16 million. In orthodox Mormonism, the term God generally refers to the biblical God the Father , whom Latter Day Saints refer to as Elohim , and the term Godhead refers to

11680-445: The LDS Church, Mormon fundamentalists also often believe in a number of other doctrines taught and practiced by Brigham Young in the 19th century, which the LDS Church has either abandoned, repudiated, or put in abeyance. These include: Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement , LDS restorationist movement , or Smith–Rigdon movement )

11826-453: The LDS Church, focusing on similarities, are offended at being so characterized. Mormons do not accept non-Mormon baptism. Mormons regularly proselytize individuals actually or nominally within the Christian tradition, and some Christians, especially evangelicals , proselytize Mormons. The LDS Church has a formal missionary program with nearly 70,000 missionaries, with 15 training centers and 407 missions worldwide. A prominent scholarly view

11972-585: The LDS Church, migrated under the leadership of Brigham Young to the Great Basin (now Utah ) and became known for its 19th-century practice of polygamy . The LDS Church officially renounced this practice in 1890 and gradually discontinued it, resulting in Utah Territory becoming a U.S. state . This change resulted in the formation of several small sects that sought to maintain polygamy and other 19th-century doctrines and practices, now referred to as " Mormon fundamentalism ". Other groups originating within

12118-448: The Latter Day Saint movement followed different paths in Missouri , Illinois , Michigan , and Pennsylvania . For the most part, these groups rejected plural marriage and some of Smith's later teachings. The largest of these, Community of Christ (known previously as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"), was formed in Illinois in 1860 by several groups uniting around Smith's son, Joseph Smith III . The founder of

12264-425: The Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, and to a lesser extent, during the movement's first two years, Oliver Cowdery . Throughout his life, Smith told of an experience he had as a boy having seen God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings, who told him that the true church of Jesus Christ had been lost and would be restored through him, and that he would be given the authority to organize and lead

12410-547: The Missourians and church members resulted in the governor of Missouri issuing an "extermination order" against the Mormons, as they were called, which again forced the church to relocate. The displaced church fled to Illinois, to a small town called Commerce. Under Smith's direction, the church bought the town, renamed it Nauvoo , and lived with a degree of peace and prosperity for a few years. However, tensions between Mormons and their neighbors again escalated and in 1844 Smith

12556-498: The Mormons were "the most vile, the most impudent, the most impious, knot of charlatans and cheat with which any community was ever disgraced and cursed." Antidote to Mormonism describes Mormons as "miserable enemies of both God and man—engines of death and hell." He described combat with them as being "desperate, the battle is one of extermination." Bushman describes the characteristics of these anti-Mormon materials as sensationalizing actuality: The critics' writings largely controlled

12702-574: The State." Three days later, a renegade militia unit attacked a Mormon settlement at Haun's Mill , resulting in the death of 18 Mormons and no militiamen. The extermination order was not formally rescinded until 1976. After the destruction of the press of the Nauvoo Expositor in Nauvoo, Illinois , Joseph Smith was arrested and incarcerated in Carthage Jail where he was killed by a mob on June 27, 1844. The persecution in Illinois became so severe that most of

12848-772: The Tanners have denounced on more than one occasion. Walter Martin , founder of the Christian Research Institute , was another traditional anti-Mormon. Martin was more controversial and contemptuous than others noted here. He portrayed Mormons as deceivers who "pose as Christians," calling them "anti-Christian" and "a cult infiltration." Martin also claimed that Mormons secretly harbor a "deep contempt for Christians," and accused them of being egomaniacs and "cultists". New Age anti-Mormons have generated considerably more controversy than traditional anti-Mormons. The most prominent of their number, Ed Decker , produced The God Makers and The God Makers II , and wrote books by

12994-614: The United States as being the Biblical promised land , with the Constitution of the United States being divinely inspired , and argues that America is an exceptional nation . In Upstate New York in 1823, Joseph Smith claimed to have had a vision in which the Angel Moroni told him about engraved golden plates buried in a nearby hill . According to Smith, he received subsequent instruction from Moroni and, four years later, excavated

13140-421: The best interest of the Mormon at heart. Mormonism, or the Latter Day Saint movement , arose in western New York , the area where its founder, Joseph Smith , was raised, during a period of religious revival in the early 19th century. Smith claimed to have several visions involving God, Jesus and angelic Native American prophets. These claims were often not received well by those in the community, as evident in

13286-445: The body of Mormons, and contained the contents of a debate between the author and Parley Pratt , with Pratt's side omitted. Bushman describes the author's rhetoric as indistinguishable from that uttered by "scores of other polemicists of his time," providing a glimpse into the kind of material considered anti-Mormon. The pamphlet described Joseph Smith as a "blockhead", a "juggling, money-digging, fortune-telling impostor" and, along with

13432-568: The children of the Kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. Mormons believe that Smith and subsequent church leaders could speak scripture "when moved upon by the Holy Ghost." In addition, many Mormons believe that ancient prophets in other regions of the world received revelations that resulted in additional scriptures that have been lost and may, one day, be forthcoming. In Mormonism, revelation

13578-526: The church claimed to be the senior surviving authority and appointed successors. These various claims resulted in a succession crisis. Many supported Brigham Young, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ; others Sidney Rigdon , the senior surviving member of the First Presidency . Emma Hale Smith failed to persuade William Marks , the president of the Presiding High Council and

13724-415: The construction of new temples . Non-Mormon critics generally believe that the church's claims are false, that it is non-Christian, or that it is a religion based on fraud or deceit on the part of its past and present leaders. The FBI began tracking anti-Mormon hate crimes in the United States in 2015 and have noted an increase in incidents over time (through 2019). The term, "anti-Mormon" first appears in

13870-636: The context of Judaism to an extent that goes beyond what most other Christian denominations claim. The faith incorporates many Old Testament ideas into its theology, and the beliefs of Mormons sometimes parallel those of Judaism and certain elements of Jewish culture. In the earliest days of Mormonism, Joseph Smith taught that the Indigenous peoples of the Americas were members of some of the Lost Tribes of Israel . Later, he taught that Mormons were Israelites, and that they may learn of their tribal affiliation within

14016-568: The context, the term Mormonism could refer to "a sect, a mystery cult, a new religion, a church, a people, a nation, or an American subculture; indeed, at different times and places it is all of these." A prominent feature of Mormon theology is the Book of Mormon , a 19th-century text which describes itself as a chronicle of early Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their dealings with God . Mormon theology includes mainstream Christian beliefs with modifications stemming from belief in revelations to Smith and other religious leaders. This includes

14162-488: The dead on behalf of Jewish victims of the Holocaust and Jews in general. According to LDS Church general authority Monte J. Brough, "Mormons who baptized 380,000 Holocaust victims posthumously were motivated by love and compassion and did not understand their gesture might offend Jews ... they did not realize that what they intended as a 'Christian act of service' was 'misguided and insensitive ' ". Mormons believe that when

14308-444: The dead are baptized through proxy, they have the option of accepting or rejecting the ordinance. Many Mormons are believers, experiencers, or promotors of UFOs as an interstellar or non-human phenomenon. Matthew Bowman, scholar of Mormon Studies , writes that while some people use this to try to make Mormonism look silly, "a good number of Latter-day Saints" have welcomed being associated with UFOs. "Latter-day Saints have pointed to

14454-421: The dead. In accordance with their belief in each individual's "free agency", living or dead, Mormons believe that the deceased may accept or reject the offered ordinance in the spirit world , just as all spirits decided to accept or reject God's plan originally. In addition, these "conditional" ordinances on behalf of the dead are performed only when a deceased person's genealogical information has been submitted to

14600-510: The distinctive theological developments they believe to have been developed later in Mormonism. The beliefs within the LDS Church with regard to saints are similar but not quite the same as the Protestant tradition. In the New Testament , saints are all those who have entered into the Christian covenant of baptism. The qualification "latter-day" refers to the doctrine that members are living in

14746-412: The doctrine of the Nicene Creed , that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are of the same substance or being. Also, Mormonism teaches that the intelligence dwelling in each human is coeternal with God. Mormons use the term omnipotent to describe God, and regard him as the creator: they understand him as being almighty and eternal but subject to eternal natural law which governs intelligences, justice and

14892-568: The doctrines of Catholicism , Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy , the Churches of the East , and Protestantism , Mormonism's differences place it outside the umbrella of Christianity. Since its beginnings, the faith has proclaimed itself to be Christ's Church restored with its original authority, structure and power; maintaining that existing denominations believed in incorrect doctrines and were not acknowledged by God as his church and kingdom. Though

15038-607: The early 1830s in Missouri . Mormons tended to vote as a bloc there, wielding "considerable political and economic influence," often unseating local political leadership and earning long-lasting enmity in the frontier communities. These differences culminated in the Missouri Mormon War and the eventual issuing of an executive order (since called the extermination order within the LDS community) by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs , which declared that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from

15184-539: The eternal nature of matter (i.e. God organized the world but did not create it from nothing). The Mormon conception of God also differs substantially from the Jewish tradition of ethical monotheism in which elohim ( אֱלֹהִים ) is a completely different conception. This description of God represents the Mormon orthodoxy , formalized in 1915 based on earlier teachings. Other currently existing and historical branches of Mormonism have adopted different views of god, such as

15330-555: The eventual issuing of an executive order (since called the Extermination Order ) by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs declaring "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State." Three days later, a renegade militia unit attacked a Mormon settlement at Haun's Mill , resulting in the death of 18 Mormons and no militiamen. The Extermination Order was not formally rescinded until 1976. In Nauvoo, Illinois , persecutions were often based on

15476-423: The farmboy Joseph Smith in the 1820s in Western New York during a period of religious excitement known as the Second Great Awakening . Smith, at 14 years old, was determined to find out which church taught the "true" doctrine of God . He believed that God existed, but was confused by what he believed to be contradictions in the beliefs of churches available to him. In Joseph Smith-History , he wrote: "While I

15622-472: The following excerpt from Smith's account of LDS Church history: ... one of the Methodist preachers ... treated my communication ... with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them. I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited

15768-400: The foundation of Salt Lake City . Mormons are presented as violent, rigidly intolerant and corrupt, systematically terrorizing both members of the church and non-Mormon neighbors as well as forcing polygamous marriage on Mormon girls against their will. Later in his career, Conan Doyle apologized to the Mormons for his depiction of their religion. During a 1923 tour of the United States, Doyle

15914-638: The historical record in 1833 by the Louisville ( Kentucky ) Daily Herald in an article, "The Mormons and the Anti-Mormons" (the article was also the first known to label believers in the Book of Mormon as "Mormons"). In 1841, it was revealed that an Anti-Mormon Almanac would be published. Mormonism had been strongly criticized by dozens of publications since its inception. In 1834, Eber D. Howe published his book Mormonism Unvailed . The Latter Day Saints initially labeled such publications "anti-Christian", but

16060-433: The ignorance and credulity of those upon whom they can successfully play off this imposture." He described the Book of Mormon as, "the most gross, the most ridiculous, the most imbecile, the most contemptible concern, that was ever attempted to be palmed off upon society as a revelation." He believed the religion "can be viewed in no other light than that of monstrous public nuisances, that ought forthwith to be abated" and that

16206-598: The ill-fated banking efforts of the Kirtland Safety Society and other failed economic experiments including the United Order . In Missouri , once the gathering place of the Latter Day Saints, Mormons tended to vote as a bloc, wielding "considerable political and economic influence," often unseating local political leadership and earning long-lasting enmity in the sometimes hard-drinking, hard-living frontier communities. These differences culminated in hostilities and

16352-422: The intent of doing good. It also teaches that everyone is entitled to personal revelation with respect to his or her stewardship (leadership responsibility). Thus, parents may receive inspiration from God in raising their families, individuals can receive divine inspiration to help them meet personal challenges, church officers may receive revelation for those whom they serve. The important consequence of this

16498-465: The label is a "campaign by Latter-day Saints to disavow the facts presented by simply labeling the source as 'anti-Mormon'". Critics of the term also claim that Mormon authors promote the ideal of a promised heavenly reward for enduring persecution for one's beliefs. Those individuals and groups who challenge Mormonism, particularly those who approach the challenge from an evangelical Christian perspective, would generally sustain that they do, in fact, have

16644-525: The lives of their unsuspecting victims. Joseph Smith became the worst of the type—a religious fraud who preyed upon the sacred yearnings of the human soul. British author Arthur Conan Doyle 's A Study in Scarlet (1887), the novel in which the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance, includes a very negative depiction of the early Mormon community in Utah after its migration westwards and

16790-536: The locks of an LDS Church building and spray painting on its walls. An internet posting signed by Bash Back!'s Olympia chapter said: "The Mormon church ... needs to be confronted, attacked, subverted and destroyed." According to the Chicago Tribune , the acts of vandalism against the LDS Church appear to be in retaliation for support of Proposition 8. Police reported that nine church buildings were also damaged in Utah that month. The Anti-Defamation League released

16936-482: The marriage ban for sending the hoax mailings , while a group that also supported the measure condemned "acts of domestic terrorism against our supporters." LGBT rights groups, such as Equality Utah and Equality California , have spoken out against the use of violence in protests, and note that the source of the "white powder" mailings has not been determined. In Latin America, however, opposition to Mormonism has taken

17082-453: The means of establishing correct doctrine for the restored church . Smith, Oliver Cowdery , and other early followers began baptizing new converts in 1829, and formally organized in 1830 as the Church of Christ . Smith was seen by his followers as a modern-day prophet . Historical accuracy and veracity of the Book of Mormon was, at the time of its publication and continuing to the present day, hotly contested . Along with disputes over

17228-458: The most important of which is that Christ is the savior of the world and that he suffered for the world's sins so that the penitent can return to live in heaven. A small fraction of Latter Day Saints, most notably those within Community of Christ, the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination, follow a traditional Protestant theology. Community of Christ views God in trinitarian terms, and reject

17374-470: The most prominent of the traditional anti-Mormons are Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Both former members of the LDS Church, the Tanners converted to evangelical Protestantism; in 1964, they founded the Modern Microfilm Company to "document problems with the claims of Mormonism and to compare LDS doctrines with Christianity." In 1983, they turned their company into a non-profit organization and renamed it

17520-405: The phenomenon as either entirely consistent with their faith or even proof of it. ... These folks are the heirs to a strain of theology going back to Brigham Young that peaked with the early 20th-century writings of church leaders like B.H. Roberts or John Widtsoe ." Mormon theology includes three main movements. By far the largest of these is "mainstream Mormonism", defined by the leadership of

17666-428: The plates and translated them from " reformed Egyptian " into English; the resultant Book of Mormon —so called after an ancient American prophet who, according to Smith, had compiled the text recorded on the golden plates—recounts the history of a tribe of Israelites , led by the prophet Lehi , who migrated from Jerusalem to the Americas in the 7th century BCE. In Mormonism, these Israelite tribes who migrated to

17812-572: The presence of supernatural events in the founding events of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is quite willing to acknowledge continuous supernatural influence in the life of the Church today." However, "unlike faithful Latter-day Saints, New Age anti-Mormons see the supernatural agents involved in the founding and progress of the Church as demonic, occultic, diabolical, luciferian." This "New Age anti-Mormon" grouping includes Ed Decker , Loftes Tryk, James R. Spencer and many others. According to Introvigne, New Age anti-Mormonism emerged in

17958-519: The publication of the Almanac and the subsequent formation of an " Anti-Mormon Party " in Illinois heralded a shift in terminology. "Anti-Mormon" became a common self-designation for those opposed to the religion. Today, the term is primarily used as a descriptor for persons and publications that are active in their opposition to the LDS Church, although its precise scope has been the subject of some debate. It

18104-471: The reading public's image of [Joseph Smith] for the next century, with unfortunate results for biographers. The sharp caricature of "Joe Smith" as fraud and con man blotted out the actual person. He was a combination of knave and blockhead. No one had to explain what motives drove him. He was a fixed type, the confidence man, well known in the literature of antebellum America. Americans knew all about these insidious scoundrels who undermined social order and ruined

18250-439: The religion quickly gained a large following of Christian seekers, in the 1830s, many American Christians came to view the church's early doctrines and practices as politically and culturally subversive , as well as doctrinally heretical, abominable, and condemnable. This discord led to a series of sometimes-deadly conflicts between Mormons and others who saw themselves as orthodox Christians. Although such violence declined during

18396-455: The residents of Nauvoo fled across the Mississippi River in February 1846. Even after Mormons established a community hundreds of miles away in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, anti-Mormon activists in Utah Territory convinced U.S. President James Buchanan that the Mormons in the territory were rebelling against the United States; critics pointed to plural marriage as a sign of the rebellion. In response, President Buchanan sent one-third of

18542-494: The same category as those few who engage in such behavior. As a result of organized protests at Mormon events, a number of Latter-day Saints, and even non-Mormons, have begun to counter-demonstrate at events (by singing hymns, for example). Opposition to Mormonism has been more prominent in the 21st century from atheist perspectives. Richard Dawkins , Bill Maher and John Dehlin are among those who more prominent individuals who have used media appearances or podcasts to oppose

18688-400: The same name. The God Makers has attracted criticism not only from Latter-day Saints, but from traditional anti-Mormons as well. The film is generally considered acerbic and misleading, and has provoked bomb threats against LDS meetinghouses and death threats against members. In other publications, Decker has asserted that the literal source of Mormonism is Satan , that its religious symbolism

18834-450: The snares of the wicked one, and have been left destitute of the Spirit of God, to manifest their wickedness in the eyes of multitudes. From apostates the faithful have received the severest persecutions ... "When once that light which was in them is taken from them, they become as much darkened as they were previously enlightened, and then, no marvel, if all their power should be enlisted against

18980-431: The source of at least some anti-Mormon and apostate groups, relates an experience of a Mormon convert being excommunicated and encourages the avoidance of "those who would tear down your faith.” A passage from an early Mormon epistle addresses a claimed tendency of ex-Mormons to criticize the church of which they are no longer a part: [A]postates after turning from the faith of Christ ... have sooner or later fallen into

19126-487: The tendency of Mormons to "dominate community, economic, and political life wherever they resided." The city of Nauvoo had become the largest in Illinois, the city council was predominantly Mormon, and the Nauvoo Legion (the Mormon militia ) had grown to a quarter of the size of the U.S. Army . Other issues of contention included polygamy , freedom of speech , anti-slavery views during Smith's presidential campaign, and

19272-565: The term sacrament in other Christian denominations. Saving ordinances (or ordinances viewed as necessary for salvation) include: baptism by immersion after the age of accountability (normally age 8); confirmation and reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost , performed by laying hands on the head of a newly baptized member; ordination to the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods for males; an endowment (including washing and anointing ) received in temples ; and marriage (or sealing ) to

19418-531: The text of the Book of Mormon on April 12, 1828. Despite interruption of translation work by persecution , Smith's continued employment in order to support his family, and Harris's loss of 116 pages , the Book of Mormon manuscript was finished in June 1829. Smith said the plates were returned to the angel after he finished the translation. During the time Smith said he possessed the plates, 15 people were allowed to witness their existence . The Book of Mormon claims to be

19564-634: The thousands of members. The predominant theology of the churches in the movement is Mormonism , which sees itself as restoring again on Earth the early Christian church ; their members are most commonly known as Mormons . An additional doctrine of the church allows for prophets to receive and publish modern-day revelations . A minority of Latter Day Saint adherents, such as members of Community of Christ, have been influenced by Protestant theologies while maintaining certain distinctive beliefs and practices including continuing revelation , an open canon of scripture and building temples . Other groups include

19710-436: The true Church of Christ. The Latter Day Saint church was formed on April 6, 1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns of Fayette , Manchester , and Colesville . The church was formally organized under the name of the "Church of Christ". By 1834, the church was referred to as the "Church of the Latter Day Saints" in early church publications, and in 1838 Smith announced that he had received

19856-541: The truth," and they, Judas like, seek the destruction of those who were their greatest benefactors. In 1985, Vaughn J. Featherstone, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of the LDS Church, addressed students at the church-owned Brigham Young University , calling anti-Mormon material "theological pornography that is damaging to the spirit." Mormonism Mormonism is the theology and religious tradition of

20002-430: The twelve Israelite tribes. Members of the LDS Church receive Patriarchal blessings which declare the recipient's lineage within one of the tribes of Israel. The lineage is either through true blood-line or adoption. The LDS Church teaches that if one is not a direct descendant of one of the twelve tribes, upon baptism he or she is adopted into one of the tribes. Patriarchal blessings also include personal information which

20148-483: The twentieth century, the religion's unique doctrinal views and practices still generate criticism, sometimes vehemently so. This gives rise to efforts by Mormons and opposing types of Christians to proselytize each other. Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God and Messiah , his crucifixion as a conclusion of a sin offering , and subsequent resurrection . However, Latter-day Saints (LDS) reject

20294-549: The use of and belief in the Bible and other religious texts, including the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price . Mormonism includes significant doctrines of eternal marriage , eternal progression , baptism for the dead , polygamy or plural marriage , sexual purity , health (specified in the Word of Wisdom) , fasting , and Sabbath observance . The theology itself is not uniform; as early as 1831, and most significantly after Smith's death , various groups split from

20440-538: The world, and especially to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" that "there is no time for contention," and encouraged "all our members to refuse to become anti-anti-Mormon. In the wise words of old, can we 'live and let live'?" Carlos E. Asay of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy spoke in the fall 1981 conference concerning opposition to the LDS Church. He describes " Lucifer " as

20586-473: The world; and the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, an individual personage of spirit whose influence can be felt in many places at once. Further, Smith taught that the essence of all humans is co-eternal with God and that humans, as the spirit offspring of God the Father, have the potential to become like God. The LDS Church, the largest Mormon denomination, while acknowledging its differences with mainstream Christianity, often focuses on its commonalities, which are many,

20732-401: Was expressed in publications during the early part of LDS Church history. In his 2005 biography of Joseph Smith, Richard Lyman Bushman cites four 1838 pamphlets as anti-Mormon: Mormonism Exposed by Sunderland, Mormonism Exposed by Bacheler, Antidote to Mormonism by M'Chesney, and Exposure of Mormonism by Livesey. The first was the work of Origen Bacheler, who had no direct contact with

20878-652: Was invited to speak at the LDS Church's Salt Lake Tabernacle ; while some individual Mormons remained deeply upset over the negative depiction, in general, the Mormons present received him warmly. Vehement opposition to the LDS Church comes from individuals or groups associated with the Christian countercult movement , which is mostly an evangelical Christian phenomenon. In the 21st century, opposition to Mormonism has become frequent among Secular groups. Among those with religious motives, Daniel C. Peterson has identified two major streams of modern anti-Mormon thought. The first

21024-454: Was killed by a mob, precipitating a succession crisis . The largest group of Mormons followed Brigham Young as the new prophet and, under his direction, emigrated to what became the Utah Territory . There, the church began the open practice of plural marriage , a form of polygyny which Smith had instituted in Nauvoo. Plural marriage became the faith's most sensational characteristic during

21170-450: Was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James , first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.'" After praying about which denomination he should join, Smith said he received

21316-404: Was widely considered by the U.S. Republican Party as one of the "twin relics of barbarism" along with slavery . Modern-day opposition generally takes the form of websites, podcasts, videos or other media criticizing Mormonism, or protests at large Latter-day Saint gatherings such as the LDS Church's semiannual general conference , outside of Latter-day Saint pageants , or at events surrounding

#654345