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Mormonism comprises the religious, institutional, and cultural elements of the most populous branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., in the 1830s and 1840s, and Mormonism represents the branch of that movement led by Brigham Young after Smith's death. This was sometimes called the "Brighamite" branch of the faith. The largest part of Mormonism is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), but also includes Mormon fundamentalism, a tradition that continued to practice plural marriage after the LDS Church discontinued the practice around the turn of the 20th century. Mormonism further includes a few small sects that broke from the LDS Church in order to pursue a more liberal religious path. Non-"Brighamite" traditions within the Latter Day Saint movement, such as the Community of Christ, generally disavow the term Mormonism.

The term Mormonism derived from the Book of Mormon, one of the faith's religious texts. Based on the name of that book, early followers of founder Joseph Smith, Jr. were called Mormons, and their faith was called Mormonism. The term was initially considered pejorative, but is no longer considered so by Mormons.

Mormon theology is a form of restorationism that shares a common set of beliefs with the rest of the Latter Day Saint movement, including use of, and belief in, the Bible, as well as other religious texts including the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. It differs from other Latter Day Saint movement traditions in that it also accepts the Pearl of Great Price as part of its canon, and it has a history of teaching eternal marriage, eternal progression, and plural marriage (although the LDS Church had abandoned the practice by the early 20th century). Cultural Mormonism includes a lifestyle promoted by the Mormon institutions, and includes cultural Mormons who identify with the culture, but not necessarily the theology.

Brief history

The Latter Day Saint movement, including Mormonism, originated in the 1820s in western New York. Founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., the faith drew its first converts while Smith was dictating the text of the Book of Mormon. This book described itself as a chronicle of early indigenous peoples of the Americas, portraying them as believing Israelites, who had a belief in Christ many hundred years before his birth. Smith claimed he translated over 500 pages in about 60 days, and that it was an ancient record translated "by the gift and power of God". During production of this work in mid-1829, Smith, his close associate Oliver Cowdery, and other early followers began baptizing new converts into a Christian primitivist church, formally organized in 1830 as the Church of Christ.

Smith claimed to have seen a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ in spring 1820 in answer to his question of which faith he should join. This vision of God and Jesus Christ as two separate personages was Smith's basis for some of the difference in doctrine between Mormonism and much of orthodox Christianity.

The Church of Christ grew steadily, but from the beginning in 1830, its members were persecuted by non-Mormons. To avoid persecution from New York residents, some of whom claimed Smith worked as a treasure seeker, the Latter Day Saints moved to Kirtland, Ohio and hoped to establish a permanent New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri. However, the Saints were expelled from Jackson County in 1833 forced to flee Kirtland in early 1838. In Missouri, the Mormon War of 1838 resulted in the "Mormon Extermination Order," resulting in the expulsion of Latter Day Saints from Missouri, and they settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. In 1844, Smith was killed by members of the Illinois militia, precipitating a succession crisis. The largest group of Saints accepted Brigham Young as the new prophet/leader and emigrated to what became the Utah Territory, where they incorporated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church began to openly practice plural marriage, a form of polygamy that Smith had instituted in Nauvoo. Plural marriage became the faith's most sensational characteristic during the 19th century, but vigorous opposition by the United States Congress threatened the church's existence as a legal institution. In his 1890 Manifesto, church president Wilford Woodruff announced the official end of plural marriage, though the practice continued unofficially until the early 20th century.

Several smaller groups of Mormons broke with the LDS Church over the issue of plural marriage, forming several denominations of Mormon fundamentalism. Meanwhile, the LDS Church has become a proponent of monogamy and patriotism, has extended its reach internationally by a vigorous missionary program, and has grown in size to nearly 14 million members. The church has become part of the American and international mainstream. Like all Mormon faiths, however, it consciously and intentionally retains its identity as a "peculiar people", set apart from the world by what it believes is its unique relationship with God.

Theological foundations

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Relation to Christianity

Mormons believe that the church founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 was a literal restoration of primitive Christianity, restored and led by modern prophets including Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young. Thus, Mormonism classifies itself within Christianity. Mormons believe that after a time the Church as established by the Lord fell into spiritual decay. His teachings were altered; His ordinances were changed; and the Great Apostasy came as had been foretold by Paul, who knew that the Lord would not come again “except there come a falling away first”(2 Thessalonians 2:3). According to Bruce McConkie, a Mormon authority, "Mormonism is indistinguishable from Christianity." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 513)

In many ways, the religion differs from orthodoxy as held by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity. To those for whom Christianity is defined by that orthodoxy, Mormonism's differences place it outside the umbrella of Christianity altogether.

Since its beginnings, the faith has proclaimed itself to be Christ's Church restored with its original authority, structure and power; teaching that the existing denominations "were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom", and "all their creeds were an abomination in his sight." Though 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. This discord led to a series of sometimes-deadly conflicts between Mormons and other Christians. Although such violence has declined in the last century, the religion's unique doctrinal views and practices still generate criticism, as well as efforts by Mormons and other Christians to proselytize each other.

Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah, the crucifixion as a final offering and his resurrection. However, Latter Day Saints reject the ecumenical creeds and definition of the Trinity taught by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and Trinitarian Protestantism, and hold 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. Mormons teach that the priesthood authority were taken from the earth with the death of the original apostles, and were restored to Joseph Smith, Jr. by those who held them anciently, resulting in a full restoration of primitive Christianity.

Mormons believe in the Old and New Testaments and the LDS Church uses the King James Bible as its official scriptural text of the Bible. While they believe in the general accuracy of the modern day text of the Bible, they also believe that it is incomplete and contains errors. In Mormon theology, many of these lost truths are restored by way of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons hold to be divine scripture and equal in authority to the Bible, and through revelation to modern-day leaders. Some of these revelations are contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, all of which have varying degrees of acceptance as divine scripture among the different denominations of the Latter Day Saint Movement.

Relation to Judaism

Although Mormons do not claim to be part of Judaism, Mormon theology claims to situate Mormonism within 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. Founder Joseph Smith Jr. was a Judeophile who in the earliest days of Mormonism 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 the twelve Israelite tribes through prophecy. Thus, members of the LDS Church receive Patriarchal blessings which purport to declare the recipient's lineage within one of the tribes of Israel. The lineage is either through true blood-line or adopted. 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. The Patriarchal blessings also include personal information which is revealed through a patriarch by the power of the priesthood.

The Mormon affinity for Judaism is expressed by the many references to Judaism in the Mormon liturgy. For example, Joseph Smith named the largest Mormon settlement he founded Nauvoo, which means "to be beautiful" in Hebrew. Brigham Young named a tributary of the Great Salt Lake the "Jordan River". The LDS Church created a writing scheme called the Deseret Alphabet, which was based, in part, on Hebrew. Currently, the LDS Church has a Jerusalem Center in Israel, which serves as the base of LDS outreach efforts in Israel.

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 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 the dead are baptized through proxy, those being baptized have the option of accepting or rejecting the ordinance.

Theological divisions within Mormonism

Mormon theology includes three main movements. By far the largest of these is the "mainstream Mormonism" defined by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). There are also two broad movements outside of mainstream Mormonism: Mormon fundamentalism, representing a conservative reaction to the LDS Church, and liberal reformist Mormonism, which advocates theologically liberal reform.

Mainstream Mormon theology

Mainstream Mormonism is defined by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). 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 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 succession crisis of 1844 that split the Latter Day Saint movement after the death of founder Joseph Smith, Jr.

Partly for public relations and proselytizing reasons, the LDS Church seeks to distance itself from other branches of Mormonism, and particularly from the practice of polygamy. The LDS Church practiced polygamy in the 19th century. However, the church abandoned that practice around the turn of the 20th century. Today, the LDS Church maintains 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 its members who practice polygamy or who adopt the beliefs and practices of Mormon fundamentalism. The church also may excommunicate or discipline those within the church who openly oppose the LDS Church's top leadership, which is viewed as a sign of apostasy.

Mormon fundamentalism

One way Mormon fundamentalism distinguishes itself from mainstream Mormonism is through the practice of plural marriage. Fundamentalists initially broke from 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 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:

• the law of consecration also known as the United Order (put in abeyance by the LDS Church in the 19th century);
• the Adam–God teachings taught by Brigham Young and other early leaders of the LDS Church (repudiated by the LDS Church in the mid-20th century);
• the principle of blood atonement (repudiated by the LDS Church in the mid-20th century); and
• the exclusion of black men from the priesthood (abandoned by the LDS Church in 1978).

Mormon fundamentalists believe that these principles were wrongly abandoned or changed by the LDS Church, in large part due to the desire of its leadership and members to assimilate into mainstream American society and avoid the persecutions and conflict that had characterized the church throughout its early years. Others believe that it was a necessity at some point for "a restoration of all things" to be a truly restored Church.

Liberal reformist theology

A small movement within Mormonism seeks theologically liberal reform within the religion. Many of these are members of the LDS Church and work for liberal reform from the inside. Others have left the LDS Church but consider themselves to be cultural Mormons. Others have formed new religions. One of the first of these, the Godbeites, broke from the LDS Church in the late 19th century on the basis of both political and religious liberalism. More recently, the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ broke from the LDS Church as an LGBT-friendly denomination. An online church called Reform Mormonism has attempted to reform Mormon rituals and situate Mormonism within liberal rationalism.

Culture and practices

Due to the differences in lifestyle promoted by Mormon doctrine and history, a distinct culture has grown up around Mormonism. Mormons and their culture are headquartered in the Intermountain West, but as the faith spreads around the world, many of its more distinctive practices follow, such as adhering to the Word of Wisdom, a health law or code, prohibiting the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea, and other addictive substances. As a result of the Word of Wisdom, the culture in areas of the world with a high concentration of Mormons tends to be reflected.

See also

• Black people and the Latter Day Saint movement
• Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement
• First Vision
• List of articles about Mormonism
• Mormonism and Islam
• The Joseph Smith Papers

Notes

1. The terms Mormon and Mormonism are used by Mormon fundamentalists in reference to themselves. The LDS Church disagrees with that self-characterization and encourages journalists only to use the word Mormon in reference to the LDS Church. See Style Guide - LDS Newsroom. Despite the LDS Church preference, the term fundamentalist Mormonism is in common use.
2. Terms used in the LDS Restorationist movement ReligiousTolerance.org
3. http://www.ancientamerica.org/library/media/HTML/0Aug%2021.htm?n=0
4. History of the Church 1:315
5. For example, a 2007 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that one in three Americans surveyed do not consider Mormons to be Christian. See for example ReligionNewsblog.com
6. Smith 1842a, p. 707 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSmith1842a (help)
7. Smith 1842c, p. 748 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSmith1842c (help)
8. The most publicized of these doctrines and practices included abolitionism, plural marriage and the church's theocratic aspirations (both now discontinued by the mainstream faith).
9. For more information on historical conflicts, see History of the Latter Day Saint movement.
10. Joseph Smith History 1:18-19
11. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Smith,Deseret Book, 1976, p. 370.
12. Thessalonians 2:2-3
13. Acts 3:19-21
14. JSH 1:69,72
15. Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-21
16. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan 1992, pp. 106-107
17. Matthews, Robert J., A Bible! A Bible, Bookcraft, 1990, p. 13.
18. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Deseret Book. 1976. pp. 9–10, 327.
19. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan 1992, pp. 111
20. BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies
21. Pyle, Richard. "Mormons, Jews sign agreement on baptizing Holocaust victims". Retrieved 2007-01-04. AP Newswire, May 5, 1995.
22. (D&C 89)
23. Doctrine & Covenants, Section 89.
24. Salt Lake Tribune Editorial, Liquor stores: Banning phone listings, stores won't stop abuse.
25. Johnson, Megan. America's 10 Fittest Cities—and 10 Least Fit, Too, 15 December 2008, U.S. News & World Report (via Usnews.com)

External links

Works related to Category:Mormonism at Wikisource Quotations related to Category:Mormonism at Wikiquote Media related to Mormonism at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Mormon website
• PBS: Frontline + American Experience: Mormons — PBS special on Mormon belief
• Patheos + Mormonism - Patheos.com - Mormonism Origins, Mormonism History, Mormonism Beliefs

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• Mormonism
• Latter Day Saint terms
• Mormon studies
• Nontrinitarian denominations