Mormon Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Classification	Restorationist
Orientation	Latter Day Saint movement
Polity	Hierarchical
Leader	Thomas S. Monson
Geographical area	176 nations/territories
Founder	Joseph Smith, Jr.
Origin	April 6, 1830 Manchester or Fayette, New York, United States
Separations	LDS denominations
Congregations	28,109
Members	13,508,509[1]
Missionaries	52,494[1]
Temples	129[2]
Tertiary institutions	4[3]
Official Website	www.lds.org

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (abbreviated as the LDS Church, often colloquially referred to as the Mormon Church) is the largest denomination originating from the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. circa 1830. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations (called wards or branches) worldwide. Estimates of the church's membership range from about 13.5 million (6 million in the United States)^[1][4][5] to about half of those numbers, depending on how membership is counted.^[6]

Adherents are usually referred to as Latter-day Saints, LDS, or Mormons. They consider themselves part of Christianity. LDS Church theology includes Christian doctrines of restorationism (via Joseph Smith, Jr.), millennialism, continuationism, penal substitution, a form of Apostolic succession, rejection of original sin, practice of baptism by immersion, and practice of the Eucharist (called by them the Sacrament). LDS Church theology is also different from traditional Christianity in a number of ways, including rejection of the Nicene Creed, belief in a unique theory of human salvation that includes three heavens, a doctrine of "exaltation" which includes the ability of humans to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, and unique sacramental ceremonies (called "ordinances") performed privately in LDS temples. The Church has an open canon which includes four scriptural texts:^[7] the Bible (both Old and New Testament), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Other than the Bible, the majority of the LDS canon constitutes revelation dictated by Joseph Smith, and includes commentary and exegesis about the Bible, texts described as lost parts of the Bible, and books said to be written by non-Biblical prophets.

The LDS Church is organized in a hierarchical structure dominated by men, with some women in roles leading other women and children. Mormons believe that Jesus leads the church through revelation, and has chosen a single man, called "the Prophet" or President of the Church, as Jesus' spokesman on the earth. The President is part of a First Presidency of three men, which leads a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other larger bodies (called quorums) of general authorities, who themselves lead down the chain of command to local congregational leaders. At the local level, these members of the priesthood are drawn from the laity and work on a purely volunteer basis without stipend. Members, including clergy, are asked to donate a full tithe (10%) of their income to the Church. The church has a strong cultural influence on its members, and has taken stands on a number of public, governmental issues. It is an active proselytizing church, and sends full-time missionaries nearly worldwide, which is mainly responsible for its rapid growth.

History

The history of the LDS Church is typically divided into three broad time periods: (1) the early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith, Jr. which is in common with all Latter Day Saint movement churches, (2) a "pioneer era" under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th Century successors, and (3) a modern era beginning around the turn of the 20th century as the practice of polygamy was discontinued.

Joseph Smith era

Joseph Smith, Jr. (pictured), founder of the church, and his brother Hyrum were assassinated in Carthage, Illinois, by a mob on June 27, 1844

The early history of the LDS Church is shared with other denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, who all regard Joseph Smith, Jr. as the founder of their religious tradition. Smith first gained a small following^[8] in the late 1820s as he was dictating the Book of Mormon, which he said was a translation of words found on a set of golden plates that had been buried near his home in western New York by an indigenous American prophet. Smith said he had been in contact with an angel Moroni, who showed him the plates' location and had been preparing him for a role as a religious leader.^[9]

On April 6, 1830, in western New York,^[10] Smith organized the religion's first legal church entity, the Church of Christ. The church rapidly gained a following, who viewed Smith as a prophet. In the 1830s, missionaries from the church converted thousands of new members^[11] and established outposts in Kirtland, Ohio and Missouri, where Smith intended to build a "city of Zion". In 1838, Smith left Kirtland to Missouri after being charged with improper banking practices during the financial panic of 1837. In Missouri, the Church suffered severe persecution, and a war with non-Mormon settlers soon ensued, leading to the church's official expulsion from Missouri.

After Missouri, the church built the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, where Smith served as the city's mayor and leader of the militia. As church leader, Smith also instated the then-secret practice of plural marriage, and taught a form of theocratic Millennialism which he called "theodemocracy". As a result of public disagreement over these two issues, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith (second in line to the presidency),^[12] were assassinated on June 27, 1844 by an angry mob.^[13]

After Smith's death, a succession crisis ensued, and the majority of Smith's followers chose Brigham Young as their leader. Young had been a close associate of Smith's and was senior apostle of the Quorum of the Twelve. Other groups of Latter Day Saints followed other leaders, and formed some of the other denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Pioneer era

Brigham Young, who led the LDS Church from 1844 until his death in 1877.

After continued difficulties and persecution in Illinois, Young left Nauvoo in 1846 and led his followers, the Mormon pioneers, to what would become in 1850 the Utah Territory in search of religious freedom.^[14] The group branched out and colonized a large region now known as the Mormon Corridor. Young incorporated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a legal entity, and initially governed both the church and the state as a theocratic leader. He also publicized the previously-secret practice of plural marriage, a form of polygamy.

By 1857, tensions had again escalated between Mormons and other Americans, largely as a result of church teachings on polygamy and theocracy. The Utah Mormon War ensued from 1857 to 1858, which resulted in the relatively peaceful^[15] invasion of Utah by the United States Army, after which Young agreed to step down from power and be replaced by a non-Mormon territorial governor, Alfred Cumming. Nevertheless, the LDS Church still wielded significant political power in the Utah Territory as part of a shadow government.^[16]

At Young's death in 1877, he was followed by other powerful LDS Presidents, who resisted efforts by the United States Congress to outlaw Mormon polygamous marriages. Conflict between Mormons and the U.S. government escalated to the point that in 1890, Congress disincorporated the LDS Church and seized all its assets. Soon thereafter, church president Wilford Woodruff issued a Manifesto that officially suspended the practice.^[17] Although this Manifesto did not yet dissolve existing plural marriages, and did not entirely stop the practice of polygamy, relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, such that Utah was admitted as a U.S. state. Relations further improved after 1904, when church President Joseph F. Smith disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued a "Second Manifesto" calling for all plural marriages in the church to cease. Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy and today seeks to actively distance itself from “fundamentalist” groups still practicing polygamy.^[18]

Modern era

During the twentieth century, the church grew substantially and became an international organization. Distancing itself from polygamy, the church began engaging, first with mainstream American culture, and then with international cultures, particularly those of Latin America, by sending out thousands of missionaries across the globe. In the year 2000 the church reported 60,784 missionaries,^[19] and global church membership stood at 11,068,861.^[19] As of 2007, membership had reached 13,193,999.^[20]

The church became a strong and public champion of monogamy and the nuclear family, and at times played a prominent role in political matters, including opposition to MX Peacekeeper missile bases in Utah and Nevada,^[21] opposing the Equal Rights Amendment,^[22] opposing legalized gambling,^[23] support of bans on same-sex marriage,^[24] and opposition to legalized physician-assisted death.^[25] Apart from issues that it considers to be ones of morality, however, the church usually maintains a position of political neutrality.^[26]

A number of official changes have taken place to the organization during the modern era. One significant change was the ordination of black men to the priesthood in 1978, which reversed a policy originally instituted by Brigham Young. There are also periodic changes in the structure and organization of the church, mainly to accommodate the organization's growth and increasing international presence. For example, since the early 1900s, the church has instituted a Priesthood Correlation Program to centralize church operations and bring them under a hierarchy of priesthood leaders. During the Great Depression, the church also began operating a church welfare system, and it has conducted numerous humanitarian efforts in cooperation with other religious organizations.

Teachings and practices

Sources of authority

The written canon of the LDS Church is referred to as its Standard Works.

The theology of the LDS Church consists of a mixture of Biblical doctrines with reputed revelations and other commentary by LDS leaders, particularly Joseph Smith, Jr. The most authoritative sources of theology are the faith's canon of four religious texts, called the faith's Standard Works. These four texts include the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Among these books, the church holds in equal esteem as the other standard works the Book of Mormon, said by the church to be "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" that Joseph Smith translated from buried golden plates. The church characterizes the Book of Mormon as "the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of [their] religion".^[27]

The Bible, also part of the church's canon, is believed to be "the word of God as far as it is translated correctly" .^[28] Most often, the church uses the Authorized King James Version. Sometimes, however, parts of a version of the Bible by Joseph Smith, Jr. are considered authoritative. Some excerpts of Joseph Smith's Translations Bible have been included in the Pearl of Great Price, which also includes further reputed translations by Smith and church historical items. Other historical items and reputed revelations are found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Other sources of doctrine include the LDS Endowment ceremony, as well as statements by LDS leaders. The church teaches that the first presidency (the prophet and his counselors) and the quorum of apostles are prophets, and that their advice usually originates from God through the Holy Spirit; members of the church acknowledge (sustain) them regularly as prophets, seers, and revelators—this is done publicly twice a year at the church's worldwide general conference broadcast.

Comparisons within Christianity

Latter-day Saints believe in the resurrection of Jesus, as depicted in this replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus statue located in the North Visitors' Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City

In addition to a belief in the New Testament, the Deity of Jesus Christ, and the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, many LDS teachings are shared by at least some factions of Christianity. For example, LDS theology includes belief in the virgin birth of Christ, Millennialism (belief that a thousand year reign of earthly peace will follow the Second Coming of Christ), rejection of original sin, but a belief in baptism by immersion for the remission of one's own sins, prayer to the Father in the name of the Son, Apostolic succession (via a vision of apostles to Joseph Smith), continuationism, and Restorationism (the belief in a Great Apostasy followed by a Restoration of the Priesthood through Joseph Smith). The LDS Church teaches that it is a restoration of 1st century Christianity, and the only true and authorized Christian church.^[29]

Nevertheless, the LDS Church differs from the many other churches within Christianity, and some Christians do not believe that the LDS Church is part of Christianity.^[30] Officially, major Christian denominations view the LDS Church as standing apart from creedal Christianity,^[31] a point that the LDS Church itself does not dispute.^[32] From the perspective of Christians who hold to creeds, the most significant area of departure is the rejection by the LDS Church of certain ecumenical creeds such as the Nicene Creed, which defines the predominant view of the Christian God as a Trinity of three separate persons with "one substance". LDS church theology recognizes a "Godhead" composed of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three separate persons who share unity of purpose or will; however, they are viewed as three distinct beings making one Godhead. Other significant differences relate to the church's acceptance of additional scripture, doctrine, and practices beyond what is found in the latest Catholic or Protestant versions of the Bible.

Distinctive doctrines and practices

A couple following their marriage in the Manti Utah Temple

Several doctrines and practices of the LDS Church distinguish it from other churches within Christianity. For example, the Mormon cosmology, a Plan of Salvation that includes a Pre-mortal life, three heavens, and the doctrine of Exaltation are distinctive among Christian sects. In particular, the LDS Church teaches that every human spirit is a literal child of God, though its "intelligence" is co-eternal with God.^[33] Moreover, the church teaches that humans may become gods and goddesses in the afterlife where they may have their own spirit children.^[34] To obtain this state of godhood or goddesshood (called exaltation), the church teaches that one must have faith in Jesus, participate in a sequence of ceremonies (called ordinances),^[35] and then remain faithful to the obligations they make as part of these ordinances. The ordinances deemed necessary for exaltation include baptism, confirmation, the Endowment, Celestial marriage and/or sealing, and in some cases, a second anointing.

Baptismal font in the Salt Lake Temple, circa 1912, where baptisms for the dead are performed by proxy. The font rests on the backs of twelve oxen representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel

The latter of these ceremonies are performed in temples. Those members who have taken part in an Endowment ceremony are given an undergarment, called the temple garment, which they wear as a source of protection and as a reminder of their obligations under the Endowment.^[36] The LDS sealing ceremony reflects a singular LDS view with respect to families. According to LDS church theology, men and women may be sealed to each other so that their marital bond continues in the afterlife.^[37] Children may also be sealed to their biological or adoptive parents to form permanent parent-child bonds.^[38] The most significant LDS ordinances may be performed via proxy for and in behalf of those who have died. (See, e.g., baptism for the dead). The LDS Church teaches that all will have the opportunity to hear and accept or reject LDS theology and the benefit of its sacraments, in this life or the next.

The LDS faithful observe a health code called the Word of Wisdom in which they abstain from the consumption of alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, and tobacco. Their moral code includes a law of chastity that prohibits sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage. LDS faithful donate a 10% tithe on all their income. They also give volunteer service in their local Church. Moreover, all single young men between 19–25 years old who have sufficient health, and many retired couples are encouraged to volunteer up to two years as a missionary to proselytize and/or provide humanitarian service. Unmarried women 21 years and older also may serve as missionaries for 18 months, but it is not considered their duty to do so as it is with the men who are ordained Elders.

The LDS teach that God speaks to the Church today through living prophets who reveal His will as He did anciently. They also teach that both LDS and non-LDS individuals may receive personal guidance from the Holy Spirit to help them in their life.

Comparison with other Latter Day Saint movement faiths

All Latter Day Saint movement faiths recognize Joseph Smith, Jr. as a prophet. Here, he is shown in a depiction of the First Vision, where he said he saw God the Father and Jesus.

The LDS Church shares a common heritage with a number of other smaller faiths that are collectively called the Latter Day Saint movement. These faiths have in common with the LDS Church their belief in Joseph Smith, Jr. as a prophet and founder of their religion. They also accept the Book of Mormon, and at least some version of the Doctrine and Covenants. Some of these faiths, such as the Community of Christ, have always rejected Joseph Smith's doctrine of plural marriage, as well as many other of his distinctive doctrines. The Community of Christ also ordains women to the priesthood, focuses more on the Bible, and allows its members to accept mainstream Christian beliefs.

Other branches of the Latter Day Saint movement may be considered off-shoots of the LDS Church, mainly as a result of disagreements about plural marriage. In the LDS Church, the practice of plural marriage was abandoned around the turn of the 20th century, but it has continued among the fundamentalist groups, who believe the practice is a requirement for Exaltation (the highest degree of salvation), which will allow them to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife. The LDS Church, by contrast, believes that a single Celestial marriage is sufficient for Exaltation. Fundamentalists also 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.

Stung by bad publicity in the 19th century over its former practice of plural marriage, the LDS Church has taken efforts to distance itself from polygamy and from Mormon fundamentalist groups. The church has long excommunicated any members caught practicing polygamy.

Church organization and structure

Name and legal entities

The church teaches that it is a continuation of the Church of Christ established in 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr. This original church underwent several name changes during the 1830s, being called the Church of Jesus Christ, the Church of God,^[39] and then in 1834, the name was officially changed to the Church of the Latter Day Saints.^[40] In April 1838, the name again was officially changed by reputed revelation to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.^[41] There were several alternate spellings of this name in use during Smith's lifetime, however, including a hyphenated "Latter-Day". After Smith died, Brigham Young and the largest body of Smith's followers incorporated the LDS Church in 1851 by legislation of the State of Deseret,^[42] under the name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which included a hyphenated "Latter-day" and a lower-case "d".^[43] In 1887, the LDS Church was legally dissolved in the United States by the Edmunds–Tucker Act because of the church's practice (now abandoned) of polygamy. Thereafter, the church has continued to operate as an "unincorporated religious association", under the name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which remains its formal name. Accepted informal names include the LDS Church, the Latter-day Saints, and the Mormons. The term Mormon Church is in common use,^[44] but the church began discouraging its use in the late 20th century, though takes no issue with the term Mormon itself. The Church requests that the official name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be used when possible, or if necessary shortened to "the Church" or "the Church of Jesus Christ".^[45]

The church has organized several tax-exempt corporations to assist with the transfer of money and capital. These include the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized in 1916 under the laws of the state of Utah to acquire, hold, and dispose of real property. In 1923, the church incorporated the Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah to receive and manage money and church donations. In 1997, the church incorporated Intellectual Reserve, Inc. to hold all the church's copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property. The church also holds several non-tax-exempt corporations. See Finances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Geographic distribution and membership

     Countries and territories with at least one LDS temple      Countries and territories with no LDS temple, but with organized congregations and missionaries      Countries and territories with no official LDS presence

Church congregations are generally organized geographically, unlike other mainstream Christian denominations. For Sunday services, the church is grouped into either larger (~200 to ~400 people) congregations known as wards, or smaller congregations known as branches. Although the building may sometimes be referred to as a chapel, the room used as a chapel for religious services is actually only one component of the standard meetinghouse.^[46] The church maintains an online meetinghouse locator which can be used to find the locations and meeting times of its congregations all over the world.^[47] Regional church organizations larger than single congregations include stakes, missions, districts, areas, and regions.

The church reports a worldwide membership of over 13 million^[4][5] with approximately 6.7 million residing outside the United States. According to these statistics it is the fourth largest religious body in the United States.^[48] The church membership report includes all baptized members and their children. Although the church does not release attendance figures to the public, researchers estimate that actual attendance at weekly LDS worship services globally is around 4 million.^[49] Members living in the U.S. and Canada constitute 46% of membership, Latin America 38%, and members in the rest of the world 16%.^[50] A Survey by the City College of New York in 2001 extrapolated that there were 2,787,000 self-identified LDS adults in the United States in 2001, 1.3% of the US population, making the LDS Church the 10th-largest religious body in their phone survey of over 50,000 households.^[51]

Priesthood hierarchy

Thomas S. Monson, President of the LDS Church beginning in 2008.

The LDS Church is organized in a hierarchical structure dominated by men, with some women in roles leading other women and children. Mormons believe that Jesus leads the church through revelation, and has chosen a single man, called "the Prophet" or President of the Church, as Jesus' spokesman on the earth. The current president is Thomas S. Monson. He and two counselors (who usually are ordained apostles) form the First Presidency, the presiding body of the Church; twelve other apostles form the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles^[52]. When a President dies, his successor is invariably the most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who then reconstitutes a new First Presidency.^[53] These men, and the other male members of the church-wide leadership (including the first two Quorums of Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric) are called general authorities. They exercise both ecclesiastical and administrative leadership over the church, and direct the efforts of regional leaders down to the local level. General authorities and mission presidents work full-time and typically receive stipends from church funds or investments.^[54]

At the local level, the church leadership are drawn from the laity and work on a part-time volunteer basis without stipend.^[55] Like all members, they are asked to donate a tithe of 10% of their income to the church. An exception to that rule is for LDS missionaries who work at the local level and are paid basic living expenses from a fund that receives contributions from their home congregations; however, prospective missionaries are encouraged to contribute the cost of their missions to this fund themselves when possible. Members volunteer general custodial work for local church facilities.

Interior of the Conference Center where the church holds its semi-annual and annual General Conferences

Men in leadership roles are generally considered to be part of the priesthood, and are ordained to the priesthood as early as age 12. Ordination occurs by a ceremony involving the laying their hands on the head of the one ordained. Women who have participated in the Endowment ceremony are sometimes said to have been endowed with "priesthood power,"^[56] but they are never ordained to a priesthood office, and are not considered to be part of the priesthood. They do not have leadership roles except over children and other women. The priesthood is divided into an Aaronic Priesthood for young men 12 and up, and a Melchizedek Priesthood for men 18 and up. Since 1978, membership in the priesthood has been open to all races.^[57]

Church programs and auxiliary organizations

Under the leadership of the priesthood hierarchy are five auxiliary organizations that fill various roles in the church: Relief Society (a women's organization),^[58] the Young Men Organization and Young Women Organization (for adolescents aged 12 to 17), Primary (an organization for children up to age 12), and Sunday School (which provides a variety of Sunday classes for adolescents and adults). The church also operates several programs and organizations in the fields of proselytizing, education, and church welfare. Many of these auxiliaries and programs are coordinated by the Priesthood Correlation Program, which is designed to provide a systematic approach to maintain worldwide consistency, orthodoxy, and control of the church's ordinances, doctrines, organizations, meetings, materials, and other programs and activities.

Two missionaries

The LDS Church operates a large missionary program. Some members of the church are encouraged to serve as missionaries, either full-time, part-time or as "service" missionaries in one of hundreds of missions throughout the world. All missionaries serve on a volunteer basis. Most of them receive a stipend that is paid from a fund that receives contributions from the missionaries themselves, their families, and their local congregations. Missionaries include young single men between 19 and 25 (who serve two year missions), single women over the age of 21 (who serve 18-month missions), and mature couples who are generally retired (who serve terms ranging from three to 36 months^[59]). Young single men are strongly encouraged and expected to serve a mission; women and couples are encouraged, but not expected to serve missions. Missionaries generally have no input on what part of the world they serve their missions, and if necessary, the church will teach them a new language. Missionaries are held to high standards of personal "worthiness", which is determined by probing interviews by ecclesiastical leaders about how well the missionary has followed church standards such as the Word of Wisdom (not consuming alcohol, tobacco, coffee, or tea) and the Law of Chastity (abstaining from pre- or extra-marital sex).

The carillon tower at Brigham Young University, one of several educational institutions sponsored by the church.

The church operates a Church Educational System which includes Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Idaho (formerly Ricks College), Brigham Young University Hawaii, and LDS Business College. The church also operates Institutes of Religion and an LDS Student Association near the campuses of many colleges and universities. For high-school aged youth, the church operates a four-year Seminary program. The church also sponsors a low-interest educational loan program known as the Perpetual Education Fund, which provides educational opportunities to students from developing nations.

The church's welfare system, initiated during the Great Depression, provides aid to the poor. It is financed by fast offerings: monthly donations beyond the normal 10% tithe, which represents the cost of foregoing two meals on monthly Fast Sundays. Money from the program is used to operate Bishop's storehouses, which package and store food at low cost. Distribution of funds and food is administered by local bishops (congregational pastors). The church also distributes money through its LDS Philanthropies division to disaster victims and third-world countries.

Other church programs and departments include LDS Family Services, which provides assistance with adoption, marital and family counseling, psychotherapy, and addiction counseling; the LDS Church History Department, which collects church history and records; and the Family History Department which administers the church's large family history efforts. The church is also a major participant in Scouting programs for boys, and runs numerous local Boy Scout units.

Finances

The church has not released church-wide financial statements since 1959, but in 1997 Time Magazine called it one of the world's wealthiest churches per capita.^[60] Its for-profit, non-profit, and educational subsidiary entities are audited by an independent accounting firm: as of 2007^[update], Deloitte & Touche.^[61][62] In addition, the church employs an independent audit department that provides its certification at each annual general conference that church contributions are collected and spent in accordance with church policy.^[63]

The church receives almost all funds from tithes (ten percent of a member's income) and fast offerings (money given to the church to assist individuals in need). According to the church, tithing and fast offering moneys collected are devoted to ecclesiastical purposes and not used in for-profit ventures. About ten percent of its funding also comes from income on investments and real estate holdings.^{[citation needed]}

The church uses its tithing funds to construct and maintain buildings and other facilities; to print the Scriptures for missionary work; to provide social welfare and relief; and to support missionary, educational, and other church-sponsored programs.^[64]

The church has also invested in for-profit business and real estate ventures such as Bonneville International, Deseret Book Company, and cattle ranches in Utah, Florida, and Canada. However, these ranches are split between Church Welfare Work (Bishop's Storehouse and Welfare Square) for which funds are used from tithing and are not for profit.^{[clarification needed]} For-profit ranching operations are partially self-sustained but never use tithed money.^{[citation needed]}

Culture

Due to the differences in lifestyle promoted by church doctrine and history, a distinct culture has grown up around members of the church. It is primarily concentrated in the Intermountain West, but as membership of the church spreads around the world, many of its more distinctive practices follow, such as following the Word of Wisdom, a revealed health law or code (D&C 89), similar to Leviticus chapter 11 in the Bible, prohibiting the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea, and other addictive substances.^[65] As a result of the Word of Wisdom, the culture in areas of the world with a high concentration of LDS tends to be reflected.^[66][67]

Meetings and outreach programs are held regularly and have become part of the Latter-day Saint culture.

Home and family

Four times a year, the adult women (members of the church's Relief Society) attend a Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Meeting. The meeting may consist of a service project, or of attending a social event, or of various classes being offered. Additional Enrichment activities are offered for women with similar needs and interests.

Social events and gatherings

A typical meetinghouse of the church

In addition to these regularly scheduled meetings, additional meetings are frequently held at the meetinghouse. Auxiliary officers may conduct leadership meetings or host training sessions and classes. The ward or branch community may schedule social activities at the meetinghouse, including dances, dinners, holiday parties and musical presentations. The church's Young Men's and Young Women's organizations (formerly known as the Mutual Improvement Organization, or simply "Mutual") meet at the meetinghouse once a week, where the youth participate in activities and work on Duty to God, scouting, or Personal Progress. Other popular activities are basketball, family history conferences, youth and singles conferences, dances and various personal improvement classes. Church members may also reserve the building for weddings and receptions, or funerals.

Media and arts

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has received a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Peabody Awards, and the National Medal of Arts.

The culture has created substantial business opportunities for independent LDS media. The largest of these communities are LDS cinema, LDS fiction, LDS websites, and LDS graphical art like photography and paintings. The church owns a chain of bookstores called Deseret Book, which provide a channel through which publications are sold. This culture also resides outside of heavily Mormon populations, and many LDS-related bookstores exist near temples. Some of the titles that have become popular outside of the LDS community are The Work and the Glory novels and the movie The Other Side of Heaven.^{[original research?]} A number of works have been successful only within the LDS community. These works generally elaborate on LDS culture or are of historical interest or are historical fiction. BYU TV, the church-sponsored television station, also airs on several networks.

Controversy and criticism

Protesters in front of the Newport Beach California Temple voicing their opposition to the church's support of Prop 8

The church has been subject to both public praise and criticism by outsiders since its early years in New York and Pennsylvania. In the late 1820s, criticism centered around the claim by Joseph Smith, Jr. to have discovered a set of golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was reputedly translated. In the 1830s, the greatest criticism was for Smith's handling of a banking scandal in Kirtland, Ohio, and the LDS Church's political and military power in Missouri, culminating in the 1838 Mormon War. In the 1840s, criticism of the church centered on the church's theocratic aspirations in Nauvoo, Illinois and the then-secret practice of plural marriage, criticism which appeared in the Nauvoo Expositor and led to a series of events culminating in Smith's assassination in 1844.

As the church began openly practicing plural marriage under Brigham Young during the second half of the 19th century, the church became the target of nation-wide criticism for that practice, as well as for the church's theocratic aspirations in the Utah Territory , May 2009 . After the Civil War, the church also came under nation-wide criticism for the Mountain Meadows massacre. On the other hand, the church was also occasionally the subject of journalistic praise during this era. After spending a summer with the LDS in the early 1870s, historian John Codman concluded that the LDS in Utah did a better job of ridding their communities of gambling, drunkenness, and prostitution than the rest of the country.

"In all my voyages and travels about the world, I never before passed three months in a community more industrious, upright, honest in dealing among themselves and with others, quiet, inoffensive, loyal to government, temperate, virtuous, and religious, than these Mormons."

-John Codman ^[68]

After the 1890 and 1904 manifestos and church president Joseph F. Smith's testimony before the U.S. Senate, the most severe national criticism of the church eased^{[original research?]}. However, throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, academic critics have questioned the legitimacy of Smith as a prophet and the historicity of the Book of Mormon and other works such as the Book of Abraham^{[original research?]}. In modern times, criticism focuses on claims of historical revisionism, homophobia, racism,^{[original research?][69]} sexist policies, and inadequate financial disclosure. Notable 20th century critics include Jerald and Sandra Tanner and Fawn Brodie.

In recent years, the Internet has provided a new forum for critics,^[70] and the church's recent support of California's Proposition 8 sparked heated debate and protesting by gay-rights organizations.^{[71][72] [73]}

See also

Christianity portal

Latter-day Saints portal

Book of Mormon portal

• Mormonism
• List of Latter Day Saints
• Bloggernacle

References

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision dated 2007-01-12, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

Official websites of the Church

• LDS.org - The official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — with links to Gospel Library, Church History, Family Home Evening programs, and more
• Mormon.org - Information on basic beliefs, a meetinghouse locater, and a place to email questions
• scriptures.lds.org - Online scriptures and study guides
• FamilySearch.org - One of the largest collections of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world
• Deseret Book - LDS bookstore owned by LDS Church
• Newsroom.lds.org - The official source of public news releases and background information by the Church
• Provident Living - Self-reliance and welfare resources
• Church Educational System - Religious education for secondary and tertiary school students
• JosephSmith.net - Information on the life and mission of Church founder Joseph Smith
• Distribution Services - Church and gospel supplies available to order
• BeSmart.com - Tertiary education opportunities
• Polynesian Cultural Center - Tourist attraction owned by LDS Church
• Jesus Christ - Information and testimony regarding Jesus Christ
• President Thomas S. Monson - official information on the president of the church
• LDS Church News - An official news publication for the LDS Church
• Mormon Channel - Official radio station (talk and music) broadcasting 24 hours daily.
• Mormonmessages on Youtube - Official Youtube Page of the LDS Church

Church-related websites

• LDS Today - News related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• LDS Library - Full text search engine; more than 3,300 important LDS books
• Mormon wiki - Wiki for and supported by Latter-day Saints
• LDSFAQ at byu.edu - A comprehensive index answering many common questions. Uses large portions of The Encyclopedia of Mormonism
• Mormon Momma - Scholarship and fellowship for LDS women
• Audio Book of Mormon - Free download, mp3 format
• The LDS Woman - Free online social network and magazine for LDS women
• Mormonism Search - Search Mormon Web Sites - Browser Plugin Available
• Mission.net - Church missionary alumni and informational site
• Bible References Supporting The Beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Mormon Studies - A site dedicated to the academic and cultural study of Mormonism.
• The Genesis Group - Official website for black Latter-day Saints, their families and friends, and individuals interested in the LDS Church
• Mormon Times - For and about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• [3] - Website to help and inform new converts and investigators about the church.

Educational institutions

• Brigham Young University
• Brigham Young University Hawaii
• Brigham Young University–Idaho
• BYU Jerusalem Center
• BYU Salt Lake Center
• LDS Business College
• Missionary Training Center (MTC)

Music

• Church Music - official website
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir - official website
• Music and the Spoken Word - official website
• Saints Unified Voices
• Liahona.net - free LDS-type music in MP3 format.

Academic forums

• The Joseph Smith Papers
• Encyclopedia of Mormonism (BYU)
• Encyclopedia of Mormonism - wiki version (BYU)
• FARMS - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (BYU)
• Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought - An independent quarterly covering history, religion, science and social issues.
• The Mormon History Association
• The Mormons - Frontline + American Experience four-hour PBS documentary aired April 1 - May 30, 2007

v • d • e The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints History Joseph Smith, Jr. • First Vision • Oliver Cowdery • Sidney Rigdon • Brigham Young • Pioneers • Handcart companies • Wars and massacres • Mormon Battalion • Statistical membership • Incorporation • Historic sites • In popular media Beliefs and Practices Godhead • Apostasy • Restoration • Revelation • Priesthood • Ordinances • Plan of salvation • Plurality of gods • Celestial marriage • Family Home Evening • Perfection • Sexuality • Calling Sacred Texts Bible: King James Version, Joseph Smith Translation • Book of Mormon • Doctrine and Covenants • Pearl of Great Price: Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, Articles of Faith • The Family: A Proclamation to the World Worship and Culture Temples • General conference • Missionary service • Scouting • Worship services • Sunday School • Humanitarian Services • Brigham Young University • Pageants • Mormon Tabernacle Choir • Deseret Industries Organization Relief Society • Young Men • Young Women • Primary • Church Educational System Leadership President • Thomas S. Monson • First Presidency • Quorum of the Twelve Apostles • Presiding Bishop • Quorums of the Seventy Criticism and Controversy Joseph Smith and polygamy • Blacks and the Church • Book of Mormon: Archaeology, Genetics, Historicity, Linguistics • September Six Other Related Articles Mormon • Mormonism and Christianity • Finances • Salamander letter • Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies

v • d • e The Latter Day Saint movement Fundamental ideas Mormonism · Latter Day Saint · Mormonism and Christianity · Latter Day Saint denominations History Church of Christ · Succession crisis · History of the LDS Church · Community of Christ history · History of The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) Sacred texts Bible · Book of Mormon · Doctrine & Covenants (Book of Commandments) · Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible · Pearl of Great Price · Founders & leaders Joseph Smith, Jr. · Oliver Cowdery · Sidney Rigdon · Brigham Young · Joseph Smith III · James Strang · William Bickerton · Granville Hedrick Doctrines & practices Views on Godhead · Views on Jesus · Priesthood · Articles of Faith · Restoration · Mormonism and Judaism · Temples Controversies Criticism · Joseph Smith, Jr. and polygamy · Book of Abraham · Blacks and the Latter Day Saint movement · Oath of vengeance · Mountain Meadows massacre · Historicity of the Book of Mormon · See also Latter Day Saints Portal – Category Mormonism