Latter Day Saint movement

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Latter Day Saint Movement

The Latter Day Saint movement

Mormonism · Latter Day Saint Mormonism and Christianity Latter Day Saint Denominations

History of the movement

Church of Christ · Succession crisis History of the LDS Church Community of Christ history

Sacred texts of the movement

Bible · Book of Mormon Book of Commandments Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible Doctrine & Covenants Book of Moses · Book of Abraham

Founders and early sect leaders

Joseph Smith, Jr. · Oliver Cowdery Sidney Rigdon · Brigham Young Joseph Smith III · James Strang

Beliefs

Views on Godhead · Views on Jesus Priesthood · Articles of Faith · Restoration Mormonism and Judaism · Temples

Controversies

Anti-Mormonism · Criticism This box: view • talk • edit

The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement that can be said to have been founded primarily by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the early 19th century when he organized what is now The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Latter Day Saint movement is one of a number of separate movements, known collectively as Restorationism, intending to transcend Protestant denominationalism. They Restored what they consider to be a form of Christianity more true to the New Testament. The church founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. was first known as the Church of Christ, and its name was later changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eventually several groups broke away and formed other, smaller religious denominations.

The Latter Day Saint movement began in 1820 in Palmyra, New York when Joseph Smith, Jr. told about what is now called the First Vision. After a succession crisis, many of the Latter Day Saints emigrated to what was then Mexico (now Utah) to escape persecution, led by Brigham Young, the man who was appointed to be the church's next leader. Other, smaller groups stayed behind and established organizations in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, many of which united around Smith's son Joseph Smith III in 1860 in Missouri whom many believed to be Joseph Smith's rightful successor. Most Latter Day Saint denominations existing today have some historical relationship with one of these two groups.

[edit] Brief history

Main article: History of the Latter Day Saint movement

The driving force behind the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, Jr., and to a lesser extent, during the movement's first two years, Oliver Cowdery. Joseph Smith testified to having seen God the Father and Jesus Christ, as two separate beings, who told him that the true church had been lost and would be restored through him, and he would be given the authority to organize and lead the true Church of Christ.

The first Latter Day Saint church was formed in April 1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns of Fayette, Manchester, and Colesville. They called themselves the Church of Christ. On April 6, 1830, this church formally organized into a legal institution under the name Church of Christ. In 1834, the church was referred to as the Church of Latter Day Saints in early church publication, and in 1838 it is believed that a revelation was received by Joseph Smith, Jr. that officially changed the name to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.^[1]

In the late 1830's, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's headquarters moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt became a dynamic writer of religious tracts and theological essays. William Law and several other Mormons in leadership positions publicly accused Joseph Smith of being a false prophet, resulting in some schisms in the church. Many of these people later returned to the church, but some groups formed new churches with whom they believed to be the rightful leader.

Following Smith's martyrdom by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, prominent members of the church claimed to be Smith's legitimate successor resulting in a succession crisis. This crisis resulted in several permanent schisms. The two main branches of the movement are occasionally called "Prairie Saints" (those that remained in the region) and "Rocky Mountain Saints" (those who followed Brigham Young (Who was appointed to be the church's new leader) to what would become the state of Utah).

Today, there are many schism organizations considered to be a part of the Latter Day Saint movement. Most of these organizations are small. Most Latter Day Saints belong to the largest denomination, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reports more than 12.5 million members worldwide. The second largest denomination is the more ecumenical Community of Christ which reports over 250,000 members.

[edit] Denominations through 1844

[edit] "Prairie Saint" denominations

[edit] Latter Day Saint denominations headquartered in the Rocky Mountains

see also: Polygamous Mormon fundamentalists

Plural marriage is illegal in the United States. Current editions of scriptures published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include the original revelation endorsing plural marriage;^[3] however the Church banned this practice on October 6, 1890, and added this as a revelation from God to its standard scriptures.^[4] Today the church excommunicates those who practice it. See also Polygamy

For a discussion of the usage of "Mormon," "Latter Day Saint," "Latter-day Saint," and related terms, see Mormon.

[edit] RLDS / Community of Christ denominations (also generally considered "Prairie Saints")

[edit] References

• Steven L. Shields, Divergent Paths of the Restoration: A History of the Latter Day Saint Movement Los Angeles: 1990.
• Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith New York: 2003.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/115/4#4 Doctrine and Covenants 115:4
2. ^ Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, vol. 3, 111-116
3. ^ http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/132 D&C 132
4. ^ http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/1 D&C "OFFICIAL DECLARATION—1"

[edit] See also

• Criticism of Mormonism
• History of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Latter Day Saint
• List of articles about Mormonism
• Mormon
• Mormonism
• Mormonism and Christianity
• Opposition to Mormonism
• Restorationism

[edit] External links

• The official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• The official site of Community of Christ
• Mormon Transhumanist Association

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