Mormonism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mormonism is a term to describe religious, ideological, and cultural aspects of the various denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The term Mormonism is often used to describe the beliefs of those who believe in the Book of Mormon, a sacred text which Mormons believe was translated by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1829 from ancient golden plates, described as the sacred writings of a group of the inhabitants of parts of America from approximately 600 BC to AD 420.
In 1830 Smith published the Book of Mormon and "restored" the Church of Christ, and the faithful were known amongst themselves as Latter Day Saints. Smith later published small accounts of some of the writings of Moses and Abraham. (See Pearl of Great Price. Some modern scholars believe the papyri translated by Joseph Smith as the basis of the Book of Abraham were in fact Egyptian death scrolls which he purchased, based on examination of the inscriptions on two of the scrolls.)
Outside the church, members have come to be called Mormons because of their belief in the Book of Mormon as scripture as another witness of Jesus Christ, alongside the Bible. A Prophet with the name "Mormon" compiled the historical and spiritual history of his people and inscribed the compilation onto metal plates, the translation of which is now called the Book of Mormon. As the result of a revelation in 1838, the name to the Church was officially declared to be "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints".[1] After the death of Joseph Smith, a succession crisis ensued and the church membership was divided among various sects. The largest group accepted Brigham Young as the new prophet/president of the church and followed him West to the Salt Lake Valley in the current state of Utah. However, there was a sizable faction that did not accept Brigham Young's leadership and remained in the Midwest. The Community of Christ is the largest of these, and it also claims to be the original church founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Nevertheless, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains by far the largest and most prominent group called 'Mormons'.
After The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped the practice of plural marriage, more sects emerged in support of the practice usually in the form of polygamy, or more specifically, polygyny. Mormonism is generally used to describe the beliefs of the main body of the Utah sect exclusively, mainly due to its prominence amongst Latter Day Saint denominations, but the practice of plural marriage is still heavily associated with Mormonism despite the church's efforts to distance itself from the term from polygamy. Other sects embrace or accept the term Mormonism, including the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, other Mormon fundamentalist organizations, and cultural Mormons.
Most adherents of Mormonism may be called Latter Day Saints (or the hyphenated Latter-day Saints in reference to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).[1] Other generally accepted terms include LDS, Saints, and Mormons. Since, according to the book, Mormon only compiled the records, a minority of adherents object to the terms Mormon and Mormonism, since it elevates the importance of Mormon beyond The Church's central figure, Jesus Christ.
Contents |
[edit] Early history
[edit] Establishment of the Church of Christ
Joseph Smith, Jr. was raised in northwestern New York, where he reported a number of heavenly visions and visitations by angels. In his First Vision, while he was an adolescent during the early 1820s, Smith stated he saw "God the Father" and "Jesus Christ" in the Sacred Grove. A few years later, Smith also said he received the set of Golden Plates from Moroni, Mormon's son, and dictated a translation of those plates, which he published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Some time after the translation, according to church records, Moroni returned to collect the plates.
According to Smith and his close associate Oliver Cowdery, an angel also gave the both of them the authority to baptize and to build up a new church, meant to be a restoration of 1st century Christianity as it is portrayed in the Book of Mormon. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, originally called the Church of Christ, was formed in the month of April 1830 in Manchester or Fayette, New York, but soon after the conversion of a Church of Christ (Campbellite) minister named Sidney Rigdon in Kirtland, Ohio, a number of its members moved to Ohio in 1831 [2]}.
Almost from the founding of the new church, some leaders were dissatisfied with Joseph Smith's role as prophet and president of the church. Several churches were started on the foundation of Joseph Smith's revelations including the Pure Church of Christ, organized by Wycam Clark in 1831; the Church of Christ (Parrishite), organized by Warren Parrish in 1837; the Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, organized by George M. Hinkle in 1840; and the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, organized by William Law in1844. All of these churches failed quickly and many of the leaders returned to the main body of Mormonism.
In Ohio, the church built a temple, and sent missionaries to various places, including Jackson County, Missouri, where the church built up branches. After a series of financial problems with and allegations of financial mismanagement of a bank in Kirtland, the main body of members moved briefly to Missouri in 1838, but after the 1838 Mormon War, they were forced to establish a new center in Nauvoo, Illinois.
In Nauvoo, the church grew rapidly, began building a temple, and sent out missionaries to Canada and England. Smith served as a religious, political, and military leader. on June 27, 1844, after a conflict with an antagonistic newspaper over Smith's practice of "spiritual wifery", Smith and his brother Hyrum were arrested, taken to Carthage, Illinois, and both were martyred. Hyrum was shot in the face through the door, and Joseph Smith, Jr. died in an attempt to protect John Taylor and Willard Richards in the jail with him by trying to draw the fire away from the others, and was shot out the window . John Taylor, who would later be Brigham Young's successor was also shot, but the bullet hit his pocket watch, saving his life. (See Death of Joseph Smith, Jr..)
[edit] The succession crisis
A succession crisis developed in the aftermath of the deaths of Joseph Smith and his likely successor, Hyrum. During a speech in the midst of the succession crisis, Brigham Young stated: "Did Joseph Smith ordain any man to take his place. He did. Who was it? It was Hyrum, but Hyrum fell a martyr before Joseph did. If Hyrum had lived he would have acted for Joseph" (Times and Seasons, 5; Oct. 15, 1844: 683.), several church leaders campaigned to lead the church, a time known as the Succession Crisis. One claim to succession was by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a body of missionaries led by Brigham Young, who returned quickly from their missions and were accepted as leaders by the largest body of adherents.
Much of the debate over who should be the next leader of the church stems from the belief and practice of plural marriage. There is little dispute that Joseph Smith, Jr privately and publicly taught and practiced plural marriage; he certainly alluded to the practice in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. For a discussion of this topic please see Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy.
[edit] Mormonism and Christianity
Mormonism and most of mainstream Christianity[3] have had doctrinal disagreements since the beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1820s. Latter Day Saints (LDS) consider themselves Christian, but are distinct from other Christians in numerous ways considered controversial by many other Christian denominations. This article focuses on the current distinctions and conflicts.[4]
A core difference between the two groups is that Mormons believe that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a prophet who, like Moses, received revelation and scripture from God.[5] The first such revelation recorded by Smith stated that the original apostolic church was lost after the Great Apostasy, and subsequent revelations instructed Smith on how to organize the restored church of Jesus. This is believed to have been instituted with the same authority and structure as the ancient church.[6] In their writings on the topic of restoration, LDS apologists posit that even after the death of the Apostles, the early church had beliefs closer to the LDS than to today's mainstream churches.[7] Mormons today believe that successive Apostles are also prophets, and that revelation is on-going.[8][9]
This contrasts with most sects of mainstream Christianity who each believe that their own doctrines are thoroughly consistent with those taught by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. Traditional Christianity holds that the scriptural canon is closed, and that this kind of active revelation ceased with the end of the Apostolic Age. In accordance with their traditional creeds, Mormonism is a corrupted form of Christianity, or Christian in only a nominal or cultural sense.[10] Their apologists argue that the distinctive LDS beliefs are incompatible with the Bible and unsupportable from either tradition or history.[11]
[edit] Connections with Judaism
- See also: Mormonism and Judaism
Mormons, as a religious body, in general embrace Jews and Judaism enthusiastically. This commitment derives primarily from what Mormons believe are historical and doctrinal connections with Judaism.
Joseph Smith named the largest Mormon settlement he founded Nauvoo, which means "beautiful" in Hebrew. One impetus that may have encouraged Brigham Young to settle in Utah was the Great Salt Lake which reminded Mormons of the Dead Sea in Israel.[citation needed] Brigham Young named a tributary of the Great Salt Lake the "Jordan River". The Church created a writing scheme called the Deseret Alphabet after moving to Utah, which was based in part on Hebrew. The Church also spends millions of dollars every year on its Jerusalem Center in Israel, at which it encourages its college aged youth to study. Further, the LDS church commits large amounts of monies to help disadvantaged Jewish families worldwide.[citation needed]
In contrast, Jewish denominations see no reciprocal connection to Mormonism.[citation needed] Recently, a controversy in the 1990s arose between the two groups in which Mormons baptized in Mormon temples 380,000 Jewish victims of The Holocaust. According to LDS official 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."[12]
[edit] Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) was established by Joseph Smith III and a small fragment of the church in 1860. This movement gathered together many followers of other Latter Day Saint denominations. Based in Independence, Missouri, the Community of Christ is the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination. Its members are of the position that it is, despite its reorganization and occasional name change, the original church established by Joseph Smith, Jr., based on the belief that all other groups distorted the doctrine of the original church, or aligned with someone who lacked authority to replace Smith.
In the late 20th century, the RLDS church changed some key doctrines as well as its name. Priesthood, which up until then was held exclusively by male members, was granted to both male and female members of the church. This caused a number of smaller groups to develop. A loose group of independent branches calling themselves Independent RLDS or Restoration Branches started in the 1980s. The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, organized by Frederick Niels Larson, was established in 2000. The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized by several RLDS seventies in1989.
[edit] Prairie Saint denominations
Other Prairie Saint denominations include:
- The Church of Christ, later called the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion—organized by Sidney Rigdon—1844. The original organization of this church dissolved by 1847.
- The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)—a reorganization of the Rigdonites under William Bickerton—1862. This denomination continues to this day and has several thousand members worldwide.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)—organized by James J. Strang—1844. Today this denomination has a following of a few hundred faithful and is headquartered in Voree (now Burlington) Wisconsin.
- The Church of Christ (Whitmerite)—organized by David Whitmer—1847 and 1871. Extant until around 1925.
- The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)—organized by Alpheus Cutler—1853. Survives today with a handful of members in Independence, Missouri.
- The Restored Church of Jesus Christ (Eugene O. Walton)—organized by Eugene O. Walton—1980. This church is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA, and has 25 members.
- The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) (Hedrickites)—organized by Granville Hedrick—1863. Headquarted today on the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri.
- The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message—organized by Otto Fetting and William Draves—1929 and 1943. Headquartered today in Independence, Missouri, USA, on Lacy Road. A denomination which split with the Temple Lot church over reported revelations from John the Baptist.
[edit] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In 1846, Brigham Young led a large group of Mormon pioneers out of Nauvoo, Illinois to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley (initially part of Mexico but soon annexed by the United States as the Utah Territory), where the first company arrived on July 24, 1847.
Now an international organization, the Church has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah where Gordon B. Hinckley serves as its fifteenth President. The Church sends tens of thousands of missionaries throughout the world,[13] and in 2005 reported a worldwide membership of over 12.5 million.[14]
[edit] Mormon fundamentalism
- The Church of the First Born—organized by Joseph Morris—1861. Probably defunct, remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century.
- The Church of Zion—organized by William S. Godbe—1868 (defunct).
- The Apostolic United Brethren—organized by Lorin C. Woolley in the 1920s. Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah.
- The Kingston clan—organized by Thomas R. King—1926. A large group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
- The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—organized by John Y. Barlow—1935. Headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona, this is the largest group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
- The Aaronic Order—organized by Maurice L. Glendenning in 1942. Its web site is http://houseofaaron.org/.
- The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ-founded by Antonio A. Feliz in 1985.
- The New Covenant Church of God—organized by Christopher C. Warren—1986.
- The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days—organized by James D. Harmston—1994. Headquartered in Manti, Utah, this is a relatively small group that practices plural marriage.
[edit] References
- ^ See www.religioustolerance.org/flds.htm, which states, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. the LDS Church and Mormons) is by far the largest denomination in the LDS Restorationist movement"
- ^ See Doctrine & Covenants 38 for the instructions to relocate Church headquarters to "the Ohio." During 1831, Lucy Mack Smith led "a large New York group to Ohio by canal boat to Buffalo and by steamer across a partially frozen Lake Erie in 1831. She braved cold weather and discouragement, leading in prayer, missionary work, and practical arrangements until again united with her husband and sons in upper Ohio," according to Her biography of her son and Encyclopedia of Mormonism; Smith, Lucy Mack. See History of the Church Volume 1 140–160.
- ^ This includes, but is not limited to the modern day denominations of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and most branches of Protestantism.
- ^ For more information on historical conflicts, see History of the Latter Day Saint movement.
- ^ >Doctrine and Covenants 28:2
- ^ Doctrine and Covenants 1:30
- ^ For an LDS defense of this view, see this online book:Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity by Barry Bickmore, as well as Barry's website: Barry Bickmore's Early Christianity and Mormonism page.
- ^ Encarta entry of "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints": [1]
- ^ BYU FAQ:[2]
- ^ This critical view of Mormonism is common among traditionalists and mainline churches, but rare among modernists.
- ^ For more information on critical views of the LDS, see Criticism of Mormonism and Anti-Mormonism.
- ^ Pyle, Richard. "Mormons, Jews sign agreement on baptizing Holocaust victims.". Retrieved on January 4, 2007. AP Newswire, May 5, 1995.
- ^ The Missionary Program. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved on October 30, 2006.
- ^ Statistical Report 2005, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[edit] See also
- Latter Day Saints
- Mormons
- Latter-day Saint theology and Judaism
- Criticism of Mormonism
- List of articles about Mormonism
- Mormonism and Christianity
- Polygamy within Mormonism
