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| Who Are We? |
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Are We Christians?
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are Christians and worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God, our Heavenly Father, the Saviour of the world who was born of Mary some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, is ''the way, the truth and the life'', providing all mankind the ultimate opportunity for salvation and eternal life with our Heavenly Father and His Son.
Why are we called Latter-day Saints (LDS) or Mormons?
The term Latter-day Saints, or LDS, is derived from the official name of the Church. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul commonly referred to the followers of the Saviour as ''saints'', meaning baptized disciples of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 1:2 is one example). It has no meaning to us as someone being more righteous or pious than another, a common belief in some Christian denominations. The term ''Latter-day'' distinguishes our members from the disciples of Jesus Christ in ancient days, hence we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day 'Members'.
The nickname Mormons comes from our belief in, and acceptance of, the Book of Mormon as another testament of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, in addition to the Holy Bible. In addition, we accept the Holy Bible as scripture.
Are We a 'Mainstream' Christian Denomination?
If the term 'mainstream' means that Latter-day Saints are increasingly viewed as a contributing, relevant and significant part of society, the answer is yes. Here in the UK, there are approximately 190,000 members. The Church worldwide membership exceeds 13 million, with more than half residing outside the U.S. Within the U.S. where the Church was founded in New York state in 1830, the Church is the fourth largest religious denomination.
It follows that its members are found at every level of society in business and agriculture, in education and the sciences, in political parties and in government, in the entertainment industry and in the news media. In fact, people are much more likely to be familiar with individual Latter-day Saints as friends, neighbors and working colleagues than they are with the Church institution itself or with its teachings. This also applies in many other nations outside the United States.
If being 'mainstream' means the Church loses its distinctiveness of the beliefs that are at the heart of its message, the answer is different. While respecting the divergent views of other peoples of faith, Church leaders want to be clear about the beliefs that help define Latter-day Saints.
The following are some of the more important differences in belief and practice between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christian churches.
True Nature of God and the Godhead
God is our Father in Heaven (Matthew 6:9). We call God Heavenly Father because He is the Father of our spirits and we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). God has a body that looks like yours, though His body is immortal, perfected, and has a glory beyond description. He knows you personally and loves you more than you can comprehend. His Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, also has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:36-39). The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, has a spirit body. His divine mission and purpose is to testify to us that Jesus is the Christ, the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, who it was prophecied would come in the meridian of time as the true messiah to the Jews and the Gentiles. He also inspires us through life's challenges as we strive to follow the Saviour's teachings.
Plan of Salvation (Where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going after this life?)
To help you find happiness and joy in this life and guide you to return to live with Him, Heavenly Father provided a plan called the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a guide based on the life and teachings of His Son. From the beginning, Heavenly Father has called prophets to testify, record His word and provide His plan for His children on the earth. The teachings of prophets are found in sacred books called scriptures (Amos 3:7).
Your Heavenly Father knows you and loves you and wants you to return to Him someday. Your life on earth is part of His plan for you to gain a body, learn, grow and find joy. Sometimes life is hard, lonely, or frightening, but your Heavenly Father is always there. He sorrows when you suffer and rejoices when you do what is right. He wants to communicate with you when you pray to Him, and He stands ready to give you comfort, peace and guidance.
Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith
Because Latter-day Saints believe that divine priesthood authority, originally bestowed by Christ to the Apostles (John 15:16) was lost from the earth shortly after their deaths, a Restoration of that authority was necessary. Our message to the world is that this Restoration began in the early 1800s with a series of revelations to the prophet Joseph Smith.
As young Joseph sought truth among the different faiths, he turned to the Bible for guidance. He read, ''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'' (James 1:5). Because of this passage, Joseph decided to ask God what he should do. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience:
''I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me...When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--''This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him.''
In this vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. The Saviour told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for they ''were all wrong'' and ''all their creeds were an abomination.'' He stated, ''They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.''
Our message to the world is that over several years ancient prophets such as John the Baptist, Peter, James, John and Elijah appeared and delivered to Joseph Smith the same divine authority they received anciently from the Saviour.
The Church today is organized with a living prophet, apostles, bishops, partriarchs, deacons, teachers, priests, etc., indeed, the same organization as Christ created during His earthly ministry.
Modern day revelation
Latter-day Saints believe that God still speaks to humankind as He did anciently, that the original Church which Jesus Christ organized during His mortal ministry has been restored with the same organization as before. We revere the President of the Church today as a living prophet of God. In addition, the 12 Apostles are also considered prophets.
The Book of Mormon
Aproximately 600 B.C., a Jewish prophet in Jerusalem and his family were commanded by God to leave Jerusalem for it was about to be destroyed. They sailed to the Central America area and their descendants, over a period of 1,000 years, had prophets who recorded their history of turmoil and wars similar to the history found in the Old Testament. Those people had numerous prophets who taught of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in Israel. Following His resurrection, Jesus himself appeared to them in Central America and referred to them as the ''sheep'' he spoke of in the New Testament that were ''not of this fold'' in Israel. He promised Israel they would hear His voice and indeed they did.
Hence, the Book of Mormon serves as a second witness, alongside the Bible, of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The book receives its name from one of the last of those ancient prophets, named Mormon, who abridged 1,000 years of their history onto plates of gold, then entrusted them to his son for safe keeping. His son Moroni, just prior to his death, hid away the records in an area now known as upstate New York.
In 1823, the now resurrected angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and showed him the place where he had hidden the records and explained it would be Joseph's duty to translate and publish that record as a second witness of Jesus Christ to all the world. In 1830, The Book of Mormon was first published and is now distributed in more than 70 languages.
Temples and their purpose
As was done in ancient Israel, temples are magnificently designed buildings which are used for special purposes, not for ordinary Sunday worship. Temples are considered the most holy of all places here on earth and, as such, only members who strive to live the beliefs of the Gospel to their very best are granted entrance. The most important work done in the temples is to unite families together for eternity. Since certain eternal covenants, or promises, with our Heavenly Father can only be performed in temples while we are here in mortality, such as marriage, these are performed for the living as well as vicariously for those who have died.
Before a temple is formally dedicated for use, there is an open house for several weeks prior when the general public is invited to tour the various rooms. There are two such temples here in the UK, one about an hour south of London and the other in Preston, England. Through 2008, the Church operates about 130 temples worldwide. There is no counterpart to temple practices in other Christian churches.
Missionary program
Many Christian churches send out missionaries to preach the Gospel. However, the missionary program of the Church is distinctive and recognizable for the sheer number and distribution of missionaries, their average age of just 19-23, their willingness to serve at their own expense, their recognizable appearance and demeanor and their message of a Restored Gospel.
In recent years, the number of senior retired couples and individuals accepting calls to serve missions has increased dramatically. Leaving children and grandchildren, and at their own expense, they serve in various capacities throughout the world at family history centers, temples, welfare service areas, medical/dental services and proselyting, to name just a few.
Lay ministry
The Church of Jesus Christ has no full-time professional clergy at the congregational level. A bishop of a local ward, or congregation, typically serves for five years, all the while sustaining himself and his family as a businessman or teacher, for example. Even at the highest levels of the Church, leaders who are called as full-time General Authorities forsake completely their more remunerative prior professions in order to serve a lifetime calling overseeing the operations of the Church worldwide.
Health & dietary practices
Just a few decades ago, our health code, known as the Word of Wisdom, was considered by many as a rather peculiar practice. Modern day science has discovered the wisdom in obstaining from alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee in that it contributes greatly to one's good health and longevity. Independent medical studies find the LDS people, as a whole, among the healthiest religious denominations in the world.
NOTE: more detail about the above subjects, or any others, can be found by searching on this homepage tab BASIC BELIEFS, or by visiting mormon.org. |
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© 2006 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved |
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