Mormonism

Reprint of the first edition of the Book of Mormon (1830)

Mormonism comprises the religious, institutional, and cultural elements of the most populous branch of the Latter Day Saint movement. 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. Mormonism is most closely associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which is by far the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. Mormonism 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, the faith's earliest religious text along with the Bible. 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 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 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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

See also: History of the Latter Day Saint movement and History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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 Christ-believing Israelites, and calling for their "restoration" to the Christian faith. Smith dictated over 500 pages in about 60 days, and stated that he had translated the ancient record "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.

The Church of Christ grew steadily, but from the beginning, its members felt persecuted by non-Mormons. To avoid opposition from New York residents, some of whom remembered Smith's earlier work as a treasure seer, 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, and a widespread apostasy forced Smith to flee Kirtland in early 1838. In Missouri, the Mormon War (1838) resulted in the expulsion of 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 faction of Saints chose Brigham Young as their 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 Joseph Smith had secretly instituted in Nauvoo. Plural marriage became the faith's most famous 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 champion 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

Relation to Christianity

See also: Mormonism and 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 respected Mormon authority, "Mormonism is indistinguishable from Christianity." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 513)

In many important 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 Christianity restored to 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 non-Mormon Christians. Today, there are no longer violent conflicts between Mormons and non-Mormons on the basis of religious principles. Nevertheless, the religion's unique doctrinal views and practices still generate dismissive criticism, as well as efforts by Mormons and non-Mormon Christians to proselytize each other.

Mormons believe in the Old and New Testaments, 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 also hold the Book of Mormon to be divine scripture, equal in authority to the Bible. Mormons teach that these keys 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.

Relation to Judaism

See also: Mormonism and 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

See also: Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Mainstream Mormonism is defined by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the LDS Church consider their top leaders to be prophets and Apostles, and are encouraged to question them on matters of theology, by means of self-study of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Self-prayer is encouraged as well. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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 church seeks to distance itself from other branches of Mormonism, and particularly from the practice of polygamy. The LDS Church practiced polygamy in the 1800s. However, the church abandoned that practice around the turn of the 20th century when male members began using the excuse to marry much younger females. The practice was originally adopted to provide a home and to take care of the widows in the 'ward' (a separation of members' houses into blocks. Several wards in an area make a 'stake') Today, the church maintains a degree of orthodoxy within the church by excommunicating or disciplining its members who take positions or engage in practices viewed as apostasy. For example, the 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 church's top leadership, which is viewed as a sign of apostasy.

Mormon fundamentalism

Main article: 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 1800s 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

See also: Culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Cultural Mormon

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

• Blacks and the Latter Day Saint movement
• Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement
• List of articles about Mormonism
• The Joseph Smith Papers

External links

Media related to Mormonism at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Mormon website
• PBS: Frontline + American Experience: Mormons — PBS special on Mormon belief