Most commonly known as the The Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS)... According to their belief, Mormon is the name of their prophet who wrote the Book of Mormon...
Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805- June 27, 1844)
- an American religious figure who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism.
- became a political and military leader in the American Midwest.
- declared to be the first latter-day prophet, whose mission was to restore the original Christian Church, said to have been lost soon after the death of the Apostles which caused an apostasy.
Golden Plates
- are set of bound and engraved metal plates that Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source for the Book of Mormon, one of the faith's sacred texts.
Angel Moroni
- an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions.
- guardian of the golden plates
Four Books on the LDS: the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price
1. The Bible
- The Bible is the collection of religious writings of Judaism and of Christianity
2. Book of Mormon
- a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.
- According to the Book of Mormon, a man named Mormon compiled nearly
1000 years of writings as well as chronicled events during his
lifetime. The text of the Book of Mormon consists of this compilation
and his own writings with some additional writings. For his work, the
book is named after him.
- believed by Latter Day Saints to be a historical and religious record translated by Joseph Smith, Jr., into English by divine inspiration from Golden Plates that he received from the Angel Moroni.
- relates
a history of three civilizations in the Americas from approximately
2700 B.C. until about 420 A.D., written by their prophets and followers
of Jesus Christ.
3. Doctrine and Covenants
- a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for
the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in
the last days.
4. The Pearl of Great Price
- is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were produced by the Prophet Joseph Smith and were published in the Church periodicals of his day.
Following is a brief introduction to the present contents:
- Selections from the Book of Moses- An extract from the book of Genesis of Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible, which he began in June 1830
- The Book of Abraham- A translation from some Egyptian papyri that came into the hands of Joseph Smith in 1835, containing writings of the patriarch Abraham.
- Joseph Smith—Matthew- An extract from the testimony of Matthew in Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible.
- Joseph Smith—History- Excerpts from Joseph Smith’s official
testimony and history
- The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- A statement by Joseph Smith in company with a short history of the Church that was popularly known as the Wentworth Letter; a concise listing of thirteen fundamental doctrines
Beliefs and Practices:
1.God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost
- The church teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are "one Godhead" but separate persons:
a) They are one Godhead (numerically one)
b) They are one in spirit, mind, and purpose (agreed in one)
c) They hold the keys to govern and preside over the cosmos (one in power and authority)
2.Three distinct beings, as well as three distinct persons
- They believe: "The Father has a body of flesh and bone as tangible as
man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and
bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so the Holy Ghost
could not dwell in us"
3. God the Father
- God the Father is understood to be the literal Father of the spirits of all mankind.
- He is also understood to be the Father of Jesus' spirit body and his physical body
4. His son, Jesus Christ
- Those who accept Christ and are baptized
are symbolically born again and become the children of Christ.
- Jesus Christ is central to his father's plan of happiness
- Christ's divinity enabled him to take upon himself the
penalty for sin and to endure the consequential suffering and on the cross
- Jesus' status as the son of a mortal
woman gave him the ability to suffer temptations and experience
physical death
- Believes in the physical resurrection of Jesus' body: that his physical body and spirit body were reunited,
never again to be separated.
- The church follows what it understands to be the teachings of Jesus, both in the Bible and in other scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon.
- Jesus is the LORD Jehovah of the Old Testament, and the Holy One of Israel. Because he has the "Divine Investiture of
Authority" from the Father, the church teaches that Jesus Christ often
speaks in the scriptures as though he were God the Father, because in
so doing he is representing the Father.
5.The Holy Ghost
- Believed as the Comforter promised by Jesus Christ
Regarded as "a being endowed with the attributes and powers of Deity and not a mere force or essence.
- Testifies of the Father and the Son.
- The Holy Ghost can sanctify people enabling them "to put off the
natural man and [become]a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.
6. Other heavenly figures
"As man is, God once was-- and as God is, man may become"
Mankind, as spirit children of their father in heaven, can become like him.
Official church materials refer to "Heavenly Parents," implying to some the existence of a Heavenly Mother.
7. Prayer
- The church encourages all people to pray often "for the evil spirit
teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray"
- God is to be approached in reverence. Generally, prayer is addressed to God the Father, in the name of Jesus
Christ, and thanks or petitions are expressed as prompted by the Holy
Ghost.
8. Apostasy, restoration, and priesthood
- Believes in Great Apostasy (general fallen state of Man)
- It teaches that after the death of Jesus and the 12 Apostles, the priesthood authority was lost and some important doctrinal teachings, including the text of the Bible, were changed from their original form, thus necessitating a Restoration prior to the Second Coming.
- Priesthood- offered to all male members ages 12 and older who follow the church's code of morality
Aaronic Priesthood- given to young men ages 12-17
- Deacon- first office in this priesthood level. There primary duty is to pass the sacrament to members on Sundays and collect fast offerings.
- Teacher- is the second office and is given to males ages 14 and 15. The
primary duty is to prepare the sacrament and to help members in need if
requested.
- Priest- is the highest office in the Aaronic Priesthood given the males
ages 16 and 17. The primary duty is to bless the sacrament. Priests
also have the authority to baptize people members of the church.
Melchizedek Priesthood- holders are 18 or
older but each office does not have a set age for progression.
- Elder- The first office. An Elder may confer the gift of the Holy
Ghost; give blessings by the laying on of hands; ordain other Elders;
and possesses all the rights of the Aaronic priesthood
- High Priest- the second office. A High Priest is responsible for the spiritual welfare of their
congregation of saints; may serve in a bishopric, stake presidency,
high council, or temple presidency and may serve as a mission
president. Further, he may ordain other High Priests and Elders, can
perform the duties of both and Elder and all Aaronic priesthood duties.
All members that are high priests hold, or have held, a leadership
position in the church.
- The third office is Patriarch. A Patriarchs' main responsibility is to provide patriarchal blessings
for members of a stake or district (a geographiic region of multiple
congregations) and to declare an individual's linage.
- The fourth office is Seventy. This office is generally reserved for
general authorities that assist in the administration of the church
worldwide. They usually have specific regions of responsibility around
the world.
- The fifth office is Apostle. This office is reserved for members of the
Quorum of the Twelves Apostles or members of the First Presidency. The
main purpose is to testify of Jesus Christ to the world at large and to
oversee all the spiritual and temporal administration of the church.
9. Ordinances, covenants and temples
Ordinances- the LDS sacraments which has two types: the saving and the non-saving ordinances.
- Saving ordinances are those that grant access to certain blessings that flow from the Atonement, and include:
- Baptism by immersion
- Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost
- The "sacrament"of the Lord's supper, taken each Sunday, to keep in remembrance of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ and to renew the covenant made at
baptism,ordination to an office of the priesthood (for males)
- The initiatory or washings and anointing, the Endowment, celestial marriage, and family sealings
- The church teaches that to obtain the highest degree of salvation all people who have lived to the age of eight must participate in each
of the saving ordinances. However, the church teaches that they may be
performed for a person either during their lifetime or by proxy after
the person has died. Therefore, church members participate in the saving ordinances on
behalf of dead relatives and others whose names have been extracted
from historical records.
2. Non-saving ordinances include the dedication of graves, the dedication of
buildings, the prayer circle, the Hosanna shout, shaking the dust from the feet
and various kinds of blessings, including the patriarchal blessing.
10. Plan of salvation
Called as "The Great Plan of Happiness," as taught by the church, describes humanity's place in the universe and the purpose of life.
Pre-mortal Existence
- The church teaches that there was a pre-mortal existence , a place which existed prior to mortality in which all people and all life were created in spirit form.
- Before we were born on the earth, we lived in the presence of our
Heavenly Father as one of His spirit children. In this pre-mortal
existence, we attended a council with Heavenly Father's other spirit
children. At that council, Heavenly Father presented His great plan of
happiness
- The earth, according to church teachings in the temples, was created by Jehovah, which the church identifies as the pre-mortal Jesus, and Michael the archangel, who is identified as the pre-mortal Adam. Michael's spirit was placed into his body which was created by God the
Father and Jehovah, and became a living soul known as Adam.
- Throughout our pre-mortal lives, we developed our identity and increased
our spiritual capabilities. Blessed with the gift of agency, we made
important decisions, such as the decision to follow Heavenly Father's
plan. These decisions affected our life then and now. We grew in
intelligence and learned to love the truth, and we prepared to come to
the earth, where we could continue to progress.
Mortal Life
- Our spirits are united with our bodies, giving us opportunities to grow
and develop in ways that were not possible in pre-mortal life.
- A time of learning in which we can prove ourselves,
choose to come unto Christ, and prepare to be worthy of eternal life.
- A time when we can help others find the truth and gain a
testimony of the plan of salvation.
Life after Death
- When we die, our spirits will enter the spirit world and await the
resurrection.
- There, a preliminary judgment is done, based solely on whether a person has had
a baptism by the authority of the priesthood and received their
confirmation either in this life or after death by proxy places the
spirit in either a state of paradise(has completed all the saving
ordinances) or spirit prison (those who have not had the saving
ordinances). Those in "prison" will be visited by spirits from paradise
and given the chance to learn of the teachings of Jesus Christ and to
accept the accompanying saving ordinances
- At the time of the resurrection, our spirit and body will
reunite, and we will be judged and received into a kingdom of glory.
The glory we inherit will depend on the depth of our conversion and our
obedience to the Lord's commandments. It will
depend on the manner in which we have "received the testimony of Jesus".
- Then the nature of the body will depend on the result of the Last Judgment, at which Jesus will assign each soul to one of three degrees of glory (heavenly kingdoms)
- Celestial Kingdom- in the presence of the Father and the Son for those who accept Jesus
Christ and receive all LDS saving ordinances, either as a mortal or by
proxy
- Terrestrial Kingdom-
a place of glory in the presence of Christ for righteous persons who
refuse to receive the saving ordinances and for those who do not keep
the covenants they commit to
- Telestial Kingdom- or the wicked. A further destination, which is called the "Outer Darkness" is reserved for Satan, his devils, and those mortals who commit the unpardonable sin and thereby become the sons of perdition.
- Those who are ultimately destined for the Telestial Kingdom will be those who suffer for their sins in hell; however, these persons remain in hell only the 1000 years during the millennial reign of Christ, after which they will exit hell and be resurrected with an immortal body into a state of peace.
- Those in the Celestial Kingdom will be allowed to continue to progress and become joint heirs with Jesus Christ; but only individuals that are in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom will eventually be enabled in eternity to become gods and goddesses and participate in the eternal creative process of having spirit children.
11. View of history and eschatology
- The church's view of history is informed by the faith's scriptures.
- According to teachings in the Book of Mormon, the Americas are a special location reserved by God for those who love freedom and freedom of religion.
- According to Joseph Smith, the location of Garden of Eden was at Jackson County, Missouri and it will be the location of the future new Jerusalem.
- Native Americans are typically declared to be descended from the Tribe of Manasseh based on the teachings of the Book of Mormon
- The church teaches that in the future, the Second Coming of Jesus will occur followed by a thousand years if peace which is commonly known as Millennialism.
- As the earth transitions into the Millennial period, only those good and honorable people who stand to inherit the celestial or terrestial kingdom will continue on the earth. During the millennium the Latter-day Saints
will continue to proselytize among the living and perform ordinances
for the dead.
- After the millennium will come a final great
confrontation of good versus evil, and then the Last Judgment.
12. Theology of family and gender
- The LDS Church has been characterized as a family-centered religion.
- Families may be "sealed"—meaning that they are eternally bound as husband-wife, parents–child—and that these bonds will continue after death.
- Sealings can also include deceased ancestor
- Each person's gender is eternal and that gender roles are authorized by God: in general, men are to preside over and provide for their families and women are to nurture children.
- Transgender persons are accepted in the church and may be baptized, but may not
receive the priesthood or enter the temple if they are considering or
have undergone elective sex reassignment surgery.
- Women can't be ordained to the
priesthood, yet preaching and instruction by women is an integral part of
weekly
13. The Law of Chastity
- The law of chastity prohibits pre-marital sex and adultery, which includes gay and lesbian sex
- The law also prohibits other sexual behavior,such as bestiality, masturbation, lust, sexual fantasy, and viewing pornography
- Include standards of modesty in dress and action
- The church encourages members to enter a celestial marriage, the only form of marriage recognized by the church as a sacrament and "the only due and proper way of joining husband and wife".
- Presently
recognizes only civil unions that are considered "legal and lawful" by
the government where it takes place, with certain exceptions including same-sex marriage, polygamous marriage, common law marriage and other types of non-ceremonial marriages in non-common law countries
14. Duties and expectations of church members
- For members of the church, the greatest commandment is to love God with
all their heart and the second is to love others as they love
themselves.
- Members are expected or encouraged to pray frequently (several times a day), perform good works, and read scriptures daily.
- Members are expected to donate their time, money, and talents to the church.
- In addition to attending the weekly three-hour church services, members are usually given "callings"
or assignments in the church, and often attend various other meetings
or activities throughout the week relating to that calling.
- Home visitations
- Church members are encouraged to live self-sufficiently and avoid unnecessary debt
- All male members are expected to serve a two-year mission at the age of 19; Women may optionally serve a mission if they are over the age of 21 and
not married, as may older married couples. The womens mission is only
one year and a half compared to that of a male which is two years.
- Requires that members follow the "Word of Wisdom" (a health code given by Joseph Smith which the church interprets as requiring abstinence from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, coffee, black tea, and recreational drugs).
- Follow the law of chastity
- Strongly counseled against choosing an elective abortion, except in the cases rape or incest, a pregnancy that seriously jeopardizes the life or health of the mother, or a pregnancy where a physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.
- Must obey the law of the country they live or visit
- Discouraged gambling in all forms including lotteries
My Comment
It is just now that I gained knowledge about the Mormons of the Latter Day Saints (LDS). For me, I don't care how many books and scriptures will a denomination adds, as long as it does not contradicts the Bible and it coincides history. Some beliefs and practices of the LDS are great, yet they can never let me believe their plan of salvation. I also don't believe in their belief of being a proxy to continue the ordinances. One is subject to his own actions. And there is no such thing as world of the spirits after death. And I strongly disagree about that preliminary judgment. One the person is dead, he doesn't have any chances anymore.
What happens at death?
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit (breath) shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10 The dead know not any thing, neither have they
any more a reward; for the memory (their thoughts)of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;
neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done
under the sun [in this life]. ... For there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave.
- The presence of the heavenly kingdoms. So is it fine for a person not to keep the saving ordinances since their is still a kingdom that awaits for him..? And did they say that after hell, the dead body will resurrect and go to the state of peace..? What is the essence of trying to be righteous if sinners can still attain peace, and take note: be resurrected!...???
"'The day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all
who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn
them up,' says the Lord of hosts, 'that will leave them neither root
nor branch'" (Mal. 4:1).
- I can't find any passages that said that Adam is Michael the archangel...
- I can't find any passages that Moses and Satan had a conversation..
- What do gods and goddesses mean..?
- And where is the Garden of Eden..? In Jackson County..?
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon : the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia . 14
And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth
toward the east of Asyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
— Genesis 2:10-14 KJV
Unless Assyria and Tigris and Euphrates will be transferred to Jackson County, I'll believe it.
That's all for now.. I'm over tired...
Resources: LDS.org, Wikipedia.org
