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For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation).
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | |
 | |
| Classification | Restorationist |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Latter Day Saint movement |
| Polity | Hierarchical |
| Founder | Joseph Smith, Jr. |
| Leader | Thomas S. Monson |
| Separations | LDS denominations |
| Geographical Area | 176 nations/territories |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 27,475 |
| Members | 13 million+ |
| Missionaries | 53,000Statistical Information |
| School system | |
| Tertiary institutions | 4Education |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the LDS Church or the Mormon Church, is the largest and most well-known denomination originating from the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations and temples worldwide, reporting approximately 13 million members on its rolls."LDS Church says membership now 13 million worldwide", Salt Lake Tribune, June 25, 2007.Press Release, LDS Church, "One Million Missionaries, Thirteen Million Members", 25 June 2007.
Adherents, usually referred to as Latter-day Saints, LDS, or Mormons, are Restorationist Christians,http://www.religioustolerance.org/chrrest.htmhttp://www.gotquestions.org/restorationism.html but do not consider themselves part of the Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant traditions. The church teaches there was a Great Apostasy, or loss of the original authority to lead Christ\'s church. Jesus Christ is viewed as the head of the church, leading it today through revelations given to a hierarchy of priesthood leaders. The highest-ranking leader is the President of the Church, who is considered to be a prophet and an apostle.
Latter-day Saints believe that four books of scripture have divine authority: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. According to their beliefs, Jesus is the Divine Son of God the Father and Mary, a virgin who was a descendant of king David and Abraham.Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pg. 90, 1981 edition They believe Jesus lived a sinless life, and that His suffering, the shedding of His blood, His crucifixion, His death and resurrection were sufficient to satisfy the demands of eternal justice and make an infinite atonement for the sins of all humanity. pamphlet #3691000 The Gospel of Jesus Christ, pg. 18, published by the Church. English approval 11/05
They believe in Jesus\' literal bodily resurrection, and that He currently sits at the right hand of God the Father. They believe Jesus is united in purpose with the Father, but that the Father and the Son are distinct glorified beings of flesh and bone, rather than solely spirit.
The church has also distinguished itself from other Christian denominations by their practice of temple ceremonies (such as baptism for the dead and the Endowment), eternal marriage, and teaching that Jesus visited and preached in the Americas after his resurrection. It also formerly taught and some of its members practiced plural marriage,See D&C 132, but the church abandoned the practice beginning in 1890 and its practice today results in immediate excommunication.
The LDS Church is the largest of the denominations from the Latter Day Saint movement that claim to be a continuation of the Church of Christ, founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. on April 6 1830 in New York.The majority of witnesses say the church was organized April 6 1830 in the log home of Joseph Smith, Sr. in the Manchester area, followed by a meeting the next Sunday in nearby Fayette at the home of Peter Whitmer, Sr. Nevertheless, one of Smith\'s histories and an 1887 reminiscence by David Whitmer say the church was organized at the Whitmer home in Fayette. (Whitmer, however, had already told a reporter in 1875 that the church was organized in Manchester. Whitmer (August 7 1875), "The Golden Tables", Chicago Times, <http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/IL/mischig.htm#080775>.) See Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints). The church refers to Fayette as the place of organization in all its official publications. Joseph Smith organized the church soon after publishing the Book of Mormon, one of the faith\'s scriptures, which Joseph Smith said he translated from a book of golden plates that were buried near his home in a place shown to him by the angel Moroni".Scriptures. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved on 2007-12-25.: "On September 22, 1827, an angel named Moroni—the last Book of Mormon prophet—delivered these records to the Prophet Joseph Smith." Angel Moroni Statue Displayed in Massachusetts. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2001). Retrieved on 2007-12-25..
The church rapidly gained a following, who viewed Joseph Smith as their prophet. In late 1830, Smith envisioned a "city of Zion" in Native American lands near Independence, Missouri. In October 1830, he sent his second-in-command, Oliver Cowdery, and others on a mission to the area.D&C 32 Passing through Kirtland, Ohio, the missionaries converted a congregation of Disciples of Christ led by Sidney Rigdon, and in 1831, Smith decided to temporarily move his followers to Kirtland until the Missouri area could be colonized. The church headquarters remained in Kirtland from 1831 to 1838; meanwhile, the church built its first temple and continued to grow in membership from 680 to 17,881The Deseret Morning News 2008 Church Almanac pg.655.
On July 20 1831, Smith circulated a written revelation that Independence, Missouri was to be the center place for the city of Zion.D&C 57:1-3 Though many of Smith\'s followers attempted to colonize Missouri throughout the 1830s and Smith himself moved there in 1838, the church faced political and military opposition from other Missouri settlers. After a series of raids on Mormon settlements, the church formed its own militia to defend its members and the Mormon War of 1838 ensued, culminating in the religion being expelled from the state under an Extermination Order signed by the governor of Missouri.
The church then established its new headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois, a city they built on drained swampland by the Mississippi River, where Smith served as mayor. There, the church built a new temple, and thrived until Smith and his brother Hyrum, who was serving as assistant president and patriarch of the church, were killed by a mob in 1844. The Smith brothers were awaiting trial after the Nauvoo city council decided to destroy a local newspaper that accused Smith of practicing a form of polygamy and intending to establish himself as a theocratic king. Hyrum and Joseph were promptly charged with disruption of the peace and high treason. Joseph Smith, at the time, was a minor candidate for President of the United States, with Sidney Rigdon as his running mate.
The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the primary attraction in the city\'s Temple Square.
After the murder of the Smiths, a succession crisis ensued whereby a number of church leaders campaigned to lead the church. The majority of adherents voted to accept the succession claims presented by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led by Brigham Young. Their claim was based on a March 1844 meeting wherein Joseph committed the "keys of the kingdom" on the twelve apostles with Young as their leader. After continued difficulties and persecution in Illinois, Young left Nauvoo in 1846 and led his followers to what later became the state of Utah (then part of Mexico), and began to colonize the area with numerous communities.
Young incorporated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a legal entity under the laws of the Territory of Utah. He initially governed his followers as a theocratic leader serving in both political and religious positions. He openly encouraged the practice of plural marriage. When this practice became known in Washington, D.C., the United States sent federal troops there in 1857, deposed Young, and replaced him with a non-Mormon territorial governor, though Young still wielded significant political power as President of the Church.
Young was followed by other powerful members, who defiantly followed the dictates of their personal beliefs in the face of U.S. efforts to outlaw Mormon polygamous marriages. Political and legal wrangling over the polygamy issue escalated until 1890, when church president Wilford Woodruff, successor to John Taylor, issued a Manifesto that officially suspended the practice.Official Declaration — 1 Relations with the United States markedly improved after 1890, and especially after 1904, when church president Joseph F. Smith disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued a "Second Manifesto" calling for all polygamous marriages in the church to cease. Although both these statements were issued it has been estimated that 150 polygamous marriages had been done by the church per year from 1890 to 1904, many of which were performed in Mexico to alleviate the legal issues associated with conducting polygamous marriages in the United States.D. Michael Quinn, "LDS Church Authority and New Plural Marriages, 1890 - 1904" Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy, and today seeks to actively distance itself from Mormon fundamentalist groups still practicing polygamy.In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley stated,"If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church." Gordon B. Hinckley, "What Are People Asking About Us?" Ensign, November 1998, 70
During the twentieth century, the number of new missionaries called per year went from from a range of 245 in year 1918 to 36,196 in year 2002; church membership grew from 283,765 to a worldwide membership of 11,068,861Deseret Morning News 2008 Church Almanac pg. 655
The church has played, at times, a prominent role in political matters, including opposition to MX Peacekeeper missile bases in Utah and Nevada,“First Presidency Statement on Basing of MX Missile”, Ensign, June 1981, 76. opposing the Equal Rights Amendment,“The Church and the Proposed Equal Rights Amendment: A Moral Issue”, Ensign, March 1980, insert. opposing legalized gambling,“Church’s Stand against Gambling”, Ensign, March 1992, 74. support of bans on same-sex marriage,Newsroom.lds.org (2005-05-26). "Same-Gender Attraction". Press release. Retrieved on March 2007. and opposition to legalized physician-assisted death.Newsroom.lds.org. "Euthanasia and Prolonging Life". Press release. Retrieved on March 2007. Apart from issues that it considers to be ones of morality, however, the church maintains a position of political neutrality.Newsroom.lds.org (2006-10-19). "Political Neutrality". Press release. Retrieved on March 2007.; see also Newsroom.lds.org, "No Thumbs Up or Down To Legislature", Retrieved May 2007....
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have many beliefs in common with Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions, but also some significant differences exist. The church\'s core beliefs, circa 1842, are discussed in Articles of Faith (Latter Day Saints). A comparison between LDS Church doctrine and traditional Christian faiths are discussed in Mormonism and Christianity. There are also numerous articles discussing Latter Day Saint movement perspectives on various doctrinal issues, which discuss the specific doctrines of the LDS Church as part of that movement. A summary of the church\'s major distinctive beliefs and practices are discussed below.
Latter-day Saints believe in the resurrected Jesus Christ, as depicted in the Christus Statue in the North Visitors\' Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City
The church teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are "one God" or Godhead in the sense that they are one "in purpose" and in agreement, but does not accept the Nicene Creed\'s definition of Trinity, that the three are "consubstantial". Rather, the church teaches that the Father and the Son are two distinct beings, both with glorified, perfect bodies of flesh and bone, while the Holy Ghost is a distinct being with only a "spirit body".Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 God the Father is understood to be the literal Father of all the spirits who inhabit this earthHebrews 12:9Abraham 3:21-26, Doctrine and Covenants 93:29. He is also understood to be the Father of Jesus\' spirit body and his physical body. Joseph Smith stated,"Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow--three in one and one in three! It is a curious organization. \'Father, I pray not for the world, but I pray for them which thou hast given me.\' \'Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.\' All are crammed into one God according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God--he would be a giant or a monster. I want to read the text to you myself--\'I am agreed with the Father and the Father is agreed with me, and we are agreed as one\'"Joseph Smith, Teachings, 372
The church teaches that Jesus is its central focus and emphasizes that his suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross paid for the sins of humanity. This Atonement however is also believed to cover not only sin, but pain, suffering, heart ache, or hardship we experience in our life on earthAlma 7:11-13. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus\' status as the son of a mortal woman gave him the ability to suffer temptations and experience physical death; while his status as the Son of God gave him the power to lay down and take up his life again at will. The church also believes in the physical resurrection of Jesus\' body: that his physical body and spirit body were reunited, never again to be separated. Because of its emphasis on Jesus\' resurrection and his status as the living head of the church, the church does not use the symbol of the Christian cross. Instead, the church tends to focus on the belief that Jesus overcame suffering and death and that he lives today.
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. The church also teaches that Jesus is the God Jehovah of the Old Testament. Because Jesus is thought to be omniscient and have the same purpose as 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 fulfilling the will of the Father.Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
Official church materials refer to "Heavenly Parents," implying to some the existence of a Heavenly Mother.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Chapter 2: Our Heavenly Family", Gospel Principles, 11 (1997). Belief in such a figure is common among members, and she has been mentioned in sermons by church officialsSee, e.g., Spencer W. Kimball, "The True Way of Life and Salvation", Ensign, May 1978, 4.Smith, Joseph F. (1909). Man: Origin and Destiny, pp. 348-355. and in some of the hymns of the church.See, e.g., Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, #292 "O My Father"; #286 Oh, What Songs of the Heart. However, no specific doctrine on the subject of a Heavenly Mother has been released by the church.
Joseph Smith, Jr. said that he saw two "personages" in the spring of 1820, one of which pointed to the other and said, "This is my beloved son. Hear him!" The church teaches this was an actual visitation by God the Father and Jesus in the flesh.
In common with other Restorationist churches, the church believes in a Great Apostasy. It teaches that after the death of Jesus and the Twelve 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. That restoration, according to church doctrine, took place during the life of Joseph Smith, Jr.
According to church theology, the restoration took place through a series of visions and revelations, including Smith\'s First Vision in 1820, visits by various angelic messengers including Moroni, John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah, and the apostles Peter, James and John. Smith said these messengers gave him priesthood authority (first the Aaronic priesthood and then the Melchizedek priesthood) and various "keys" of the priesthood that had been lost through the ages, so that Smith finally possessed the "fullness of the Gospel". The restoration also included the formation of the Church of Christ. The LDS Church teaches that it is the successor of this Church of Christ and that the current President of the Church is Smith\'s modern successor.
The priesthood authority is offered (people are free to choose not to receive the priesthood) to all male members ages 12 and older who follow the church\'s code of morality. Men receive the priesthood by ordination, which consists of other priesthood holders laying their hands on their head and also providing a blessing. After the time of Joseph Smith, black men of sub-Saharan African descent were barred from being ordained to the priesthood and entering the religion\'s temples; in 1978, church president Spencer W. Kimball announced a revelation declaring that all worthy men could be ordained to the priesthood. (See Blacks and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) Women are not ordained to priesthood offices, although some temple ordinances are performed by women. (see Temple (Latter Day Saints), Endowment (Latter Day Saints) and Women and Mormonism.)
Ordination to the priesthood is a prerequisite to preside in the church, although women are given un-ordained leadership roles over children and other women, and they perform certain temple ordinances of women. The priesthood is structured in a hierarchical manner, emphasizing obedience. Members are encouraged to avoid public criticism of priesthood leaders; repeated public criticism by an individual may eventually result in excommunication. (See Mormonism and authority.) Although the church had a paid local clergy in the 1800s,D. Michael Quinn (1997), Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ch. 6. local and regional priesthood leaders currently serve as volunteers. Non-clerical church employees, general authorities (who serve life or five-year terms), and mission presidents (who serve three-year terms) are paid a stipend from church funds and provided other benefits. A general missionary fund covers the basic living expenses of single Mormon missionaries. Missionaries and their families are asked to contribute to this fund, and in the United States the missionary\'s congregation of origin is ultimately responsible to satisfy the monthly obligation to the general fund. Members volunteer general custodial work for local church facilities.
Baptismal font in the Salt Lake Temple, circa 1912, where baptisms for the dead are performed by proxy. The font rests on the backs of twelve oxen representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Latter-day Saint sacraments are called ordinances, and there are two types: saving ordinances and non-saving ordinances. All ordinances, whether saving or nonsaving, must be performed by a man ordained to the appropriate priesthood office, with the exception of certain parts of the Endowment and the initiatory or washings and anointings, in which women can perform the ordinance without being ordained to an office.
Saving ordinances are those required for salvation, and include baptism by immersion, with "sacrament", taken each Sunday, to keep in remembrance of and to renew the covenant made at baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (confirmation), ordination to an office of the priesthood (for males), the initiatory or washings and anointings, the Endowment, celestial marriage, and family sealings. Each saving ordinance is associated with one or more covenant that the person receiving the ordinance makes with God.LDS Church, "Gospel Topics: Ordinances".
The church teaches that to obtain the highest degree of salvation (referred to as "exaltation" in the celestial kingdom), 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.LDS Church, “Chapter 40: Temple Work and Family History”, Gospel Principles, 255. Therefore, church members participate in the saving ordinances on behalf of dead relatives and others whose names have been extracted from historical records. The performance of these proxy ordinances are one of the functions of the church\'s temples.
All the saving ordinances are currently open to all worthy members of the appropriate age. Prior to 1978, black members were barred from all saving ordinances other than baptism and confirmation, but this policy was changed in 1978.See Blacks and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Celestial marriage is open to one man and one woman at a time, but a widower may enter a second celestial marriage.
Apart from sealings to parents, the church does not perform saving ordinances for those younger than age eight or for those who have died before the age of eight (when children reach the "age of accountability"), because young children are deemed "alive in Christ" and not responsible for sin.Moroni 8:4-23; D&C 68:25-27; LDS Church, “Chapter 20: Baptism”, Gospel Principles, 129. Likewise, the church teaches that the saving ordinances are not required for persons age eight or older who are "mentally incapable of knowing right and wrong".LDS Church, “Chapter 20: Baptism”, Gospel Principles, 129.
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.
The plan of salvation, or "The Great Plan of Happiness," as taught by the church, describes humanity\'s place in the universe and the purpose of life. 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.Moses 3:5; D&C 93:29Smith, Joseph Fielding. Bruce R. McConkie, ed. Doctrines of Salvation (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954 [1972 reprint]) Vol. 1, p. 62 Central to this is the notion that humans existed as spirits before birth, were raised by Heavenly parents and had essential human characteristics such as gender.First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles. "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" 1995 This general idea is also stated as "We lived in the presence of God."Smith. Doctrines of Salvation. vol. 1, p. 56general idea also expressed in Smith, Joseph F. Gospel Doctrine: Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1969) p. 93
During the pre-earth life, Heavenly Father presented a plan to have a Savior make it possible for mankind to be saved. Jesus Christ stepped forward as the chosen Savior. However, Lucifer, one of the spirits, proposed a rival plan whereby every soul would be saved, he would receive God\'s power, and human agency would be eliminated.See Moses 4:1-4Abrahma 3:24-28 describes this as well When God rejected that plan, the War in Heaven ensued, resulting in Lucifer and one third part of the spirits being cast out and denied ever receiving physical bodies. Lucifer became the devil.D&C 29:36-37, 2 Nephi 2:17 briefly mentions the fall of Satan (Book of Mormon, p. 58 [1982 English edition (Salt Lake City)]).
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. The earth was "organized" from pre-existing matter,See Abraham 3:24-25 as were other planets with their inhabitants.Moses 1:29-33 Michael\'s spirit was implanted in a body created by God the Father and Jehovah, and became Adam.
The church teaches that at birth, a pre-existing spirit enters a mortal body. Upon death, the spirit goes to a "spirit world" to await the resurrection of the dead. There, a preliminary judgment based on behavior on earth places the spirit in either a state of paradise or spirit prison. 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.LDS Church, “Chapter 45: The Postmortal Spirit World”, Gospel Principles, 289. The church teaches that all persons, wicked or righteous, will be resurrected and receive an immortal, physical body.See Alma 11:42-45. The nature of that body, however, 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): the 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; the 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; and the telestial kingdom for the wicked. A further destination, called outer darkness, is reserved for Satan, his devils, and those mortals who commit the unpardonable sin and thereby become the sons of perdition.LDS Church. “Chapter 46: The Last Judgment”, Gospel Principles, 294. 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;Romans 8:17. 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.LDS Church, “Chapter 47: Exaltation”, Gospel Principles, 301.
The church\'s view of history is informed by the faith\'s scriptures. LDS history begins with the creation according to Genesis, but has never endorsed any particular form of creationism. Though it does not officially oppose any particular findings of natural history, the church regards Adam as the first "primal parent of the [human] race".LDS Church (1909), First Presidency Statement: The Origin of Man.
Based on teachings in the Book of Mormon, the church teaches an expansive form of American exceptionalism, where the Americas are a special location reserved by God for those who love freedom and freedom of religion. According to Joseph Smith, what is now Jackson County, Missouri was the location of the Garden of Eden and will be the location of the future New Jerusalem, and God has led numerous groups to the western hemisphere in search of freedom,See 2 Nephi 1:5-7 including several groups of ancestors to the Native Americans whose stories are told in the Book of Mormon.
The church also teaches an expansive view of God\'s covenant with Abraham, which Joseph Smith taught extends not just to Jews, but to Latter Day Saints, who in most cases are declared by their patriarchal blessings to be literal descendants of the tribe of Ephraim, or adopted into this tribe. Native Americans are typically declared to be descended from the Tribe of Manasseh based on the teachings of the Book of Mormon that members of this tribe, the family of Lehi, crossed the ocean on boats in about 600 B.C. and became their principal ancestors.
The church teaches that in the future the Second Coming of Jesus will occur, followed by a thousand years of peace, after which will occur the Last Judgment. Distinctive within Latter-day millennialism, however, is the idea that Jesus will reign "personally upon the earth" from a location that is presently within the United StatesArticle of Faith 1:10 and direct the government or governments that will exist.Berrett, William E, Teachings of the Doctrine and Covenants, 1956, Ch. 42, p.280 Jackson County, Missouri is expected to have an important LDS temple during the Millennium and Jerusalem is expected to be an important center of government in the world.Brewster, Hoyt W, Isaiah Plain and Simple: The Message of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 1995, Ch. 2, p.10-13 As the earth transitions into the Millennial period, only those good and honorable people who stand to inherit the celestial kingdom or the terrestrial kingdom will continue on the earth; the Latter-day Saints will continue to proselytize among the living and perform ordinances for the dead until a final great confrontation of good versus evil prior to the Last Judgment.
The LDS Church has been characterized as a family-centered religion. The church teaches that every being that lived upon the earth initially had a spirit body and that all were born to Heavenly Parents in a pre-mortal existence. The church teaches that on earth, families may be "sealed"—meaning that they are eternally bound as husband–wife, parents–child—and that these bonds will continue after death.LDS Church, “Chapter 38: Eternal Marriage”, Gospel Principles, 241. Sealings can also include deceased ancestors, providing much of the church\'s rationale for its extensive family history activities.
The church also teaches that 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.LDS Church, The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The church characterizes the man-woman relationship as "equal but different".Sonja Farnsworth (1992), "Mormonism\'s Odd Couple: The Motherhood-Priesthood Connection", in Maxine Hanks, ed., Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism, Salt Lake City: Signature Books. Nevertheless, LDS women in the United States work outside the home in about the same percentage as other American women.Helen Witney & Jane Barnes (2007), The Mormons, Part 2 (PBS presentation) ("Mormon women work outside the home in about the same proportions as other American women"). The church teaches that gender is inherently linked to sex, but the church has no official policy on the status of intersex persons. 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.Church Handbook of Instructions: Book 1, Stake Presidents and Bishoprics (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006) at 41, 78.
The status of women in church leadership has remained largely unchanged since the early 1900s. Although they are not ordained to the priesthood, preaching and instruction by women is an integral part of weekly Latter-day Saint worship. Certain leadership positions are filled only by women, and in some of the church\'s auxiliary organizations women may preside over men, such as in the Primary, in welfare programs, on activities committees, and at a Family History Library. Since the 1840s, women have officiated in certain ordinances that take place inside temples.Women and the priesthood. Mormon.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
The church teaches what it calls the law of chastity, a moral code that its members must follow to be in good standing with the church. At its core, the law of chastity prohibits pre-marital sex and adultery,LDS Church (1997), Gospel Principles, p. 249. which includes gay and lesbian sex. The law also prohibits other sexual behavior, such as bestiality and masturbation, as well as mental behavior such as lust, sexual fantasy, and viewing of pornography.Spencer W. Kimball (1969), The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, pp. 25, 77–89.
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".Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O. McKay (October 1942), "Parenthood: First Presidency Message", Conference Report, pp. 12-13. For purposes of the law of chastity, however, the church 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.In the 19th century, the church performed illegal polygamous marriages, but that practice has been discontinued. The church is sensitive about its historical relationship with polygamy and entry into a polygamous marriage, even where legal, may result in excommunication: Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics (2006), p. 110.
Where celestial marriage is not recognized by the government, it must be preceded by a civil marriage. The church\'s teachings are ambiguous about the scope of allowable sexual behavior between legally married couples.Some church leaders have taught that oral sex, anal sex and contraception are sinful, even as part of a marriage relationship, but there are no policies on these issues that are enforced in the church. On January 5, 1982 the First Presidency issued a statement to church leaders that stated that the First Presidency "has interpreted oral sex to constitute an unnatural, impure, or unholy practice". However, the statement also counseled church leaders to "scrupulously avoid" detailed inquiries into the sexual practices of married couples and emphasized that married couples "can determine by themselves" what is appropriate in their sexual relationship. The law of chastity has also been interpreted to include standards of modesty in dress and action. Gospel Topics:Modesty. Sexual activity outside of marriage may result in church discipline, including a possible excommunication, in which a member loses his or her church membership and privileges but may continue to attend meetings.LDS Church, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics, 2006, pp. 109–111. In most instances, the church strongly discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control among married couples.LDS Church, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics, 2006, p. 188.
LGBT members of the church are expected to keep the law of chastity.Gordon B. Hinckley, "What Are People Asking about Us?", Ensign, November 1998, 71.The church characterizes its church discipline policy as neutral regarding sexual orientation Lattin, Don (1997) Musings of the Main Mormon (Pres. Gordon Hinckley: “Now we have gays in the church. Good people. We take no action against such people—provided they don’t become involved in transgression, sexual transgression. If they do, we do with them exactly what we’d do with heterosexuals who transgress.”) Nevertheless, according to the church handbook, repeated homosexual activities by adults, unlike repeated heterosexual extramarital sex, will result in an automatic annotation to a person\'s permanent membership record, which will follow them if they move to a new local congregation. See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics (2006), p. 147. Also, homosexual activity committed after the age of 16 will normally permanently bar a person from serving a mission for the church. Id., p. 94. If they do, they can “go forward as do all other members of the church.” If they desire to enter into a heterosexual marriage, they should first learn to deal with their homosexual feelings; otherwise, they must remain celibate.Interview with Elder Oaks and Wickman. Gay or lesbian sex, in any form, whether the participants are married or not, may be grounds for excommunication.
The church has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and polygamous marriage in the United States and has stated that it "favors measures that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and that do not confer legal status on any other sexual relationship."First Presidency Statement on Same-Gender Marriage The church\'s position is that government recognition of such rights will "undermine the divinely created institution of the family".
The church provides several kinds of services and gatherings for participation by members and non-members, including weekly services on Sunday, periodic conferences such as the semi-annual general conference, and ritual services at the church\'s temples (for members only). All persons, regardless of their beliefs or standing in or out of the church, are welcome to attend normal church services and conferences.Open invitation to attend church, on Church-maintained website Women usually attend worship services wearing skirts or dresses, while men typically wear suits or dress shirts (preferably white) and ties. Children are also typically in their "Sunday best."Mormon.org. What to expect at Sunday meetings. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
Interior of the LDS Conference Center where the Church holds its semi-annual General Conference
The church holds its normal worship services on SundayServices may be held on a different day when Sunday worship is prohibited by law. during a three-hour block composed of three meetings: sacrament meeting, which features the church\'s weekly sacrament (Eucharist) ritual and sermons by various selected members; Sunday School, featuring a lesson on various scriptural topics; and finally, each participant is assigned a meeting based on their age and sex, which could include a meeting of priesthood holders for males aged 12 and up separated into age-specific quorums, Relief Society for adult women, and a meeting of the Young Women Organization for adolescent females. During the second and third hours, children participate in activities of the Primary. Periodically, members participate in local, regional, and general church-wide conferences in lieu of Sunday services. The general conference is broadcast semi-annually from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Latter-day Saint chapel in Puerto Princesa, Philippines
The church also provides ritual services at its temples, which are open only to members of the appropriate age who meet standards of orthodoxy and worthiness. Members are encouraged to attend the temples regularly, where they usually participate in the Endowment, sealing, washing and anointing, and other ordinances, most often by proxy for the dead.
Members of the church have a high degree of participation in religious activities outside of worship services. 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, and those who have participated in the Endowment ceremony make an oath to donate all that they have, if required of them, to the Lord. To be in good standing and to enter the church\'s temples, church members are required to tithe their income to the church, which is usually interpreted as 10% of income. In addition, members are expected to donate monthly charitable "fast offerings" (at least the equivalent cost of two meals), which are used to help the needy, regardless of whether or not they are church members, and are encouraged to make other humanitarian donations when necessary.
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. Members in good standing are assigned to visit the homes of other members monthly as "home teachers" (men) or "visiting teachers" (women). Members are also expected to engage in missionary work, family history research, to conduct a Family Home Evening weekly with their family, and to attend the temple regularly. Church members are encouraged to live self-sufficiently and avoid unnecessary debt.D&C 104:78; Benson, Ezra Taft. "Pay Thy Debt, and Live." Ensign. June 1987: p. 3. Available online. Retrieved on 2006-10-22. All male members are expected to serve a two-year mission at the age of 19, though there are high standards of worthiness and physical and mental health that prohibit many men from serving. Women may optionally serve a mission if they are over the age of 21 and not married, as may older married couples.
Good standing in the church requires that members follow the "Word of Wisdom"Doctrine and Covenants section 89, originally a strong recommendation, but adopted as a requirement by Brigham Young in 1851. (a health code given by Joseph Smith which the church interprets as requiring abstinence from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, coffee, black tea, and recreational drugs). Members must also obey the law of chastity (the church\'s code for modesty and allowable forms of sexuality), and may not obtain an elective abortion, except in the cases of a pregnancy resulting from 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.Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1:Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics, 2006, p. 185. In general, members must obey the law of the country in which they live and visit, although there have been notable exceptions.For example, until 1890, the church advocated civil disobedience to U.S. anti-polygamy laws. The church discourages gambling in all forms, including lotteries.Gambling. Gordon B. Hinckley, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Church members who commit what are considered serious violations of the standards of the church (defined as, without limitation, "attempted murder, rape, sexual abuse, spouse abuse, intentional serious physical injury of others, adultery, fornication, homosexual relations, deliberate abandonment of family responsibilities, robbery, burglary, theft, embezzlement, sale of illegal drugs, fraud, perjury, and false swearing"Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics (2006), p. 110.) may be subject to church disciplinary action, including disfellowshipment or even excommunication. Such individuals are encouraged to continue attending church services, but are not permitted to hold church responsibilities or offer public prayer at any church meeting (although personal prayer is encouraged); excommunicated members are also prohibited from paying tithing or fast offerings. Other members are frequently unaware of the status of such individuals.Russell M. Ballard. "A Chance to Start Over: Church Disciplinary Councils and the Restoration of Blessings". Ensign (September 1990). Retrieved on 2007-02-11. Everyone is welcome to attend the public meetings of the church, whether or not they adhere to the church\'s lifestyle code.
In contrast to overt actions which are prohibited, church members are generally permitted to think or believe freely on any issue, but are discouraged from publicly criticizing local leaders or general authorities; repeated public criticism of the church or its leaders may subject a person to church discipline for apostasy. The church maintains a Strengthening Church Members Committee which monitors members\' publications and refers critical material to local authorities for possible disciplinary action.
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints printed in the Quadruple Combination format
The church\'s canon of sacred texts consists of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. These are more commonly referred to as the church\'s Standard Works. Though not canonical, many members of the church also accept the teachings and pronouncements of the church\'s general authorities—and in particular those of the President of the Church—as doctrine, and complimenting the Standard Works.
The church\'s most distinctive scripture, the Book of Mormon, was published by founder Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830, with subsequent revisions totaling over 3900 since.3913 Changes in The Book of Mormon Jerald and Sandra Tanner It is believed to be a spiritual history of various groups of pre-Columbian Israelites. Smith stated that he translated the Book of Mormon from plates that had "the appearance of gold" that he found buried near his home. The introduction printed with the book says that it is a history of the principal ancestors of the "American Indian" peoples.However, this introduction is not officially recognized by the church as being part of the divinely inspired canon of scripture. Much debate has taken place on the subject of whether archaeology supports or denies the Book of Mormon\'s authenticity.[citation needed]
The church accepts the Bible as the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.See Articles of Faith 1:9 ("We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.") The LDS church uses the King James version or translation for its English speaking members and other translations to accommodate alternative languages. Joseph Smith did work on his own translation, but it is only used in conjunction with the KJV. An extract of his translation can be found in the Pearl of Great Price, called Joseph Smith-Matthew after the book of Abraham and preceding Joseph Smith-History. For English language speakers, the church encourages the use of the King James Version.Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2006, pp. 174. The church regards parts of the Apocrypha,See D&C 91. the writings of some Protestant Reformers and non-Christian religious leaders, and the non-religious writings of some philosophers to be inspired, though not canonical.FAQ about the Church
The church\'s Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations, declarations, and teachings, primarily written by Joseph Smith. The Pearl of Great Price consists of five separate books, including two portions of Joseph Smith\'s translation of the Bible. These five books are Selections from the Book of Moses (corresponding to a portion of the Old Testament), the Book of Abraham (Smith\'s translation of an Egyptian papyrus, which includes an account of the creation), Joseph Smith—Matthew (corresponding to a section of the New Testament), Joseph Smith—History (an excerpt from Smith\'s 1838 autobiographical writings), and the Articles of Faith (an excerpt of one of Smith\'s 1842 letters describing church beliefs).
The church also publishes several official periodicals, including the Ensign (for English-speaking adults), the Liahona (non-English languages),The Liahona is currently published in over 50 languages. Material for adults, youth, and children is included in each edition. the New Era (for youth), and the Friend (for children). Some older, discontinued English-language publications produced or affiliated with the church included Evening and Morning Star (1833–1834),
