Introduction
How does Mormonism, more formally known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, compare to Biblical Christianity? Is it different? If so, what about it is different? Are Mormons considered Christians? This paper is going to explore these questions about Mormonism. In 2007 there were over 13 million Mormons worldwide, there are approximately 6 million Mormons in the United States. Mormonism is “the fastest and most successful cult in the history of the United States…an average (increasing) rate of 300,000 converts a year” (Ridenour 130).
Analysis/Summary of Topic
First of all, we must explore the origin of Mormonism. In 1820, a 14 year old boy named, Joseph Smith, Jr., had a vision of what he thought was the
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Polygamy was perhaps one of the most controversial issues the surrounded Smith’s revelations. With his statement about polygamy on august 12, 1843, he included a threat to his first wife, saying that she would be “destroyed” if she were to oppose the concept.
Smith ended up in jail for destroying the newspaper in Nauvoo, (the town in Illinois that smith and his followers resided) after the newspaper published articles illuminating the Mormons practice of polygamy. Smith died in jail, and by his followers was considered a martyr for the Christian faith.
Controversial OR Unresolved Issues The Mormon Church claims that “Mormonism is Christianity, Christianity is Mormonism, they are one and the same” (Martin 248), yet Christians will firmly deny Mormonism as a Christian denomination. Obviously both claims cannot be correct, so which claim is correct? Is Mormonism simply a Christian denomination? Absolutely not, Mormons certainly cannot be Christians. The Mormon doctrine explicitly contradicts the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is the foundational centerpiece of the Christian faith. In Joseph Smith’s added faith documents he claims far too many vital doctrinal differences to Biblical Christianity to be considered the same thing. Some of the differences regard salvation, the
A homegrown religion originating in the late 1820s, Mormonism arose as a rejection of the existing Christian sects and a return to what the Mormons considered to be pure Christianity. Similarly, the members believed their desire for a new kind of government stemmed from their disillusionment with what they believed was a corrupt government and a desire for the reestablishment of true American values and the original intent of the founding fathers. This sentiment is epitomized by Joseph Smith’s presidential platform, which states “No honest man can doubt for a moment, the glory of American liberty is on the wane; and that calamity and confusion will sooner or later destroy the
In conclusion the “plurality of wives” revelation was an issue of significant contention not only between Mormons and Non-Mormons, but also among members of the Mormon faith. Mormon women stated expressed concerns and many community members questioned whether religious leaders abused polygamy, which stratified the Mormon community and brought greater opposition against Joseph Smith. Ultimately, Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob as he was held in jail at Nauvoo for adultery among other
As the story goes, in the early 19th Century, a young Joseph Smith received a series of visions including a visit from the angel Moroni. The angel Moroni directed Smith to a set of golden plates inscribed with a history of an ancient Judeo-Christian civilization in North America. This history is known now as the Book of Mormon and set Smith's religion apart from other Christians. Violence broke out between the Mormons and the non-Mormons when Smith led his people to the prophesied City of Zion, in Independence, Missouri, sometimes called "New Jerusalem". When they arrived in Jackson County, the Mormons already had preconceived notions that the non-Mormons were their enemies, because it was revealed in Doctrine and Covenants, another Mormon
Mormon culture has developed over the years in many different ways. I never knew its significance until I observed many different people’s lives on the Brigham Young University-Idaho’s campus. They all have the similar beliefs, ideas, knowledge, behavior, material creations that are learned and shared, which was transmitted through a language. The specific culture shares many beliefs, but yet there are differences in these subcultures that we find in Mormonism. The differences have to do with their personalities, personal influences, and the opinions that come out of those things.
Mormonism is known as one of the most successful (in present time) and government involved religions from the 1800’s. Joseph Smith, who had much curiosity in religion, and what was real and what was made up, founded the religion. He claimed that Jesus Christ and God himself visited him and that they told him, .all denominations have strayed from the truth and that he should not join any of them. After that event, he didn’t think much of it and moved on through his life. Once he told his father of his vision, he was scorned, and went to seek forgiveness. When praying for his sins to be relinquished he received a vision by the angel named Moroni, who spoke of a book written on gold plates and buried in a nearby hillside. As Smith went to the gold plates, he continued translating what became the Book of
He provided a good example due to the Market Revolution in the early 1800s. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism, created another model of a religious utopia (Keene, 301). Smith grew up in western New York, where the fires of the Great Awakening burned hot. In Smith’s Christian Religion environment, had a revelation on which Mormonism was based (Keene, 301). The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York, in 1830 and this town became the site of one of the earliest Mormon communities (Keene 301). Smith was influenced by the widespread belief that the millennium was at hand, bringing with it an end to debt and the return of Christ and a new era of peace, happiness, and prosperity. Smith’s revelations detail struck a resonant chord with small farmers and etc whose experience with the expanding market economy had been largely negative (Keene 301). The revelation attracted thousands of followers. Joseph Smith members were popularly known as Mormons. With the exception of the first generation of Mormon converts, American society does not seem to have been receptive to him; they were pushed from one location to another, and eventually after Smith’s assassination, they moved to Utah. Prior to their exodus the Mormons endured a long period of internal dissension and harassment by their non-Mormon
On April 6, 1980, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormon Church) was founded. [It is interesting to note that according to Mormon doctrine (Doctrine and Covenants 20:1), April 6 is the birthday of Jesus Christ.] 10 years prior to this event, in 1820, fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith
Two of these denominations were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the African Methodist Episcopal. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - commonly known as Mormons was founded by Joseph Smith; he was inspired to create a new church faction by the revivals he experienced in the western area of New York called the "Burned Over District-" implying it had been "scorched" by so many revivals. Although not regarded as a splinter off from an existing Protestant denomination but a restoration of primitive Christianity having distinctive post-biblical doctrines, the Mormon Church is now a flourishing, worldwide denomination. On the other hand, during the revivals, Baptists and Methodists converted large numbers of blacks. However, because of the mistreatment they received from their fellow believers, under the leadership of Richard Allen, the black population broke away from the Methodist church while creating their own denomination; the African Methodist Episcopal.10 Both churches mentioned above, having developed and sprouted out other denominations over the years, still stand even today.
This book attempt to show the common ground between Christianity and Mormonism by examining the individual areas of Scripture, God, Christ, the Trinity and Salvation. The summation of the author’s findings is that although there are great differences there is also much common ground that can be used to strengthen our relationship together and bring unity to the ecumenical community.
Mormons Moving to Salt Lake City During the nineteenth century there were many different types of people moving west over America. One of these groups was the religious group, the Mormons. The religion was originally founded by Joseph Smith in the early nineteenth century. He first started of with very few followers but quickly many people started to come round to Smiths way of thinking. After developing the religion in Palmyra, Joseph Smith and his followers moved to Kirtland.
Based upon the information gathered from Robert Millet about the Mormon perspectives on their religion. The Mormons renounced a distant, unknowable god of the Neoplatonists God of philosophers and worshiping a God, who possesses every divine attribute.(251 Metzger) Some of the Mormons views of God is similar in nature to the Christianity God. Joseph Smith, who is the founder of the Mormons, do realize God is an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent God. He also knows God is a Holy God, who desire to reveal himself to his people. Muck points out; Mormons believe in the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. They believe "salvation is in Christ and that it comes by and through his holy name. The Mormons
One of the largest struggles for members in the church is animosity of non-members. On one hand, many express their dislike of the LDS church without even knowing what Sacrament Meeting is or the full the title of the “Mormon church” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). On the other hand, there are a number supposed experts about Mormon doctrine. Some have belonged to the Church themselves at one point, leaving after finding unresolved dissonance between their beliefs and the Gospel. Others are often learned scholars, criticizing the Mormon doctrine to prove their own views. The following paper involves the latter of the two in an analysis of Ezekiel 37:15-17, a Biblical scripture that the LDS Church believes to refer to The Book of Mormon.
Mormons have unfortunately faced many stereotypes and challenges over the religion’s relatively short history. As a matter of fact, stereotypes of Mormons got so bad that between the years of 1830 to 1930, the general media considered images of Mormons to be derogatory. As mentioned earlier, the rapid growth of the religion was great for Mormonism itself, but it also opened up an opportunity for the media to question the credibility and validity of the Book of Mormon. Negative stereotypes worsened in 1852, when the religion announced that plural marriage, or polygamy, was legal for its followers. Outsiders began to paint a picture in their heads that this was a religion full of disgusting, lustful males and foolish, gullible females.
Mormonism is a religion created by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830(The Mormon Trail), its believers are referred to as Mormons and practice the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) (The Mormon Trail). Smith believed himself to be a prophet destined to “restore the original pure church the Christians in the Book of Mormon had created (Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion).” However, he was killed by a mob in Illinois but was replaced by his successor, Brigham Young. Their beliefs include a particular set of deity, afterlife, and they practice polygamy, which is one of the reasons the Mormons sought religious freedom.