Latter-Day Saints: How Mormonism Rocked the Christian World
The Origin of Mormonism
The roots of Mormonism began in 1820 in New York state near the town of Palmyra, about 25 miles east of Rochester. The account goes that 14 year old Joseph Smith, Jr. was contemplating his life, and more specifically his place in the church. He didn't agree with all of the competing Christian denominations, and felt that none of them had it quite right. Praying in the woods near his father's farm one day, he received a vision from God and Jesus Christ informing him that all of the churches were corrupt and had turned aside from the Gospel, and then they forgave him of his sins. A few years later, Smith received a visit from an angel named Moroni who told him there were golden plates buried in a hill, later named Cumorah, nearby. The next morning, and over the following three years, he made four attempts to retrieve them, and on his fourth try he was successful, on September 22nd, 1827.
Joseph Smith stated that the plates contained the accounts of ancient Native Americans and was written in an unknown form of Egyptian. The angel Moroni had instructed him not to show the plates to anyone else, that only he would be given the gift to be able to read and interpret them. After finding them, Smith and his wife Emma moved to Pennsylvania, where he began to dictate the plates while she and their neighbor Martin Harris transcribed his words. As some time passed, Harris began to doubt Smith, so he took the first 116 pages, known as the Book of Lehi, to show some family members. In the process, Harris lost the document, which had never been copied. The angel would not let Smith re-translate the book, and he was instead punished by having the plates taken away for a short time.
Moroni returned the plates in late 1828, and within several months Smith met Oliver Cowdery, who replaced Harris as his scribe. By July 1829 the translation was complete, and the following year it was published under the collective title The Book of Mormon. After finally revealing the golden plates first to the "Three Witnesses" and then to the "Eight Witnesses," the angel Moroni took the plates back to Heaven. On April 6th, 1830 Joseph Smith and his followers established the Church of Christ. Given the locality of the origins, along with the religious reformation that was passing through the area at the time (known as The Second Great Awakening), the new religion caught on quickly in the western New York and northern Pennsylvania area. After a short time however, threats of mob violence drove Smith and his Church out of the region.
In 1831 Joseph Smith settled in Kirtland, Ohio, which he stated was the eastern edge of Zion, or New Jerusalem. By 1835 there were nearly 2,000 followers gathered there. During this time, Independence, Missouri was declared as the center place of New Jerusalem, and a community was set up. The Missourian residents disproved of the Mormon newcomers, and in 1833 violently forced the Church out of Missouri after a series of attacks. After the collapse of the Missouri community, Smith changed the name from the Church of Christ to the Church of Latter-Day Saints. By 1838 the Church faced bankruptcy and ultimately had to leave Kirtland, returning to Missouri. This time they settled in the town of Far West, declaring it the "New Zion" and began construction on a temple.
Starting in late summer 1838, the first Mormon War took place. A future article will go into more detail about the three Mormon Wars, but this first incident was the result of growing discontent among the Missouri citizens. On August 6th of that year, Missourians gathered in Gallatin on election day to prevent Mormons from voting. This initiated a few months of both Mormons and non-Mormons raiding each others' homes and villages, often burning them. On October 24th, what is now known as the Battle of Crooked River, Mormons mistakenly took the town militia as an anti-Mormon mob and attacked and killed them. After this the Governor of Missouri issued a declaration that all Mormons must leave the State or face execution. The following week, on October 30th, a group of Missourians ambushed and killed seventeen Mormons at Haun's Hill. The next day, Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints surrendered. Smith was arrested and tried for treason, however a few months later he escaped custody during a transport.
During Smith's imprisonment, his close associate Brigham Young took his place leading the Church and moved the Mormon people to Commerce, Illinois. Illinois was sympathetic to the Mormons and their treatment in Missouri, so granted them a charter for the town, which Smith renamed Nauvoo upon his arrival. Over the next five years, many of the Church's doctrines and practices were put in place, and the overall structure of the organization was formed and strengthened. During this time however, Missouri was still trying to extradite Smith back to be tried. In early 1844, dissidents of the Church who broke away to start their own denomination brought charges against Smith. Fearing for his life, Smith organized the Nauvoo Legion and had them destroy the press office to the newspaper the ex-members were publishing calling for reform in the Church and the arrest of Smith. This incident found Joseph Smith guilty of inciting a riot, and he and several of associates were arrested in June of that year. On June 27th, 1844, an anti-Mormon mob broke into the jail where Smith and his brother Hyrum were being held. Hyrum was shot and killed almost immediately, and Smith was shot several times while trying to escape out a window. Accounts state that his final words were him calling out, "Oh Lord, my God!" as he fell from the window to his death.
After his death, many newspapers and politicians painted Joseph Smith as a religious fanatic, which is what led to some of the negativity Mormons still receive today. To the Mormons however, Smith's death marked him a martyr, and therefore validated his testimony to them. A couple months after Smith's death, the Church officially elected Brigham Young as its leader. Young led his followers to Salt Lake City, Utah where they established The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Other leaders, who had lost in the election against Young, established separate churches with their followers. Around 1860, most of those small groups banded back together under the leadership of Joseph Smith III, Smith's son, and named themselves the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 2001 they changed their name to the Community of Christ.
What Was on the Golden Plates?
Witnesses described the Golden Plates as more of a book: a collection of thin golden-colored plates held together by metal rings. The plates contained a form of hieroglyphics, which Joseph Smith translated using a seer stone. Because no one, including Smith, was allowed to view the plates directly until after the translation was complete, he kept them in the darkness of a hat, viewing them through the stone.
Much of the Golden Plates, and the Book of Mormon, is a history of suggested ancient peoples who came to the Americas. The easiest way to portray the whole story here would be chronologically, not necessarily by order of the Book itself.
According to the Book of Ether, which contains the most information about the Jaredites, God led Jared and his family through the wilderness to an ocean, which they crossed to reach the Americas. They built covered barges with breathing holes, and the journey across the water took 344 days until they reached a "narrow neck of land." This "neck" of land could be the Central Americas, or possibly Florida. Some theories speculate that the story of Jaredites corresponds better with the "Tower of Babel" in Central America, the Great Pyramid of Cholula. After being led through the untamed Central American jungles, they reached the present-day Gulf of Mexico and crossed to Florida, the "narrow neck of land."
As Jared grew nearer to death, he asked his people if they had any last wishes of him. They asked him to anoint a succeeding King in his place, which Jared had wanted to avoid. He feared that establishing a monarchy would lead to evil and destruction. Still though he honored the people's wish, and although Jared's first three sons refused the offer, his fourth son Orihah accepted the role. The Jaredite civilization continued on for many generations, eventually becoming corrupt. After a series of usurpings and civil wars, the Jaredite civilization fell around the same time as Jerusalem. An old prophecy had stated that the last Jaredite king would see the fall of his civilization and the coming of a new people to take its place.
The Mulekites (600 BCE)
The Nephites and Lamanites (600 BCE - 421 CE)
Another group of people that God scattered during the siege of Jerusalem was Lehi and his family and followers. They were again led through the wilderness for nearly eight years, and then across the water to the "Promised Land," America, landing just south of where Zarahemla was being established. At the time, the Lehites and Mulekites appeared to be unaware of one another. The story of the Nephites and Lamanites makes up much of the rest of ancient Mormon history. Originally recorded on the Plates of Nephi, they were later transcribed onto the Golden Plates by the historian prophet Mormon.
After the death of Lehi in America, his son Nephi feared his brothers Laman and Lemuel, so he took his family into the wilderness to establish their own civilization. Over the following years, the Nephites and Lamanites would continue to attack each other as they spread northward. Because of the Lamanites wickedness, God cursed them and caused their skin to be darkened. After around 150 years, the Nephites discovered Zarahemla and came to settle with the Mulekites, who eventually began to call themselves Nephites as well.
After Christ's appearance, peace was established in the land, and Zion was established. The tranquil civilization lasted for around two hundred years until it began falling to corruption. Many who renounced Christ began calling themselves Lamanites again, and soon civil war re-emerged amongst the people. Although Christ appeared several more times to various people throughout the span of their history, by the 4th century the Nephites had become just as evil as the Lamanites. As the two civilizations expanded northward and outward, more hostile encounters took place, until 385 CE when the Lamanite army succeeded in conquering the Nephites once and for all. The battle took place at the Hill Cumorah, near where the golden plates were buried. The plates, having been a recorded history of the peoples until then, were passed from Mormon to his son Moroni, who finished the record and buried them. Moroni then became the messenger angel, set to guard the plates until their discovery by Joseph Smith over 1400 years later. The Lamanites would eventually spread out and assimilate in with the other Native American peoples on the continent.
What Else Does the Church Believe In?
Theology
The most fundamental belief of the Mormon faith is that Jesus Christ is part of the Godhead and the savior of mankind. Like other Christians, Mormons believe in God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, they do not view it as a "Holy Trinity," where each of the three are one and part of each other, but rather that they are each separate beings that also work in unison with each other. This grouping of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are referred to as the Godhead. Mormons also believe in a Heavenly Mother, with whom God created all spirits. The Church views Creation as God reworking the matter that already existed, rather than the more traditional Christian view of God creating the universe out of nothing.
As far as the personal lives of its followers, the Church promotes a strong family unit. Mormons believe a marriage between man and woman to be eternal, existing even after death. This is known as "celestial marriage." Having a family is viewed as being one of the most important things that a follower can do in life. The Church does support traditional gender roles when possible, with the husband working and providing for the family while the wife stays home to tend the house and children, although it does understand that some situations are different. They encourage their followers to pray on it, and find the best arrangement that works for their family. Although the Church preaches that ultimate salvation and entrance into the Celestial Kingdom of God can not be achieved through homosexual or infidelic relationships, they do not turn away members based on sexual preference or other diversities. Since 1890, the Church has officially renounced the practice of polygamy among its members, although they are often still negatively characterized as engaging in it.
Mormons believe that their body belongs to God, and therefore should keep it pure. As a general rule, they try to abstain from caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and drugs. They also refrain from tattoos and excessive piercings, and believe that one should dress modestly. Daily prayer and devotionals are encouraged, and Monday nights are generally reserved for "Family Home Evening," in which the whole family gathers to talk, pray, play games, and engage in other activities together.
Participation in the Church is essential. Most Mormons attend Sunday service regularly, as well as other meetings and events throughout the week. A typical Sunday service lasts about three hours, nearly half that time is spent as a congregation in a sermon much like a Protestant service with prayers, scripture readings, and a sacrament. For the rest of the time, the congregation splits off into separate meetings: teenagers and adult men attend a Priesthood meeting where they further study the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Church history; adult women attend a meeting called the Relief Society; and children go to classes called a Primary. In addition, throughout the week, teens attend seminary classes, and adults who hold office in the Church have various meetings and tasks. The Church also encourages ongoing missionary work, be it abroad through it's extensive missionary network, or in the community through members visiting each other to deliver the monthly message. At the age of eight, a person may be eligible to be baptized under water, which is another important requirement for all Church members.
The beliefs of Mormonism are summarized in Joseph Smith's 13 Articles of Faith:
- We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
- We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
- We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
- We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: 1st, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2nd, Repentance; 3rd, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; 4th, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- We believe that a man must be called of God, by "prophecy, and by the laying on of hands" by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
- We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, viz: (namely,) apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
- We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
- We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
- We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
- We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon this the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
- We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
- We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
- We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul: "We believe all things, we hope all things," we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
The Big Question: Are Mormons Christians?
Yes. The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States. Although most non-Mormon Christians refuse to acknowledge it, all of the core principles that would define a group as Christian are present, and then some.
At the same time, however, Latter Day Saints do like to point out that they are the restoration of the true Church, so with as many ways that they are similar to the other denominations, they do have enough differences to also stand on their own.
Mormonism also holds similar ties with the other Abrahamic religions, Judaism of course being a large factor, but also Islam. Latter Day Saints have named Joseph Smith a modern-day Muhamad.
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