Mormon (word)

The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most-recognized architectural symbol of Mormonism

LDS Standard Works

For other uses, see Mormon (word) (disambiguation).

Mormon is a term used to describe people who are adherents, practitioners, or constituants of Mormonism, and who are identified with the Latter Day Saint movement established around 1830. The term is most commonly used to refer to members of the Utah-based The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which is sometimes colloquially called the Mormon Church. The term is also used to refer to adherents of Mormon fundamentalism, who believe in plural marriage, a practice that the LDS Church has abandoned and disavowed for over a century. In part because of the term's association with plural marriage, the term is generally disfavored by other denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement such as the Community of Christ, which never practiced plural marriage and has a distinct history.

The term derives from the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe is a scriptural witness of Jesus Christ that is comparable to the Bible. According to the religion's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., this book was written on golden plates, largely by a prophet-warrior-historian named Mormon, who the book says was killed in a great battle between pre-Columbian civilizations during the 4th century.

Origin of the term "Mormon"

See also: Book of Mormon

The "official" name of the Salt Lake City, Utah based church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the term "Mormon Church" has long been attached to the Church as a nickname, it is an unauthorized title, and its use is discouraged by the Church, although, the use is usually accepted and used by their own members of the congregation.

Today, the term "Mormon" is colloquially applied to members of the church. However, it was first used in the 1830s as a pejorative to describe those who believed that Joseph Smith, had been called as a prophet of God and who accepted the Book of Mormon as scripture. By the 1970s, "Mormon" had become so common that the LDS Church began to use the term in its radio and television Public Service Announcements, which ended: "A message from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the Mormons."

According to Latter-day Saint theology, the term "Mormon" refers to a prophet who lived somewhere in the Americas in the 4th century A.D. He is believed to have been called by God to abridge and compile the records of his people and their dealings with God into a single book. His son, Moroni, buried the record, and more than 1400 years later he returned as an angel and led Joseph Smith to the burial place. According to Smith's account, he translated the record into English from a written language he called Reformed Egyptian, into what is now recognized as the Book of Mormon.

Historian, and critic of the LDS church, Fawn M. Brodie has claimed that "Joseph Smith combined the first syllabls of Captain William Morgan and Timothy Monroe [see the Morgan Affair] to coin the name Mormon". This argument has not held up to academic scrutiny and there is no basis for the claim.

The peoples described in the Book of Mormon generally fall into two groups: believers in Jesus Christ, and non-believers. The believers took upon themselves the name of Christ, were baptized in His name, and were called Christians.

Despite this, many Christian churches believe that Mormons are not part of what is known as mainstream Christianity.

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged members to use the church's full name to emphasize the church's focus on Jesus Christ. However, while the church does prefer the use of its full name when referring to the organization, use of the terms "LDS," "Latter-day Saint" or "Mormon" is not generally considered offensive when applied to members of the organization in common speech.

Scholarly usage

Some scholars, such as J. Gordon Melton, in his Encyclopedia of American Religion, subdivide the Mormons into Utah Mormons and Missouri Mormons. In this scheme, the Utah Mormon group includes all the organizations descending from those Mormons who followed Brigham Young to what is now Utah. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is by far the largest of these groups, and the only group to initially reside in Utah. The Missouri Mormons include those who chose not to travel to Utah, and the organizations formed from them — the Community of Christ, Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and others.

The terms "Utah Mormon" and "Missouri Mormon" are problematic because the majority of each of these branches' members no longer live in either of these U.S. states. Although a majority of Utahns are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the LDS Church has a worldwide membership with the majority of its members outside the United States. Nor are all "Missouri Mormons" based in Missouri. Notable exceptions include the Pennsylvania-based Church of Jesus Christ which considers Sidney Rigdon to be Joseph Smith's rightful successor and the Wisconsin-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) which considers James J. Strang to be Smith's rightful successor.

Addressing some of the limitations of the Utah/Missouri designations, some historians have now coined the terms Rocky Mountain Saints and Prairie Saints to rename the "Utah" and "Missouri" branches of the movement. These new terms have begun to gain a following among historians today, but similar to the above mentioned titles, they are not of common usage among the majority of those who call themselves Mormons.

When referring to people or organizations that practice polygamy, the terms “Mormons,” “Mormon fundamentalist,” “Mormon dissidents,” etc. are incorrect. The Associated Press Stylebook notes: “The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other ... churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith’s death.”

Distinctions from other religious groups

In its October 1890 General Conference, the Church declared that it would discontinue the practice of plural marriage. The policy was accepted by a unanimous vote of those in attendance. Nearly 20 years later, however, individuals surfaced who claimed that polygamy was a “fundamental” doctrine of Mormonism and could not be discarded. These dissenters formed several small but distinct congregations and communities advocating the necessity of polygamy and other doctrinal differences from the LDS Church. These groups include the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church), the Kingston clan, the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days (TLC Church), and others. Additionally, several dozen "fundamentalists" (among them convicted bigamist Tom Green) claim affiliation with no group other than their own family.

In 1998, the president of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, said:

"I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter. 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, Nov 1998, 70)

Despite some misconceptions over similar nicknames and stereotypes, Mormons are not in any way associated with the Quakers (members of the Religious Society of Friends), Mennonites, Amish, or Jehovah's Witnesses. The Mormon church originated separately from these groups, and is distinct in culture, practice, theology, and worship. The Mormon church is in no way related to these other denominations and should not be confused with them.

In a quote from a conference in April 2002, Gordon B. Hinckley explains differences between the Mormon faith and other Christian faiths saying:

"As a church we have critics--many of them. They say we do not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity. There is some substance to what they say. Our faith, our knowledge, is not based on ancient tradition, the creeds which came of a finite understanding and out of the almost infinite discussions of men trying to arrive at a definition of the risen Christ. Our faith, our knowledge comes of the witness of a prophet in this dispensation who saw before him the great God of the universe and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ."
(Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Look to Christ,” Ensign, May 2002, 90)

A common question is whether the Mormon Church is a cult. The Church does not fit within the popular conception of a cult, which often suggests the infliction of some degree of physical harm or psychological abuse to the members, or danger to others. There is no incidence of physical harm within the Latter-day Saint church. This term is often applied to express a difference in theology between Mormonism and Christianity.

Basic beliefs (Articles of Faith)

When Joseph Smith was asked by a newspaper reporter about the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he summarized the teachings and doctrines in 13 points, known today as the The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Articles of Faith are:

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. 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.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. 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.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. 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.

Trademark

In the United States and around the world, Mormon and some phrases including this term are registered trademarks owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a corporation formed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to hold the church's intellectual property.

See also

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Community of Christ
• Latter Day Saint
• History of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Latter Day Saint movement
• List of Latter-day Saints (well-known Mormons)
• Criticism of Mormonism
• Mormonism
• Restorationism
• Book of Mormon
• Jesus the Christ
• Plan of Salvation

External links

• Mormon.org - An official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• MormonWiki - A comprehensive wiki encyclopedia of Mormon topics and beliefs.
• LDS Search Engine - Google Co-op search engine that only searches webpages related to the LDS Church. Good resource for finding information on generic topics such as "faith" or "repentance" from an LDS perspective.