Surely you have ever heard of the Mormons or even Joseph Smith, the founder of this religious movement. But do you really know who Mormons are and what they believe?
If you are passionate about history and theology or simply want to discover more information about the Mormonism movement, don’t miss the following OneHOWTO article, as we explain what Mormons believe and we discover in detail what the Mormon lifestyle consists of. followers of this movement.
Who are the Mormons: characteristics and origins
Mormonism is the informal name given to the so-called Latter-day Saint Movement, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 and whose followers are part of the well-known Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
According to the founder, God contacted him ten years before the creation of the movement to ask him to distrust the doctrines of the existing churches up to that time. According to Smith’s version, a short time later, an angel guided him to the “Book of Mormon”, two gold plates written in an unknown language that Joseph Smith himself translated and made the holy book of this religion.
Followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say their beliefs can be understood as a restoration of Christianity, which is why apart from the Book of Mormon, this religious group values and beliefs in the teachings of the Bible. The first thing you must understand, keeping this in mind, is that although many are unaware of it, Mormons are Christians.
There are approximately 12 million Mormons in the world today, most of whom live in the United States. Next, we’ll look at what it means to be a Mormon.
What do Mormons believe – differences from Catholicism
As we have said, Mormonism can be described as a restoration of faith in the New Testament. While it is true that Mormons identify as Christians, they are neither Catholic nor Jewish nor Protestant, but rather make up their own religion. Here we explain what Mormons believe and, to make it clearer, we present some big differences between Mormons and other Christians :
- For starters, Mormons have four standard works: The Book of Mormon, which we’ve already discussed, the Bible, a collection of texts called the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, also written by Joseph Smith.
- According to Mormons, although the Bible is a holy book, its writings are not enough to understand the true word of God. Unlike Christians, Mormons believe that there are parts of the Bible that have not been translated correctly and that, therefore, there are unclear and unreliable passages.
- According to Christians, God has always existed as such and has always enjoyed ultimate wisdom and power. For Mormons, on the other hand, the Supreme Being of the universe became a god, leading a pure, honest, and morally upright life.
- For Christians, God exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but for followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these three entities are separate gods.
- Mormons also believe that all children of God are capable of becoming gods since before being children of God, we were all a divine intelligence. This idea is unthinkable for many other Christians.
- Unlike other Christians, Mormons do not have official symbols, although it is common to see an angel playing the trumpet on top of their temples. This angel, according to the statements of Joseph Smith, was the prophet Moroni, who guided him to the hidden gold plates that later became the Book of Mormon.
Now that you know what Mormon beliefs are , let’s take a deeper look at how Mormons live and what it means to be a Mormon man or woman in today’s society.
How Mormons Live: Customs
You already know the beliefs of the Mormons, but it is difficult to understand the members of this religion if you do not know how they live their day-to-day life and what the true customs of the Mormons are.
It should be noted that, as with many other religions, not all followers of Mormonism share a specific lifestyle. However, there are certain customs that are highly valued in the Mormon religion and that, therefore, all its members must carry out. Next, we will discover how Mormons live so that you can better understand their religion. Here are some of the Mormon customs:
- As with many other religions, some of the foundations of Mormonism are prayer, going to church weekly, and studying the word of God in the scriptures. Mormons pray every day and read their holy books to communicate with God.
- Mormons are also prohibited from drinking alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and drugs. According to Mormons, God promises great blessings to those who treat his body as a temple.
- Mormons are also required to refrain from certain sexual practices as well as pornography.
- The followers of Mormonism are very aware of the importance of helping others, which is why they often participate in volunteering to help those most in need.
- The concept of family, as in other religions, is especially important to Mormons, who believe that the family unit is essential to the doctrinal structure of their religion and a sine qua non for leading a “righteous” life.
When asked “how do Mormons live?” The answer is quite clear: Mormons live like any other person, but they emphasize certain activities and beliefs that define them as people.
Mormons and polygamy: what is the relationship?
There are many people who see Mormonism and polygamy closely linked, that is, they believe that in the Mormon family system a man can have more than one wife at a time. But is that association true? The answer is no, Mormons aren’t currently polygamous, or at least they shouldn’t be.
The relationship that many make between being Mormon and polygamy is due to the beginnings of this religion since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did teach and defend the right of any Mormon man to have more than one wife at the same time. This practice, established by founder Joseph Smith, was kept confidential from 1830 to 1852 when the church publicly announced in favor of plural marriage.
This characteristic of Mormonism was very controversial and contentious since there were many detractors of polygamy. The church and the United States, for example, were completely against plural marriage. Still, many Mormons advocated and practiced polygamy until 1890, when Wilford Woodruff, 4th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was forced to issue a manifesto that ended the practice forever.
From aHOWTO, we hope we have helped you better understand who the followers of this religion are, what Mormons believe in, and what Mormon customs are. You may also be interested in reading the following articles:
- What is the difference between sect and religion
- What are the main religions of the world
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