What are the Tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?
According to the Mormon website, there are six key points that believers must adhere to in the Mormon Church: a) "God Is Our Father" (God is the "Father of our spirits," humans are "created in His image" and humans have a "divine nature and destiny"); b) "We lived with God" (before people were born they lived with God and hence, "All persons on earth are literally brothers and sisters in the family of God"; c) "Earth Life Is Part of God's Plan" (the lives of people are purposeful, and by coming to Earth -- through Jesus Christ -- God's plan for us is "…to gain a physical body and learn to choose between good and evil"); d) "Jesus Christ Is The Way" (God sent his Son to be our "Savior and to show us the way to live according to God's plan"); e) "We Can Find Happiness" (by following God's plan people are assured of finding "happiness and enduring life's challenges"); and f) "We Can Live With God Again" (if we live according to the teachings of God through Jesus, "Our lives will not end when we die") (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).
How do the Mormons Differ from members of other Christian Faiths?
For one thing, the Mormons are the only major religion in the history of the United States that has ever engaged in the practice of polygamy. Michelle Gibson notes that polygamy was referred to as a "barbaric aberration" by the Republican Party in 1856 (the Republican Party at that time was the liberal party). In fact, the political platform of the Republican Party in 1856 called for a "prohibition of 'those twin relics of barbarism -- Polygamy, and Slavery" (Gibson, 2010, p. 281). Of course there are still some sects of Mormons today that do practice polygamy, albeit the main church in its setting as a supposed mainstream Christian church no longer practices polygamy.
Martin Johnson and Phil Mullins explain that there are many similarities and differences between Mormons, Roman Catholics, and Protestant faiths. In this article the authors collected data from 405 adults attending church in one of 12 congregations that represent six denominations. Johnson notes at the beginning of the article that "Evangelicals have chided Mormons for not really being Christians" and for not truly accepting the Bible (Johnson, et al., 1992, p. 51).
Others downplay the differences between Mormon "peculiarities" and still others suggest that Mormonism "…is a radically different stream that has matured from an obscure cult into an authentically new religious tradition" (Johnson, 51).
One thing Mormons have in common with several other denominations is that they hold that their church "is the true church and that their construal of the Christian message is alone accurate" (Johnson, 53). Mormons believe, as do other faiths, that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Bible is a "very important sacred text"; moreover it is true with Mormons as it is with other faiths that not every member of the church buys into every tenet. In fact, "official rhetoric" from the church leaders may not be fully accepted by members, especially when "church leaders' teaching… are out of step with broader social-cultural views" (Johnson, 52).
In their survey, Johnson and colleague found that 85% of Mormon respondents "strongly believed" in the following statement: "The teachings of my church are more correct and true than those of any other church." Eleven percent of Mormon participants...
Religious Field Research -- Interview with a Mormon There are many myths and misunderstandings about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- also known as Mormonism -- that are based in many cases on a lack of knowledge. The misunderstandings are also the result of the fact that the Mormon faith is -- to the traditional Protestant, or Catholic, or Muslim or Buddhist or Jew -- somewhat mysterious.
As for the debate on what are the strengths and weaknesses of the sect, this is quite an opinionated topic; relying a great deal on personal spiritualism, faith, and the ability to redefine and accept alternative views. Certainly, a clear strength is the ability for the religion to coalesce into a vibrant community that is active in spreading their version of the word of God. Mormonism has donanted millions of
Despite what seems as a more permissive approach regarding the consumption of alcohol or coffee, Catholicism and Mormonism both believe that there should be no sex before marriage and that the example of Christ should be a central example to each believer. Additionally, holiness in the world is a message that both religions put one as an objective we should try to have for our lives and at a
Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith in the early 19th century in New York. Its formal name is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. During the Second Great Awakening (a Protestant movement in America in the early 1800s), Smith generated and drew support for his vision of America's privileged place in the history of Christianity. Smith's vision was rooted in the reformist movement of the Great Awakening and
And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. Similarities: Both the Mormons and the Christian religion supports prayer in school. The Mormons claim that they are Christians because they believe in the Holy Bible. The Mormons are very family oriented, and it
Religion the Church of Scientology The first pre-publication excerpt, entitled "Dianetics, A New Science of The Mind," from a new speculative non-fiction work by L. Ron Hubbard appeared in the May 1950 issue of the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction. It was prefaced by a note from the magazine's editor stating "I want to assure every reader, most positively and unequivocally, that this article is not a hoax, joke, or anything
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