88 percent of church-going Mormons fill the biblical commandment of the tithe, where they voluntarily give 10% of their income to the Church. They prefer the full name of their church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, often abbreviated to LDS or LDS Church. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. And they mostly eat fruit and vegetables, with only a little bit of meat. There Is a Dark Side to Mormonism. Joseph Smith received a revelation from God that the Garden of Edens original location was in Jackson County, Missouri. For example, the Book of Mormon contains 19 chapters of the King James translation of Isaiah in their entirety. All religions have their rites of passage and manners to indoctrinate others. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. You can also find more members outside of the United States than within. He was chosen as a Savior to redeem mankind from sin through His atoning sacrifice and through His followers' faith, repentance, and obedience to covenants made with Him. The reasoning behind this was that God wanted to create roadmap to bring humanity closer to godliness. Essentially, the group splintered off into two, one of which chose not to live as God commanded. From the LDS website: Brigham Young stated, Joseph the Prophet told me that the garden of Eden was in Jackson Missouri. Heber C. Kimball said: From the Lord, Joseph learned that Adam had dwelt on the land of America, and that the Garden of Eden was located where Jackson County now is. Other early leaders have given the same information. Mormons are great people. Known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a wagon train from Arkansas defended themselves from a series of attacks by the Saints. In recent years, the church acknowledged that Joseph Smith wed as many as 40 wives, some as young as age 14. Those over 18 can enter into Melchizedek priesthood. Theres another reason why Mormons werent looked upon favorably by other Christian sects, and even other non-Christian US citizens. When Brigham Young was 42, he married Clarissa Caroline Decker who was 15 years old at the time. A lot of Christian sects, if not all of them, believe that Jesus will eventually return. Her forthcoming book, "Falling in Love With Joseph Smith: Adventures With God," will be published . With unique insights, beliefs, and practices, many people outside of the religion don't truly know what the faith revolves around. All Christian sects disagree with each other, but one of the biggest piece of contention between Mormons and other Cristian sects is the idea that Jesus came to America. This arm of the Church responds to natural disasters, provides resources for ongoing projects such as cleaning water in communities, neonatal resuscitation training, vision treatment training, measles immunization and wheelchair distribution (Mormon Newsroom). Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon" (. They come to the priest. And she took a few ideas from her religion while making this novel series. The religion was officially founded in 1830 when The Book of Mormon was published. Mormons believe that Jesus (before he became mortal) created the Earth at the request of God for the specific purpose of testing humanity. Another Mormon denomination, the Community of Christ, is centered in Independence, Missouri, and has about 250,000 members. In 1826, Smith was charged with being a disorderly person in the state of New York. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Despite similarities in practice, their lack of involvement in the greater LDS church means that they arent considered actual Mormons. They were descendants of Nephi, who was the son of a prophet who had come to the Americas from Jerusalem. He was once an ordinary man, just like everyone else. You will learn something about everything! They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day. In more than half of the states in the U.S., Mormonism is the fastest-growing religion. Latter-day Saint scripture teaches that all humans are God's children and lived with Him before being born. And if you are asking yourself why to any of these facts, I invite you to find out for yourselfask a Mormon neighbor/co-worker/friend, attend a Mormon meeting, read the Book of Mormon, and of course humbly ask Godafter all Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). Members of the LDS Church are actually more likely to participate in church activities in comparison to other Christian sects. Mormons are an interesting religious group. The article Mr. Noyce referred to was written by Lauren McKeithen and seeks to debunk seven myths about Mormonism, namely, Mormons practice polygamy. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Mormons believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of Godboth testifiers of Jesus Christ. It is true that the Mormon church has banned polygamy. Scholars believe Young significantly influenced the religious and political landscape of the American West. The The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saintsconsiders Joseph Smith, who founded Mormonism, a prophet. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not drink tea, coffee, alcohol, smoke tobacco, or take illegal drugs. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. If you like what I do here and want to support my work, you can donatehereor become a patronhere. They are now called "Members of The . 2. They believe that after Jesus death and resurrection, he came to America. Its similar to the Christian version of Hell, only not eternal. This is referring to a messenger from God, or an angel. Particularly, the idea of celestial marriage. Weve shifted from What if they have fun without me? to What If I commit now and regret it later?, 9 Things You Should Know About Events and Discoveries in 2022, The FAQs: How an AI Chatbot May Affect Gospel-Centered Ministry, The FAQs: Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Religious Speech Case, Simple Solution to Same-Sex Civil Marriage, 3 Steps Christian Institutions Take from Orthodoxy to Sexual Immorality. Also, apparently the Earth will turn into a crystal. Please have your Passports Ready. Mormons believe in the crucifixion, resurrection and divinity of Jesus Christ. At 14-years old, he wandered around America, looking for the correct sect of Christianity and came to the conclusion that they were all wrong. At the center of the plan is Jesus Christ. Only the Heavenly Father was mentioned to be an address to the faithfuls prayers. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia. Known as the temple garment, the attire is worn by adult members who make sacred promises to God. That's a few years higher than the average U.S. life expectancy of 78 years old. Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. In the early years of the LDS church, they apparently went around the country in attempts to spread the good word. Mormon doctrines not only ban the consumption of alcohol among its practitioners, but also any hot drink that isnt herbal tea. Here at The Fact Site, we have a team dedicated to checking our content for accuracy. Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Newsroom. Your email address will not be published. Within Mormonism, Jesus is identified with the Yahweh of the Old Testament. Sarah Lawrence and Lucy Walker were only 17 when they became wives of the prophet. Fast. Mormons probably wont take too kindly to if you call it a handshake. The event coincides with Pioneer Day, an official celebration of the State of Utah, celebrating the arrival of the Mormons to Salt Lake Valley. The Holy Bible: Latter-day Saints believe the Holy Bible to be the word of God. contains 19 chapters of the King James translation of Isaiah in their entirety. Fact #7. The, , including entire passages duplicated word-for-word. According to the book, some Jews came to America to avoid persecution in Jerusalem. But after the final judgement there will be four different options. Baptism is a big part of any Christian religious sect, especially with the Mormons. This article is one of many informative articles in Joe Carters 9 Things You Should Know series. Mormonism Overview: Historical Events and Notable Doctrines, Latter-day Saint Doctrine versus Biblical Christianity, Testing the Book of Mormon by Moroni 10:4, Joseph Smith and the Biblical Test of a Prophet, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons, Witnessing to Mormons with the Book of Mormon, Witnessing to Mormons with the Book of Abraham. Later, Adam and Eve were exiled to Daviess County, Missouri. Baptists seem to especially have it out for the Mormons. Fundamentalist Christian groups and the Mormons just do not get along. The Doctrine and Covenants is composed of modern-day revelation from God. Instead, they believe the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. Joseph Smith was the first prophet and president of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. To keep pace with their growing size, they started an initiative that had 32 new temples built all across the country. If you believe something to be incorrect, pleaseleave us a message below. Others, more specifically, assume its in Salt Lake City. Below are 10 facts about Mormonism taken from Feeding the Flock: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Church and Praxis. The Pearl of Great Price includes two lost books from the Bible, a translation of the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph Smith's history, and the Articles of Faith. Apparently, in the past, Joseph Smith had been put on trial for stone gazing, a form of folk magic. Everyones familiar with who the Mormons are, but not nearly as familiar on what they do. They believe that the will of God and Jesus is constantly being revealed to them through said president. Many Mormons followed Brigham Young, who became Smiths successor. In addition to that the Church owns 400 welfare farms and 220 canneries/welfare storehouses to care for the poor. Founded by Joseph smith in 1830, it has grown from a small group of outcasts to a significant size of nearly seven million followers. Some of these groups include the Community of Christ, and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. People have an assumption that Mormons are afraid of large bodies of water. Long before the Europeans arrived in the Americas, the Book suggests, there was a group of people living there called the Nephites. Every young Mormon expects to serve a two-year mission overseas. Mormons follow the religious traditions of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and predominantly practice in. 10 Unusual Facts About Nails and Nail Polish, 20 Interesting Facts About The Last Supper, 25 Fascinating Facts About The Sistine Chapel. I have a testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true and living Gospel of Jesus Christ because I asked God. Its my deep respect for many Mormons Ive gotten to know over the years that makes me wonder if they truly understand their own religion. Apparently Mormons dont just like the play, but they reenact it as well. In the early days of the Church, its leaders were commanded to build temples. Because of the sheer number of Mormons that live in Utah, people often assume that their seat of power is there. We will never be led astray (General Conference is For You, Ensign, Nov. 2009). Mormonism 101: FAQ Anyone can watch, listen, or read the messages given from this conference via television, radio, Internet or magazine. The church claims to add about 1 million. Hell (Outer Darkness) Eternal hell is for Satan, demons, and sons of perdition (e.g., those whodeny the Holy Spirit after receiving it:). Timeline: The Early History of the Mormons. Thats right, the namesake of one of Americas most recognizable post-secondary institutions collected wives faster than I collect hate mail. If you feel nothing, that means its a demon. Islam read more, Judaism is the worlds oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years. My family and I will be forever blessed because of our decision to be baptized as Mormons. However, as it turns out, a majority of Mormons actually spoke out against the idea of polygamy, even in 1830 when Joseph Smith founded the church. A majority believe that being a good parent and a good spouse are the most important things in life. The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations and inspired declarations, mainly recorded by Joseph Smith. There are a lot of scientists that believe in extraterrestrial life. Below is a list of some statistics and facts about the Mormon church in hopes to educate any and all readers. More devout Mormons will abstain from drugs or alcohol. Mormons follow a strict healthy lifestyle that doesnt allow them to consume alcohol, tobacco, coffee or tea. According to the stories, Smith received another message from God, telling him that the the water had been cursed by my servant John. In March 2010, the 100 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon was printed. 2. On top of that 10% tithe, members also donate on average $1,821 towards social and community efforts, $650 of which goes to welfare donations. Mormons are mandated to wear these special undergarments, every day and night and to important church functions. It covers events that occurred from about2500 B.C. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. The Father and Jesus Christ have physical bodies. Mormonism is growing. According to a 2011 Pew Research poll, about 62 percent of Mormons say Americans are uninformed about their religion. As you might recall, I worked for a prominent Mormon businessman at one point in time, and I got to know some of his family and many of his fellow church members. On June 27, 1844, both Smith and his brother were murdered in jail by an anti-Mormon mob in Carthage, Illinois. Here are lesser-known facts about Mormon that you should know. Here are 10 shocking facts about the Mormon church: 1. Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets. Having many children provides those spirits with new bodies, while also having the benefit of increasing the size of the faith.