Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I

Introduction

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, major world religion of more than 13 million members, established in 1830 by Joseph Smith, known as the prophet. Followers of this religion are called Mormons. From a handful of members at the beginning, the movement has grown steadily through proselytizing and a relatively high birth rate. By 2000 there were 5.5 million Mormons in the United States and the number in other countries around the world totaled about 6.5 million. Before World War II (1939-1945) conversions had been most numerous in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, but during recent years the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown rapidly in developing countries. In Mexico, for example, there were 850,000 Mormons in 2000, most of them converted since 1975. In South Korea, the Latter-day Saints had no adherents before 1950, but by 2000 there were 71,000 members. A vigorous missionary program—a rotating force of about 60,000 preaching Mormon doctrine in more than 330 missions in the United States and abroad—assures a steady influx of new members.

II

Characteristics

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian religion. Its founding doctrine was based on the assumption that Christianity was more or less corrupt and that restoring the true Christian gospel was necessary. Such a restoration, however, required a new revelation from God to give the truths of Christianity in pure form and to reestablish the divine sacerdotal authority of the ancient apostles, which, having been lost, could be recovered only through divine initiative. The Mormon church is thus in its self-definition Christian as well as restorationist.

A

Doctrine

Mormons support religious toleration and hold that all religions contain elements of truth and do much good. Nevertheless, the Mormon church sees only itself as fully authorized and recognized by God—“the only true and living church upon the earth.” This exclusive claim to truth and authority explains the determination of Mormons to carry their message worldwide, even to Christians of other denominations.

Mormon doctrine is derived from four basic scriptures: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants (138 revelations and other statements, almost all of them issued by Joseph Smith in the 1830s and early 1840s), and the Pearl of Great Price (1842; a compilation of shorter works, both ancient and modern). The truths enunciated in the various scriptures are subject to interpretation and expansion by church leaders, who are believed to receive additional revelations and inspiration.

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Certain Mormon doctrines diverge sharply from traditional Christian orthodoxy—a belief in the prenatal existence of human souls; a definition of the Trinity as three separate individuals, God the Father and Jesus Christ being physical persons united in purpose; and a belief that human beings can, if they live the commandments of God to the full, attain the status of godhood in future eons. Critics have charged that Mormons, in proclaiming their own prophets, give insufficient attention to Christ. In response, Mormons have argued that Christ’s disciples have always been misunderstood and persecuted. Like Anabaptists and other restorationists, they have maintained that even a basic statement such as the Nicene Creed (ad 325) is a departure from the purity of original Christian teachings. As a result, Mormons have not sought to participate in the ecumenical movement or organizations such as the World Council of Churches.

B

Structure

The Mormon church is lay, hierarchical, and authoritarian. The offices in the individual congregations (wards) are staffed by lay members on a rotating basis. The bishop, who with two counselors presides over a ward, usually serves for about five years. Because some 200 positions are assigned to each ward, participation among active Mormons is high. Most members have opportunities to teach classes, deliver sermons, perform humanitarian services, and participate in committee assignments and social activities.

The church polity, or organization, is arranged vertically. Above the ward is the stake, a collection of several wards, presided over by a stake presidency of 3 and a high council of 12. Collections of stakes form regions. At the top are the general authorities, who are full-time leaders. Because they too were lay members before their selection to the general office, they cannot be thought of as professional bureaucrats or seminary-trained clergy. Although officials on the local level are encouraged to exercise judgment and sometimes even to initiate experimental programs, in general, programs and policies are centrally determined.

The general authorities of the church include a three-man presiding bishopric and the First Quorum of the Seventy, with seven presidents. Above them, as the effective authoritative policymaking body, is the Council of Twelve Apostles. At the top of the hierarchy is the president of the church, often referred to by Mormons as the prophet. This president and his two counselors (the First Presidency) regularly meet in conjunction with the council of apostles, as well as separately. New apostles are chosen by the apostles themselves. By a seniority principle, an apostle moves gradually up the hierarchical ladder. When the president of the church dies, the senior apostle becomes the next president.

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