The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the "LDS Church" or the "Mormon Church", is the largest and best known denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement (a form of Christian Restorationism). The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

Latter-day Saints are widely known for:

• Active proselyting by full-time volunteer missionaries.
• Belief in modern-day revelation through prophets, beginning with Joseph Smith, Jr., and continuing until the present through Gordon B. Hinckley.
• Acceptance of the Bible as scripture as far as it is translated correctly, and the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price as reliable works of scripture.
• A health code called the Word of Wisdom, which suggests refraining from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs. The Word of Wisdom also encourages individuals to be healthy and balanced in other aspects of life, such as exercise and sleep.
• Belief in God the Father, the Son (Christ), and the Holy Ghost existing as three separate individual beings or personages with one common goal. Thus, they are sometimes said to be "one in spirit."
• Belief in a form of theosis called exaltation or eternal progression.
• Wearing ceremonial temple garments under their daily clothes by Temple worthy members.
• Doing genealogical research, and performing by proxy saving ordinances such as Baptism for the dead and other ordinances in temples.

As the name of the church implies, Latter-day Saints regard Jesus Christ as the head of their church and count themselves as Christians, but do not consider themselves part of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Rather, they believe the church to be the restoration of the original church established by Jesus Christ on Earth. Some outside observers classify the church as a Protestant denomination, while others do not consider it to be a Christian church at all (see Mormonism and Christianity). The church has no formal association with groups of "Mormon fundamentalists", who still practice polygamy.

The church reports a worldwide membership of 12,275,822 as of December 31, 2004, with 6.7 million members residing outside the United States. It is the fourth largest religious body (or denomination - not denomination family) in the United States . The church membership report includes all those who have been baptized by the church (adults and youth), regardless of attendance (people who ask to have their names removed from church records are not included in the tally). However, this report includes unbaptized children of record (between the ages of 0 and 8 years). According to statistics released by the church, 47% of its members live in the United States and Canada, 36% in Latin America, and 17% in other parts of the world. (See )

History

Main articles: History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and History of the Latter Day Saint movement

Members of the church — known as Latter-day Saints — believe their faith to be the divinely appointed, restoration of the church established by Jesus Christ as depicted in the New Testament. They believe that following the crucifixion of Jesus and the death of his apostles, the authentic Christian church and its authority rapidly began to disappear, leading ultimately to the Great Apostasy. As a result, new doctrine influenced by Hellenistic philosophy came to the fore, and by the fourth century, the Priesthood —or the authority to act in the name of God— had been lost from the Earth completely.

Church members further believe the testimony of Joseph Smith: that in the spring of 1820, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to a 14-year-old boy, Joseph Smith, Jr., in response to his prayer inquiring which sect he should join. He was commanded to join none of the existing churches, and through other angelic visits was eventually called as the first prophet of the restored church. This event set in motion the events that led to the earthly restoration of the ancient church of Jesus Christ with its truths and priesthood authority. Ten years later, after a series of other revelations and visitations to Joseph and others, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. and five associates on 6 April 1830, in Fayette, New York. They were in the company of some 56 men and women.

The church teaches that over time, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood and its keys lost to the earth from resurrected beings who held the authority anciently, including John the Baptist (May 15, 1829, Aaronic Priesthood), the apostles Peter, James and John (May or June 1829, Melchizidek Priesthood¹), and the ancient prophet Elijah (April 3, 1836). These priesthoods brought with them the restoration of the authority to perform baptism and other ordinances.

After suffering under persecution in several states, including a government-ordered extermination order from Lilburn W. Boggs, governor of Missouri, Smith was eventually killed by a mob on June 27, 1844. Brigham Young, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was sustained by the majority of the church as the next Prophet and President of the church (see also succession crisis). Faced with further persecution in Nauvoo, Illinois and surrounding towns, members of the church eventually followed Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley, and settled a large area now encompassed by the state of Utah and parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming. The church remains headquartered in the Salt Lake Valley and is currently led by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Name of the church

Before people dwell eternally in their assigned kingdom of glory, they go through resurrection and Judgement.

The Book of Mormon defines the Resurrection and Judgement as follows:

The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. (Alma 11:43-44)

Joseph Smith taught, “The Doctrines of the Resurrection of the Dead and the Eternal Judgment are necessary to preach among the first principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 149).

Scriptures

Under the Church's doctrine of continuing revelation (see Articles of Faith number 9), the Church has an open scriptural canon which thus far includes the Bible (the King James Version in English-speaking countries), The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price, including The Articles of Faith. These scriptural writings comprise the Standard Works of the Church. This belief in additional scriptural canon makes the church unique among Christian religions.

Many of the pronouncements of general authorities, particularly the president of the Church, are also often viewed as uncanonized scripture—particularly official written pronouncements signed by the First Presidency and/or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, such as "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" (1995), which defined the Church's vision of the ideal family (which resembles the typical nuclear family), and "The Living Christ" (2000), which commemorated the birth of Jesus. Latter-day Saints are also encouraged to accept the most recent statements from prophets and general authorities as modern-day scripture. Latter-day Saints are encouraged to pray to know the truthfulness of the doctrine contained in their various scriptures, especially if they have trouble living a certain principle.

English-speaking members typically use the King James Version of the Bible; Joseph Smith also translated a version of the Bible, known as the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (or Inspired Version), and although this Bible translation is not generally used by members of the Church, the Bible issued by the Church contains cross references to the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), as well as an appendix containing major excerpts from it. Though it is part of the canon and members believe the Bible to be the word of God, the Church also acknowledges that numerous omissions and mistranslations occured in even the earliest known manuscripts, although the relative majority of what remains is believed to be correct. These errors have led to incorrect interpretations of the meaning of certain passages.

The introduction of The Book of Mormon describes the book as follows:

"The Book of Mormon is a



volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C.E., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come."

According to his record, Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God through the Urim and Thummim. Eleven witnesses signed testimonies of its divine authenticity, which are now included in the preface to the Book of Mormon. Three witnesses testified to having seen an angel present the gold plates, and to having heard God bear witness to its truth. Eight others stated that they had handled the plates when Joseph Smith, Jr. showed them to them.

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations, policies, letters, and statements from Church presidents, starting with Joseph Smith. This record contains Church doctrine as well as direction on Church government.

The Pearl of Great Price contains: (1) excerpts from Joseph Smith’s translation of Genesis, called the book of Moses, and of Matthew 24, called Joseph Smith—Matthew; (2) Joseph Smith’s translation of some Egyptian papyrus that he acquired in 1835 (and subsequently lost, although some pages were purportedly rediscovered in 1967), called the "Book of Abraham"; (3) an excerpt from The Documentary History of the Church containing a letter written by Joseph Smith in 1838, called Joseph Smith—History; and (4) an excerpt of another of Joseph Smith's letters called the Articles of Faith, thirteen statements of belief and doctrine.

Latter-day Saints believe literally in the principle of revelation from God to his children. Individual members are entitled to divine revelation for confirmation of truths, gaining knowledge or wisdom, and meeting personal challenges. Parents are entitled to revelation for raising their families. Divine revelation for the direction of the entire Church comes from God to the president of the Church, who is viewed by Latter-day Saints as a prophet in the same sense as Abraham, Moses, Peter and other biblical leaders.

See also: .

Chapels

Weekly worship services, including Sacrament Meetings, are held on Sundays, in , also referred to as "chapels" or "stake centers", although the Chapel is actually only one component of the meetinghouse, where weekly worship services and other meetings are held. All people, regardless of belief or standing in the church are welcome to attend. The Sacrament, similar to Communion or the Eucharist in other churches, is offered weekly. Latter-day Saints generally come together in meetinghouses throughout the week (except Mondays, which are reserved for family time) for various activities.

Sunday Services

Congregations for Sunday services are grouped geographically, with larger (~200 to ~400 people) congregations known as wards, and smaller (2 through ~200 people) congregations known as branches.

Sunday services consist of a three-hour block of time divided into three segments.The primary Sunday service is Sacrament Meeting, which is slightly more than an hour in length, and attended by the combined congregation. The primary purpose of Sacrament Meeting is the blessing and passing of the Sacrament--consecrated bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood of Christ--to members of the Church. After the Sacrament, the service usually consists of two or three "talks" (lay sermons) prepared and delivered by members of the congregation. Hymns (accompanied by piano or organ) are sung throughout the service, as a form of worship through music.

During the other two segments, the congregation divides into smaller groups based on age and/or gender. The church publishes manuals for each type of class, usually including a teacher's manual as well as a student booklet for youth and adult classes.

Sunday School classes are grouped by age and sometimes by background. The most common adult Sunday School class is "Gospel Doctrine," which meets each week and consists of a teacher presenting a gospel message drawn from the Scriptures, with participation from class members. A second adult class that meets most weeks is "Gospel Essentials," designed for new members and non-members who are interested in learning more about the Church (often referred to as investigators). Additional adult classes are held at various times, depending on the specific needs of each congregation. These classes include topics such as "Family Relations," "Family History," "Teacher Preparation" and "Temple Preparation." Youth Sunday School classes are divided by age (12-13, 14-15, 16-18). These classes are sometimes combined if class sizes are small.

In addition to Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School, a third block of meetings is held where attendance is based on age and sex. Men and boys from the age of 12 attend priesthood classes, women attend Relief Society, and girls ages 12-18 attend Young Women. The Young Women group is further divided into Beehive (ages 12-13), Mia Maid (ages 14-15), and Laurel (ages 16-18) classes. Although all men and boys meet together briefly at the beginning of the hour for a prayer, hymn, and announcements, they then separate into classes. The men separate by priesthood office to attend Elder's Quorum or High Priest's Group, the latter usually being older men and/or those who have held leadership positions in the Church. Youth are likewise divided into priesthood quorums: Deacons (ages 12-13), Teachers (ages 14-15), and Priests (ages 16-18). Classes may be combined if the class sizes are small.

Children younger than 12 attend Primary, which spans the two time blocks described above. Primary is divided into two large groups: Senior Primary (ages 8-12) and Junior Primary (ages 4-7); young children from 18 months to 3 years of age attend nursery class. Primary classes generally consist of all the children who were born in the same year. Usually one half of the Primary meets in separate classes while the other half meets together in sharing and singing time, and at the end of the hour, the two are reversed.

Women usually attend wearing skirts or dresses, while men wear suits or dress shirts (preferably white) and ties. However, this dress code is not required; people in different attire are also welcome.

Seminary

High school students attend Seminary, which is usually scheduled for before or after school hours. In some areas with large LDS populations, provisions are made by the high school which allow students to attend Seminary (off-campus) during the school day. The provision, however, is considered Release Time, not a school-recognized class. No credit is awarded by the school, nor is any grade or achievement listed on the school's official transcript. Attendance at Seminary is voluntary, although this does help when applying to Brigham Young University. Seminary programs are administered by the Church Educational System.

Young Men's/Young Women's

Young men and women, aged 12 to 18, often have a weekly meeting (previously referred to as Mutual short for Mutual Improvement Association sometimes known as "MIA") which can involve an activity, service project, or instruction. Classes and quorums partition off after an opening of a sung hymn, a prayer, and any announcements of upcoming events. The separate groups will have various wholesome activities to participate in, planned both by their leaders and the youth themselves. They can range anywhere from playing a sport or game, crafting, cooking, or service. Usually the young men participate in Boy Scouts of America, grouped by age. One week a month, all the Young Women classes will have a combined activity, as do the Young Men quorums. Another week, the Young Men and Women will have an activity as a combined group.

Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment

Four times a year the adult women (members of the Church's Relief Society) attend a Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment meeting, where they may choose between various classes being offered, participate in a service project, or attend a social event. In addition, Enrichment activities are offered (weekly, monthly, or as determined by ward Relief Society leaders) for women with similar needs and interests.

Other

In addition to these regularly scheduled meetings, additional meetings are frequently held at the meetinghouse. Popular activities are basketball, family history conferences, youth conferences, youth dances and various personal improvement classes. Church members may also reserve the building for personal use, such as wedding receptions, funerals, etc.

Temples

Main article: Temple (Mormonism)

In addition to Sunday worship, some faithful members of the church may participate in ordinances in temples, including baptisms for the dead, endowments, and eternal marriage. Adult members who receive their endowments in the temple also receive the temple garment, which they wear under their daily clothing. The LDS church considers the temple ordinances exceptionally sacred. As such, they do not publicly release the details of the temple proceedings and expect that members also do not discuss them outside the temple. This is true of the significance of the temple garment as well.

Other practices

Practices more or less distinctive to Latter-day Saints include following the Word of Wisdom (caring for one's body by eating healthy foods; abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee, and illicit drugs; and eating meat sparingly), tithing (donating 10 percent of one's income to the church, which is voluntary but required in order to remain in good standing with the church.) chastity, modesty in dress and behavior, lay leadership, Family Home Evenings (families are encouraged to meet weekly for prayer and other activities - typically on Monday), and home and visiting teaching (members regularly visit one another in their homes for prayer and study). Tattoos and body piercings (except for one pair of earrings for women) are strongly discouraged. Church members are encouraged to marry and have children, and as a result, Mormon families tend to be larger than average. All sexual activity, both

The church emphasises the moral standards taught by Jesus Christ, including personal honesty, integrity, obedience to law, chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage. The church puts notable emphasis on the family, and distinctively, the concept of a united family which lives and progresses forever is at the core of Latter-day Saint doctrine. The church opposes abortion, pornography, and gambling.

Latter-day Saint fathers who hold the priesthood typically bless their babies shortly after birth to formally give the child a name and a blessing and generate a Church record for them. Various blessings may be pronounced, as directed by inspiration.

Prayers

Formal public and personal prayers are addressed to "Heavenly Father" and offered in the name of Jesus Christ, followed by amen. When a prayer is given in public, it is customary for all attending to say "amen" at the prayer's conclusion. English-speaking members generally use "thee," "thou," "thy" and "thine" when addressing God, as a form of both familiarity and respect. Members who speak other languages use similar familiar, respectful syntax in prayer. Most prayers are extemporaneous and may be said while kneeling, standing, or sitting or in any other position.

Certain prayers associated with ordinances are defined and must be delivered verbatim, while others must follow a certain pattern. For example, the prayer to bless the sacrament is a set prayer which is delivered the same way each week. The priesthood holder kneels to say the prayer; if he accidentally deviates from the form, he is instructed to repeat the prayer until it is correct. Likewise, the prayer for baptism must be given verbatim prior to immersion; the priesthood holder stands in the water beside the person to be baptized, raises his right arm to the square, and pronounces the blessing. Other ordinations and blessings have a pattern, for example, in a confirmation prayer, the priesthood holder is to address the individual being confirmed by his or her full name, state the priesthood authority by which the ordinance is given, confirm that person as a member of the Church, and bestow the Holy Ghost with such words as "receive the Holy Ghost." This is usually followed by an extemporaneous personal blessing as directed by the Spirit.

Missionaries

Main article: Mormon missionary

The LDS Church has one of the most active missionary programs of any world church. As of 31 December 2004 there were in excess of 51,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world at any given time without pay.

Missionary work is a fundamental principle of the Church, and has become one of the most readily identifiable characteristics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All missionaries have been assigned by Church headquarters to their area of work, which can be in any part of the world where governments allow them to preach. They contribute to their own support for up to two years, frequently learning another language. The Church also places an emphasis on humanitarian services, and vast family history resources.

Education

Latter-day Saints believe that one of the most important aspects of life on earth is the opportunity for individuals to learn and grow. Accordingly, the Church strongly emphasizes education and subsidizes Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University-Idaho (formerly Ricks College), and Brigham Young University-Hawaii. The Church also has a seminary program for high school students and an Institute of Religion program for college-age Church members. All members twelve and above attend Sunday School classes, which emphasize personal scripture studies and other forms of education and self-improvement.

In addition, the Church sponsors a low-interest educational loan program known as the Perpetual Education Fund. This fund is designed to benefit both young men and women from all parts of the world who have served a mission, returned to their home, and need further education to become productive citizens in their respective countries. As they finish their education and enter the work force, they then are able to pay back the funds provided so that other individuals can attend both vocational technical schools and university.

Preparedness

The LDS church strongly encourages every family to be prepared for disasters. Members are encouraged to plant gardens as well as maintain a year's supply of non-perishable food storage. As an whole, the Church is well equipped with neccessities that are on-hand and avaliable for immediate distribution when needed around the world. The Church's excellent response to emergencies or disasters is directed through the Bishop's Storehouse.

The bishop's storehouse system is a network of Church-owned and operated commodity resource centers. They work much like retail stores with the difference that goods cannot be purchased: they are given charitably, whether to entire areas (i.e. the recent Tsunami event) or upon an individual/family basis, to those deserving need. Member recipients are invited to work or render service to others in various ways in exchange for goods to avoid allowing the goods given to be a form of dole.

The concept of the storehouse and the Church Welfare Services emerged from scriptural principles, elucidated by a series of revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith beginning in 1831, a year after the Church was organized. In one revelation, Church members were directed to "remember the poor, and consecrate properties for support".

The implementation of the mutual help program has varied considerably according to the economic conditions of the members and the organizational structure of the Church. Utilization of the storehouse concept received intense emphasis during the United Order effort of the 1870s. From that time forward, most wards or congregations maintained their own storehouse until the introduction of regional storehouses (1934-1936). These storehouses figured prominently in the Church's effort to care for its people during the economic depression of the 1930s and formed the basis for a more systematic approach to shared assistance.

After World War II, the Church Welfare system, centered on the storehouse, evolved into an integrated and complex Church-wide production and distribution system. A higher level of coordination between Welfare farms, dairies, and canneries was established, and a wider range of goods became available. The Church established central storehouses to supply regional storehouses. In the 1970s, with the maturing of the storehouse system, the Church selectively introduced local production and storehouses in areas outside the United States where need and resources warranted.

Presently, the entire Bishop's Storehouse Resource System operates with efficiency and quality equal to commercial commodity activities, effectively assisting thousands of people every year with material necessities. Like other positions in the Church, the storehouse remains an operation based entirly on volunteer work. Anyone, whether a member or not, has the chance to give their time to the storehouse. Often, youth groups will go to work in a local storehouse cannery as a service activity. No offer of well-intended help is refused.

Polygamy

At one time in its early history, the Church did endorse a form of polygamy called "plural marriage," but this is no longer the case. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and other early members and leaders of the Church were married to more than one wife. The practice was officially withdrawn as stated in a declaration called "The Manifesto" which was given by President Wilford Woodruff in 1890 (see ), and which advised Church members to obey the marriage laws of their land. After the Manifesto, Church members living in Mexico and Canada (in polygamist enclaves) continued the practice of plural marriage. The Church's position was reiterated and clarified in 1904 (commonly referred to as "The Second Manifesto"), with an additional request that no Church members enter into any form of plural marriage, regardless of their location, local customs, or legality. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found to be engaging in multiple marriage relationships are excommunicated. Converts from areas where polygamy is an accepted practice typically must end such relationships. Today, while plural marriage is not practiced, a widower qualified to enter the temple may receive permission to have his subsequent marriage(s) sealed if the woman has not been previously sealed to another man, allowing for the continuation of that relationship beyond death. A widow can be remarried in the temple, but can be sealed to only one husband. Although not practiced at the moment, a revelation on this doctrine is still part of the LDS scriptures in Doctrine and Covenants section 132, and many church members still believe that the principle of plural marriage is an eternal truth and will be practiced in the afterlife.

The church has repeatedly stated that members who engage in multiple simultaneous marriages will be excommunicated. Excommunication is the most severe disciplinary action the church undertakes, and the church has made it clear that it is the perogative of the government to enforce marriage laws and the church does not involve itself in this endeavor.

Finances

The financial status of the Church has been the focus of two investigative reports: a 1991 report by the Arizona Republic and a 1997 report by Time Magazine. Both claim the Church is the most prosperous American religion, with Time estimating $5.2 billion in tithes during 1996. The Church has holdings in real estate, as well as for-profit businesses managed through Deseret Management Corporation. Time estimated assets in 1996 at more than $30 billion.

It is difficult to determine the exact financial status of the Church because it is not required to disclose financial information. Some of the Church's known holdings include:

• AgReserves Inc, Salt Lake City, Utah - the largest producer of nuts in America.
• Beneficial Life Insurance Co. - assets of $1.6 billion.
• Bonneville International Corporation - the 14th largest radio chain in the U.S.
• Deseret Cattle and Citrus Ranch in Orlando, Florida - the world's largest beef ranch at 312,000 acres (1260 km²). The land alone is worth an estimated $858 million.
• Farmland Reserve, Inc - recently purchased 88,000 acres (356 km²) in Nebraska bringing its total in Nebraska to 228,000 acres (923 km²) second in Nebraska to Ted Turner's 290,000.
• Polynesian Cultural Center, Hawaii - the leading for-profit visitor attraction in Hawaii.

The Church uses its financial resources to provide social welfare and relief, build facilities, maintain the missionary program, and support Church sponsored programs.

Provide for Social welfare and relief -

The Church operates a welfare distribution system, as it encourages members to seek financial assistance from family and church first before seeking public or state-sponsored welfare. AgReserves Inc., Deseret Cattle and Citrus Ranch, and Farmland Reserve, Inc. are part of its welfare distribution system. Welfare resources are distributed by local bishops but maintained by the Presiding Bishop. (See "Preparedness" under the "Other Practices" section.)

Build facilities -

The Church builds additional chapels and temples as wards and branches of the Church are organized. A recent temple building program concluded in 2001 where the church built about 40 smaller temples between 1998 and 2001. The church currently has 122 temples around the world with 11 additional temples either announced or under construction. See .

Maintain its missionary program -

Although the families of missionaries generally pay $400 a month for missions, additional general funds of the Church support missionaries unable to pay for their own missions. Additionally, the Church provides a mission office and mission home for each of its 300 missions and pays for television advertising offering free copies of the Book of Mormon, the Bible, videos, etc.

Support Church sponsored programs -

The Church owns and subsidizes education at its three Universities (see Education above). It also supports Boy Scouts programs for young men and Seminary and Institute programs.

LDS Customs

Titles

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints address each other as "Brother" or "Sister" and then usually append the last name (such as Brother Smith, or Sister Young). Additionally, those that hold specific leadership positions may be addressed by their title and then their last name (such as President Kimball). Some frequently-used titles are as follows.

• Bishop - Local Bishops of a ward are addressed by the title of "Bishop". Though he is assisted by two counselors, the counselors are addressed as "Brother So-and-So." Generally, the title is always used when referring to a bishop, even when the bishop has ceased serving as the active leader of the ward. There is a position in the LDS church referred to as the Presiding Bishop. He and his counselors are referred to as "Bishop So-and-So". The Presiding Bishop oversees the welfare services of the Church.
• Elder - While most adult male Church members hold the office of "elder" in the Melchizedek Priesthood, in general only full-time male missionaries (proselyting or service), members of any of the Quorums of the Seventy (General & Area Authorities), and members of the Quorum of the Twelve are addressed with this title.
• President - In a Ward, the Elder's Quorum President is referred to as "President So-and-So". Other presidents within the ward, such as the Teachers or Deacons Quorum President, may be referred to with this title. In addition to the above presidencies, in a branch, the branch president and his councilors are referred to as "President So-and-So". All members of a Stake (or District) Presidency, a Temple Presidency, a Mission Presidency, the Presidency of the Seventy, and the First Presidency are referred to as president.

Public Speaking

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long and rich tradition of public speaking. Many of the early Church members -- and especially leaders -- were gifted orators and many were skilled in debate. Public speaking was common for both leaders and lay members. This speaking tradition continues even today. For example, during worship services on the first Sunday of each month, members of the congregation are invited to share their testimonies of the Gospel, faith-building experiences, and other uplifting messages with the other members of the congregation.

On each of the other Sundays during the month, members of the congregation are selected in advance to give a "talk" (the LDS equivalent of a "sermon") on a particular Gospel principle or topic. Often the congregation will hear from one or two youth speakers and one or two adult speakers during these meetings.

Church leaders and missionaries are also encouraged to speak boldly and freely about the Gospel, and are often given opportunities for extemporaneous public speaking on various Gospel subjects.

Since the early days of the Church, talks given by leaders (especially those given in the Church's bi-annual General Conference meetings) have been recorded and widely distributed in written format. A digitized collection of these talks dating back to 1971 is available on the website, and talks dating back to the 1800s are available in printed format through various University and community libraries. In recent years the LDS Church and Brigham Young University have also made audio and video versions of selected talks freely available on their websites. See , , and for a collection of audio and video resources.

Genealogy

Genealogical research is an important aspect of Latter-day Saint tradition, stemming from a doctrinal mandate for church members to research their family tree and perform vicarious ordinances for their ancestors. In addition to the more common events that genealogy records typically contain (such as births, deaths, and marriages), church records also contain details regarding the dates of baptism, endowment, and sealing to spouse, parent, and child, as well as the temple in which each vicarious ordinance occurred. The advent of personal computers prompted the church to create a specialized file format known as GEDCOM for storing and exchanging these records. Since then, GEDCOM has become a de facto standard that almost all genealogy programs support. The church has also created and maintains a website for searching geneological records called .

Criticism and Controversy

Main article: Controversies regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Many doctrines and practices of the church, both past and present, are viewed by many as controversial:

• The church claims to be the exclusive restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ and the sole source of priesthood authority necessary for ordinances of salvation (such as baptism). This has led to extensive criticism from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, some of which label it a "cult", "sect," or "heretical"; the church denies that any of these terms are applicable. This is consistent with different factions of Christianity labeling each other cults, sects, or heresies throughout Christian history.
• The idea that mankind has the potential to become as God and inherit all that He has. This teaching is complementary to the idea that all people are literal children of "Heavenly Parents," and is similar to early Christian concepts of theosis.
• The historical legitimacy of the Book of Mormon; there has been much contention over the accuracy of some of its archaeological and historical elements. (See "Archaeology and the Book of Mormon" and "Linguistics and the Book of Mormon".)
• The idea that man is created in the physical image of God, as taught in "The Origin of Man," a statement that became controversial during evolution trials during the early 20th century amid the Scopes Trial.
• Polygamy has arguably sparked the most controversy. Some people still practice it today and consider themselves Mormons, but they have been excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever since it forbade the practice with the 1890 Manifesto.
• The Church's belief structure involves topics that are now of a political nature, such as Prohibition, Communism, euthanasia, and same-sex marriage, and the Church will occassionally release an official statement pertaining to such topics. However, individual members are free to agree or disagree with these positions, provided they do not claim to represent the Church in the process.
• Previous withholding of the priesthood from black members. Though baptism was always open to people of all races and worship took place in unsegregated congregations, men of African descent were not ordained to the priesthood, and no one of African descent was allowed to participate in temple marriage (those previously excluded can now receive a temple marriage). On June 9, 1978, a new revelation was announced, permitting any "worthy" male to receive the Priesthood. (See Blacks and Mormonism for more complete discussion of this issue.)*Cultural preservation and educational programs including the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Indian Placement Program.
• The Family: A Proclamation to the World is an official statement from 1995 that some people find controversial. The proclamation calls for the preservation of the traditional family, sometimes referred to as the Nuclear family, consisting of a father and a mother who assume the traditional roles of provider and nurturer, respectively. It has been labeled as a homophobic statement by some gay activists. Others believe this statement to be openly against feminism (see Women and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

See also

• Criticism of Mormonism
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Mormonism and Freemasonry
• Exmormon
• Mormon
• Mormon (disambiguation)
• Mormon apologetics
• Mormonism
• Mountain Meadows Massacre
• Temple (Mormonism)

Additional websites

• at Project Gutenberg

• Church-friendly websites, unaffiliated with the Church:
  • - news related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • - webzine for Latter-day Saints; updated every weekday
  • - wiki for and supported by Latter-day Saints
  • - a gathering place for Latter-day Saints, including discussion forums, owned by LDS author Orson Scott Card
  • - a comprehensive index answering many common questions. Uses large portions of The Encyclopedia of Mormonism
  • A magazine for friends and members of the Church

• Scholarly Forums
  • - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (BYU)
  • Read 40 years of the best Mormon studies by top LDS Scholars, Researchers, and Writers on all topics that relate to the Mormon experience.
  • - for open, frank approaches to contemporary Mormon experience, scholarship, issue, and art

Footnotes

Església de Jesucrist dels Sants dels Últims Dies Církev Ježíše Krista Svatých posledních dnů Eglwys Iesu Grist a Saint y Dyddiau Diweddaf Jesu Kristi Kirke af Sidste Dages Hellige Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días Église de Jésus-Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours הכנסייה המורמונית Ecclesia de Jesus Christo del Sanctos del Ultime Dies Gereja Mormon 末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会 Jesu Kristi Kirke av Siste Dagers Hellige Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa Świętych w Dniach Ostatnich Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias Мормоныscn:Chiesa di Gesù Cristu dî Santi di l'Ùrtimi Jorna Jesu Kristi kyrka av sista dagars heliga Giáo hội Các Thánh hữu Ngày sau của Chúa Giêsu Kitô 耶穌基督後期聖徒教會