What do you know or have heard about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)?

Question

Please be honest and no opinions. I want to know things you have read or have been told. Give sources please.

I am curious about how churches are misrepresented or misunderstood. I am trying to guage how misunderstood the church might be.

I am mormon and have read the book of mormon. Just trying to gauge what people outside the church have heard about the church. It is a personal experiment.

Answer 1

-Christians believe in the Trinity as the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.
-Mormons believe in the Trinity but ALSO believe there is a goddess mother.
-Chrisitans believe that a man is born and when he dies will go to be with the God.
-Mormons believe that mankind is spirit-children prodcued by the union of the the heavenly father and the goddess wife. And that ALL men are capable of becoming god's themselves. This is called exaltation.
-Christians believe that satan was created by God and that Jesus has always existed with God from the beginning.
-Mormons believe that Jesus and satan are brothers.
-Christians believe that only through confession and repentance in the name of Jesus can a person be saved.
-Mormons believe that works will save them.
-Mormons women also believe that they are saved by having children.
-Christians believe they will be called out of the grave by Jesus Christ at the rapture.
-Mormon women believe they will be called out of the grave by their husbands.
Christians believe that God has always existed since before time began.
-Mormons believe that "heavenly father" was once a man just like you and me and was "exalted to godship" because of his good works.
-Christians believe that there is one hell.
-Mormons believe there are 4 levels of hell.

Answer 2

Joesph Smith was given information by an alleged Deity. It was supposedly written/heard in a previously unknown language. He interpreted said info. The Book of Mormon.
Another Book the Mormons use The Pearl of the Covenant (fairly certain on the title).
Joesph Smith died before his bit really took off. A dude named Brigham Young got hold of it, corralled some followers. They migrated to Utah, went through a lengthy phase of polygamy citing a shortage of men.
They built some nice temples, keep great records, get a solid 10% tithe and seem to be doing o.k..
They send their young men (18-20yr old) {some women}) out in the world as missionaries to spread the word (their way is the only way). These missionary folks spend 2 years of their lives trying to convince people that Joesph Smith's message super cedes and cancels out Moses and Jesus's bit (Mohammed and Buddha get little mention).
Keep an eye out they will be beating on your door at some point.
Let 'em in give 'em a drink and send them on their way!

Answer 3

Founded by Joseph Smith, who claimed to have found "golden plates" which were inscribed in an unknown language. Claims to have translated these into English with the aid of "Urum" and "Thummim", whose nature and mechanism were not described. Moved to Illinois; was lynched by a mob which had grown tired of his debauching every person in town wearing a skirt. Followers, led by Brigham Young, moved to Utah and settled there.

The original church encouraged polygamy, but that was changed in order to encourage admission of Utah to the US. (Polygamy is still practiced by some small sects.) The mainstream church, encouraging thrift, self-reliance, and good habits, has flourished; sends missionaries all over (I consider them a nuisance, but recognize the great value of the education that the missionaries get from doing it). Their theology is silly. The claim that the plates were taken to heaven is sillier, they should be on display at the main temple in Salt Lake City so that scholars can examine them.

Answer 4

I know its the true church! I joined just a little over 2 years ago. Things I had heard were not true or said out of context. if you want to know my beliefs the easiest way would be go back through my answer's given here on Yahoo answers. If your an investigator and would like a few questions answered then email me.

Answer 5

Interview return missionaries about the common arguments they heard on their mission. If you have specific questions about most of what has been presented here, please send me a message through Yahoo answers. I am a convert, but grew up in the Bible Belt. I have attended most Protestant Churches over the years, married a nonmember and have many nonmember friends. I know several answers have touched on common misconceptions about the Church since we often do not common phrases they often use . . . e.g., being washed in the blood. We believe baptism is symbolic of birth (and the resurrection ), the water is similar to the water the baby is surrounded with and the blood Christ shed provides our cleansing but we don't go around talking about "being washed in the blood"--we talk about being baptized. Another is we believe if you have faith, then your actions naturally follow your faith and you serve others. Other Churches believe faith alone without any action (works) provides salvation. I actually had a Baptist aunt tell my uncle that she could murder him and would still be saved by her faith since works do not count and she would not be condemned at the end due to her faith. This was sad & more extreme than what Protestants really believe, but you have to admit it does follow the faith only line of thinking. Because we believe your actions are important and we believe baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost are ordinances towards salvation, it gets interpreted that we believe we can be saved without Christ's sacrifice--just by doing the ordinances and other good deeds.

I have never heard anyone say we believe in 4 degrees of hell before. And most believe the rapture focuses on the living with the second coming at the end having the dead to be resurrected. I also had not heard of the godless mother, which sounds unclean and unworthy to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. I also have never heard of us rejecting Moses.

I frequently have people try to explain to me what I really believe. It is sad because they often get this from other people (including ministers) who really aren't familiar with our beliefs at all, but feel a real need to scare others from exploring our beliefs. Or they accuse us of not sharing common Christian beliefs since we don't always break down our beliefs and explain that we do believe the same thing, but don't use their buzz words and instead explain out the symbolism. I hate to see our members engage in any form of heated discussion with nonmember Christians since many times they can be making the same point and not recognize this since neither defines out what they are really saying.

I personally believe the biggest difference in our Church is the fact we believe in a modern current prophet and that revelation is still available for guidence. Most other churches feel Christ completed the need for prophets and the records of his ministry completes the need for revelation.

Answer 6

Check out their website. They appear to be Christians but deny the divinity of Jesus (note that the statement that Jesus is divine is missing from their website.) Their founder and chief prophet, Joseph Smith, supposedly found sacred tablets inscribed with a strange language from God, but we are unable to examine these more closely because, as I was once told, "Heavenly Father took them back up to heaven."

Joseph Smith wrote in the Book of Mormon that Israelites founded a culture in North America, but there is no evidence of this. In fact, DNA evidence has been used to dispute this. He believed in polygamy, which is still practiced in Utah even though it is illegal. They believe in getting to heaven via "good works" rather than solely through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They must spend two years evangelizing door to door. They avoid coffee, tea, caffeine, tobacco. They believe we eventually become gods.

Their "prophets" including Joseph Smith are false prophets in that they change their minds about "revelation"/doctrine fairly frequently. Polygamy was a command from God according to leader Brigham Young but now the main church excommunicates those who practice it. There are some large polygamous families in which the husband "marries" both mother and daughter (frequently a young teen) and it's not uncommon for the male children to be driven out because they are considered competition for the females. These children are isolated and the law in Utah has been very reluctant to investigate or protect them.

Blacks were cursed by God with black skin according to the Book of Mormon and were initially barred from priesthood. Women are still barred.

Some worship a "Heavenly Mother."

There are many branches whose members differ in beliefs.

Answer 7

The best way to find this out is to read the Book of Mormon. You can get a free copy at www.mormon.org

Answer 8

The founder suposedly saw a vision of an angel I believe, and that some believe that the Garden of Eden was in Mississippi,( or was it Missouri), also, they don't (or at least didn't) drink alchohol. Sorry, these are fact's I picked up a long time ago, so your just gonna have to trust me (or not)

Answer 9

What specifically do you want to know? You are asking a very big broad question. I have studied the bible alot and will help you study the points and topics u like if u wish.

Answer 10

Well what do you want to know? actually the garden of eden is in new york i think. the current leader says that god speaks to him and tells him what we should do. they don't do drugs or drink alcohol. they are advised not to drink coffee or tea (cause of the chemicals), they are very positive and advise not to cuss. you can do all these things and still go by the way.