what are the beliefs of a mormon?

Answer 1

To get the best information I would just go to mormon.org and get the basics. Once you know the basics you can branch out, but without the basics much of the other stuff won't make sense (like learning algebra before simple addition). Make sure you talk to actual Mormons, because if you aren't getting it from the horses mouth the information may be slanted or filled with biasis. Good luck.

Answer 2

Short version: We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We believe in modern prophets and modern revelation, from Joseph Smith down to our current prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, and we believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon to both be the word of God.

(Granted, I'm leaving a lot out.)

Longer version: Check out Mormon.org - a website run by the church for those who want to know more about it.

http://mormon.org/welcome/0,6929,403-1,00.html

Answer 3

Well, that Christ taught in Israel and died for our sins. And then appeared to Indians in what is now Mexico because they were the lost tribe of Israelites. Really.
They also believe drinking alcohol and tanins (coffee and tea) a sin.
They also believe in spirits and dreams. And their theology isn't too big on gender equality. Most Mormons are politically very conservative.
Other than that, they're not too far from standard Protestant Chrisianity.

Answer 4

God lives on a far far away planet called Kolob with his many Goddess wives and they have celestial sex and produce spirit children that need to learn and grow and become Gods themselves (that would be us) a embryonic God of sorts, we are sent to to do just that but while we are here we are to take many wives and produce as many embryonic Gods as we possible can. There really isn't enough space here to tell you everything they believe, try reading Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin. This is a bad question to ask because they will write you a book.

Answer 5

Primarily, we believe in Jesus Christ, that He is the Saviour of the world, He atoned and died for us and because of His sacrifice, we can return to our Father in Heaven. We believe in baptism by immersion. We believe that families are eternal and sacred in nature. We try to do good works and alleviate suffering, and we hope that the world sees us as benevolent and loving.

The LDS church website is below. Check this out. All others are not going to tell you the whole story!

Answer 6

first off they are not in keeping with the belief of Christ . they call themselves Christan's and they mention Christ however they think Jesus was in north America . they think there leader a man who died a ways back has added to the bible and that he got his very wild idea's from GOD. the bible tells us very clearly no one may add one word to the bible and no one may take one word away from the bible.
once you understand that you will start to see why it is referred to as a sect. that is something Little less then a cult but still very scary .

Answer 7

http://www.carm.org/mormon.htm

1. Atonement
1. "Jesus paid for all our sins when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane," (Laurel Rohlfing, “Sharing Time: The Atonement,” Friend, Mar. 1989, 39.)
2. "We accept Christ's atonement by repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeying all of the commandments," (Gospel Principles, Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979, pg. 68.)
2. Baptism
1. Baptism for the dead, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. II, p. 141.) This is a practice of baptizing each other in place of non-Mormons who are now dead. Their belief is that in the afterlife, the "newly baptized" person will be able to enter into a higher level of Mormon heaven.
3. Bible
1. "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. . ." 8th Article of Faith of the Mormon Church.
2. "Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God." (1 Nephi 13:28).
4. Book of Mormon
1. The book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible, (History of the Church, 4:461.)
5. Devil, the
1. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, page 192.)
2. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163.)
3. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god." (Mormon Doctrine, page 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, page 8.)
6. God
1. God used to be a man on another planet, Mormon Doctrine, p. 321. Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol 5, pp. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2, p. 345, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333.)
2. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s..." (D&C 130:22).
3. God is in the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3.)
4. "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345
5. God the Father had a Father, (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 476; Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 19; Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105.)
6. God resides near a star called Kolob, (Pearl of Great Price, pages 34-35; Mormon Doctrine, p. 428.)
7. God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus, (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 218, 1857; vol. 8, p. 115.) - This one is disputed among many Mormons and not always 'officially' taught and believed. Nevertheless, Young, the 2nd prophet of the Mormon church taught it.
8. "Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).
7. God, becoming a god
1. After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354.)
2. "Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them," (DC 132:20).
8. God, many gods
1. There are many gods, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163.)
2. "And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light (Book of Abraham 4:3)
9. God, mother goddess
1. There is a mother god, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443.)
2. God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine p. 516.)
10. God, Trinity
1. The trinity is three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35.)
11. Gospel, the
1. The true gospel was lost from the earth. Mormonism is its restoration, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 182-185.)
2. Consists of laws and ordinances: "As these sins are the result of individual acts it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements -- 'obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.'" (Articles of Faith p. 79)
12. Heaven
1. There are three levels of heaven: telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, Mormon Doctrine, p. 348.
13. Holy Ghost, the
1. The Holy Ghost is a male personage, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, (Le Grand Richards, Salt Lake City, 1956, page 118; Journal of Discources, Vol. 5, page 179.)
14. Jesus
1. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus, (Mormon Doctrine, page 129.)
2. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163; Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15.)
3. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions), (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856.)
4. "Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).
5. "The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood - was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8: p. 115).
6. "Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers" (Mormon Doctrine," by Bruce McConkie, p. 547).
7. "Christ Not Begotten of Holy Ghost ...Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!" (Doctrines of Salvation, Joseph Fielding Smith, 1954, 1:18).
8. "Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh ..." (First Presidency and Council of the Twelve, 1916, God the Father, compiled by Gordon Allred, pg. 150).
15. Joseph Smith
1. If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation [the context is the full gospel including exaltation to Godhood] outside the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 670.)
16. Pre-existence
1. We were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on earth, (Journal of Discourse, Vol. 4, p. 218.)
2. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus, (Mormon Doctrine, page 129.)
3. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, page 192.)
17. Prophets
1. We need prophets today, the same as in the Old Testament, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 444-445.)
18. Salvation
1. "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation." (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206.)
2. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god." (Mormon Doctrine, page 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, page 8.)
3. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions), (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856.)
4. Good works are necessary for salvation, Articles of Faith, p. 92.)
5. There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188.)
6. "The first effect [of the atonement] is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 78-79.)
7. "As these sins are the result of individual acts it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements -- 'obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.'" (Articles of Faith p. 79).
8. "This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts" (LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 697).
9. "We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do," (2 Nephi 25:23).
19. Trinity, the
1. The trinity is three separate Gods: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "That these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other, is demonstrated by the accepted records of divine dealings with man." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 35.)
2. "Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God [anyhow]--three in one and one in three. . .It is curious organization… All are crammed into one God according to sectarianism (Christian faith). It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God--he would be a giant or a monster." (Joseph Smith, Teachings, 372).

Answer 8

Mormonism is a term used to describe religious, ideological, and cultural aspects of the various denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The term Mormonism is often used to describe the belief systems of those who believe in the Book of Mormon, a sacred text which Mormons believe was translated by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1829 from golden plates, described as the "sacred" writings of the inhabitants of North and South America from approximately 600 BC to 420 AD. In 1830 Smith published the Book of Mormon and "restored" the Church of Christ, and the faithful were known amongst themselves as Latter Day Saints.

Outside the church, church members have come to be called Mormons because of their belief in the Book of Mormon as scripture, alongside the Bible. As the result of a revelation in 1838, the name to the Church was officially stated as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints".[1] After the death of Joseph Smith, a succession crisis ensued and the church membership was divided among various sects. The largest group accepted Brigham Young as the new prophet-president of the church and followed him West to the Salt Lake Valley in the current state of Utah. However, there was a sizeable faction that did not accept Brigham Young's claim to leadership and remained in the Midwest. The Community of Christ is the largest church that emerged from the Latter Day Saints who did not follow Brigham Young and it also claims to be the original church founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Nevertheless, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints remains by far the largest and most prominent group called 'Mormon'.

After The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abandoned the practice of plural marriage, more sects emerged in support of the practice usually in the form of polygamy, or more specifically, polygyny. Mormonism is generally used to describe the main body of the Utah sect exclusively, mainly due to its prominence amongst Latter Day Saint denominations, but the practice of plural marriage is still heavily associated with Mormonism despite the church's efforts to distance itself and the term from polygamy. Other sects embrace or accept the term Mormonism, including the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, other Mormon fundamentalist organizations, Reform Mormonism, and cultural Mormons.

Most adherents of Mormonism may be called Latter Day Saints (or the hyphenated Latter-day Saints in reference to the largest denomination).[1] Other generally acceptable terms include LDS, Saints, and Mormons. A minority of adherents object to the terms Mormon and Mormonism, since these are terms coined by outsiders to label members of the Church.

Contents [hide]
1 Early history
1.1 Establishment of the Church of Christ
1.2 Early succession
1.3 The succession crisis
2 Mormonism and Christianity
3 Connections with Judaism
4 Denominations
4.1 Community of Christ
4.2 Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
4.3 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
4.4 Mormon fundamentalism
5 Reform Mormonism
6 References
7 See also



[edit] Early history
Main article: History of the Latter Day Saint movement

[edit] Establishment of the Church of Christ
Joseph Smith, Jr. was raised in northwestern New York, where he reported a number of heavenly visions and visitations by angels. In his First Vision, while he was an adolescent during the early 1820s, Smith stated he saw "God the Father" and "Jesus Christ" in the Sacred Grove. Smith also said he had received a set of Golden Plates from an angel, and dictated a translation of those plates, which he published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Some time after the translation, according to church records, Moroni returned to collect the plates.


Stained glass depiction of the first vision of Joseph Smith, Jr., completed in 1913 by an unknown artist (Museum of Church History and Art).According to Smith and his close associate Oliver Cowdery, an angel also gave the both of them the authority to baptize and to build up a new church, meant to be a restoration of 1st century Christianity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, originally called the Church of Christ, was formed in the month of April 1830 in Manchester or Fayette, New York, but soon after the conversion of a Church of Christ (Campbellite) minister named Sidney Rigdon in Kirtland, Ohio, a number of its members moved to Ohio in 1831 [2]}.


[edit] Early succession
Almost from the founding of the new church, some leaders were dissatisfied with Joseph Smith's role as prophet and president of the church. Several churches were started on the foundation of Joseph Smith's revelations including the Pure Church of Christ, organized by Wycam Clark in 1831; the Church of Christ (Parrishite), organized by Warren Parrish in 1837; the Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, organized by George M. Hinkle in 1840; and the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, organized by William Law in1844. All of these churches failed quickly and many of the leaders returned to the main body of Mormonism.

In Ohio, the church built a temple, and sent missionaries to various places, including Jackson County, Missouri, where the church built up branches. After a series of financial problems with and allegations of financial mismanagement of a bank in Kirtland, the main body of members moved briefly to Missouri in 1838, but after the 1838 Mormon War, they were forced to establish a new center in Nauvoo, Illinois.

In Nauvoo, the church grew rapidly, began building a temple, and sent out missionaries to Canada and England. Smith served as a religious, political, and military leader. In 1844, after a conflict with an antagonistic newspaper over Smith's practice of "spiritual wifery", Smith and his brother Hyrum were arrested, taken to Carthage, Illinois, and then both of them died in a gun battle fighting desperately trying to save their lives on June 27, 1844.


[edit] The succession crisis
A succession crisis developed in the aftermath of the deaths of Joseph Smith and his likely successor, Hyrum. During a speech in the midst of the succession crisis, Brigham Young stated: "Did Joseph Smith ordain any man to take his place. He did. Who was it? It was Hyrum, but Hyrum fell a martyr before Joseph did. If Hyrum had lived he would have acted for Joseph" (Times and Seasons, 5; Oct. 15, 1844: 683.), several church leaders campaigned to lead the church, a time known as the Succession Crisis. One claim to succession was by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a body of missionaries led by Brigham Young, who returned quickly from their missions and were accepted as leaders by the largest body of adherents.

Much of the debate over who should be the next leader of the church stems from the belief and practice of plural marriage. There is little dispute that Joseph Smith, Jr privately and publicly taught and practiced plural marriage; he certainly alluded to the practice in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. For a discussion of this topic please see Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy.


[edit] Mormonism and Christianity
An in-depth discussion of Mormonism and Christianity is outside the scope of this article. Please refer to the Mormonism and Christianity article for a more complete discussion.


[edit] Connections with Judaism
See also: Mormonism and Judaism
Mormons, as a religious body, in general embrace Jews and Judaism enthusiastically. This commitment derives primarily from what Mormons believe are historical and doctrinal connections with Judaism.

Joseph Smith named the largest Mormon settlement he founded Nauvoo, which means "beautiful" in Hebrew. One impetus that may have encouraged Brigham Young to settle in Utah was the Great Salt Lake which reminded Mormons of the Dead Sea in Israel.[citation needed] Brigham Young named a tributary of the Great Salt Lake the "Jordan River". The Church created a writing scheme called the Deseret Alphabet after moving to Utah, which was based in part on Hebrew. The Church also spends millions of dollars every year on its Jerusalem Center in Israel, at which it encourages its college aged youth to study. Further, the LDS church commits large amounts of monies to help disadvantaged Jewish families worldwide.[citation needed]

In contrast, Jewish denominations see no reciprocal connection to Mormonism.[citation needed] Recently, a controversy in the 1990s arose between the two groups in which Mormons vicariously baptized in Mormon temples 380,000 Jewish victims of The Holocaust. According to LDS official Monte J. Brough, "Mormons who baptized 380,000 Holocaust victims posthumously were motivated by love and compassion and did not understand their gesture might offend Jews...they did not realize that what they intended as a "Christian act of service" was "misguided and insensitive."[3]


[edit] Denominations

[edit] Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) was established by Joseph Smith III and a small fragment of the church in 1860. This movement gathered together many followers of other Latter Day Saint denominations. Based in Independence, Missouri, the Community of Christ is the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination. Its members are of the position that it is, despite its reorganization and occasional name change, the original church established by Joseph Smith II, based on the belief that all other groups distorted the doctrine of the original church, or aligned with someone who lacked authority to replace Smith.

In the late 20th century, the RLDS church changed some key doctrines as well as its name. Priesthood, which up until then was held exclusively by male members, was granted to both male and female members of the church. This caused a number of smaller groups to develop. A loose group of independent branches calling themselves Independent RLDS or Restoration Branches started in the 1980s. The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, organized by Frederick Niels Larson, was established in 2000. The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized by several RLDS seventies in1989.


[edit] Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
Other Prairie Saint denominations include:

The Church of Christ, later called the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion—organized by Sidney Rigdon—1844. The original organization of this church dissolved by 1847.
The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)—a reorganization of the Rigdonites under William Bickerton—1862. This denomination continues to this day and has several thousand members worldwide.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)—organized by James J. Strang—1844. Today this denomination has a following of a few hundred faithful and is headquartered in Voree (now Burlington) Wisconsin.
The Church of Christ—a schism in the Strangite church organized by Aaron Smith—1846 (defunct).
The Church of Christ (Whitmerite)—organized by David Whitmer—1847 and 1871. Extant until around 1925.
The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)—organized by Alpheus Cutler—1853. Survives today with a handful of members in Independence, Missouri.
The Restored Church of Jesus Christ (Eugene O. Walton)—organized by Eugene O. Walton—1980. This church is headquartered in Independence, Missouri, USA, and has 25 members.
The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) (Hedrickites)—organized by Granville Hedrick—1863. Headquarted today on the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri.
The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message—organized by Otto Fetting and William Draves—1929 and 1943. Headquartered today in Independence, Missouri, USA, on Lacy Road. A denomination which split with the Temple Lot church over reported revelations from John the Baptist.

[edit] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Main article: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most-recognized architectural symbol of MormonismIn 1846, Brigham Young led a large group of Mormon pioneers out of Nauvoo, Illinois to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley (initially part of Mexico but soon annexed by the United States as the Utah Territory), where the first company arrived on July 24, 1847.

Now an international organization, the Church has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah where Gordon B. Hinckley serves as its fifteenth President. The Church sends tens of thousands of missionaries throughout the world,[4] and in 2005 reported a worldwide membership of over 12.5 million.[5] More than half of the Latter-day Saints live in Latin America; a usual site for meetings of the members of Hispanic speech is GrupoSUD.com.


[edit] Mormon fundamentalism
Main article: Mormon fundamentalism
The Church of the First Born—organized by Joseph Morris—1861. Probably defunct, remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century.
The Church of Zion—organized by William S. Godbe—1868 (defunct).
The Apostolic United Brethren—organized by Lorin C. Woolley in the 1920s. Headquarters in Bluffdale, Utah.
The Kingston clan—organized by Thomas R. King—1926. A large group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—organized by John Y. Barlow—1935. Headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona, this is the largest group of Latter Day Saints who practice plural marriage.
The Aaronic Order—organized by Maurice L. Glendenning in 1942. Its web site is http://houseofaaron.org/.
The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ-founded by Antonio A. Feliz in 1985.
The New Covenant Church of God—organized by Christopher C. Warren—1986.
The True & Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days—organized by James D. Harmston—1994. Headquartered in Manti, Utah, this is a relatively small group that practices plural marriage.

[edit] Reform Mormonism
Reform Mormonism is a branch of Mormonism that was founded in 2002 by former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like Judaism, Reform Mormonism is not a church, but a religion with unique liturgy, traditions, and holidays. It is currently a small movement, with rituals that can be observed within the home.

Most Reform Mormons come from the LDS Church and other Latter Day Saint movement churches, while a few supporters come from outside that tradition. Some Reform Mormons remain members of other churches.

Because of its liberal nature, scripture is not limited to the standard canon common to Latter Day Saints, and adherents are "free to explore and use the Scripture of the world for their pursuit."[6] It sees the Book of Mormon as one of several inspired works. Rather than the Doctrine and Covenants, the religion has the Book of Michael which is an evolving book of scripture.