The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now forbids plural marriage. Its official position is that at various times in the past, God commanded a few men to take more than one wife. This has happened during specific times in history, which is why Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon (as read in the bible) did this. When Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were commanded by God to take more than one wife, they questioned the practice but were faithful to God and followed his will.
Since 1890, however, when Mormon president Wilford Woodruff received a revelation from God that the practice had to cease, it has been forbidden by official church policy. Polygamists are excommunicated by the officially recognized church, the greatest punishment the church can deliver.
There were people, then and now, who go against God's intentions with this commandment and use it as an excuse for abuse. There are fundamentalists in every religion who believe their church has become too liberal and who refuse to go with what is taught. There are therefore many "mormon fundamentalists" who are not part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who practice polygamy.
Sources: The Religion Book: Mormons/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, read the full version here:http://www.answers.com/topic/church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
What is a mormon?
I did a google search to see what people say a Mormon is. It is interesting to see the variety of definitions available. Who better to ask than a Mormon herself? That is why I made this blog :)
I am currently trying to get some of the "definitions" I found updated to include more accurate information. Here is an example of what I wrote a Mormon is:
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Mormon:
A term which most often refers to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination originating from the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr.
Joseph Smith declared that an angel of God had led him to a set of ancient golden plates which describes a history of the peoples of the American continents. The translation of these plates is known as "The Book of Mormon." Mormons believe that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, in addition to the bible. The term "Mormon" is a nickname that refers to those who believe in The Book of Mormon.
Some early Mormons practiced polygamy, a practice that the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially abolished in 1890. Mormons believe in a living prophet and apostles of Jesus Christ, who give spiritual direction to church members.
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Why is there so much confusion?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church that was established by Joseph Smith Jr. It has over 13 million members worldwide. The members of this church have been known as "mormons". The definition of these members is what I gave above. This is the people who make "Mormon Temples", and have "Mormon Missionaries" which walk around in pairs with white shirts and ties.
Now, some confusion results from this:
Recently, there have been people trying to be called "mormon" just from their belief in the book of mormon (most of these people come from religions which are small offshoots of the mormon church). The problem is, these people represent a minority of the believers in the book of mormon, and they are vastly different than mormons. They have many practices which mormons do not believe (including the continued practice of polygamy), and even have beliefs which contradict the book of mormon. (If you would like to read more about this, please follow this link: more
So, what is the answer?
If you want a definition of what a Mormon is, what you probably mean is, "What is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?"
I am currently trying to get some of the "definitions" I found updated to include more accurate information. Here is an example of what I wrote a Mormon is:
---------------
Mormon:
A term which most often refers to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination originating from the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr.
Joseph Smith declared that an angel of God had led him to a set of ancient golden plates which describes a history of the peoples of the American continents. The translation of these plates is known as "The Book of Mormon." Mormons believe that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, in addition to the bible. The term "Mormon" is a nickname that refers to those who believe in The Book of Mormon.
Some early Mormons practiced polygamy, a practice that the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially abolished in 1890. Mormons believe in a living prophet and apostles of Jesus Christ, who give spiritual direction to church members.
---------------
Why is there so much confusion?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church that was established by Joseph Smith Jr. It has over 13 million members worldwide. The members of this church have been known as "mormons". The definition of these members is what I gave above. This is the people who make "Mormon Temples", and have "Mormon Missionaries" which walk around in pairs with white shirts and ties.
Now, some confusion results from this:
Recently, there have been people trying to be called "mormon" just from their belief in the book of mormon (most of these people come from religions which are small offshoots of the mormon church). The problem is, these people represent a minority of the believers in the book of mormon, and they are vastly different than mormons. They have many practices which mormons do not believe (including the continued practice of polygamy), and even have beliefs which contradict the book of mormon. (If you would like to read more about this, please follow this link: more
So, what is the answer?
If you want a definition of what a Mormon is, what you probably mean is, "What is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?"
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Read the scriptures online!
Isn't it wonderful how you can use the internet to gain the knowledge you seek in a quick and effective way? I am amazed that we ever lived without it! If you ever need access to the word of God, and you don't have your bible or other books of scripture with you, thanks to the internet you don't have to go without. A wonderful website, www.lds.org has been so kind as to supply the scriptures in an easy-to-search and clear form to read. I really like the layout of it. Check out the scriptures online at this link: http://scriptures.lds.org
Heres a hint. If you are looking for a certain story or word, you can type it in the search bar and go right to that scripture! This online scripture repository is truly amazing and very helpful. Check out the easy to read layout of this page for example: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/ot/contents . This shows the Old testament. One nice thing about this particular scripture database is that it is ad free. You don't have deal with destractions.
If you want to read the bible or other scriptures, this is a great resource.
Heres a hint. If you are looking for a certain story or word, you can type it in the search bar and go right to that scripture! This online scripture repository is truly amazing and very helpful. Check out the easy to read layout of this page for example: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/ot/contents . This shows the Old testament. One nice thing about this particular scripture database is that it is ad free. You don't have deal with destractions.
If you want to read the bible or other scriptures, this is a great resource.
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