CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS (MORMONS)

Their geographical base is in the state of Utah in the US, where more than 70% of the population are Mormon. In spite of their strong belief in chastity before marriage and in the importance of close family ties, the rates of child abuse, divorce, suicide and teenage pregnancy in Utah are above the average for the United States (1).

At the age of 17, he received three visitations from Moroni (some texts say Nephi) at the time of the Autumn Equinox. The angel revealed to Joseph the location of golden tablets on which was written the history of two early American tribes. He went to the site and found:

• a breastplate, such as might have been worn by an ancient Israelite
• golden plates upon which ancient American authors Ether, Mormon, Lehi and Nephi had recorded additions to Biblical history
• the Urim and Thummim. These were two "stones in silver bows" which appear in Numbers 27:21 and 1 Samuel 28:6 of the Hebrew Scriptures. They were apparently devices (perhaps in the form of flat stones) that the high priest consulted to determine the will of God. They might have worked something like a pair of dice. Smith claimed that the stones had magical powers; he was able to look through the stones and thereby translate the unknown script on the golden plates into English
• brass plates upon which another author, Laban, had quoted from Hebrew Scriptures and recorded genealogies.

A friend of Smith, Martin Harris, attempted to authenticate the tablets by taking copies of some of the inscriptions to Professor Charles Anthon and is said to have received verbal confirmation that the tablets were written in reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics. No such language exists. Prof. Anton later denied making this statement, and wrote that the symbols that he saw were a combination of Greek, Hebrew, inverted or sideways Roman letters, and elements from a Mexican calendar.

Joseph Smith positioned himself behind a curtain and used the special stones to translate the inscriptions on the golden plates. Emma Smith, Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery served at various times as a scribe. A 116 page Book of Lehi was translated over a two month interval. Unfortunately, Martin Harris showed the only copies to his wife who promptly "lost" them. Lucy Harris was a skeptic, and there is speculation that she believed the book to be a fraud. By forcing Smith to retranslate the book, she hoped to demonstrate discrepancies between the two versions, thus proving that the book was a hoax. God was so angry at this loss that He temporarily took away the special stones. Smith later translated the plates of Nephi which described the same events as the Book of Lehi.

Later, John the Baptist appeared to Smith and Cowdery, investing them in the Aaronic Priesthood showing them how to baptize each other by total immersion in water. Still later, the Apostles Peter, James and John invested Smith and Cowdery in the Melchizedec priesthood and commissioned them as the first two elders of the new church.

Smith and a small band of followers first moved to Kirtland (near Cleveland OH) and later to Jackson County, MO, which he called Zion. The church was heavily persecuted, largely because the non-Mormons believed that the church was promoting the establishment of a religious dictatorship (a theocracy) and polygamy (marriages with multiple wives). They were also distressed at the Mormon's belief that the Book of Mormon was the revealed work of God, with the same status as the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. In spite of the opposition, the church increased greatly in numbers. Their homes were destroyed; many Mormons died while trying to survive winter without adequate shelter. They were expelled from Jackson County and settled in Far West, MO, in Caldwell County which had been reserved for them.

A group of Mormons, called Danites was formed as a combined army and secret police to defend the church and to identify backsliders. They created the concept of blood atonement in which a person guilty of major sins is ritually killed, and their blood spilled on the earth. To this day, Utah allows convicted murderers to choose to be killed by firing squad so that their blood can fall upon the earth.

After atrocities were committed both by the Mormons and the State Militia, the church moved again. Their destination was Commerce IL, which Smith renamed Nauvoo. It was in Nauvoo that the Law of Jacob (that men should take many wives) and the Law of Sarah (that women must stoically accept polygamy) were first widely practiced. Joseph Smith himself assigned women to the Mormon men, a process called sealing.

At the age of 38, Smith decided to run for the presidency of the US. A local newspaper (the Nauvoo Expositor) was critical of his political platform, and revealed to their readers that Mormons were practicing polygamy (a practice that Smith denied at the time). In order to silence the opposition, he ordered his followers to destroy the presses. Smith and his brother Hyrum were arrested for the crime. A mob later broke into the jail and killed them both.

As with many religious organizations, the death of the founder provoked a crisis. Most of the church members elected Brigham Young (1801-1877) as the second president of the church. A minority split from the main body and created the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints under the leadership of Joseph Smith III and Emma Smith (the son and wife of the founder). Other smaller splinter groups were the Bickertonites, the Strangites and the Church of Christ (Temple Lot).

Young led most of the church on a long and difficult trip to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where they established Salt Lake City. Mormon anger against the Gentiles (non-Mormons) remained high. In spite of a message from Brigham Young that a wagon train of emigrants from Arkansas be left alone, a group of Danite Mormons and Paiute Indians deceived and attacked the train. All 137 were killed except for children under the age of 10. This act caused an increased federal presence in Utah.

The Mormon practice of polygamy was countered by the federal Edmunds Act of 1882. Multiple attempts to have Utah recognized as a state failed because of that practice. Finally, in 1890, the Mormons received a revelation from God that outlawed polygamy. The fourth president of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, issued a manifesto (called the "Great Accommodation") in 1890 which banned polygamy. Utah became a state six years later. Many small Mormon splinter groups formed at this time; some in Utah and British Columbia still engage in polygamy. (Polygamy is against the law in theory but legal in practice in British Columbia; the Attorney General of the province recently decided to not pursue a charge of bigamy because it would probably conflict with the religious freedom provision in Canada's constitution).

During the 20th century, the church maintained a dominant role in the state of Utah.

More federal political pressure was felt by the church in the 1970's over the church's institutionalized racism. The Pearl of Great Price limited the advancement within the church by blacks or by persons with black ancestors. (Higher levels in the priesthood were permitted for Australian aboriginal males, Polynesian men, etc). In Brazil, it was often quite difficult or impossible to determine the racial origin(s) of many members. Many men of who were probably of African descent were ordained into the priesthoods. The US Internal Revenue Service threatened LDS's tax exempt status. There was a groundswell of opinion against racism by many Americans who recognized the centuries of injustice against Afro-Americans. Additional opposition came from sports groups which threatened to cancel events with Brigham Young University. Anti-Mormon religious groups promoted boycotts of church businesses and of Utah tourism. A new revelation from God was received in 1979 which abolished racism within the church. It was the second in the history of the Church.

• the King James translation of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures
• the Book of Mormon, as translated from the original golden plates and published in 1830.
• Doctrine and Covenants, a group of 138 revelations given to Joseph Smith by God, and two declarations which have been revealed to the church since Smith's death.
• The Pearl of Great Price, a compilation of revisions to the King James Version of the Bible and additional revelations from God. It concludes with the Mormon 13 Articles of Faith.

• Journal of Discourses is a group of writings from General Authorities, who were close associates of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

• the "family" level is composed of a husband, wife and children; the husband is the head of the family; the wife has authority over the children.
• level two are the "wards" which correspond to churches in Roman Catholicism, and are each headed by a male bishop (equivalent of a pastor or priest). Within the Ward are the Aaronic Priesthood (all males), the Melchezidic Priesthood (all males), the Relief Society (females), and groups for children.
• level three are the "stakes" which correspond to Catholic dioceses, and are each headed by a male president, and consists of several wards. A Stake President presides.
• level four is are "lesser Quorums of the Seventy" which are controlled by
• the "General Authorities" which consist of the Prophet, Disciples and two "Quorums of the Seventy".

• Many Mormons avoid smoking and all drinks containing caffeine or alcohol
• The church sponsors a massive missionary movement involving about 50,000 young missionaries at any one time (typically a ratio of 4 male elders to each female sister). They dedicate two years of their life in seeking converts. Missionaries live under very strict restrictions devoid of entertainment and contact sports. They have no say in the selection of their country of service; they can either accept or reject the assignment.