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The Church of Latter-Day Saints: Mormonism

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The Church of Latter-Day Saints: Mormonism
Abstract
The topic of my research paper is the Mormon religion. Particularly the original form of the religion as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With this paper I will answer the following questions as to where did the religion started, who were/are the main leaders and places of worship for the religion, are there any divisions or sects that are associated with the religion, how has the religion changed over time, and what does the future hold for this religion? To find my answers I searched many online articles, books, and magazine articles. I found that the Mormon religion is a lot more complex than I believe many people think it is and there are many misconceptions made about the religion.

Mormonism is not only a religion but a way of life for the people that call themselves LDS (Latter Day Saints). The religion was founded by Joseph Smith Jr. and has devout followers worldwide. “Mormonism, is the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ; of which I myself am not ashamed.” This quote by Joseph Smith summarizes how true and pure the follows of this religion believe it is. With this paper I will give a brief history of the Mormon religion and try to address key issues and topics surrounding this controversial religion. Joseph Smith established the Mormon religion in 1830 after a vision from God. He said that while praying in the woods God came to him in a vision and instructed him to start a new true religion. When God appeared, Joseph asked him what was the right religion to follow. “The Lord answered that he must join “none of them, for they were all wrong” and “all their creeds were an abomination in his sight.” He said that they had a “form of godliness,” but they denied “the power thereof” (Ingleton,2005). With this new found understanding and the power of God’s words Joseph started The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church was founded with just six followers to start; many of which were Joseph’s family members. (Ingleton,


References: Abanes, Richard. (2003). One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church. New York, NY: Four Walls Eight Windows Dobner, Jennifer. (Dec. 2, 2008). Brave departure from the past. Religion News Blog. Ingleton, R. Vernon, ed. (2005). History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, Lucy Mack Smith; the Unabridged Original Version Joseph Smith, Jr. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 06, 2010, from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith,_Jr McConkie, Bruce R. (1959). Mormon Doctrine. Salt Lake City, UT: Desert Book Company. Mormonsim. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 06, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism Oakes, Dallin H. (1994, May). Tithing. Ensign, 33. Sheler, Jeffery L. (2007). The Mormon Way. Us News & World Report, 76.
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