Mormonism

Mormonism is a religion originating in the early 1800s. Mormonism is an unofficial name used to refer to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called Mormon Church). Mormonism refers to the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith and the succeeding prophets and leaders of the Church, but those doctrines are believed to be eternal and part of the original gospel preached by Jesus Christ. Mormonism is usually described as a branch of Christianity, encompassing numerous religious denominations, but Mormonism is generally associated with the theology and subculture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most people who are members of the Mormon Church prefer to be called Latter-Day Saints . Other generally acceptable terms are LDS, Saints, and Mormons. Also, a few people view the terms Mormon and Mormonism as offensive. The term "Mormon" derives from The Book of Mormon, that was published in 1830 and that more recently was subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to highlight the importance of the information about the Savior that is contained in the book. The Book of Mormon is accepted by the Mormon Church (LDS) as scripture along with the Bible. Mormonism also refers to the doctrine taught by Joseph Smith and the succeeding prophets and leaders of the Mormon Church. It views human life as one of the stages in the eternal progression of intelligent beings who are God's spirit children. Men and women are allowed to choose whether to accept or reject Christ's gospel, teachings, and covenants. Mormons believe that the Church's teachings as truly Christian and they were restored to earth in its original purity by Christ himself through Joseph Smith. For this reason they usually refer to the Church as the "Restored" Church. Mormonism includes in its theology many doctrines that are shared by many other Christian churches in different degrees. Mormons believe in a personal God who is concerned with his children; Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he came on the earth to preach the gospel, establish His Church, and perform the infinite Atonement. Men and women need to repent, be baptized by the proper authority, and continue to keep the commandments to be saved. Continuing revelation is probably a distinctive characteristic of Mormonism and it’s another basic doctrine of the Mormon Church. The value of marriage and family is of the highest importance among Mormons and genealogical research is a distinctive mark of this religion.