The Church of Latter-Day Saints

Introduction: The name Mormons, as applied to the sect, is resented by its adherents, who pre­fer to be called Latter-Day Saints. They maintain that to call their members Mormons because of their belief in the Book of Mormon would be com­parable to calling a person an Isaiah because he is a believer in this book.

Of this church there are two branches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After ' the death of their prophet, Joseph Smith, the church was divided, the former following the leadership of Brigham Young, and who were therefore called Brighamites, while the latter followed Joseph Smith, Jr., and were there­fore called Josephites. This paper deals princi­pally with the followers of Brigham Young, who migrated to the West and set up their headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and does not necessarily present the views of the Reorganized Church, whose headquarters are at Independence, Missouri.

Mormonism has been called the Islam of America. It is like Mohammedanism in its en­dorsement of the practice of polygamy and its ideas of heaven. The Book of Mormon is said to have a likeness to the Koran.

History: This church was formally 'founded under its leader and prophet, Joseph Smith, at Fayette, New York, in 1830, with six charter members.

At the age of about fifteen, Joseph Smith, as a result of revival meetings in the community, de­clared himself to be searching for the true church. According to his testimony, as he was praying one afternoon in a grove he was approached by two celestial beings, who told him they were the Father and the Son. He was told that none of the churches were right, but a new gospel dispensation was about to be set up, of which he would be the leader.

After this an angel by the name of Moroni ap­proached him and told him of the existence of golden plates containing a record of the early in­habitants of this continent, which were hidden in a hill called Cumorah, near his home. Four years later, in 1827, these plates were supposedly found by Joseph, and with them "interpreters," the Urim and Thummim. By these Joseph Smith alleges to have translated these plates into the Book of Mor­mon, named thus for Mormon, the father of Moroni, and the one who had hidden the plates.

The Book of Mormon was first published in 1830 in New York as an edition of five thousand. Many other editions have been printed, and it has been translated into many languages.

During its first year the sect gathered about fifteen hundred converts. The early history of the church was one of trouble, persecution, and migra­tion. The first move was into Ohio, where the church was more definitely organized. By this time the membership had increased to between three and four thousand. The next move was into Missouri, where the sect suffered a troubled sojourn. But in spite of unrest, the membership increased to between twelve and fifteen thousand. In midwinter they were forced to leave Missouri. They then settled in a town which they named Nauvoo, across the river, in Illinois. Here, as elsewhere, trouble sprang up, partly as a result of concerning themselves with State politics.

A number of the members left the body at this time and two of these men, William and Wilson Law, set up a paper called the Nattvoo Expositor. The paper revealed some of the inconsistencies of the leaders' lives. Smith, as mayor, ordered the paper suspended, also a raid upon the property, which was carried out by the police. The ven­geance of the county then turned upon Smith, and the governor of the State promised that Smith would be called to account for his rash act. Smith considered flight to the Rocky Mountains but was prevailed upon to give himself over to the govern­ment for justice. The governor pledged the honor of the State for his protection, and he was placed in the visitors' quarters at the jail, along with his brother, Hyrum, and several others, to await trial. However, on June 27, 1844, this pledge was broken by a mob of about two hundred, who entered the jail through the co-operation of the guards. Jo­seph and his brother were shot to death and another leader seriously wounded. This gave to the prophet the aspect of the martyr, which no doubt did more to promote the prosperity of the sect in his death than could possibly have been done in his life.

The leadership of the church then fell to Brig­hain Young, a man of great ability as an organizer. In less than two years the saints were again forced to move, this time beginning the long wintry jour­ney to Utah. Young had received revelation that they should settle there. They formed long trains, pushing their worldly goods before them in hand carts. Many hardships were encountered, but Utah raised itself to the status of a territory and finally attained statehood.

In 1852 Brigham Young officially announced a revelation received in 1843 sanctioning the prac­tice of plural marriage, to which he and other leaders had subscribed, secretly at first, but later openly. There were many clashes between the State and the church. The greatest of these was over the matter of polygamy. The support of this practice was finally withdrawn by the church, though it has never denied the rightness of the principle. But as this, practice was gradually dis­continued, a more friendly feeling came in between the members of this church and those without.

The membership of the church has continued to increase, until it now numbers, according to church statistics, about 863,000 members.

Church Organization and Government: The government and organization of this church rise out of their concepts of the priesthood. "Priest­hood is regarded as power delegated from God to man, by which man is authorized to act in the name or the authority of God."

There are two divisions of the priesthood, the Aaronic and the Melchizedek. Of these the Mel­chizedek is the greater and deals with spiritual matters, while the Aaronic is concerned more with the temporal. Officers of the Melchizedek priest­hood are high priests, seventies, and elders. The officers of the Aaronic priesthood are bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons.

The head of this body is the president, possess­ing supreme authority. He is supported by two counselors, these three constituting the "first presi­dency." After these come "the twelve apostles, the presiding patriarch, the seven presidents of seventies, and the presiding bishopric of three men."

A single church community is called a ward. Over each presides a bishop, and his two coun­selors. From four to fifteen wards compose a stake. This is presided over by a president and two counselors. The stakes are then organized into territories in which from two to ten thousand live in fairly close proximity. Missions are organ­ized in more scattered areas.

Supplementary activities of the church include the National Woman's Relief Society, Sunday schools, Young People's Mutual Improvement Associations, Primary Association, a program pro­moting midweek child culture. The church also provides religious training whiCh ties up with secular schoolwork in high school and college levels. Genealogical societies are also sponsored.

Doctrines: The distinguishing points of faith are continual divine revelation through an in­spired prophet who heads the church, polygamy, pre-existence, the immortality of the soul, the soon approach of the end of the world, the premillennial coming of Christ, the setting up of His kingdom on the American continent (presumably in Mis­souri, where they believe the Garden of Eden was originally), baptism by immersion, a vicarious baptism for the dead which they base upon i Co­rinthians 15 :29, tithing, temperance, refraining from the use of tea and coffee and tobacco, the "sealing" of the marriage contract in one of their temples to make it binding in the world to come, progression in spiritual life to the point where one may become as intelligent and omnipotent as God Himself, the administration of patriarchalblessings.

Though perhaps they are not cognizant of the fact, the foundations of the church are very closely tied into Spiritualism through their belief in the state of the dead. The plates from which the Book of Mormon was supposedly taken were re­ceived through Moroni, the angel son of Mormon, the man who buried them. They claim to have received their "authority" to baptize directly from John the Baptist, who was under the direction of Peter, James, and John.

A combatant status is taken by them in war. They are also affiliated with the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. Toward the Sabbath they take a rather passive attitude, feeling that if this matter is of sufficient importance, there will be a "revelation" given them concerning it.

Authoritative Sources of Doctrine: The fol­lowing are considered as such by the church: (I) the Old and New Testaments "so far as they are correctly translated from the original manu­scripts"; (2) the Book of Mormon, supposedly an American record of ancient times on this conti­nent; (3) Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of alleged present-day revelations written for the most part by Joseph Smith; (4) The Pearl of Great Price, fragmentary writings purported to come from Abraham and Moses but not found in the Bible ; also certain additional historical and doc­trinal writings by Joseph Smith. The above four books have been voted by the church to constitute scripture.

Missionary Program: The organization has been very mission minded from its beginning. Hardly more than organized, the church sent out missionaries to the Indians on reservations in New York and surrounding States, who proceeded west­ward working also among the white settlers. From the early years missionaries were also sent to European countries, where thousands of converts were made, many of them coming to America as emigrants, and thus swelling the numbers of the church. In 1837 two of the "apostles" who went to the British Isles baptized nearly two thousand people after eight months of labor.

However, their system of missions lacks per­manency and greatly limits itself in many countries by its plan. Missionaries are not supported by the church but are dependent upon their own families and friends, as well as on the people to whom they go, to some extent. Usually young people are selected to go on a mission, two years usually understood as a term. They proceed from house to house, instructing any interested in the tenets of their faith, and distributing literature to others.

Contributions By Church: We do not feel able to say that this church has bequeathed a spiritual legacy to Christendom. -It has cham­pioned the belief in divine, modern revelation, but not in a form which we could feel is genuine. Rather its contributions have been on the tem­poral and charitable side. It has an efficient sys­tem of welfare work in which surpluses are placed in store to be used for the destitute, especially among its own membership.

These people were pioneers in the use of irri­gation, by which they made the deserts of the West to blossom and produce. "It is better to feed the Indian than to fight him," was an axiom of Brigham Young's, the carrying out of which made for a friendly relationship between these peoples.