Beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (informally known as the LDS Church) focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God, born of Mary, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared again to his disciples, and now resides, authoritatively, on the right hand side of God.
The church's canon of sacred texts consists of the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
[9] The LDS Church uses the Authorized King James Version (KJV) for its English-speaking members and other translations to accommodate alternative languages.
[14] Smith stated that, under divine direction, he translated the Book of Mormon from metal plates having "the appearance of gold" found buried near his home.
It does not accept the creed's definition of Trinity that the three are "consubstantial" nor the Athanasian Creed's[26] statement that they are "incomprehensible",[27] arguing that the LDS view is self-evident in the Bible that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons—three divine beings as illustrated in Jesus' farewell prayer, his baptism at the hands of John, his transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen.
In addition to the Godhead, LDS theology recognizes at least the possibility of other divine entities; however, these other "gods" and "goddesses" are not considered to be objects of worship, and have no direct relevance to salvation.
According to that book, Jesus Christ is "the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
[39][40] Early leaders taught that Jesus had multiple wives[41][42][43] and children[44][45][46] during his mortal ministry in promotion of Mormon polygamy,[47][48] but this is no longer a widely held belief or teaching in the church.
[52] Thus, having satisfied the demands of justice,[53] Christ offers mercy to mankind in two general forms: unconditional (all will be resurrected),[54] and conditional (those who believe in Christ, repent of sin,[55] and are baptized, "the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God")[56] This Atonement is also believed to cover not only sin, but all pain, suffering, heartache, or hardship experienced in this life.
To overcome the lasting effects of the fall, Christ offered himself an infinite sacrifice for the sins of all those willing to repent and enter into a covenant with him, trusting in his righteousness or merits for salvation (Alma 22:14; Moroni 6:4), while all the rest must depend on their own good works for salvation, or answer the ends of the law themselves, falling short of the glory of God (2 Nephi 2:22–26; Romans 10:4).
Furthermore, Christ brought about the universal resurrection of all men and women, as they were not responsible for the fall, leaving them to account only for their own deeds in the flesh (Articles of Faith 1:2; Alma 11:41–46).
To obtain his mercy, or be saved from his wrath on the day of judgment, men and women must (1) have faith in Christ, (2) repent of their sins, (3) be baptized by one of his authorized agents in water in the likeness of his burial, to come forth born again of the Spirit, (4) receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, again by an authorized servant of God bearing his priesthood, and (5) endure with faith in Christ and repentance from sins to the end of their mortal lives.
The LDS Church teaches that this is the only gospel ever taught by Jesus, and that it is imparted in the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and most plainly in the Book of Mormon.
[70][71] When God rejected that plan, the War in Heaven ensued, resulting in Lucifer and one-third part of the spirits being cast out and denied ever receiving physical bodies.
Those in "prison" will be visited by spirits from paradise and given the chance to learn of the teachings of Jesus Christ and to accept the accompanying saving ordinances.
A further destination, called outer darkness, is reserved for Satan, his devils, and those mortals who commit the unpardonable sin and thereby become the sons of perdition.
[77] The church also teaches that all animals have souls and, having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, will be resurrected, along with every human child who died before the age of accountability.
Generally, prayer is addressed to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, and thanks or petitions are expressed as prompted by the Holy Ghost.
They revere the words their prophets and general authorities speak when "moved upon by the Holy Ghost" (Doctrine and Covenants 8:3–4)[88] as modern-day scripture, and members are encouraged to ponder and pray for revelation regarding the truthfulness of such statements.
[citation needed] The church teaches that every being that lived upon the earth initially had a spirit body and that all were born to Heavenly Parents in a pre-mortal existence.
[117]: 284 [118][119]: 7 Transgender people and other gender minorities currently face membership restrictions in access to priesthood and temple rites in the church.
[123] The LDS church places great emphasis on the sexual behavior of Mormon adherents, as a commitment to follow the law of chastity is required for baptism,[119]: 219 adherence is required to receive a temple recommend,[122][119]: 219 and is part of the temple endowment ceremony covenants devout participants promise by oath to keep.
Saving ordinances are those that are required for salvation or exaltation, and include baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (confirmation of membership in the church of Jesus Christ); the "sacrament" of the Lord's supper, taken each Sunday, to keep in remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and to renew the covenants made at baptism; ordination to an office of the priesthood (for males); the initiatory or washings and anointings; the endowment; celestial marriage; and family sealings.
The first, the baptismal covenant, is entered into after the sincere communicant fulfills the pre-requisite of exercising faith in Christ, repents of his sins, is baptized by proper authority, receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, and promises to endure to the end of his mortal life continuing to exercise faith in Christ and repentance from his sins.
[165][166] Likewise, the church teaches that the saving ordinances are not required for persons age eight or older who are "mentally incapable of knowing right and wrong".
The primary duties of teachers are to prepare the sacrament, participate in home teaching, and assist members with their temporal needs if requested.
The main role of an apostle is to act as a special witness of Jesus Christ to the world at large and to oversee the spiritual and temporal administration of the church.
Members are encouraged to attend the temples regularly, where they usually participate in the endowment, sealing, washing and anointing, and other ordinances, most often by proxy for the dead.
Young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who meet standards of worthiness and preparation are encouraged to serve a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission.
As they finish their education and enter the work force, they then are able to pay back the funds provided so that other individuals can attend both vocational technical schools and university.
