What do we really know about the Mormons, also known as the Church of the Latter-Day Saints? Much maligned, they are criticized and bullied because of their beliefs. For example, some scholars say that they are not Christians, that they believe there are holy books beyond the Bible, that they believe in polygamy, and more. If you saw the loud, bawdy, and very funny musical Book of Mormon several years ago, you and thousands of others had a lot of belly laughs at their expense. Instead of being offended by that musical, the Mormons used it as a public relations tool. If you saw it in the theater, you might remember that toward the back of the Play Bill, there was an ad: “Now you’ve seen the show, read the Book of Mormon!” Pretty clever.
The history of the Mormon Church is too long to tell here. But in a sentence or two, suffice it so say that Joseph Smith, disillusioned with traditional Christian churches, found two golden tablets in his backyard in 1830 and Mormonism embraced his revelations. They do accept the King James Version of the Bible but have extra books in their canon. The most prominent one being The Book of Mormon which covers a period of about 1,000 years, from 600 B.C. to A.D. 400 and takes place primarily in the Americas. Additional works are the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Their scripture is all these. For a Mormon, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are separate and distinct Gods, not a Trinity as we believe.
Large numbers of Mormons live in Utah. They first moved from the east coast to Nauvoo, Illinois. Harassed by those in opposition to them, leader Joseph Smith was killed by a mob in 1844. Fleeing armed violence, they went west in 1846 in a group led by Brigham Young. They went past the western border of the United States and landed in a desolate area which they called “Deseret.”
Mormons who have made special commitments in the Temple must wear a Temple Garment all the time. Its purpose is to remind the wearer of the promises made in a special Temple ceremony. Like an undershirt and knee-length briefs, its styles vary and have been modified over the years to accommodate clothing designs. It represents the wearer’s commitment to serve and follow God.
Mormons have a health code that eschews alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and addictive substances. They can drink Coke and eat French fries. They should eat fruit and vegetables in season, eat sparingly of meat, but eat grains (bread of life).
What about polygamy? In 1890, threatened with destruction of their church, religious leaders reluctantly issued the “Mormon Manifesto” in which they commanded all Latter-day Saints to uphold the anti-polygamy laws of the nation.
Mormons have made important contributions to the world. Encouraged to baptize at least four generations of forebears because Mormons want to seal the family together in the afterlife, this has resulted in LDS church building the world’s most extensive genealogical library. Located in Salt Lake City it contains two billion names. This is a real gift to genealogists.
Another contribution is to the musical world. The Tabernacle Choir has given musical voice of hopes, joys, and trials of people around the world. The choir of 360-members, almost equal numbers of men and women, is all volunteers, and has performed all over the world. They record in many formats; they appear on social media and on streaming platforms. It was a thrill for me to hear a rehearsal of the choir in a meetinghouse in Salt Lake City. Only members in good standing are allowed in the actual Temple.
There is so much more about Mormons I could share, but space is limited. Thus, I must conclude that even if we buy into the fact that Mormons are not Christians in the traditional sense, God still loves them, and we should love them also.
