Christian Faith Vs Stagonism

Sidney said, “We will never be the aggressors, we will infringe in the rights of no people, but shall stand for our own until death. We claim our own rights, and are willing that all others shall enjoy theirs.” Sidney Rigdon Oration, July 4, 1838 (Bushman, 342). The Mormons felt as if the speech was a good idea at the time, but Sidney’s speech did not work well in the Mormons

She states that “Young’s church elders swept through the outlying communities” and scrutinized “those who were found lacking” (Denton 105). Denton then focuses on the revival of blood atonement, and how it struck fear in the saints. She points out that Mormons tried to flee after the reformation was in progress, but were “hunted down and killed” (Denton, 106). In her book she talks about how the church had more problems, stating that the church was “on the brink of bankruptcy, and with apostates and internal dissenters at an all time high” (Denton 107). Denton uses all of these radical statements to illustrate and give readers an understanding of why there was tension among the Mormons.

Mormonism, the largest church to originate on American soil is not without its own burdens to bear. As one of the younger religions, one that strayed from the foundations of the other already established religions in the United States, it is often viewed with negativity and mockery. Modern day social media, television, news articles and movies often exploit Mormon beliefs. They twist and exaggerated certain facets of the Mormon way of life. This framing of their belief system by the media leads the public opinion toward viewing this representation as a true depiction of the Mormons. Some of the more extreme behaviors exhibited by members that have separated from the main group are used against the entire faith by the media, so in turn this extremist view has become a Mormon stereotype.

People and religion are a part of everyday life. The world is sure to be empty without the existence of God’s creation. When people and religion are viewed as different, the history, beliefs, and practice are formed unrealistically by outsider, more so than an insider. In an interview with a LDS, the author attempts to write and summarize a Mormon‘s journey through life with God and others.

One of the largest struggles for members in the church is animosity of non-members. On one hand, many express their dislike of the LDS church without even knowing what Sacrament Meeting is or the full the title of the “Mormon church” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). On the other hand, there are a number supposed experts about Mormon doctrine. Some have belonged to the Church themselves at one point, leaving after finding unresolved dissonance between their beliefs and the Gospel. Others are often learned scholars, criticizing the Mormon doctrine to prove their own views. The following paper involves the latter of the two in an analysis of Ezekiel 37:15-17, a Biblical scripture that the LDS Church believes to refer to The Book of Mormon.

The writings, known as the Book of Mormon, describe how some Israelites traveled to the Americas to become the indigenous tribes (Gutjahr 7). The books and Joseph’s teachings laid out a faith that seemed radically different than any other. But Mormonism shares roots with other religions; it began as a form of Trinitarian Christianity. Like Christianity, it builds on Judaism; Mormonism also connects with the Jewish history as the Book of Mormon describes the families of a lost tribe of Israel. Like Protestantism, Mormonism can be considered a reformed version of Christianity. Mormonism, in fact, has much in common with Islam—both have Abrahamic roots and a modern prophet and sacred text. Mormon ideas may seem radical in some areas, but are Christian in many fundamental aspects. Mormons believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, although they see them as separate beings. They accept the Old and New Testament as the work of God, and believe in many Christian ideas such as sin, divine revelation, and God’s eventual return. The main difference, then, is simply that Mormonism is newer than other religions, and thus assumed to be invalid. As Noah Feldman summarizes, “Antiquity

Mormonism was founded in the 1820s’ by Joseph Smith. Smith, wanting to expand his religious following migrated to Illinois where he established a settlement that included a temple of worship and a village (Green 57). In Illinois the Mormon peoples’ were met with threats, violence, and occasionally they were even killed. This was the case for their leader Joseph Smith; Smith was met with disgust from non-mormons when he attempted to run for presidency and his church riddled with scandal when the word of polygamy got out. With his tarnished reputation, Smith was ultimately murdered by an outraged mob, who then threatened other Mormons that if they did not leave they would be met with the same fate (Mormons into the West). With that warning, the Mormons picked a new leader, Brigham Young, who wanted to flee the American Border. Young set for travel with his new followers to the Great Salt Lake, which at the time was located in Mexico.

Mormonism is a religion created by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830(The Mormon Trail), its believers are referred to as Mormons and practice the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) (The Mormon Trail). Smith believed himself to be a prophet destined to “restore the original pure church the Christians in the Book of Mormon had created (Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion).” However, he was killed by a mob in Illinois but was replaced by his successor, Brigham Young. Their beliefs include a particular set of deity, afterlife, and they practice polygamy, which is one of the reasons the Mormons sought religious freedom.

Men and women from other religions, did many things to harm as many of the mormons they could. There were mass murders, rages, attacks on homes, and massacres that were set against the mormons. One common thing done to them,was tarring and feathering them. This is where boiling tar was poured over their head, to run down their body then they were covered in feathers. Thousands were killed, or at least hurt, year after year. Many of the righteous and steadfast followers were put in jail for no reason, then starved to death, or shot. Others were killed on the spot. The Prophet, Joseph Smith, was taken from his home, and put in jail with four other mormon leaders, then him and two others were shot by a mob just days later.

Mormonism is known as one of the most successful (in present time) and government involved religions from the 1800’s. Joseph Smith, who had much curiosity in religion, and what was real and what was made up, founded the religion. He claimed that Jesus Christ and God himself visited him and that they told him, .all denominations have strayed from the truth and that he should not join any of them. After that event, he didn’t think much of it and moved on through his life. Once he told his father of his vision, he was scorned, and went to seek forgiveness. When praying for his sins to be relinquished he received a vision by the angel named Moroni, who spoke of a book written on gold plates and buried in a nearby hillside. As Smith went to the gold plates, he continued translating what became the Book of

This paper will compare and contrast the ecclesiological portions of the Baptist Faith and Message doctrinal statements of 1925 (section XII), 1963 (section VI), and 2000 (section VI). Further, it will identify and explain similarities and differences in the three statements. Finally, it will explain the changes in the Baptist Faith & Message.

Have you ever been curious of other religions besides your own? Maybe even discriminated against a religion without taking the time to know more about it? I am going to discuss the religion of Latter Day Saints. I will tell you what they are about, how they differ from other religions, how they have contributed to American culture, etc. Have you ever thought that a certain racial group belonged to a certain religion or certain group based on their race? I am also going to discuss African Americans and how they differ from other ethnic groups. How they have been discriminated against and how they have contributed to American culture.

The Mormons and their highly contested religious views have similarities that one can correlate to the Native Americans and their practices in the West during the 19th century. After reading two primary sources, James Mooney’s The Ghost Dance Religion (Porcupine’s Account of the Messiah in the Appendix) and Mrs. Z. A. Parker’s description of a Ghost Dance on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1890, it is logical to conclude that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the American Indians in the 1800s both were yearning for freedom, perhaps for different reasons, but they both definitely wanted the independence and the privilege to practice however they liked. Even if the Mormons and Native Americans did not get along in the Great Basin

heart of the Christian faith and at its source of its traditions in Scripture is