Church of jesus christ of the last saints. Statement by the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints about the proper name of the church. Celebrations and gatherings
O. Y. Krivosheenko
CHURCH CHURCHES OF JESUS CHRIST LAST-DAY SAINTS:
VALUE, FUNCTIONS AND EVERYDAY PRACTICE
The work is presented by the Department of Religious Studies of the Russian State Pedagogical University. A. I. Herzen.
Scientific adviser - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor A. Yu. Grigorenko
This article touches on the meaning and functions of the Church of Latter-day Saints Church, governance, organization of the internal space of the temple, gives short description temple ceremonies, prescriptions and requirements for their participants.
Key words: Mormon, Latter-day Saints, sacrament, endowment, sealing, sacrifice, consecration.
O. Krivosheyenko
LDS CHURCH TEMPLES: MEANING, FUNCTIONS AND EVERYDAY PRACTICE
The article touches upon the questions of meaning and functions of a LDS Church Temple, administration, organization of the Temple inner area, description of the Temple ordinances, instructions and demands for their participants.
Key words: Mormon, Saints, ordinance, Endowment, sealing, sacrifice, dedications.
Getting acquainted with the scientific and periodical literature on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (TSIHSPD), the reader will certainly find in it a couple, sometimes more, paragraphs devoted to the sacraments and rituals performed in the temples of the Saints, and these temples themselves in the literature are clothed with a kind of mysterious, sometimes an ominous halo of closeness, difference from the traditional idea of a Christian church. And although back in 1912, John E. Talmadge wrote a thorough work describing the external and internal structure of four temples built by that time in Utah, the vicissitudes of their construction, consecration, etc., and on the Internet today you can find official videos - excursions to temples, as well as secretly filmed or described by the participants of the temple ceremonies, at the everyday level, the press still retains, and sometimes cultivates a frightening image of the temple, while domestic scientific literature on this topic is practically absent. To partially fill this gap is the task of this article.
According to the Saints, we will use the term preferred by the followers of TsIHSPD as a self-name, their temples functionally inherit temples, starting with Of the ancient world, and directly to the Jerusalem temple. Several functions of the temple are distinguished: 1) the temple as a model of the cosmos, a reflection of the principles of the organization of the universe, as the "navel" of the world, the expression of ideas through architecture ancient temple(three-part division - three worlds), the symbolic load of its elements, the structure of the internal space, the symbolism of its parts; a modern example is a temple in Salt Lake City: three levels, facing east, a baptistery bowl with 12 horned bulls, like the bowl of Solomon's temple, symbolic elements of the facade of the building, etc .; 2) as a place of human contact with the divine; 3) as a place for the ritual drama of the creation of the world, which existed in one form or another for several millennia in various cultures on earth; 4) initiation in pre-Christian times and baptism in
Christianity as a symbolic act of death in one capacity and birth in a new one.
In the understanding of the Saints, the temple is the House of God, serving the intimate communion of the Lord with his people. The saints believe that they began to build temples not of their own free will, but according to God's command, since the ordinances performed by them are possible only within the walls of the temple, and the Father promised them the discovery of many spiritual truths in the House built in His name and glory.
It should be noted that the restoration of the temple is of fundamental importance not only in caring for the living, but also for the dead, since the living from the moment of the gift of the restored Gospel ("The Book of Mormon") have the opportunity to hear it and join the Church of Saints, having been baptized, the souls of the dead do not have such an opportunity, except through substitutionary baptism and only within the walls of the temple. Bringing as many souls as possible to salvation is the task of any Christian Church, and the Saints unequivocally identify themselves with the Christianity of the apostolic times, and in this context, it is logical to want to save not only living, but also long-dead ancestors.
Undoubtedly, the Temple of the Saints, as an architectural structure, is different from the Temple of Solomon, the ordinances performed by the Saints did not take place in the Hebrew temple, and the special position of the priest of the Jewish temple does not take place in the Mormon one. All researchers of this issue draw attention to this, and the Mormon sources themselves do not deny these differences. For the Saints, continuity is seen in the essence of the main ceremony of Solomon's temple - the sacrifice. The blood of the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament was shed as a forerunner and a symbol of the greatest sacrifice - the blood of the Lamb - Jesus Christ. The Cathedral of Christ is a new temple, where the sacrifice no longer makes sense, it has fulfilled its mission of proclamation, but this is the place where a person learns the truth about his essence, the essence of the world and God, this is the place where the beginning of his path to salvation and even greatness, since the Mormons believe in the existence in every person of God in embryo.
Therefore, among Mormons, with all the external differences between the temple of ancient Israel and the temple of the Saints of our day, their internal essential continuity is beyond doubt.
To date, 124 temples of the Saints have been consecrated and operate in the world, more than 60 of which are in the United States, that is, a little more than half, the rest are scattered all over the world, but mainly in Africa. South America, Australia and Oceania.
Consecration of the temple for Mormons is an important ceremony, which is of the sacred nature of the dedication of this temple to God. Traditionally, men, women, and sometimes children who live in the area where the temple is built and who have temple recommendations are invited to attend services held inside or near the temple. This ceremony is repeated several times so that everyone who comes to it can take part in it. The ceremony includes the singing of sacred hymns and the reading of messages from the highest ecclesiastical authorities. At some point in the ceremony, everyone rises and, waving white handkerchiefs, recite three times: "Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, to God and the Lamb." This solemn expression of affection was first performed by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple and is a reminiscence of the phrases of Christ's followers (Matthew 21: 9) at his entry into Jerusalem and the exclamation of many people in the land of Abundance: “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God ”(Z Ne. 11:17), when they saw near the temple the One whose coming was written by the prophets. Ultimately, the consecration of the temple, Mormons believe, is nothing more than the consecration of people who then take part in the sacraments in the temple.
For several weeks after the completion of the construction of the temple and until the moment of its consecration, it is open to the public, regardless of church affiliation. After consecration, entry into the temple is only possible for Mormons and only with a temple recommendation.
Each temple has an individual schedule for performing temple ceremonies, the compilation of which is influenced by the number of
the number of stakes assigned to it. Also, usually a year in advance, the temple determines the dates when it is closed. The temple is not used for Sunday services and is closed on Monday for cleaning and preparation for the weekly work ahead.
All temples are governed by the High Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to whom the Temple Department is honored. The department pays special attention to the performance of the ordinances according to established patterns, the preservation and safety of churches, their technical equipment, the relationship of churches, budget issues, etc.
The Temple President is elected by the High Presidency of the Church for two to three years. Typically, the wife of a temple president serves as the temple manager. The president is assisted by two advisers, and the manager is assisted by two assistants. Each temple has a temple archivist. The temple president, his counselors, the temple hostess, and the archivist form the temple executive council. They meet weekly to plan what needs to be done this week. Other key figures may be invited to such a meeting as needed.
Visiting the temple is permissible from the age of 12. At this age, you can get a temporary recommendation for baptism for the dead after an interview with the bishop. The endowment ceremony before the age of 18 is extremely rare. This is due to the need for a certain spiritual preparedness. President Joseph F. Smith said that children should not go through an endowment because they should understand the purpose of their presence, they should be taught the gospel, have faith in God, in the mission of Jesus Christ, and grow in a testimony of faith before going to the temple. However, before leaving on a mission, a young man or woman must undergo an endowment ceremony, that is, somewhere around the age of 19 for men and 21 for women. New church members must wait at least a year from the date of their baptism before receiving permission to sell.
attending the endowment ceremony, although they may attend the temple to be baptized for the dead.
To visit the temple, you must go through a confidential interview with the bishop, and then with the Diocesan presidency, after which a temple recommendation is issued. It is signed by both the issuer and the person to whom it was issued. The Temple Commendation is a 77 x 103 mm serial number blank printed on paper designed to be the size of a business card when folded in half. A temple recommendation is valid for one year.
The interview for obtaining a recommendation is standardized, the number of questions in it is determined by the leadership of the Church, today there are 14 such questions, some of them concern doctrine, for example: “Do you believe in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and do you have a testimony? restored gospel? " Others relate to family relationships (“Is there anything in your behavior toward family members that is inconsistent with the teaching of the Church?”), Responsibilities to the Church (“Do you fulfill your responsibilities in the church, attend sacrament meetings, etc.) ? ”;“ Are you paying in full tithing? ”), Etc.
A person visiting the temple for the first time is advised to read the thematic literature a few hours before this event, with which the Saint, of course, is familiar, however, firstly, such reading will never be superfluous, and, secondly, it will help to remember that will definitely come in handy when passing the endowment ceremony: about creation (Gen. 1-4); definitions from the biblical dictionary: atonement, Christ, covenant, fall of Adam, priesthood, sacrifice, temple; Sunday School synopsis on temple preparations, Student Guides (Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple), Temples entry in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, part of the Temple of Holiness chapter by Victor L. Ludlow.
There is not a single official TSIHSPD book explaining the temple mysteries.
wa, their history or symbolism. Several books published under the editorship of the leadership of the Church touch on these issues within themselves, there are a number of unofficial books, such as "The Holy Temple" by Brother Packer, "The Gate of Paradise" by Matthew Brown. Within the framework of this article, we will only briefly touch on the topic of temple ordinances, which in itself is very extensive and requires separate coverage.
One of the main temple ordinances is the endowment ceremony (from the English endowment - endowment, vestment). In the course of it, the Saint is endowed with a secret name by which Jesus Christ will call him on the day of the general resurrection, and is clothed in a special garment that will henceforth serve as protection for him from everything that could harm his body.
In the Temple, baptism is performed only for the dead. The living are baptized in prayer houses. At the baptism in the Temple, the minister says: “Brother ... (name), by the authority of Jesus Christ, I baptize you for. (Name), who died, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. " In the sacrament of baptism, young people from 12 to 17 years of age are often baptized for the dead. Dressed in white temple robes, they spend two to three hours a day at the baptistery, participating in the ceremony several times.
The sacrament of sealing an eternal marriage is performed in the temple in the presence of only the bride and groom; guests and relatives wait for the couple outside the temple or in a room in the foyer at the entrance, which is not considered a sacred part of the temple. During the ceremony, there is no music, poetry reading, photography. The ceremony itself is short. The couple kneel before the altar, facing each other, join hands, exchange vows, and the sealing official declares the couple husband and wife "for a time and for eternity." The exchange of rings is optional and is not part of the ceremony.
Another form of sealing is the sealing of children and parents for eternity. If the child is born of a perfect marriage
in the temple, it is already considered "born in the covenant" and does not need a seal. If a couple has a secular marriage, after some time they can complete the marriage sealing in the temple. If the couple already have children, they are also brought to the temple for sealing. In this case, the children do not need to go through an interview, they, dressed in all white, are taken directly to the sealing room.
When sealing for death, a group of Mormons gathers in the appropriate room. The person conducting the ceremony holds a sheet of paper with the names of deceased family members. He asks for the number of the men or women kneeling at the altar and then quickly recites the words that seal families together, naming the names of each deceased family member and marking the family as sealed on the sheet, then referring to the other family and repeating. This ceremony can last for several hours.
There is also a second endowment ceremony which dates back to the 1920s. so rare that many Mormons are unaware of its existence. It is held by one of the Church's apostles over a married couple invited by the President of the Church to the Holy of Holies of the temple (one of the rooms of the temple). Such a couple is guaranteed salvation and stay at the most high levels in the celestial kingdom. Part of the ordinance is performed by the couple themselves in their home, according to the instructions given during the endowment in the temple, and includes the ceremony of washing the feet. One of the consequences of the second endowment is that its participants may be worthy of being visited by Christ himself.
Temples of the Saints in their internal structure and interior are very far from the traditional ideas about Christian temples. In terms of the scarce availability of sacred objects, the absence of icons, religious sculpture in the interior decor, they are close to Protestant churches, however, the luxury and richness of the wall decoration of Orthodox and Catholic churches has passed into the luxury of furniture, lighting, and floral arrangements in the churches of the Saints.
The first Temple of the Saints was built in Kirtland, Ohio, and its external and internal structure, according to the beliefs of the Mormons, was predetermined by the Lord. When the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation about the building of the House of God in 1832, he asked at the next conference of its participants what, in their opinion, this House should be. Opinions were divided. Then Joseph Smith took the floor, informing those present that they would soon see a house, the architect of which would be the Lord himself.
Externally, the temple looked like a typical meetinghouse in New England style. At the behest of the Lord, there were two large rooms in it, one above the other: the lower one served as a chapel, prayer room, served for the performance of the sacraments, and the upper one for the teaching of the Saints. Over time, temples were no longer used for teaching, but zones appeared there, rather typical for public institutions of secular purpose.
The modern Church of Saints has a waiting room, one or several rooms with theater chairs for watching a video - an integral part of the endowment sacrament, a baptismal room (baptistery), in which a large baptismal bowl rests on the backs of 12 horned bulls, celestial rooms and for the sacraments of sealing with altars, office rooms, kitchen, cafeteria, laundry, clothing rental and chapel.
Until the mid-50s. XX century one of the parts of the endowment, which is a theatrical performance telling about the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve, the conclusion of a covenant with God, etc., was held live in all churches. The growth of foreign-language temples outside the United States led to the need to search for a new form of knowledge transfer. Since 1956, the endowment ceremony, with the exception of the Salt Lake Temple and a few others, in which the performance is still performed live, includes watching a video in the temple's respective auditorium, which is more like a small movie theater whose walls are adorned with panoramic views of the Garden of Eden. ...
Waiting halls, sealing rooms, celestial rooms are not decorated with objects that can evoke spiritual experiences. They are usually decorated like a hotel lobby: lots of light, soft armchairs or sofas, on which those who have passed the endowment alone or in small groups can spend some time in calm awareness of the rituals they have just gone through.
Of course, limited by the scope of this article, we only touched on the importance of the temple for the Church of Saints, governance, organization of temple work, and internal structure. The history of the development of temple building in the USA, Europe and on other continents also remained outside the scope of the article; an interesting topic of the development of the architecture of the Mormon temple and the religious symbols of its decor,
which originates in Masonic symbolism. But even from such a brief overview, it becomes clear that the temple in the dogma of the Saints is assigned one of the key roles: within its walls eternal knowledge is revealed who and how to worship and how, leaving earthly life, to gain the fullness of the Heavenly Father; this is the only building, the earthly doors of which will open the heavenly doors to the celestial kingdom after death for the Holy One - the highest sphere of dwelling of the spiritual body; it is the site of the work of the present generation of Saints in family reunification, one of the main values of Mormons, in eternity. All this makes clear the persistent desire of the Saints to build temples even in the most difficult times for the Church as a source of salvation and eternal happy life in the kingdoms created by the Father for his “children”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2. Hugh W. Nibley. Meanings and Functions of Temples // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1458-1465.
3. Immo Luschin. Latter-day Saints Temple worship and activity // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1447-1450.
4. RobertL. Simpson. Administration of Temples // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1456-1458.
Electronic resources
5. The road to the temple. Russian informational and religious resource. URL: http: //www.religion. rin.ru/cgi-bin/religion Retrieved 09.12.2008.
6. Research resource for the study of the scriptures and temples TSIHSPD. URL: http: // www. mormonmonastery.org/temple-preparation Retrieved 12/09/2008.
7. Mormonism and the Church of Latter-day Saints. Research resource on TSIHSPD. URL: http://www.lds-mormon.com/ veilworker / recommend.shtml Retrieved 12/09/2008.
8. Official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. URL: http://www.lds. org / temples. Retrieved 09.12.2008.
9. Temples of the Church of Latter-day Saints. URL: http://www.ldschurchtemples.com Retrieved 09.12.2008.
10. Gordon B. Hinckley. Why These Temples? URL: http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/temples Retrieved 09.12.2008.
11. Isaiah Bennett. Inside a Mormon Temple. URL: http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9506fea1.asp Retrieved 12/09/2008.
12. James E. Talmage. House of the Lord. URL: http://mormonhistory.org Retrieved 09.12.2008.
1. D. Arthur Haycock. LDS Temple Dedications // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1455-1456.
2. Hugh W. Nibley. Meanings and Functions of Temples // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1458-1465.
3. Immo Luschin. Latter-day Saints Temple worship and activity // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1447-1450.
4. Robert L. Simpson. Administration of Temples // Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan, 1992. V. 4. P. 1456-1458.
Elektronnye resursy
5. Doroga khramu. Rossiyskiy informatsionno-religiozny resurs. URL: http: //www.religion. rin.ru/cgi-bin/religion Provereno 09.12.2008.
6. Issledovatel "skiy resurs po izucheniyu pisaniy i khramov TsIKhSPD. URL: http: // www. Mor-monmonastery.org/temple-preparation Provereno 09.12.2008.
7. Mormonizm i Tserkov "Svyatykh Poslednikh Dney. Issledovatel" skiy resurs po TsIKhSPD. URL: http://www.lds-mormon.com/ veilworker / recommend.shtml Provereno 12/09/2008.
8. Ofitsial "ny sayt Tserkvi Iisusa Khrista Svyatykh Poslednikh Dney. URL: http://www.lds. Org / temples. Provereno 09.12.2008.
Other names: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Latter-day Saints.
Printed editions: Liahona magazine.
Sect history: The founder of this sect is the American Joseph Smith, who was born in 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, USA. His father, Joseph Smith Sr., was a mystic who spent most of his life in search of imaginary treasures and occasionally indulged in financial fraud.
In 1820. Smith Jr. had a wonderful vision in which God the Father and God the Son materialized during his prayer, revealed to him that he was chosen to revive true Christianity, and in no case should he adhere to existing churches. However, the "high destiny" did not prevent Joseph from continuing with his family to search for lost treasures, and using the indication of magic stones, magic wands and other similar attributes. This kind of fascination with mysticism played, apparently, a decisive role in the formation of Smith Jr. as a "new prophet."
In 1823 he had a second vision. The angel who appeared to him called himself Moroni. He spoke of the hidden "gold leaves" on Cumorah Hill, which are covered with the characters of the "modified Egyptian language" and contain important messages from ancient American history. The angel Moroni called Joseph Smith to restore the "True Church of Jesus Christ." Only in 1827 was he allowed to retrieve the buried treasure. The documents were written in "Old Egyptian letters" that could only be read with the "prophetic glasses" lying in the same box as the letters. His future associates Harris and Oliver Kodveri became his assistants. May 15, 1829 Joseph and Oliver were "anointed" to the "Aaronic Priesthood" by the "John the Baptist" who appeared to them. eat".
In 1830, the Book of Mormon was published in 5,000 copies. On April 6, 1830, a six-member Mormon church was founded in Fayeti, New York. In the same 1830, the famous Protestant preachers of the time, Parley Pratt and Sidney Rigton, were converted to the new faith, which led to a sharp increase in the number of the new organization. This society spread relatively quickly, because his followers were active in some states of proselytizing (appeal to members of the sect of representatives of other confessions). Hostile attitude to the Mormons and their persecution forced them to change their place of residence frequently. The Mormons founded several cities where Jesus Christ was to appear on the basis of revelation.
The notorious practice of polygamy was practiced among Mormons by direct "divine revelation" until 1890, when, under the influence of the authorities, they were forced to abandon such a way of family life. In 1838, the "divine commandment" of tithes was adopted by the Mormons. It should be noted that in the period from 1831 to 1844. Smith, according to his testimony, received over 135 revelations.
In 1844, former Smith aide John Bennett spoke openly about the practice of plural marriage in the church. When the wave of revelations became threatening, the outraged "prophet" tried to use force against the anti-Mormon newspaper Observer Nova. After the intervention of the state administration, Joseph Smith, along with his brother Hyrum, went to the prison in Karthag, where the outraged townspeople took the prison by storm. During the shootout, Smith was killed.
Bryme Young became Smith's successor. Under his leadership, a “sacrificial procession” was organized to the Great Salt Lake. In 17 months (1846-47), 1,700 km were covered. There they founded the city of Salt Lake City (or "New Jerusalem").
The history of Mormons bears traces of a serious crime. In 1857. Young ordered his "bishop" John Lee to destroy the train with displaced persons, which was exactly what he did. Twenty years later, Lee was tried and executed by the US government for this act.
Negotiations with the government of Mormons to legalize them in the United States have failed due to the assumption of polygamy. When this practice was officially banned, Mormon activities were allowed in 1896 in Utah.
The Church of Latter-day Saints currently has 8 million followers and has an annual income of $ 3,000,000 (in part from collecting tithes from its followers). 40,000 of their missionaries work all over the world. Mormons make up 75% of the population of Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah (USA).
Doctrine: Besides the Bible, Mormons have three “sacred” books, which they consider to be no less important than the Bible itself:
a) The Book of Mormon;
b) "Teachings and Unions";
c) "Pearl of Great Price";The Book of Mormon. This book is the foundation of Mormon teaching. Where there is conflict between the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the statements of the latter are considered true. This book consists of 15 small books (500 pages in total). They tell the story of the ancient population of America. During the construction of the Tower of Babel, the tribe of Jaredites came to America, was divided and self-destroyed as a result of internal enmity and struggle. In 600 BC, under the prophet Lech, representatives of the tribe of Manasseh came to America. Their descendants were divided into two groups: Nephites and Lamanites. Christ appeared to the Nephites after the Resurrection and ordered them to found a church. Through the fault of the Nephites, this true Church disappeared, disintegrated. A.D. 400 the last battles between the Nephites and the Lamanites took place near the Cumorah Hill. There the prophet Mormon and his son buried the above records with the events recorded on them, (420-421).Mormons view the Book of Mormon as revelation because it, in their opinion, contains what Jesus preached in His "American days." The data of this book contradict the historical, archaeological, ethnographic evidence. In addition, since its first edition, the book has undergone many changes, sometimes concerning the meaning, sometimes the words, and sometimes the characters, and the last changes were made even in 1981. Modern Mormons are often unaware of these details. Moreover, in many places this "revelation" contains borrowings from the "King James Bible", taken together with the errors that were made by the authors of this translation of the Bible.The book "Teachings and Unions". Most of it is made up of the revelations of Joseph Smith, which he received during his career, as well as some of the "revelations" of his followers (1823-1890).The book "Pearl of Great Price". It also deals with "revelations" and translations from the gold plates of the "prophet" I. Smith.The Mormons' creed consists of 13 points. It was compiled by I. Smith in 1841.In their teaching about God, Mormons proceed from the fact that man was created in the likeness of God, and from this they conclude that God has a material body, like man. Therefore, God the Father is spatially limited by His body. But He, nevertheless, is the All-Knowing, tk. angels inform Him about all the events taking place on earth. But the Father is not the only God. There are many other "gods". And people have the opportunity to become God someday. "What a person is now - such was God once, what God is now - such a person can someday become." This is the main idea of the Mormon teaching.
Since the motto of the Mormons is: "optimism and faith are progress", then for them everything is about development. Man is on the upward path, he is "a god in the bud."
According to the teachings of Mormons, a person is not born a sinner, i.e. he has no inherited sin. Mormons consider it a sin to revolt against the "foundations of progress."
According to the teachings of Mormons, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sin gives all people life after death. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, an individual can be justified from personal sins if he himself makes an effort to do so. The Atonement is the work of God and man together; after death, a person becomes involved in varying degrees of glory. There are three degrees of glory: 1) underground; 2) earthly; 3) heavenly.
Mormons consider America to be the center of future world events, because Mormons are said to be the "end-time covenant people of God" - "the new Israel." For Mormons, eternity is a continuation of progress.
In 1843, I. Smith received a “revelation” about the eternal duration of the conjugal union in polygamy: “A sealed marriage will not end its existence with death, but will find its continuation in the spiritual kingdom. All representatives of unsealed marriages in eternity will be service spirits and will not be able to marry. " Polygamy was introduced by Young in 1851, but under pressure from the American government, the Mormons abolished it in 1890. Before today they believe in the correctness of polygamy, but officially declare that they do not practice it. However, it turns out, and now there are examples of polygamy in Mormon communities.
According to Mormon teaching, the laying on of hands is the gift of the Holy Ghost. The laying on of hands is performed by the “priests”. The act of the laying on of hands is what they call confirmation. The Holy Spirit is given for enlightenment, cleansing and sanctification. Only the head of the “church.” Baptism means the forgiveness of sins and admission to membership in the church. Baptism can be accepted from the age of eight, while the one who receives the baptism enters into an alliance with the Creator. He must make a vow that he will keep God's commandments.
It is customary for Mormons to be baptized in place of the dead. Only baptism is really and necessary for the salvation of Mormons. In addition to baptism, for deceased ancestors, substitute laying on of hands and sealing is also possible. To carry out these acts must be given accurate data on the deceased. This explains the zeal with which Mormons study their family tree. Since 1894, the Family History Library in the American city of Salt Lake City, created by Mormons, has been collecting and processing data from registers, censuses and other documents containing the names of people who lived on earth. These names are necessary for Mormons for the mysterious initiation of people into adherents of their cult in their temples, the entrance to which "outsiders" (non-Mormons) are prohibited. Mormons include the dead in the ranks of their cult in absentia, adding millions of dead people of various nationalities, religions and beliefs (including atheists) to the lists of their organization. This work, hidden from the uninitiated, is accompanied by large-scale activities of Mormons to create a single "World Center for Genealogy" controlled by the sect of "Latter-day Saints".
Since 1992, Mormons have begun to actively work with the Archive Departments of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia with the aim of copying (microfilming) archival documents. Having signed a contract with the State Archival Service of Russia, the Mormons gained access to the archives of Astrakhan, Tula, Tver, Tobolsk, Kazan and copied many metric books (Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran) and other documents. Copies obtained from Russian archives become the property of the Corporation of the President of the Mormons, which are then provided to researchers of genealogies through his own genealogical structure for a fee.Mormons pay special attention to their appearance: dress cleanly and neatly, cultivate good manners, intelligent, polite, literate. The zeal of the representatives of Mormons in improving these qualities comes from their teachings, which says that a person is “a god in embryo” and their ultimate goal is to move upward through personal improvement and become equal to God at the finish line, that is, gradually “grow in "To the heavenly Kingdom.The secret contains the fact that those of the Mormons who have undergone a ritual of special initiation are required to wear underwear with the image of Masonic symbols.
Structure and internal organization:
The Mormon community is organized in a theocratic fashion with elements of Western democracy. It is headed by a "prophet or seer" who receives "revelations" from above and has unlimited power in various areas of the sect's life. It is assisted by a three-member Supreme Council as an advisory body. Administrative power is largely American in nature.
Worship among Mormons strongly resembles Protestant and is based on preaching, reading and singing hymns. Salt Lake City has a major Mormon temple crowned with six towers and a gilded statue of the "angel Moroni," who pointed out to the sect founder where the Book of Mormon was hidden.
Number of followers: 1850 - 60,000 people; 1900 - 230,000 people; 1950 - 1,000,000 people; 1961 - 1,800,000 people; 1964 - 2,000,000 people; 1970 - 2,500,000 people; 1985 - 6,000,000 people; According to the statement of Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley for 2000-11000000.
Criminal actions: Includes sect founder Smith's glass fortune-telling trial, his failed banking scam in Kertland, Ohio, his pre-revelation polygamy, militias organized by him in Missouri and Illinois, and orders to destroy the printing presses of those who opposed him and also the case of the destruction of a train of settlers by the "prophet" of Mormons - Brigham Young. Repeated trials on the facts of polygamy. Russian law enforcement agencies recorded cases of collecting intelligencecultural data by members of the sect.
———————————————————————————————————————————
If guests come to you with badges on their chests, in beautiful, strict suits and, smiling from the doorway, tell you that only eggs and Jackie Chan are cooler than you, then you have fallen into Mormons. After assuring you of your exclusiveness, the sectarians will begin to tell you about themselves. They will talk for a long time, show their family photos... In the photos you will see a large family, in the photo everyone will be smiling with “cloned smiles”. Then you will tell about yourself, and you will be admired for a long time. After all these pleasantries, you will be presented with the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. A precious pearl. " Then you will be asked “What do you feel?”, Because of how much good you have heard about yourself, you will say that you feel good. You will be told that it is the Holy Spirit who is calling you, and that it is vital for you to become a Mormon.
The most interesting thing is that it is almost impossible to argue with Mormons, they agree with everything and ask to visit you again, or offer to visit their community, where you quit smoking, start speaking English, cross-stitch and knit socks, playing football and drinking juice ... You will master all this in two weeks. In parallel, you will be "permeated with true faith"
1. You give a tenth of your income to the community. On Saturdays, you eat once a day, and the money saved goes to the congregation in excess of the tithe. "Extra money" that you do not need for social needs goes to the community in excess of the tithe.
2. Your new friends constantly visit you, you also visit. You are engaged in convincing one another of the truth of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. Then with the whole brigade you go from door to door with your photo albums and sectarian literature.
3. If your family, unlike you, is non-Mormons, then they are enemies. They tempt you. You have to renounce them. The community is your family. The community needs you. You must be educated, successful, polite, young and beautiful. They are also prolific. The main mission of a woman in the sect is to give birth to a bunch of marmonites. Forcibly.
4. You cannot smoke, drink coffee and tea, alcoholic beverages. Other stimulants are also strictly prohibited.
5. You are taught English language American "fancy boys", only teach from the "Book of Mormon", so that later you go around the world to carry the word of the sect, of course you go with your own money. Thus, you will be driving for two years. If after that you have money left, and the community takes care of it, you become a priest (boys), a fertile womb (girls).
6. You collect from archives the names of your deceased relatives, friends, acquaintances, just different now deceased people and are engaged in the fact that “baptize their souls”, “crown their souls”, etc. Here is such an entertaining necrophilia.
7. You are constantly blamed for the fact that you are not rich enough and donate little, are not smart enough and bring few converts, you do little for the good of the community. You have few children, future priests and fertile queens of the sect. For this you can be kicked out of the community and you will burn in hell.
8. In the end, you realize that you are a complete failure, you are constantly reminded of this, and you go crazy. The community does not need crazy people. Psychiatrists need them.
Caution: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) sect.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) is a dangerous sect of American descent.
Unlike Christians who claim the oneness of God, Mormons practice polytheism(polytheism), although they do not like to admit it.
According to the teachings of Mormons, it is permissible to kill people:"Will you love that man or woman enough to shed their blood? I can give you many examples when people were righteously slaughtered in order to atone for their sins ... the wickedness and contempt of nations forbid this principle to be fully realized, but the time will come, when the Law of God is in full force "(Chairman Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 44, pp. 219, 220).
The sacred books of Mormons are the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Bible. However, they trust the first three unquestioningly, while the Bible is often questioned. “I believe that the Bible that everyone reads, after it came from the pen of its true authors, ignorant translators, careless scribes, or malicious and corrupt priests, contains many errors” (Teachings of the Prophet J. Smith, p. 327).
The teachings of this sect are far from safe. Mormon preachers are taught to use deception when recruiting new members. "So you don't need to tell the truth at first?" - I asked the sisters who taught me. They smiled and nodded affirmatively. This approach confused me. After all, the 13th article of faith of Mormons seems to be about the need to be honest "(Yulia DIDENKO," Why I Left the Marmon Community "). in itself 3 points-instructions:
Meet.
Build a relationship based on common ground, which means highlighting the other person’s similar views and hushing up differences.
Show empathy.
The Mormon sect is widely known for its archival data collection activities., which they lead in all countries where they preach their doctrine. Since 1992, Mormons have begun to actively work with the archival departments of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia in order to copy archival documents. Having signed a contract with the state archival service of Russia, the Mormons gained access to the archives of Astrakhan, Tula, Tver, Tobolsk, Kazan and copied many registers and other documents. The goal of the Mormons is the mass copying of all archival information in Russia. The legal opinion of April 9, 2002 ends with the following conclusion: It is unacceptable to provide the Genealogical Society of Utah (USA) (a religious association of Mormons) with Russian archival materials in any form, including through the provision of the said organization with the possibility of microfilming Russian archives. illegal. However, Mormons continue to collect information, often in violation of the law. On several occasions, Mormon preachers were detained in closed military installations. According to the newspaper "Kaliningradskaya Pravda" dated 09.23.2000: " The Mormon sect is actively used by the special services of the United States and Germany as a cover for conducting intelligence activities to collect classified information (socio-political, economic and military) on the territory of Russia, interference in the internal political processes taking place in the country, inciting sectarian strife. Foreign missionaries pay special attention to reconnaissance infiltration into special-mode military facilities, establishing direct contacts with military personnel. A certain part of young Mormons who return to the United States after their missionary work ... join the CIA and the FBI. " whether a Russian person can calmly relate to the blasphemy perpetrated on the memory of his ancestors.
In my time the Mormon sect was famous for polygamy practiced in it.
After a series of scandals, most Mormons abandoned this practice, but they still believe that people who become gods (the goal of any Mormon's life) should have many wives. "Those Ones who became Gods, even Children of God, are those who were polygamists." (Chair Brigham Young. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11. p. 269). Every Mormon man dreams of becoming a god after death, taking possession of the planet and living on it with a harem made up of women posthumously married to them in temple rites.
There are Mormon parishes and meeting houses in Saratov and the region. The teaching is being actively promoted. Mormons use dishonest and unethical methods to attract young people. Now Mormons intend to build a temple in the center of Saratov (Gorky st., 65), in which religious ceremonies will be held, including "baptism of the dead" and "marriage with the dead." This ritual use of the names of our departed is akin to Satanic desecration of cemetery graves. To conduct these blasphemous ceremonies, sectarians from all over Russia will come to Saratov, they will buy more and more Saratov land and involve our fellow citizens in the sect. The location of the future sectarian building in the immediate vicinity of the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and the Muslim mosque is especially offensive for representatives of traditional religions. Probably, it is not without reason that the place for the future sectarian structure was chosen near the regional government.
In 1857, in the state of Utah, the Mormons who settled there, on the orders of their "prophet" Brigham Young, committed the massacre of non-Mormon settlers. More than 120 people (mostly women and children) were brutally killed ("The Prophet of Mormons is guilty of the worst massacre in US history").
We will not allow a repetition of this story in Saratov!
Church External Relations Service
Saratov Diocesan Administration
The text was prepared within the framework of the project "Dynamics of the Religious Situation and Confessional Identity in the Moscow Region". During the implementation of the project, state support funds are used, allocated as a grant in accordance with the order of the President of the Russian Federation dated 05.04.2016 No. 68-rp and on the basis of a competition held by the National Charitable Fund.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest organization associated with the Mormon movement that emerged in the first halfXIXcentury in the United States based on the sermon of Joseph Smith and a new sacred text, the Book of Mormon.
History
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)arisesvUSAv 1830 year. It is then that the founder of the movement, Joseph Smith, publishes The Book of Mormon.
According to the founder of the movement, at the age of 14 (in 1820) he had the first vision in which God the Father and Christ appeared to him. It was revealed to D. Smith that he should not join any of the existing churches, since the teaching of each of them is wrong: "they preach human commandments as teachings that have the appearance of the divine, but deny its power."
Then, in 1823, an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, who announced that God's covenant with the people of Israel would soon be fulfilled, that work was soon to begin for the Second Coming, and that Smith himself had been chosen by God to carry out the plans of the latter. In addition, Moroni revealed to Smith that not far from where he lives, on a hill under the ground are hidden golden plates on which a new scripture is written. Joseph Smith will need to find the sheets and translate the text into English.
In 1827, Smith was allowed to take these sheets and received instructions on how to translate them. According to Smith, the text was written in "modified Egyptian" hieroglyphs, and the translation was carried out either with the help of special glasses or with the help of special stones (called "Urim and Thummim"). Smith placed plates and stones in a cylinder; during translation, the translated text was reflected in the stones. The sheets themselves were always hidden from view. According to doctrine, only 11 people personally saw these gold plates and left written statements about it, known today as the "Certificate of Three Witnesses" and "Certificate of Eight Witnesses."
The Book of Mormon went on sale on March 26, 1830, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded on April 6.CFrom 1831 to 1838, the community settled in the city of Kirtland (Kirtland), Missouri. This was the headquarters of the organization and the first temple was built here, however, due to conflicts with local residents and the administration, the followers of the church left this place. In 1839, a new dynamically growing religious community settled in the city of Nauvoo (Nauvoo), Illinois.
In 1844, Joseph Smith was accused of polygamy in the Nauvoo Expositor newspaper. Smith himself denied this accusation, but the city council of the city (J. Smith himself was its mayor) ordered the destruction of the printing press and circulation of the newspaper, which triggered a serious conflict both within the community and with the non-Mormon population of the district. The result of the conflict was the imprisonment of J. Smith and his murder (along with his brother Hyrum).
After the death of J. Smith and his brother, it was not clear who would lead the movement. A so-called succession crisis ensued, with Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon and James Strang being the main contenders for the leadership position. As a result, Brigham Young became the leader of the movement, and then the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was he who became the organizer of the resettlement of Mormons in Utah and the construction of the city of Salt Lake City, where the headquarters of the movement is located to this day.
Mormons in Russia
According to Mormon sources, the history of the movement in Russia began in 1843, when two preachers were sent to Russia, but after the death of Joseph Smith they were recalled. Then, in 1895, the family of Johan M. Lindelof was baptized by a Swedish Mormon in St. Petersburg. However, this information is not confirmed by other sources.
The modern history of Mormons in Russia begins in 1989, when an employee of the US Embassy was authorized to hold meetings of members of the organization in his apartment. The first missionaries arrived in Leningrad in January 1990. In 1990, a parish was organized in Vyborg. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially registered in May 1991.
Administrative division churches is carried out as follows: territories around the world are divided into regions (areas), most regions are subdivided into stakes (stakes), which includes a certain number of arrivals (wards, ward usually has 300 or more church members) or branches (branch). Local wards are led by bishops, and branches are led by presidents, and a stake is also led by a president. At the parish, to help the believers, the work of all auxiliary organizations is organized.
Moscow is the center of the Eastern Europe region, which, in addition to Russia, also includes Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Number of
Currently, the number of Mormons around the world exceeds 15 million, of whom more than 6 million live in the United States. According to church statistics, there are about 23,000 Mormons in Russia.
Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conducts missionary work in over 170 countries, and the Book of Mormon has been translated into 93 languages. There are 156 churches in the world, the closest to Moscow are in Kiev and Helsinki.
Creed
Canon of sacred texts (the so-called exemplary works (standardworks)) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is formed by four books. The Bible (for English-speaking countries, the King James translation is used, in Russia the text of the synodal translation is used), The Book of Mormon (TheBookofMormon), Doctrine and Covenants (DoctrineandCovenants) and Pearl of Great Price (ThePearlofGreatPrice). It is important to emphasize that this canon is open because Mormons believe in ongoing revelation.
The Book of Mormon describes events related to several peoples who inhabited the North American continent. According to the book, they were numerous, had their own written language and were at a relatively high stage of technical development. The story is about the Nephites and Lamanites who inhabited America from 600 BC. NS. by 400 n. NS. It also tells the story of the rise and fall of the Jaredites, who, according to the Book of Mormon, arrived in America from the Middle East shortly after the destruction of the Tower of Babel 1.
The book tells how the prophet Nephi and his family left Jerusalem in about 600 BC. It was this prophet and his descendants who were commanded to keep the chronicle of their people. The Book of Mormon is an abridged version of this record. Upon arriving in America, Nephi's family split into two warring groups. The Nephites - the righteous and God-fearing people were led by Nephi, while the Lamanites followed Nephi's older brothers Laman and Lemuel. The Lamanites have opposed the Nephites throughout history, and the Book of Mormon describes the former as black people 2.
Doctrine and Covenants originally (first published in 1835) was in two parts. The first was a series of texts on the basic doctrine of the Church (the so-called Lectures on Faith, which were dropped in 1921), and the second was a collection of important “covenants”. However, over time, the first part was removed, and in its modern form, the book contains "revelations" received by the founder of the Church, Joseph Smith, several revelations received by other prophets, and "Official statements 1 and 2".
The peculiarity of the "Official Declarations" is that they were originally statements of the presidents of the Church and were officially accepted as part of the scriptures a little later. Official Statement 1 (appeared in September 1890 and part of the scripture was adopted on October 6, 1890) was published by President Wilford Woodruff. In it, the Church officially renounced the practice of polygamy. The statement was the result of pressure from the US Congress.
Official Statement 2 (became part of the scripture on September 30, 1978) was published by the First Presidency. The statement lifts restrictions on people of all races and all skin colors to receive the priesthood.
"The Pearl of Great Price" is composed of five parts: "Selections from the Book of Moses", which is a part of the Book of Genesis, translated by J. Smith; The Book of Abraham contains a translation of several Egyptian papyri (it is claimed that they contain the writings of the patriarch Abraham); “Joseph Smith - from Matthew” - part of the Gospel of Matthew, translated by J. Smith; Joseph Smith- History ”, which presents autobiographical excerpts from the life of J. Smith before the emergence of the Church; The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are basic doctrines that were partly set out in a letter from J. Smith in 1842 (published in the Mormon Times and Seasons on March 1, 1842). They are a detailed commented list of 13 articles of beliefs.
Followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that their organization is a restored early Christian church, created by Jesus Christ. From their point of view, this original church disappeared as a result of the so-called. the great apostasy after the death of the apostles. Only J. Smith semi received God's command to restore the true Church. Members of the organization see faith in Jesus Christ and atonement as the foundation of their religion. The teachings of the organization have both similarities and differences from the teachings of the main Christian denominations. Representatives of the latter do not recognize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Christian, but the Mormons themselves consider themselves Christians.
Mormons call God Heavenly Father or Elohim, Jesus Christ the Redeemer of all people. During his lifetime, Jesus showed with all his word and example how people should live, loving God and their neighbor. Through His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus accomplished atonement and saved all people from their sins. Moreover, by his resurrection Jesus overcame death and for this reason all believers after death will receive the same opportunity. It is Christ who is God, Lord, Jehovah of the Old Testament, and for forty days after the resurrection he taught the people in America the same truths he taught the apostles in Israel.
Mormons do not adhere to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit are considered as separate persons, united only by intention.
Jesus Christ was the first spirit born of the Father, so he, in fact, is a brother to every person. Initially, people were created by the Father-Elohim as spiritual beings, however, since further development only in heaven it was impossible, people moved to earth and acquired physical bodies. In the physical world, each person is tested and attains perfection and ultimately divinity, using the right of free choice. From the point of view of Mormons, the fall of man was not a crime, but rather a blessing for people: it opened the way for them to eternal progress. After the end of the world and the resurrection, each person, depending on the deeds performed during his lifetime, will fall into one of three kingdoms: celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, which are said to be like the sun, moon and stars.
Resurrection, from the point of view of Mormons, will be bodily, moreover, they believe that the spirit is also matter, but more subtle. It is for this reason that God the Father and Jesus Christ are also material, they are in space and time, and they are characterized by both bodily needs and emotional passions.
In general, it should be noted that the formation of the theological system of Mormons is not yet complete, since the revelation is still ongoing.
Rites and priesthood
The ordinances of the 3 Mormons are divided into two groups: the ordinances necessary for exaltation and the ordinances of instruction and comfort. The first group includes: baptism, the sacrament, the gift of the Holy Ghost or confirmation (the laying on of hands on the newly baptized, after which he becomes a member of the church), ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood, endowment (endowment) 4, temple (heavenly) marriage, and sealing. The last three ordinances can only be performed in the temple. The sacrament of sealing assumes that those family relationships that existed between people before death will continue forever and after, therefore, it is possible to seal husbands and wives, as well as children and parents. In addition, Mormons believe that it is possible to perform substitutionary baptism of a deceased family member if he did not die as a Mormon, which means that he did not have the opportunity to learn the true doctrine. It is for this reason that Mormons are very serious about finding relatives and compiling the most detailed genealogical lists. For Mormons, it is the family that plays the most important role in a person's life and is the main unit of society both on earth and in eternity.
The second group of sacraments includes: naming and blessing children, serving the sick, blessing oil, patriarchal blessing, fatherly blessing, blessing of graves.
All ordinances can only be performed by a priest, which all men become (women are not allowed to hold positions reserved for priesthood holders, but can occupy other leadership positions) who have reached the age of 12 - this is the so-called Aaronic priesthood (12 years - deacon, 14 years old - teacher, 16 years old - priest). At the age of 18, men acquire the Melchizedek Priesthood. All ordinances necessary for exaltation can be performed only by those who have the Melchizedek priesthood (with the exception of baptism, which a man can perform from the age of 16).
From a Mormon perspective, the organization is run by Jesus Christ, who reveals his will to the president of the church. Mormons believe the president is a prophet, seer, and revelator. The current President since 2008 is Thomas S. Monson. The president has two advisers and aides, and together these three make up the First Presidency, the highest governing body. The second most important body of church government is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which is assisted in the administration of the Quorum of the Seventy. As the name implies, the quorum is 70 members, and there are eight such quorums from 2005 to the present. Members of the First and Second Quorums are considered the ultimate church authority, and for this reason they can work anywhere in the world where a church exists. The members of the other quorums are regional representatives of the seventy, and their power is limited to the region in which they work. All of these organizations are limited to male members who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood.
The presiding bishopric is the governing body of the Aaronic Priesthood. The bishop and two assistants also report to the First Presidency.
In addition to these major organizations, there are a number of auxiliary organizations: the Primary Society (helps parents educate children and prepare boys to receive the Aaronic Priesthood), Relief Society (all women over 18 are members of the society, and if they are married or are single mothers, then they are under the age of 18). years; the main goals are ministry and help in the family), Sunday school (intended for all children from 12 years old), a society of young men (it consists of young people from 12 to 18 years old (Aaronic priesthood), promotes the development of young men in the church) , Young Women Society (helps parents prepare girls for marriage and church covenant keeping).
Moreover, both men and women can be missionaries. The church carries out a wide missionary program that is aimed at preaching and providing humanitarian assistance around the world.
Social activity
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns several educational institutions, the largest and most famous of which is Brigham Young University in Utah, USA.
In addition, the church publishes the Liahona magazine, which is also published in Russian. The journal is published in translation into 50 languages.
Today, there are 8 meeting houses in Moscow and the Moscow region. On the territory of Moscow:
Arbatsky and Sokolnichesky parishes (Sredny Ovchinnikovsky lane, 14).
Branch (branch) Universitetsky (Malaya Pirogovskaya street, 13).
Parishes Moscow (for English-speaking parishioners) and Rechnoy (Leningradsky prospect, 80 building 37).
Khamovnichesky parish (Moskvorechye street, 21 building 2).
A small parish (brunch) of Perovo (Orekhovo-Zuevsky proezd, 20).
On the territory of the Moscow region:
Parish Zelenogradsky (Zelenograd, building 1117A).
Small parish (branch) Podolsky (Podolsk, Ul'yanovykh street, 1).
The center of the Eastern Europe region is located at st. Vrubel, 1, bldg. 1.
CONTACTS AND REGISTRATION
(register of non-profit organizations, region "Moscow")
Local religious organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Moscow
(register of NGOs, region "Ministry of Justice")
Centralized religious organization "Religious Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia"
LITERATURE
Davies D. J. An introduction to Mormonism. Cambridge University Press. 2003
Eliason E. A. Mormons and Mormonism: an introduction to an American world religion. University of Illinois Press, 2001.
Jackson A. Mormonism Explained: What Latter-day Saints Teach and Practice. Crossway Books, 2008.
Shipps J. Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1985
R. Safronov
1)It should be noted that research institutes (for example, the Smithsonian in 1996 and 1998, the National Geographic Society in 1998) made official statements that the Book of Mormon is a religious document, and the institutes themselves have not been able to find any archaeological evidence to support the stated See the Book of Mormon for information. Today, the Book of Mormon is not regarded as a historical source in academia and scholarship due to the lack of originals, material evidence, or the apparent conformity of the contents of the book with the geography of the American continent and the history and culture of its peoples.
2) The Mormons themselves believed that the Lamanites were indigenous, but the Book of Mormon does not state that there were no other nations in America other than the peoples described in it.
3)Sacraments are understood as rituals and ceremonies that the Lord established for the salvation and well-being of a person. Thus, a sacrament is a physical act that symbolically represents a spiritual experience.
4)Receiving all the ordinances in the house of the Lord that are necessary after a person leaves this life so that he can return back to the Father.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often informally known as LDS Churches or Mormon Church is a nontrinitarian, Christian church restorers, which, according to its members, is a restoration in the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, and has established congregations and temples throughout the world. According to the church, it has over 16 million members and 65,000 full-time volunteer missionaries. In 2012, the National Council of Churches ranked the church as the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.5 million members there in January 2018. It is the largest denomination in the Latter-day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the early 19th century of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Adepts, often referred to as "Latter-day Saints" or, less formally, "Mormons," a form of faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement as the founding principles of their religion. Church theology includes the Christian doctrine of salvation only through Jesus Christ, although LDS doctrines regarding the nature of God and the potential of humanity are significantly different from mainstream Christianity. The Church has an open canon that includes four biblical texts: the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Besides the Bible, most of the LDS canon is a revelation received by Joseph Smith and recorded by his scribes, which includes commentaries and exegesis about the Bible, texts described in lost parts of the Bible, and other works believed to have been written by ancient prophets, due to some doctrinal differences, Catholic, Orthodox, and several Protestant churches consider the church to be distinct and separate from mainstream Christianity.
Both men and women can serve as missionaries and the church supports a large missionary program that proselytizes and delivers humanitarian services around the world. Faithful members adhere to the Church's laws of sexual cleanliness, health, fasting, and Sabbath keeping, and contribute ten percent of their church income in tithing. The Church also teaches about sacred ordinances through which adherents make covenants with God, including baptism, confirmation, sacrament (COMMONMENT), priesthood ordination, endowments, and heavenly marriage (marriage of blessings that go beyond mortality) - all of which have great value to church members.
history
The history of the LDS Church is generally divided into three large time periods: (1) early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith, who along with all churches of the Latter-day Saint movement; (2) a pioneer of the era under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th century successors; and (3) the modern era began at the turn of the 20th century as Utah reached statehood.
origins
The LDS Church, originally called the Church of Christ, was officially organized by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830, in western New York. Smith later changed the name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after he stated that he received revelation to do so. The early converts were attracted to the church in part because of the recently published Book of Mormon, a self-described chronicle of the Native American prophets, Smith said it was translated from gold plates.
Smith intended to establish a New Jerusalem in North America, which is called Zion... In 1831, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio (eastern border of Zion), and set about establishing an outpost in Jackson County, Missouri (Zion's "central location"), where he planned to eventually relocate the church's headquarters. However, in 1833, Missouri settlers brutally expelled the Last Day Saints from Jackson County, and the church was unable through a paramilitary expedition to rebuild the land. However, the church flourished in Kirtland as Smith published new revelations and the church built the Kirtland Temple, culminating in the building's dedication to the day of Pentecost. The era of Kirtland ended in 1838, after a financial scandal shook the church and caused massive desertions. Smith regrouped with the rest of the church in Far West, Missouri, but tensions soon escalated into violent conflicts with the old Missouri settlers. Believing the Saint to be in rebellion, the Governor of Missouri ordered that the Saints be "exterminated or expelled from the state." In 1839, the Saints converted Marshlands on the banks of the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the church's new headquarters.
By 1857, tensions again escalated between Mormons and other Americans, largely as a result of accusations related to polygamy and theocratic rule in Utah by Young. The Utah Mormon War broke out from 1857 to 1858, leading to the relatively peaceful invasion of Utah, by the United States Army, after which Young agreed to step down and be replaced by the non-Mormon territorial governor, Alfred Cumming. However, the LDS Church still held significant political power in Utah.
After Jung's death in 1877, he was followed by other Church presidents who resisted the efforts of the United States Congress to ban polygamous marriage for Mormons. In 1878 Supreme Court United States, in Reynolds v. USA, ruled that a "religious duty" to engage in polygamy is not a valid defense for prosecution for violating state laws against polygamy. The conflict between the Mormons and the US government escalated to the point that in 1890 Congress dissolved the LDS Church and seized most of its assets. Shortly thereafter, Church President Wilford Woodruff issued a manifesto that formally suspended the practice. Although this manifesto did not dissolve into existing polygamy so that families would not be split apart, no new polygamous marriages were performed. Relations with the United States improved markedly after 1890, so that Utah was accepted as a US state in 1896. Relations improved further after 1904, when the Church of President Joseph F. Smith again disavowed polygamy before the United States Congress and issued the Second Manifesto calling for to stop all polygamy in the church, since they were already against church doctrine, since Woodruff issued a manifesto. Eventually, the church adopted a policy of excommunicating its members found practicing polygamy, and today actively distances itself from "fundamentalist" groups still practicing polygamy.
Modern time
In the 20th century, the church grew substantially and became an international organization, in part due to the proliferation of missionaries across the globe. In 2000, the church reported 60,784 missionaries and the church's global membership was just over 11 million. Worldwide membership exceeded 13 million in 2007 and reached 14 million in July 2010, approximately six million of them in the United States. However, it is estimated from demographic studies that only one third of the world's total membership (about 4.5 million people as of 2014) regularly attend church. Ecclesiastical cautions against over-emphasizing growth statistics for comparison with other churches because relevant factors including activity and mortality rates, methodology used in enrollment or user counting, what factors represent membership, and geographic variation that are rarely factored into comparisons.
The Church has become a strong and public champion of the nuclear family, and has occasionally played a prominent role in political affairs, including against the MX Peacekeepers of missile bases in Utah and Nevada, the Equal Rights Amendment, the legalization of gambling, gay marriage, and with the help of a death doctor ... In addition to the issues that he believes are those of morality, however, the church supports a position of political neutrality, but encourages its members to be politically active, participate in elections and be aware of current political and social problems in their communities, state and country.
Teachings and practices
Authorized texts
LDS Church theology consists of a mix of biblical doctrine with modern revelation and other commentary from LDS leaders, notably Joseph Smith. Most Authoritative Sources of Faith Theology The Canon of four religious texts, called the "standard works". The standard works are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Book of Mormon is said in the church to be "Testimonies of Jesus Christ" that Smith translated from buried gold plates. The LDS Church believes that Angel Moroni told Smith about these gold plates and instructed him to find them buried in Kumore Hill. The Church believes that this angel Moroni is at least a partial fulfillment of Revelation 14: 6 in the Bible. The Church describes the Book of Mormon as "the most correct of all books on earth and the cornerstone [of] religion."
In the Bible, it is also part of the church canon, it is believed to be "the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." Most often, the church uses the authorized King James Version. Sometimes, however, parts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (corrections and restorations of assertedly damaged or lost passages) are considered authoritative. Some excerpts from Smith's translation were included in The Pearl of Great Price, which also includes additional translations from Smith and Church historical items. Other historical subjects and revelations are found in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Another source of authoritative doctrine is the utterance of the current apostles and members of the First Presidency. The Church teaches that the First Presidency (the president of the church and his counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are prophets and that their teachings are usually given by inspiration from God through the Holy Spirit. Church members acknowledge (support) them regularly, as prophets, seers, and revelations - for being done publicly twice a year by the worldwide church general conference.
Distinctive doctrines and practices
Certain doctrines and practices of the LDS Church are characteristic of Christianity. For example, Mormon cosmology and the plan of salvation include doctrines in premortal life, the three degrees of heaven, and exaltation. According to these teachings, every human spirit is a literal child of Heavenly Father, and each has the potential to continue to learn, grow, and develop in eternities, ultimately achieving eternal life (which Latter-day Saints see as opposed to immortality), which must become one with God in the same way that Jesus Christ is one with the Father, thereby allowing the children of God to become divine beings or "gods" themselves. This view of the doctrine of deification is also referred to as becoming a "joint heir with Christ." The process by which this is achieved is called exaltation, a doctrine that includes the reunification of the mortal family after the resurrection and the possibility of having spiritual children in afterlife and inherit part of the kingdom of God. To obtain this state of divinity, the church teaches that a person must have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of his sins, strive to keep the commandments in good faith, and participate in a sequence of solemn covenants called sacraments that include baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, endowment and heavenly marriage.
This last rite, known as sealing ceremonies, reflects the LDS's particular view of families. According to the LDS of the Church of Theology, men and women can be “sealed” to each other so that their conjugal bond continues for eternity. Children can also be sealed to their biological or adoptive parents to form permanent family bonds, allowing all immediate and extended family relationships to withstand past death. The most significant LDS ordinances can be carried out through a proxy server on behalf of those who have died, such as baptism for the dead. The Church teaches that everyone will have the opportunity to hear and accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings that come to those who faithfully adhere to it, in this life or the next. Rites such as christenings for the dead, seals and endowments are performed in temples built and specifically designed for this purpose.
In the LDS, the faithful abide by the Word of Wisdom code of health, in which they abstain from alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco. The Word of Wisdom also encourages the use of wholesome herbs and fruits throughout the season, moderate consumption of meat, and consumption of grains.
Latter-day Saints follow a moral code called the "law of chastity," which prohibits adultery, homosexual behavior, and outside sexual relations in marriage.
LDS faithful donate ten percent of tithes of their annual income, excluding church operations, including the construction of temples, prayer and other buildings, and other church purposes. Faithful members also abstain from eating and drinking (on an empty stomach) on the first Sunday of each month for at least two consecutive meals, prayerfully dedicating quickly for the purpose of each person choosing. They donate at least the cost of two skipped meals as a quick offering, which the church uses to help the poor and needy and expand its humanitarian efforts. Members are further instructed to set aside one night per week, usually Monday, for “family home evening,” where they gather as a family to study the gospel principles and participate in healthy activities.
Missionary service
All LDS young men are required to serve a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission. Missionaries do not choose where they serve or the language in which they will proselytize, and are expected to fund their missions themselves or with the help of their families. Potential male missionaries must be at least 18 years of age or 25 years old, still single, graduated from high school, and meet certain criteria of physical and spiritual merit. Missionary service is optional, and it is not required for young people to maintain their church membership. Single women 19 years of age or older can also serve as missionaries, usually for 18 months. However, the LDS Church emphasizes that women are not under the same expectation to serve as male members and can only serve as a personal decision. There is no maximum age for missionary service for women. Until October 2012, the minimum age for full-time missionary service is generally 19 for men and 21 for women. Retired couples are encouraged to serve a mission, and can serve either 6-, 12-, 18-, or 23-month terms. Unlike younger missionaries, these older missionaries can serve in non-proselytizing opportunities such as humanitarian aid workers or family history professionals. Other men and women who wish to serve a mission but may not be able to complete a full-time service in another state or country due to health problems may serve in a service mission. They can help at Temple Square in Salt Lake City or an assistant at seminary systems in schools. Many possibilities are available.
Comparisons to Christian Denominations Outside the Latter-day Saint Movement
The LDS Church shares various teachings with other branches of Christianity. These include faith in the Bible (subject to confirmation that it is imperfect), the deity of Jesus, and his atonement and resurrection. LDS theology also includes belief in the doctrine of salvation through Jesus alone, restorationism, millenarianism, continuationism, criminal substitution, and a form of apostolic succession. The practice of baptism by immersion in water and the Eucharist (referred to as in the sacrament) are also carried out in general. However, the Catholic Church considers the doctrinal differences between the two groups to be so great that it will not accept prior LDS baptism as evidence of Christian consecration, as it is the baptism of other Christian groups such as the Orthodox and Protestant churches. The LDS Church does not accept baptisms performed in other churches because it teaches that baptism is effective only when it is performed through proper priesthood authority.
However, the LDS Church is different from many other churches within the confines of modern Christianity, and many people do not accept the church as part of Christianity. Faith itself views other modern Christian denominations as moving away from true Christianity through general apostasy and claims that this is the restoration of the first century of Christianity and only a true and empowered Christian church. Differences between the Mormon Church and most traditional Christianity include disagreement with aspects of the Nicene Creed, a belief in the theory of human salvation, which includes the three heavens (referred to as "degrees of glory," his interpretation of I Cora. 15:35 floor SEQ.), the doctrine of "exaltation" which includes the ability of humans to become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, the dietary code is called the Word of Wisdom, and unique rites are performed privately at LDS temples such as endowments and sealing rites.
Officially, major Christian denominations view the LDS Church as standing apart from the creeds of Christianity. Leaders affirm the LDS Church that the LDS Church is the only true church and that other churches have no authority to act in the name of Jesus.
From the point of view of Christians who agree with the creeds, the most important area of departure is the rejection of certain parts of the ecumenical creed by the LDS Church, such as the Nicene Creed, which defines the predominant view of the Christian God as Trinity from three separate people to "consubstantial." Church LDS theology includes belief in "God" consisting of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as three separate persons who share a unity of purpose and will; however, they are viewed as three separate beings making up one Deity. Other significant differences relate to the church's acceptance of additional scripture, doctrine, and practice for what is found in the Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox versions of the Bible.
Comparison with other Latter-day Saint denominations of the movement
The LDS Church shares a common heritage with a number of small religious groups that are collectively referred to as the Latter-day Saint movement. The largest of these small groups is the Fellowship of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), based in Independence, Missouri, and later by The Church of Jesus Christ, based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Like the LDS Church, these religions believe in Joseph Smith as the prophet and founder of their religion. They also accept the Book of Mormon, and most, but not all, accept at least some versions of the Doctrine and Covenants. However, they tend to disagree to varying degrees with the LDS church regarding doctrine and church leadership.
Major branches of the Latter-day Saint movement resulted in the succession crisis following the death of Joseph Smith. Other branches may be considered later by the scions of the LDS Church branch, mainly due to controversy over plural marriage.
Organization and structure
Name and legal entities
The Church teaches that it is an extension of the Church of Christ, established in 1830 by Joseph Smith. This original church underwent some name changes during the 1830s, called The Church of Jesus Christ, The Church of God, and then in 1834, the name was officially changed to Latter-day Saint Church. In April 1838, the name was officially changed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After Smith died, Brigham Young and the largest body of Smith's followers incorporated the LDS Church in 1851 by Deseret legislation called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which included the hyphen "Latter-day" and British lowercase style "d “.
In 1887, the LDS Church was legally dissolved in the United States under the Edmunds-Tucker Act of the church's practice of polygamy. In the United States, the church continues to operate as a non-legal entity. Common informal church names include LDS Churches, Latter-day Saints, and Mormons. Term mormons is in common use, but the church began discouraging its use in the late 20th century. Church requests that the official title may be used whenever possible, or abbreviated to "Church" or "Church of Jesus Christ" if necessary.
Tax-exempt corporations of the Mormon Church include Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Sole Corporation, which was organized in 1916 under Utah laws to acquire, hold, and dispose of real estate; Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was created in 1923 in Utah to receive and manage money and church donations; and Intellectual Reserve, Inc. which was registered in 1997 to hold church copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property. Non-tax exempt churches include Bonneville International and Deseret News .
Geographic distribution and membership
Countries and territories with at least one LDS temple
Countries and territories, without a LDS temple, but with organized congregations and / or missionaries
Countries and territories without an official LDS presence
Parishes are organized geographically. Users are generally required to attend a community with a geographic area assigned to them; However, some geographic areas also provide separate wards for young adults (ages 18 to 30), single adults aged 31 to 45, or speakers of alternative languages. For Sunday services, the church is grouped into either large (150 to 400 people) congregations known as wards, or small congregations known as a branch. Although the building may sometimes be referred to as a chapel, the room is used as a chapel for religious services in only one component of a standard prayer room. The church maintains an online virtual tour of a typical example, as well as an online prayer locator that can be used to find meeting places and times for their congregations around the world. Regional church organizations spanning multiple congregations include packages, mission, districts, provinces, and regions.
The Church reports worldwide membership of 16 million; This is the church's own accounting based on membership records. The definition of a church as “members” includes all persons who have ever been baptized, or whose parents were members while the person was eight years old called “Members of the Record” (pp. 145-46), who have neither excommunicated nor asked to have their names removed from church records with an estimated 8,300,000 living outside the United States as of December 2011. According to these statistics, it is the fourth largest religious organization in the United States. The church membership report includes all baptized members and their children. Although the church does not exempt public attendance, scholars estimate that the actual participation in the weekly LDS worship services worldwide is about 4 million people. Members residing in the United States and Canada account for 46% of members, in Latin America 38 percent, and members in the rest of the world 16 percent. A 2012 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International found that approximately 2 percent of the US adult population identified as Mormons.
The church continues to seek recognition in regions where he has had little or no influence. On August 30, 2010, church leaders announced that they had made significant progress in "orderly operations for the Church in China."
Priesthood hierarchy
The LDS Church is organized as a hierarchical priesthood structure run by men. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus leads the church by revelation and chose no one called a "prophet" or president of the Church to represent him on earth. Although there have been exceptions in the past, he and two counselors are usually ordained by the apostles and form the First Presidency, the presiding body of the church; twelve other apostles make up the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When a president dies, his successor is invariably the oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve (the one who was the longest apostle), who re-establishes the new First Presidency. Following the death of Church President Thomas S. Monson on January 2, 2018, Senior Apostle Russell M. Nelson was named President on January 14 These people, and other male members of the church-wide leadership (including the first two Quorums of the Seventy and the presiding bishopric) are called common bodies ... They exercise both ecclesiastical and administrative leadership over the church and guide the efforts of regional leaders down to the local level. General bodies and mission presidents work full-time and usually receive scholarships from church funds or investments.
Twice a year (in April and October), general government directs the attention of churches around the world through General Conference, which includes five two-hour sessions over two days. General conference sessions are translated into as many as 80 languages and are broadcast from the 21,000 seats in the Salt Lake City Convention Center. In addition to the general conference, general authorities speak to church members in local communities around the world; they are also often spoken to youth and young adults on special broadcasts and in Church education systems such as Brigham Young University.
Locally, church leaders are drawn from lay people and work part-time on a volunteer basis without a scholarship. Like all members, they ask for a tithe of 10 percent of their income to the church. An exception to this rule is for LDS missionaries who work locally and have paid basic living expenses from a fund that accepts contributions from their families or household congregations. However, potential missionaries are encouraged to contribute to the value of their missions by this very foundation whenever possible. Members volunteer for the common work of disposing of local church buildings.
All men who live by the standards of the church are generally considered to be for the priesthood and are ordained as early as the age of 11. Ordination takes place in a ceremony where hands are placed on the head of one predetermined. The clergy is divided into three Aaronic priesthood quorums for young people 11 and up, and a Melchizedek priesthood Quorum for men 18 years of age and older.
Programs and organizations
Led by the priesthood hierarchy of five organizations that fill different roles in the church: Relief Societies (women's organization), in young men and young women, organizations (for teens aged 12 to 18), Primary (organization for children under 12), and Sunday School (which provides different Sunday classes for teens and adults). Women serve as presidents and counselors in the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidency, while men serve as presidents and counselors for Young Men and Sunday School. The church also operates several programs and organizations in the areas of proselytism, education and church welfare, such as the LDS Humanitarian Services. Many of these organizations and programs are coordinated by the Priesthood Correlation Program, which is designed to provide a systematic approach to maintaining worldwide consistency, orthodoxy, and control of ordinances, doctrine, organization, meetings, materials, and other programs and activities of the church.
The church social security system, initiated during the Great Depression, helps the poor. It is funded by fast offerings: monthly offerings outside the normal 10 percent tithe, which is the cost of abstaining from two meals on monthly Fast Sundays. The money from the program is used to manage Bishop's warehouses, which package and store food at low prices. The distribution of funds and food is administered by the local bishops. The church also distributes money through the LDS Philanthropies division to disaster victims around the world.
Other church programs and departments include LDS Family Services, which provides adoption assistance, family and family counseling, psychotherapy, and addiction counseling; History Department of the LDS Church, which collects church history and records; and Family History The department that manages the Church's large family history efforts, including the world's largest family history library and organizations (FamilySearch). For over 100 years, the church has also been a major sponsor of boy scouting programs, especially in the United States, where it has provided more Boy Scouts of America (BSA) members than any other church. In May 2018, the church announced that it would no longer sponsor BSA programs, effective end of 2019.
Finance
Although the church has not released church-wide financial statements since 1959, in 1997, Time the magazine named it one of the richest churches in the world per capita. In the capital June 2011, Newsweek said the LDS church "resembles TNK-General Electric's consecrated American religion, with global ambitions and an estimated net worth of $ 30 billion." Its non-profit, non-profit and educational support organizations are audited by an independent accounting firm: as of 2007, some made by Deloitte & Touche. In addition, the church employs an independent auditing department that certifies at each annual general conference that church fees are collected and spent in accordance with church policy.
The church receives substantial funds from tithing and fast offerings. According to the church, tithes and quickly offer money collected is dedicated to church purposes and is not used in non-profit enterprises.
The church has also invested in commercial businesses and real estate businesses such as Bonneville International, Deseret Book Company, City Creek Center, and cattle ranches in Utah, Florida, Nebraska, Canada, and elsewhere.
It has been estimated that the LDS Church received $ 33 billion in donations from its members in 2010, and during the decade of the 2010s, the network generated approximately $ 15 billion in annual profits. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the church's LDS was worth $ 40 billion in 2012.
the culture
Because of the difference in lifestyles fostered by church doctrine and stories, church members developed a distinctive culture. This is primarily concentrated in the intermountain West. Many of the church's most distinctive practices include keeping the Word of Wisdom, the law of health, or a code that outlines in general outline principles for maintaining good health. Among these principles is an instruction prohibiting the use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, as well as the use of the wrong drugs. As a result, members adhering to the Word of Wisdom, areas of the world with a high concentration of LDS members practice these restrictions. They sometimes come into conflict with local retailers that serve non-members.
Meetings and outreach programs are regularly held and have become part of Latter-day Saint culture.
Media and arts
Culture has created significant business opportunities independent funds LDS media. Such communities include film, fiction, websites, and graphic arts such as photography and paintings. The church owns a chain of bookstores called Deseret Book, which provides a channel through which the publication is sold. Titles including work and Glory and The Other Side Celestial found recognition both inside and outside the church; BYU TV, a church-sponsored television station, is also broadcast on multiple networks. The church also produces six pageants annually, depicting various events of the primitive and modern church. His Easter procession Jesus christ has been identified as "the largest annual open Easter pageant in the world."
Not a single question, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not “having a moment” ... Twilight Stephenie Meyer's vampire Mormon novels sell tens of millions of copies, Mormon convert Glenn Beck inspires daily dedication and disgrace with his radio shows, and HBO generated a lot of attention with great love finale. Even Broadway got in on the action, giving us The Book of Mormon, a big budget musical about Mormon missionaries by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q writer Robert Lopez, who, with 14 nominations, is expected to clear at the (2011) Tony Awards on June 12th.
home and family
In 1995, the Church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve issued The Family: A Proclamation to the World, which emphasizes the importance of the family. The proclamation states that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God, and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The document also states that “gender is an important characteristic of an individual premortal, mortal, and eternal life and purpose,” that father and mother have different but equal roles in raising children, and that successful marriages and families based on the teachings of Jesus Christ can last forever. This document is widely cited by LDS members as a statement of principle.
Adult women (Relief Society members) in the congregation meet at least quarterly for additional teaching and service. Meetings can consist of a draft service, conference or different classes offered.
After polling and polling thousands of young people across America, evangelical statistician Christian Smith writes, "in general comparisons between major US religious traditions using different sociological indicators of religious vitality and prominence .... these are Mormon adolescents, sociologically mastering the best."
Celebrations and gatherings
Additional meetings are also often held in prayer rooms. Support staff can conduct leadership meetings or host training sessions and classes. The ward or branch community may plan social prayer activities, including dancing, dinners, feast nights, and musical performances. Church young men and young women organizations meet in prayer times a week where young people participate in Duty to God activities and work, scouting or Personal Progress. Other popular activities are basketball, family history conferences, youth and singles conferences, dancing, and various personal improvement classes. Church members can also reserve prayer rooms free of charge for weddings, receptions, and funerals.
During the summer, the LDS church promotes week-long workshops throughout North America, known as Especially for Young People (EFy). This program runs Monday through Saturday during the summer months for young people between the ages of 14-18. During this week, young people often spend the night at the college campus dormitories and the next day, adult religious education classes are taught in various classes, as well as various other activities such as scripture study and dancing.
Political participation
The LDS Church does not accept a guerrilla role in politics, stating that it will not "support, encourage or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms, allows its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for biased political goals, attempts to direct it members, which candidate or party they should cast their votes ... or try to direct or dictate the leader of the government. "
Loading...