FOUNDER
Joseph Smith (born in Vt., 1805; found & translated the ‘plates’ in NY in 1827; killed in Ill. 1844)
Bringham Young was his assistant and replaced him

NAME
Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints
Mormons (after Book of Mormon)

AUTHORITY
Book of Mormon = translation of golden plates Joseph Smith found in New York, record of immigration of Jews from Jerusalem to North America about 600 BC, who became one of the ancestors of American Indians. Says Jesus visited them after resurrection. Full of religious teachings complimenting the Bible
Doctrine & Covenants = things revealed to Joseph Smith and the Prophets: celestial marriage, Negroes rejected, polygamy, etc.
Pearl of Great Price = missing pieces of Old Testament by Abraham, found by Smith in an Egyptian tomb and translated from papyri
Bible = use their own translation of it, give it secondary importance

VIEW of GOD
“A man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.” (Adam was a Mormon from another planet who came here with his wives and, after starting human race, went to heaven and became ‘God’
Polythiestic = many gods
Polygamy = to populate planet they go to (“celestial” marriages now)
Pre-existent souls = Adam & wives mated in heaven to create souls which await earthly bodies
(whites only, blacks inferior, create own souls, can’t be in priesthood or in heaven)

VIEW of the TRINITY
Strongly disbelieve in the Trinity

VIEW of CHRIST
1st soul of Adam & wife = Jesus (2nd soul was Satan, so they are brothers)
No Virgin Birth, just our ‘elder brother’ (sinful like us, died for Adam’s sin, not ours)
Wedding at Cana was when he married Mary, Mary & Martha, had many children
(disciples polygamous, too) – this was the real reason He was persecuted

VIEW of the HOLY SPIRIT
“Fluid” – not a person (obtained by laying on of hands) – only one place at a time

VIEW of SIN
Adam’s sin started the human race, therefore it was necessary and all right
No sin nature, only acts of ‘mistakes,’ sin downplayed – paid for by good works

VIEW of SALVATION
By works, especially for LDS church
ALL will be saved, but to be a ‘god’ must work your way up in this life (baptism for the dead)

VIEW of HEAVEN & HELL
No heaven or hell (all saved, just different degrees of reward)
Christ rule 1,000 yrs in Independence, MI (“New Jerusalem”) then second chance for all