Latter-day Saint
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A Latter-day Saint is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The British spelling "Latter-day Saint" with the hyphen originated in 1852 when the LDS Church was incorporated in Salt Lake City, Utah, but a similar term "Latter Day Saint" was used in reference to members of the church from its conception in 1830. Some have used the term "Latter Day Saint" to refer to any members of any of the churches involved in the movement of Mormonism which began in the 1830s and had small groups break away from the main body of saints, but such usage is much less common. If considered a Christian denomination the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest church in the United States; if considered a discrete religion it is second only to Christianity in the U.S.A. Its adherents are sometimes referred to as Mormons, although a few other groups which stem from the same movement also refer to themselves as Mormons, a term that began as a nickname in reference to their belief in a book of scripture called the "Book of Mormon." Due to a large number of incidents in which misidentification has been made in regard to LDS Church, confusing the church with its much smaller schisms, the church strongly prefers that if the term is used that it be applied solely to the LDS Church while at the same time encouraging the increased use of official and historic self-designations such as "Latter-day Saints", "Saints", and "Church of Jesus Christ" instead of Mormon. (See LDS Style Guide).
There are more than 12 million Latter-day Saints in the world today (roughly 4-5 million are active members), the majority of which reside outside the United States (approximately 45 percent reside within the US). According to Time and Newsweek, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today, having more than doubled in membership since 1982. It is the most far reaching world religion originating in the United States.
The most doctrinally accurate description of their beliefs can be found on the official Church-run websites via links listed on this page.
Contents |
See also
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Latter Day Saint
- Mormon
- Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Gordon B. Hinckley
External links
Official Church websites
- Official website
- Basic Beliefs
- BeSmart (Church Education)
- FamilySearch
- LDS Church Newsroom
- LDS Scriptures - Includes the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants
Official country sites
Unofficial websites
- FARMS - Foundation for Ancient Religion and Mormon Studies
- FAIR - Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research
- Mormon Answers: LSDFAQ - In-depth FAQ on LDS Church-related issues
- About Mormonism - Reliable articles on doctrines and teachings of the Church
Further reading
- {{cite book
| title = Articles of Faith | author = James E. Talmage | publisher = Signature Books | year = 2003 | id = ISBN 1560851678 }}
- {{cite book
| title = Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission | author = James E. Talmage | publisher = Deseret Book Co. | year = 1982 | id = ISBN 0877479038 }}
- {{cite book
| title = Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ | author = Joseph Smith (Translator) | publisher = Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | year = 1981 | id = ISBN 0967686563 }}
- {{cite book
| title = Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ | author = Joseph Smith (Translator) | publisher = Doubleday | year = 2004 | id = ISBN 038551316X }}
- {{cite book
| title = Marvelous Work and a Wonder | author = Le Grand Richards | publisher = Deseret Book Co. | year = 1984 | id = ISBN 0877471614 }}da:Sidste Dages Hellig