What do you know about the mormons? Also known as church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; LDS. I suppose that you know about as much as me. I am supposing that you are not a mormon. What odd practices have you heard they perform? Let us just go right through and get started with my understanding of LDS. I am not for or against the Mormons.
1. Joseph Smith was 14 at the time of his encounter with the risen Christ. And the vision occurred someplace in up state New York.
2. Joseph Smith was given tablels made of gold and an additional set of similar tablets to decode the first set. (The present location of the tablets is not known.)
3. The tablets tell a story of pre-Columbian peoples that inhabited the Americas. The book of Mormon is the product of the deciphered tablets.
4. Joseph Smith was murdered in St. Louis, although his burial place is not known. And Brigham Young led a large group of Mormons to the Salt Lake basin where they settled.
5. The Mormons practiced polygamy or the taking of more than one wife.
6. The Mormons are organized around a ward at the local level and a stake at the higher level. The ward is administered by a bishop (equivalent to a catholic priest) and the stake by a president (equivalent to a catholic bishop).
7. How does one attain salvation? I am not certain or clear on this point.
8. Church services are conducted in separately. Men in one room, and women in another.
9. The Mormons do not drink tea, coffee, or alcohol. Also, soft drinks such as Coke, or Pepsi is frowned on. Wine is also not permitted. And smoking is banned.
10. Marriage is encouraged as is having many babies.
11. Young men and women perform two years of social service before marriage.
12. Mormons accept the book of Mormon as the primary source of revelation, along with the King James Bible and an assortment of secondary writings and declarations.
13. Mormons accept their church to be the true and only church of Jesus Christ.
14. Mormons do not like to be called as such and prefer to be known as christians because they claim that Jesus Christ forms part of their official church designation.
15. Mormons do not work on Monday.
16. Mormons dress impeccably in their very best for church services.
17. There are 3 ranks of priestly service to which all men whether or not Mormon belong.
This concludes the more formal list of practices that I as a non-Mormon know from my casual reading and conversation. I also must mention the practice of wearing special underwear so designated but whose purpose is not fully understood by me.
The Mormon church condemns homosexuality in all its’ forms as do other mainstream christian denominations in America. And despite strong denials by Mormons, a large group of homosexual men and women seek a greater understanding and acceptance among their group, as is the case in other denominations, too. ‘
I admire the group as a whole for their great strides in all facets of American life. I admire their family values, and work ethic.