I remember when my mother received news of a family tragedy. I witness her strength and courage but wondered why there were no tears. Then there was my classmate who seemed like a victim of depression after the sad ending of a relationship. I often wondered how different individuals could react differently to situations and circumstance and if that is dependent on their perspective of whether these events are classified as blessing or burdens. This bewilderment was enhanced through this course as we discussed how the beliefs of different religions provide certain perspectives and attitudes for its members which allow these members to then consider if an event is a blessing or burden and then react accordingly. But, I think these different mentalities, …show more content…
This aided my discovery of how their belief of the purpose of this life provides a foundation of how they face struggles. Just as in the Muslim religion, in Mormonism, it all starts with the worship of a divine being. In the case of Mormonism, that divine being is God (The Church of Jesus…). God is the creator of mankind for them, and holds that position of all knowing creator. For Mormons, members of Mormonism, they believe that there was a “pre-earth” life (The Church of Jesus…). In this pre-earth life God laid out his plan for human kind and in this plan, he declared what the purpose of this earth life will be. Mormons believe that in this pre-earth life, God was an immortal being with interminable blessings, but us humans, his children did not yet hold that same state, but had the potential to. But, in order to reach that same state as God, we needed a place to go to, which they believe is why God created earth (Purpose of Life). Mormons believe that the purpose of this life is to gain a physical body, because in the pre-earth life we were just spirits, come to earth, gain experience and be tested. The way they believe this test occurs is through obedience. Mormons believe in life after death, and your status in life after death is based on your actions and desires during your life here on earth (Purpose of Life). The part where facing struggles becomes relevant is based on how they relate God’s nature and heaven. Mormons believe that God, the creator, knows all. Is ultimate knowledge including God knowing what is best for us. They believe that God has a perfect plan for his children to return back to him in heaven, but they also believe God does not force, but rather gives his children agency, the opportunity to choose. So, based on how they choose to react, is based on their belief that God knows best and that his
The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or “Mormons”, as they are more commonly called, have been around since 1830. The church was founded by a man named Joseph Smith in New York. Shortly thereafter the entire church body moved across the midwest, eventually to Missouri. It was there in Missouri where Governor Lilburn Boggs issued executive order fourty four or, as it is more commonly called, the “Extermination Order”. The Missouri executive order forty four was an order issued in 1838 by Governor Boggs, a former governor of the state of Missouri.
One reason is because they supposedly “poisoned a spring and an ox carcass near the central Utah town of Fillmore. ”11 After reading the book Massacre at Mountain Meadows, I now believe that it was a spore to have poisoned the spring and killed the ox around that time being transferred through meat to people, which would end up killing them. I understand that some of the men “threatened to join the incoming federal troops against the saints. ”12 One man even went as far as to claim, “he had a gun that killed Joseph Smith,”13 him being one of the men the Mormons most admired.
Joseph Smith, the leader of the Mormons, arrived in neighboring Jackson County in 1831 with a group of his followers. They believed that they would inherit the land that was already owned by earlier settlers through righteousness. This created tension between the Mormons and the earlier arrivals, and in 1833, the Mormons were forcibly driven from Jackson County. Many relocated to Clay County and later to Caldwell County, but lasting peace was not to be achieved. In 1838, Joseph Smith and several other Mormon leaders were arrested and jailed in Liberty over the winter.
After the seventeen months of arduous travel across the west, we finally reached the Great Salt Lake Valley. Brigham announced once we arrived that this was the right place for us to live. One year has since passed, and thousands of Mormons have flooded into the valley. Within days of our arrival, preparation began to assemble our town.
In this exploration, there will be a comparison on the worldviews of Mormonism and orthodox Christianity, shedding light on their distinctive perspectives concerning the nature of God and historical narratives. This centers on the core beliefs of orthodox Christianity, which uphold the Trinitarian doctrine of God, emphasizing the unity of three distinct persons—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the beliefs of Mormonism, particularly their doctrine of exaltation and eternal progression, will be critically examined considering established orthodox Christian teachings and historical accounts. Through this analysis, the theological contrasts between these two faiths are illuminated, providing insights
This tension was a result of bitter persecutions of the Mormons which had lasted for over two decades. Mormon leaders urged spiritual values which included blood atonement. Followers were asked to kill Mormons who committed serious sins. Although these teachings did not lead to the massacre, it fuelled fanaticism which led to the massacre. There was a conflict between the Mormon leadership and the federal government as well as Utah.
Mormons believe that we can live a perfect life. Matthew 5:48 states, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect.” Some believe Jesus didn’t really mean perfect, because that would require that we be flawless. Instead, we believe He was telling us to be mature. Section 4: Witnessing to Mormons: Mormons as we have read believe in multiple gods, if each one of us has the potential in becoming a god then we must presume that there are hundreds if not thousands of gods.
The Mormon Church believes that genealogy is about linking families together and has certain religious ordinances like baptism. They believe that they can baptize the deceased by proxy in their sacred temples. They enjoy learning about their ancestors and gathering records, documenting their existence including birth, marriage, death, military as well as collecting and storing them. It is a concerted effort by the church and children are indoctrinated very early in the importance to know about family. The result is the largest holding and collection of genealogical records in the world in Salt Lake City, Utah.
On April 6, 1830 in Fayette, NY Joseph F. Smith created the LDS church. The saints endured many trials moving from one place to the next including Ohio, Nauvoo, and multiple places in Missouri. After the Martyr of Joseph smith the first wagons began to leave Nauvoo. There were a total of ten wagon companies along with many other smaller groups that also made the trek for a new land of hope and promise known as Zion or the Salt Lake valley. The Mormon Pioneers opened up new exchange through the encounter with Indians and Frontiersmen and started the exploration
In Fundamentalist Mormonism, there is no set limit to the number of wives in one marriage. Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet who first delivered God 's directive that Mormons practice plural marriage, ultimately took dozens of wives. In the United States, Fundamentalist Mormons are the most common groups to practice polygamy. For Mormons, polygamy is the Divine Principle, reflecting God 's wish that his people are "fruitful and multiply."
As the Mormons kept pushing forward Brigham Young took care of all the business in Nauvoo and all the problems that went wrong. When on this trek the Mormons had very much faith that they would get to where they needed to be many people died along the way but still were holding on strong to get where they needed to be to live in peace away from the angry mobs and the
But along with the more different ideas, Mormons are guided through mission work and helping others. While Mormonism is often viewed in a skeptical way, it’s a strict, male led religion that puts a strong emphasis on family with the word of God at the center of their
The Book of Mormon Girl, is a memoir about the life of the protagonist, Joanna Brooks. Brooks gives us an insight into one of America's most captivating yet misunderstood religious traditions. From early on in her life, Joanna Brooks always understood that being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made her different form others. She knew that she was different but not in a bad way but rather in a special. Joanna brook’s memoir traces her faith journey beginning with her childhood in a secure and idealistically orthodox LDS family in Southern California to an adult woman.
However, not all Mormons believe in the apocalypse. In fact, officials of the church don't encourage their people to believe in it because they don't think it is really coming to an end anytime soon. One their late leaders even told their followers to plan for long, productive lives. NASA on the other hand also didn't say that the world is going to end this September.
Old fashioned, hand made clothing, reserved lives, playgrounds that only consist of a cement slab, and a school system that only teaches through the eighth grade are peculiar to the outside world. These oddities are just the surface of the unusual practices that take place in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The FLDS church is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. Polygamy is illegal, in 1890 the Mormon church ended its practice of polygamy, which created a split in the church. Fundamentalists moved to secluded areas where they could continue their practice of plural marriage.