Mormonism
Restorationist Christian movement founded by Joseph Smith in the 1820s.
Mormonism refers to the religious tradition and theology stemming from the Latter Day Saint movement, a form of Restorationist Christianity. It was launched by Joseph Smith in the 1820s and 1830s in Western New York. The label "Mormonism" has been used for various offshoots of this movement, though since 2018 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has actively discouraged its use.
A central element of Mormon theology is the Book of Mormon, a 19th-century work that claims to be a record of early Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their interactions with God. This theology merges standard Christian beliefs with ideas derived from revelations received by Smith and other leaders. Besides the Bible, adherents use additional scriptures such as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Key doctrines include eternal marriage, eternal progression, baptism for the dead, sexual purity, health practices, fasting, Sabbath observance, and—historically—plural marriage.
Mormon theology is not monolithic. Splits began as early as 1831, and after Smith’s death, numerous groups emerged. One estimate counts over 400 denominations originating from Smith’s movement. These groups differ mainly on leadership, polygamy (which the Utah-based LDS Church banned in 1890), and Trinitarianism (which the LDS Church does not affirm). The branch that continues polygamy is called Mormon fundamentalism and includes several churches. Other groups, like the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), describe themselves as Trinitarian Christian restorationists.
The term "cultural Mormonism" was coined by cultural Mormons—people who identify with the culture, especially in the American West, but may not embrace the theology.
Joseph Smith, a farmboy in Western New York, began the movement during the Second Great Awakening. At age 14, confused by what he saw as contradictions among churches, he prayed about which to join. He later wrote that in spring 1820, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in a vision, telling him to join none because they were all wrong. Over the 1820s, he reported angelic visits and was told God would use him to restore the "true Christian church."
In 1830, Smith published the Book of Mormon, claiming he translated it from ancient writings on golden plates. He said an angel showed him the plates’ location in 1823, buried in a hill. After obtaining them in 1827, he dictated the text from April 1828 to June 1829 with help from Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery. Smith said the plates were returned to the angel after translation.
The Book of Mormon describes early Israelites who left the Near East around 600 BC, sailed to the Americas, and believed in Jesus centuries before his birth. It recounts Jesus visiting them after his resurrection and their eventual loss of Christianity through wars and apostasy. Smith saw the book and other revelations as the basis for a restored church. He began baptizing converts in 1829 and formally organized the Church of Christ in 1830, with followers viewing him as a modern prophet.
Early Mormons faced criticism and persecution in New York. To avoid conflict, Smith and his followers moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri, hoping to build a New Jerusalem. Expelled from Jackson County in 1833, they fled elsewhere in Missouri. In 1838, fighting led Missouri’s governor to issue an extermination order, forcing them out. The church then settled in Illinois, buying a town they renamed Nauvoo, where they enjoyed a few years of peace. Tensions rose again, and in 1844 Smith was killed by a mob, sparking a succession crisis. The largest group, now the LDS Church, followed Brigham Young to the Utah Territory, where they openly practiced plural marriage.
- founder
- Joseph Smith
- founded
- 1820s–1830s
- origin
- Western New York
- sacred_texts
- Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Bible
- known_for
- Restorationist Christianity, Book of Mormon, plural marriage (formerly), distinct Godhead doctrine
- membership_2020
- 16 million (LDS Church)
Lore & Background
Mormonism is the theology and religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement, a form of Restorationist Christianity. Its appearance is most visibly represented by the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. The movement’s range extends globally, though its cultural influence is particularly strong in much of the American West. The habitat of Mormonism is primarily within its various denominations, which number over 400 groups that have split from the original church founded by Joseph Smith. Defining characteristics include the Book of Mormon, a 19th-century text described as a chronicle of early Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their dealings with God. Mormon theology combines mainstream Christian beliefs with modifications from revelations to Smith and other leaders, using the Bible alongside other texts such as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Key doctrines include eternal marriage, eternal progression, baptism for the dead, sexual purity, health, fasting, Sabbath observance, and formerly, plural marriage. The theology is not uniform; major differences among groups include stances on polygamy—banned by the Utah-based LDS Church in 1890—and Trinitarianism, which the LDS Church does not affirm. Mormon fundamentalism maintains polygamy, while groups like the Community of Christ affirm Trinitarian Christian restorationist doctrine. Cultural Mormonism describes those who identify with the culture but not necessarily the theology.
Reader's Guide
Mormonism’s significance stems from its claim to restore primitive Christianity through new revelation, producing a theology that diverges from mainstream Christian creeds. Central to this tradition is the Book of Mormon, a text presented as a chronicle of early Israelites who journeyed to the Americas, detailing their belief in Jesus before his birth, a personal visitation by Jesus after his resurrection, and a subsequent loss of Christianity through war and apostasy. The movement began with Joseph Smith, who after a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ in the 1820s, was told to join no existing church. He reported translating the Book of Mormon from golden plates shown by an angel, publishing it in 1830. Smith organized the Church of Christ that same year, but early converts faced persecution in New York and were forced to relocate to Ohio, then Missouri, where an extermination order drove them out, and finally to Illinois. After Smith’s killing by a mob in 1844, the largest group followed Brigham Young. The theology is not uniform; over 400 denominations have split from Smith’s original movement, differing primarily on polygamy (banned by the LDS Church in 1890) and Trinitarianism (which the LDS Church does not affirm). Mormon fundamentalism maintains polygamy, while groups like the Community of Christ affirm Trinitarian restorationist doctrine. Cultural Mormonism also emerged, where individuals identify with the culture, especially in the American West, without necessarily adhering to the theology.
Did You Know?
- Joseph Smith said he received a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ in 1820, telling him to join no existing church.
- The Book of Mormon claims to chronicle early Israelites who sailed to the Americas around 600 BC.
- Mormon theology teaches that God the Father and Jesus have physical bodies, while the Holy Ghost is a spirit.
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