Kelly Steiner
Mr. Harvey Franklin
Religion in America REL 181 W1
December 3, 2021 Steiner 1
New Religious Movements: Mormonism
One of the New Religious Movements that has been very controversial and very
questionable in the past and present day is Mormonism. Mormonism was a group or church
started over a century ago and is still in order today. The most popular and most heard about
Mormon Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). I remember hearing
commercials on television when I was young for this church and not understanding why a church
would advertise on television. They operate worldwide and have over sixteen million members
today. The Mormons believe that the Book of Mormon is a complimentary book to the Bible,
however they do not study the Bible. Their name was originated due to Latter-Day meaning after
Biblical times and Saints being all the church members (YouTube). Little has been known or
brought to the public’s attention about this religious group other than polygamy, because
everything is very secretive.
The LDS was founded by a man named Joseph Smith in the late 1800’s. Joseph claimed
to have been in the woods praying one afternoon and saw the presence of two bodily beings,
Jesus and God. He claimed that they spoke to him and stated that he should not pick a religion
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because man was not teaching religion properly. Joseph later claimed that he was visited in his
home by a another bodily being of a Prophet named Moroni and that Moroni had told him
exactly where to go on the mountain side to find a book of gold plates that were transcribed of
the words of God. Although no one else ever saw this gold book Joseph claimed he was
translating it in order to spread the true word of belief, and then stated after he translated it
(which he called the Book of Mormon) that Moroni took the book back and it disappeared (The
Mormons). There has been much speculation about this and other events that Joseph claimed and
no history to back his claims. He did however start the Mormon Church and began practicing
polygamy (plural marriage), marrying over fifty wives and some who were already married
(bigamy). After Joseph and his brother were brutally killed in part for their beliefs and for
marrying many women who belonged to other husbands, a man named Brigham Young took
over the church (The Mormons YouTube). Brigham continued to grow the church and recruit
more followers and found Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah was not a state at the time and belonged to
Mexico. Utah is still one of the most prominent states for Mormonism and polygamy even
though it is against the law. There are estimated 40,000 Mormon polygamists there today
(Wikipedia).
The Mormons believe in thirteen articles of faith, of which all contradict the teachings in
the Bible. The beliefs are that you must continue to work and do mission work to enter the
highest kingdom in the afterlife (Fritz). This is not heaven it is a sort of reincarnation that they
believe their families are in a kingdom with them continuing to live. However, if they do not live
to the fullest extent asked of them here on earth, they will not make it to the highest kingdom,
there are two other tiers of kingdoms of which they will be stuck. The only way to move to the
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highest and get out of this spirit prison is if another Mormon with high standings participates in a
“Baptism for the Dead” on the behalf of the one who did not accept salvation before death
(YouTube). They also think worship at a temple which is a sacred place meaning, no one is
allowed in that is not of the Mormon faith, and if you have not earned your way in yet you are
not allowed to know what happens or what is said in the temple. The women are made to feel
that their sole purpose in life is to have children and marry (or be sealed with) a man that is
worthy of being in the temple, because this is the only person who will save her and bring her to
an afterlife. The women are also given a strict dress code and the men and women are forced to
always wear special garments under their clothes to show their faith. These ideas run counter to
all other religions and ways of life, especially Christians. They claim that if you live this faith,
you have healing and physically live in an afterlife and constantly working missionary work and
for the church will help achieve this. The Mormons claim to be Christians; however, they do not
read of the Bible or believe in the Holy Trinity. This would be a hard task to convince people
that this way of faith is the only way, especially when Joseph Smith’s ideas and false stories have
been brought to light. This is not the way of Christians and not the readings in the Bible. I
believe this is a cult in every way, the people are brainwashed into believing a false book that a
man wrote because he wanted the world to live his way. They control the families and children in
every moment of their days and thoughts, and no one is allowed to question anything, or they are
forced out the religion and told they will never have a celestial life. The ex-Mormons that have
gotten out of this cult recognize the terrible falsehood that they were subject to, and the loss of
self felt from not being perfect.
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My preconceived notions of what Mormonism was has changed in many ways and in
some ways my original views are even stronger. I believed that they were just a church or group
of people with perversions and wanted to have several spouses for different duties in life,
similarly, to the show Sister Wives that aired in 2010. I cannot conceive of sharing marriage with
multiple people, this is not the word of God. I now feel that they are a cult and a very malicious
one. For them to make their followers think that they are not worthy of being in temple or that
they will not continue into an afterlife because someone does not think they did enough for the
church is ridiculous. This is brainwashing and oppression, not religion. They were always so
secretive because what they were doing, and teaching was wrong, and wrongful in the way they
live it. My views now after reading and watching videos on Mormonism is that it is an
alternative society of which people with low or no self esteem are fished for and lured into
thinking that someone cares about them and their spirituality. Then they alter their appearance
and minds to conform to the fake words and teachings of a foolish man. I see the men as the
leaders in this and the women and children with no thoughts of their own to have a different life
and to be brought into the light of truth. I hold firm to my thoughts on polygamy and now on
what I see as a cult called Mormonism.
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Work Cited
What is Mormonism? What Do Mormons Believe? YouTube video Aug. 1, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeaC6NnhylE
The Mormons: Who They Are, What they Believe (2015) Full Movie| Dr. Lynn Wilder YouTube
May 14, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyhD4b1ZuTo
Polygamy in North America: Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy_in_North_America
Explaining polygamy and its history in the Mormon Church: The Conversation
By: Joanna Brooks August 17, 2017 10.18pm EDT
https://theconversation.com/explaining-polygamy-and-its-history-in-the-mormon-church-81384
Christianity Vs Mormonism Differences: Bible Reasons
Fritz, Chery Oct 6, 2021
https://biblereasons.com/christianity-vs-mormonism/
