Origins

An angel named Moroni appeared to a seventeen year-old boy, Joseph Smith on 21 September 1823 near New York. Moroni told the boy the location of a book containing the 'fulness of the everlasting Gospel' as delivered by the Saviour to the ancient inhabitants of America. Although he found the plates the next day, Moroni would not allow him to have them until 22 September 1827.

He began to translate the plates with the aid of two magic stones, the 'Urim' and the 'Thummim'. Harris, a New York farmer wanted to publish the book and took Smith's copies of the plates to Prof Charles Anthon of Columbia University. Smith later claimed that Anthon identified the letters as 'Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic' and said that Smith's translation was more accurate than 'any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian.'

Upon hearing these claims Prof Anthon wrote on 17 Feb 1834 to refute these statements, saying that Smiths claims were 'perfectly false' and 'a scheme to cheat the farmer of his money'. Further, he said that 'I ... well remember that the paper contained anything else but 'Egyptian Hieroglyphics.''

By 1830 Smith had a group of followers which he called the 'Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. The next year God told him to leave New York, and they wandered around a bit [bit ungrammatical, but best I can think of to describe it - Ed]. By 1839 they had moved to Illinois, where Smith was arrested after his followers destroyed the offices of a newspaper which had criticised them. On 27 June 1844 an angry mob stormed the jail. Smith was shot and Mormonism had its first martyr. Brigham Young assumed command and lead them to Utah, at the great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City is now the Mormon capital. World membership is about 2.5 million, mostly in the USA.

Scriptures

Book of Mormon contains references to ancient American cities and cultures [of which no archaeological evidence has ever been found - Ed]. And even a reference to Quaker-like people living on the moon. The book is regarded as God's word, and was supposedly translated from 'reformed Egyptian' during the years 1827-1830, although, somewhat curiously, it is written in the same style as the King James Bible of 1611! After great battles which eliminated the first group of immigrants from the Middle East, a second group came, lead by Lehi and his son Nephi. Some families of Nephi and his brother Laman rebelled against God, who cursed them and made their skin black. The good descendants of Nephi moved inland, and in ad34, after His resurrection, Jesus came to them in America and preached the sermon on the mount.

In AD385 all were killed in a great battle, the only survivor being Moroni, son of Mormon who later appeared to Joseph Smith.

Pearl of Great Price also contains 'revisions' of the Bible which state, for example, that Satan wanted to redeem mankind, but was refused by God, and that Adam was baptised by immersion

Main Doctrines

There are many gods, God is not spirit but material. Men are gods, and God was once a man. The fall of man was necessary for there to be mortal parents for the spirit-children of God (Eternity is to populate planets with spirit-babies which will later be born as mortals). Originally, Mormonism was monogamous, but 'special revelation' was given to Smith to permit polygamy. Smith himself had nearly 50 wives. Brigham Young had 27. Later it was condemned again, but it is still practised today.

Jesus was born, not of the Holy Spirit, but of an act of sexual intercourse between a resurrected Adam-god and Mary. The wedding at Cana was Jesus' own. Brigham Young wrote that Jesus married Mary and Martha (Lazarus' sisters) and later also Mary Magdalene.

Heaven consists of three levels, the telestial, terrestrial and the celestial. All people are 'saved' and included in one of these levels. Celestial marriage must take place in a Mormon temple, and when this ritual is performed they are considered 'sealed' in marriage for eternity.

Another ritual is the baptism of the dead, giving eternal life to those who have already died. A Mormon researches his ancestry and is then baptised for each of the dead relatives (by immersion).

Mormons emphasis clean living (polygamy is now officially condemned), and family life, but their principal doctrines stand in conflict with archaeology, anthropology and Biblical scholarship.

Above article based on What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour, G/L Publications 1967; For an excellent expose of the Mormon Cult see the film The God Makers, available from most good Christian video outlets - Ed.