The Encyclopedia of World Religions

264 S Latter-day Saints

Distinctive Mormon RITUALS include BAPTISM and endowment. Mormons generally baptize around the age of eight. They also baptize by proxy those who have previously died. This has led them to be intensely concerned with genealogy. The rit ual of endowment provides a Latter-day Saint with special temple clothes that are worn under regular clothing. Saints also learn secret passwords and handshakes. In personal life Latter-day Saints observe rules and cherish values that others sometimes find very strict. They are encouraged not to use alco hol, tobacco, coffee, and tea. They must observe a dress code. In addition, good members of the church tithe, that is, they give 10 percent of their income to the church. ORGANIZATION Traditionally only males hold office in the church. They become deacons, teachers, and priests when they turn 12, 14, and 16 years old, respectively. At the age of 18 they may become elders and enter into missionary work for 18 months (A smaller number of women undertake missionary work in their early twenties.) Until 1978 only white men could be priests in the Utah-based church. In 1978 men of color were admitted to the priesthood. The Reorganized Church has always recognized black priests; it has also opened the priesthood to women. Several executive bodies govern the church. The most important are a three-member Presi dency, the Council of the Twelve APOSTLES , and the Quorum of the First Seventy. A General Conference, which all Mormons may attend, approves actions by these bodies. On the local level Mormons are organized into congregations. SIGNIFICANCE In many ways Mormonism is typical of religions that have arisen in the United States. Its charac teristic concerns have been with the possibility of progress, the end of the world, and acceptable behavior. Today Mormons are known for empha sizing the traditional family. They are also known for valuing hard work. An important example is

headquarters at Independence, Missouri, because during his lifetime, the prophet had identified Inde pendence as Zion. This group became the Reorga nized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In Utah the Latter-day Saints openly pro claimed the practice of polygamy. They also talked of establishing a Mormon kingdom. This led to dif ficulties with the United States government. After President James Buchanan sent in the army in 1857, Young lost his position as governor of the territory. It was not until 1890, however, that the church abandoned its teaching on polygamy. From the very founding of the church, Latter day Saints were active in mission work. That activ ity continues up to the present. They have been especially successful in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. BELIEFS Mormons accept the B IBLE as the word of God. They maintain, however, that it has been translated improperly. The proper translation, they believe, predicts the coming of Joseph Smith. Mormons also accept the Book of Mormon. It tells of Hebrews who allegedly immigrated to North America around the year 600 B . C . E . Their story involves themes famil iar from the Hebrew Bible: SIN , punishment, and repentance. The Book of Mormon also teaches that Jesus appeared in the Western Hemisphere as well as in Palestine. The Latter-day Saints who belong to the church based in Utah have many distinctive beliefs. They teach that human beings can become divine, and that this has already happened in the case of God. They teach that what orthodox Christians consider three persons of the TRINITY are actually three dis tinct gods. They teach a detailed scenario for the RESURRECTION of the dead and the end of the world. They teach that God’s revelations continue today. In particular, their prophet-president receives rev elations from God that apply to the whole church. PRACTICES Latter-day Saints worship in both temples and meeting-houses. Only practicing Mormons can enter a temple.