Author: Eric Johnson
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Lorenzo Snow Couplet (Defined)
Lorenzo Snow Couplet. Lorenzo Snow, the fifth president and prophet of the mainstream sect of Mormonism, is famous both in and outside of Mormonism for his couplet: “As man is God once was, as God is man may be.” This short couplet summarizes the traditional understanding of what Joseph Smith taught in the “Sermon in…
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Liahona (Defined)
Liahona. An instrument, like a compass (Alma 37:38), that God gave to Lehi’s famiy to help them through the Arabian wilderness and across the ocean to arrive in America. Also, a monthly magazine produced for the Latter-day Saints outside the United States in 51 different languages.
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Levi/Levites (Defined)
Levi. Return to dictionary here.
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Lehi (Defined)
Lehi. According to the Book of Mormon, Lehi was a righteous man who was told to flee Jerusalem before its destruction in 600 B.C. He led his family by boat to the American continent. Others mentioned in the Book of Mormon by this name include Lehi, the son of Zoram; Lehi, the Nephite commander; Lehi, the son of…
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Lectures on Faith (Defined)
Lectures on Faith. A series of seven lectures produced by Joseph Smith in the winter of 1834-5 and delivered to a group of men who belonged to what was called “School of the Elders.” These were included in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
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Laws and Ordinances (Defined)
Laws and Ordinances. According to the Articles of Faith, “We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (The Articles of Faith 1:3). Apostle Boyd K. Packer told a general conference audience, “We came to earth to be tested and to…
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Latter-day Saint (LDS) (Defined)
Latter-day Saint (LDS). A baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to Mormonism, a Latter-day Saint is a Christian even though they are unique. Apostle David B. Haight told a general conference audience, “Our position among the Christian denominations of the world is unique. We are not affiliated, either directly…
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Lamanites (Defined)
Lamanites. The followers of Laman, who is mentioned in the Book of Mormon as the eldest and wicked son of Lehi. First Nephi 12:23 states that after the Lamanites “dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.” The Lamanites annihilated the light-skinned Nephites at the…
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King James Version of the Bible (Defined)
King James Version of the Bible. The official Bible version of the LDS Church. Although official Mormon sources also utilize the Joseph Smith Translation, or the Inspired Version, the church does not own the copyright and does not use this as its official version.For more information, see Joseph Smith Translation and the Bible.
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King Follett Discourse (Defined)
King Follett Sermon. A sermon given by Joseph Smith just three months before Joseph Smith was killed in a gun battle. On April 7, 1844, Smith declared that Joseph Smith was an exalted man who lived on an earth. It should be the goal of every person, he said, to be like God. In the…
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Kolob (Defined)
Kolob. Described as a star or planet nearest to the residence of God. It is near Kolob where God resides and where all humans live until they take human form here on earth. Tenth Mormon President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote, “He [Eternal Father] revealed to Abraham that his throne is near Kolob, the great governing star…
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Kingdom of God (Defined)
Kingdom of God. Mormonism teaches a three-fold meaning for the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God on earth is the Mormon Church. First Presidency member Marion G. Romney said, “Let us understand that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the literal kingdom of God in the earth; that neither defectors from…
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Judging (Defined)
Judging. Typically, anything that is said contrary to another belief system. Thus, Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not, lest ye be judged”) is used to say that nobody has a right to tell another person that his faith is based on falsehood. However, Jesus did not that His followers ought to “make righteous judgments” (John 7:24) and…
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Joseph Smith, Jr. (Defined)
Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1830). The founder of the Mormon religion. He claimed that he was visited by God and Jesus Christ in 1820, and later by the angel Moroni in 1823. In 1830, he published the Book of Mormon and founded the Mormon Church with six members. According to LDS scripture, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet…
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Judgment (Defined)
Judgment. Every person will be judged based on their conversion to Mormonism, whether in this life or the next, and the good works that they performed. According to one church manual, “At the Final Judgment we will be assigned to the kingdom for which we are prepared. We will be sent to one of four…
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Journal of Discourses (Defined)
Journal of Discourses. A twenty-six-volume set of books containing sermons from various Mormon leaders until 1886, including General Conference addresses. Most of the volumes were published under the direct supervision of an LDS General Authority. According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “In all, the collected Journal of Discourses contains 1,438 speeches given by fifty-five people,…
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Jesus (Defined)
Jesus. Known in the pre-existence as Jehovah. One of three gods in the Mormon godhead. The spirit brother of Lucifer and elder brother of the human race, Jesus was the literal firstborn (the Only Begotten) son to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. He became a God in the pre-existence prior to experiencing mortality. He worked…
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Jehovah (Defined)
Jehovah. The name given to the premortal Jesus, the son of Elohim. Apostle James Talmage said, “It is to be remembered that the Personage most generally designated in the Old Testament as God or the Lord, is He who in the mortal state was known as Jesus Christ, and in the antemortal state as Jehovah” (Articles of Faith,…
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Jaredites (Defined)
Jaredites. A group of people who supposedly came to the Americas around 2247 B.C. The Book of Mormon details their exploits in the book of Ether. Apostle Robert D. Hales told a General Conference audience, “The book of Ether gives a history of a civilization, the Jaredites, who left the Old World at the time of the…