Category: Crash Course Mormonism
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Crash Course Mormonism: First Vision
The First Vision is a crucial event that must be historical if Mormonism should be considered a true religion. According to LDS Church teaching, founder Joseph Smith, Jr. was 14 years old in the spring of 1820 when a Christian revival took place in the area of upstate New York where he lived during the…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Outer Darkness
Outer darkness is a place reserved for the Devil, his angels, and the “sons of perdition.” It is an eternal destination, a place where very few (if any) human beings will ever be sent. According to tenth President Joseph Fielding Smith, Outer darkness is something which cannot be described, except that we know that it…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Exaltation / Eternal Life / Eternal Increase
Exaltation, which is synonymous with eternal life, is godhood achieved through complete obedience to all the commandments of God as defined by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those who are exalted earn the right to eternal life in the celestial kingdom with their families. Twelfth President Spencer W. Kimball…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Kingdoms of Glory
After a person dies and the millennium is complete, judgment will take place and all humans will be assigned to one of three kingdoms of glory for eternity. Those kingdoms are the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial kingdoms. Telestial kingdom The lowest kingdom is compared in D&C 76 to the glory is that of the lesser,…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith (1805-1844) is the founder and first president/prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While he is not worshiped by followers of the church, he is certainly the most highly esteemed leader this religion has ever had. First Vision According to the official account told by the church, Joseph Smith saw…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Judgment
In Mormonism, final judgment is something that takes place at the end of the millennium. The success in keeping the commandments is what determines one’s final destination: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, or outer darkness. Seventeenth President Russell M. Nelson stated, One day we will meet our Maker and stand before…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Intermediate State
Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teach that the spirit of a dead person goes temporarily to one of two possible places, paradise or spirit prison, depending on how righteous the person was in mortality. This is an temporary state, with the soul moving to one of the three kingdoms of…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Temples
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that work must be done by members in one of its hundreds of temples temples located throughout the world in order to qualify for exaltation, also known as eternal life, in the celestial kingdom. Special rites are accomplished for not only the living person but also…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Word of Wisdom
The Word of Wisdom is a special commandment found in Doctrine and Covenants 89 that leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claim was given by God. It teaches, among other things, that no “hot” drinks should be consumed and that alcohol and tobacco should be avoided. As far as alcoholic drinks,…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Sacrament
Similar to the Protestant version of the “Lord’s Supper” or “communion,” the sacrament in Mormonism is passed out weekly at the Sunday service held in LDS chapels. The elements are bread and water. Latter-day Saints are supposed to repent of their sins at the time the sacrament is passed and remember the covenants they made…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Water Baptism
Mormonism teaches that water baptism performed through the authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is necessary for a person to not only become a church member but also to receive salvation. Getting immersed into water–typically at a local LDS building–is what is called baptismal regeneration. Verses from the Bible are often…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Obedience
According to Mormonism, obedience is doing God’s will by keeping all the commandments given by God as revealed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to unique LDS scripture, it is possible to keep these commandments. First Nephi 3:7 in the Book of Mormon says, “I will go and do the things…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Sin / Transgression
Although the two words are similar, there is a difference between sin and transgression in Mormonism. Sin is “willful disobedience of God’s commandments or to fail to act righteously despite a knowledge of the truth.” It is knowing what you ought to do or not do but doing the opposite. Transgression is the “violation or…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Repentance
Repentance in Mormonism describes the process by which a church member receives forgiveness. The goal is to ceasing all sin. As one church manual reports, “Our Father in heaven does not sin, and He does not allow people who sin to live with Him. To live with Him, we must repent of our sins. To…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Grace
According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, grace is provided to all people leading to a kingdom of glory. According to 2 Nephi 25:23 in the Book of Mormon, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” This teaching of grace is different from what Paul said…
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Crash Course Mormonism: The Gospel
According to Mormonism, the Gospel includes all doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants that are necessary for a Latter-day Saint to receive exaltation, also known as eternal life. The “restored Gospel” is said to have begun with Joseph Smith and can be found only in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seventh President Heber J.…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Forgiveness
According to Mormonism, forgiveness of sins is available to those who repent and then are completely obedient to the covenants made at baptism, in sacrament services, and at the temple. Let’s take a closer look at all that is required. The Standard Works According to the Doctrine and Covenants, there are several aspects to receiving forgiveness of…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Covenants / Commandments
According to Mormonism, covenants made at baptism, the temple endowment ceremony, and the weekly sacrament service are vital for any member who hopes to be exalted and qualify for eternal increase, allowing a person to live with one’s family throughout eternity. Baptism A Mormon becomes a member by getting baptized by the LDS Church. In…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Trinity
Mormonism denies the Trinity, despite the fact that this doctrine has been accepted as an essential truth of Christianity by millions of Christians over the past two millennia. While Latter-day Saints will say they believe in “one God in purpose,” they have been taught to reject “one God in essence.” In fact, the doctrine of…
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Crash Course Mormonism: Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit
According to Mormonism, the Holy Ghost is a child of God from the preexistence who does not have a body of flesh and bones, as do Heavenly Father and Jesus. He is the third member of the Godhead who is sometimes described as the Holy Spirit and other times described as distinct from the Holy Spirit. The…