The unfortunate truth about Mormonism is the common misconception that Mormonism is the definition of polygamy and that's it. As we will soon see, this is simply not the case. Let's start by defining what Mormonism actually is. Mormonism can be defined as the religious beliefs and practices of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons. Mormonism originated in the 1820s in upstate New York, during the religious period known as the Second Great Awakening. Its founder, Vermont native Joseph Smith Jr., claimed to have received a vision in the spring of 1820. He claimed that God the Father and Jesus Christ had instructed him not to join any of the other churches because "they were all wrong ". and “all their beliefs were an abomination.” This is called the First Vision. The First Vision is said to have led Joseph Smith through the woods to a place where he discovered gold plaques that were buried and which spoke of a people who had emigrated from Jerusalem to North America in ancient times. For the next 6 years, Smith translated the golden plates of Egyptian hieroglyphics into English and 10 years later, Mormonism was officially organized into the Church of Christ. Its belief system is based on Joseph Smith's translation of the golden plates, now known as the Book of Mormon. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay The religion quickly gained converts, and Mormon communities began to emerge in many Midwestern states, including Kirtland, W. Ohio, where Joseph Smith lived. Unfortunately, Mormons were quickly criticized for unorthodox practices such as polygamy and were ousted from Jackson County, Missouri by violence and angry mobs in 1838. This led to the forced relocation of the Mormons. church and nearly 10,000 Mormons to Illinois. Joseph Smith eventually became mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, where many Mormons settled after their exile. A local newspaper wrote an article claiming that Joseph Smith was a polygamist, which was obviously frowned upon at the time. In retaliation, Joseph Smith ordered the newspaper closed. As a result of his retaliation, Joseph Smith was thrown into prison for his order. Unfortunately, Joseph Smith was never tried because a mob stormed the prison and killed Joseph Smith in his cell. Upon the death of their leader, the Mormons elected Brigham Young, also a native of Vermont and sometimes called the American Moses, as their leader who eventually led the Mormons across the Great Plains to what is now known as from Salt Lake City, Utah. This ultimately led to the creation of the Salt Lake Temple, the largest LDS temple in North America. Today, the Mormon religion has many followers with more than 15 million members worldwide. It has another Mormon denomination called the Fellowship of Christ and is centered in Independence, Missouri, with approximately 250,000 followers. Mormon pioneers were persecuted because they did not keep slaves and were considered a threat to slave culture at one time. time when the abolition of slavery was a major issue. Mormon belief in plural marriage has been interpreted as an attack on the ethical and social customs of the community. Because of how quickly Mormon communities grew, they were seen as a political threat because they had the abilityto exercise substantial political power. The law also did not like the Mormon belief in plural marriage, as it was considered illegal by the United States and so legal measures were taken to try to suppress the Mormons as much as possible. Mormons resisted and many were imprisoned for polygamy. In 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act went into effect, placing numerous restrictions on the Church, oppressing the rights of anyone who did not disavow polygamy, and destroying the Church as an economic entity. “No matter where Mormons live, they find themselves part of a network of mutual interest; in Mormon theology, everyone is a minister of some sort, everyone has the power, in some way, to do good to others and to have good done to themselves: this is a 21st century covenant of caring. This attention is not limited to the members of the Church alone, but extends well beyond. One belief that differentiates Mormonism from Christianity is that Mormons do not believe in the Holy Trinity where God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are considered one entity. Instead, Mormons believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit belong to three distinct Gods. Another Mormon belief concerns the Atonement of Jesus Christ which allows mankind to repent and be saved from sin, thereby returning to the good graces of God. It is believed that only Jesus Christ can atone and that in doing so the sinner is resurrected and by obeying His gospel receives eternal life with God. The Mormon religion includes four different texts, the Book of Mormon, the Christian Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. An interesting Mormon belief is that there are three levels of heaven, terrestrial, telestial and celestial and that only those who are in the celestial will live in the kingdom of God, in the presence of God. Another interesting fact is that Mormon women tend to lead the Church because they believe that all women are daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. Men and women are equal in the eyes of God, but women tend to serve as leaders, counselors, missionaries, teachers, and in many other roles. Mormons believe that women are essential to the raising of children and that they have an important responsibility and special privilege of equal importance with the priesthood. Mormonism condemns racism, including any racism committed by individuals inside and outside the Church. The Book of Mormon states: “Black and white, slave and free, male and female; all are the same before God. Founder Joseph Smith opposed slavery, but instead welcomed and ordained black men to the priesthood. These characteristics still exist in Mormonism today. Another fact to mention is that in Mormonism it is common for young adults to do volunteer missionary work for 2 years. Most of them finance their own missions. They receive their assignments from Church headquarters and are only sent to countries where the Church is authorized to operate and in some parts of the world they are sent to serve as humanitarians or in other specialized missions. They follow a strict and healthy lifestyle that prohibits them from consuming alcohol, coffee, tea and tobacco. Mormons do not smoke, and products such as alcohol, tea, coffee, tobacco and illegal drugs are prohibited. Their health codes are based on teachings regarding healthy foods and substances that are harmful to the body. They wear temple clothing as a reminder of their sacred beliefs and commitments. The clothes are simple white underwear consisting of two pieces: a top that resembles a t-shirt.