Mormonism, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (including its splinter groups), is a modern cult of Christianity based on the teachings of Joseph Smith in the 1800s. Smith claimed to have encountered both God the Father and Jesus Christ, who told him to not join any existing church. Instead, as his story goes, they explained that Smith would be used to restore the truths of the gospel which had been lost since the death of Jesus’ first disciples.
The Book of Mormon is considered to be ‘another testament of Jesus Christ’ and the continuing revelation of God. Purported to be supernaturally translated from ancient golden plates, it describes mythical people of early America and their dealings with God. In addition to the Book of Mormon, three other texts are considered official: the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.
The LDS church is claimed to be the only true church, as true Christianity had been lost and restored by Smith. While Mormons typically use the same kinds of words that are used by Christians, they define those words differently. For example: historical Christianity teaches that God is eternal and unchanging, yet Mormonism teaches that God was once a man…and that humans can also become gods, as he did. This has been described by some as ‘using the same vocabulary but a different dictionary.’
