On the occasion of the death, in January, of Thomas S. Monson, the 16th
"president-prophet" of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day
Saints, as they call themselves, I would like to briefly come back to this
American-born religious movement
Who are the Mormons? What are the differences with "traditional" Christians?
The Mormons, or Latter-day Saints (LDS), are
members of a US socio-cultural and entrepreneurial religious entity, which
current headquarters are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Even though the
highest concentration of Mormons[1]
is in the United States, and especially in the western states, the 16 million
members of this group are present in more than 170 countries around the world,
according to censuses of the LDS administration. In France[2],
there are about 50,000 Mormons at present, spread over 10 "stakes"
(equivalent of dioceses) in the largest cities of the country.
The Mormon religion is a "revealed
religion" which origins date back to the early nineteenth century. The
revelation then concerns only one person, Joseph Smith, son of American farmers
living mainly in the East of the USA, although some other followers claimed to
have received similar visions. It was in 1820 that young Joseph, then 14,
received his first vision. At the time, the Smith family was divided between
Presbyterianism and Methodism. Joseph rather sided with the Methodist tradition
without being completely convinced. Disappointed by these religious streams, he
studied them scrupulously to find a happy medium and establish the truth. He
finally received this "truth" in a dream from the angel Moroni, a character
very frequently present in Mormon theology. The identity of this angel is not
clearly defined – sometimes it is described as a celestial being, sometimes as
a prophet-warrior with pre-Columbian origins[3].
This angel would have entrusted Joseph Smith with golden plates on which was inscribed
in a heavenly language and became a few years later the foundation of the
Mormon faith; the translation of these plates would be contained as is in the Book of Mormon, one of the complementary
scriptures to the Bible[4].
The Book of Mormon tells the story of
Lehi, a prophet who fled Jerusalem with his family to settle in America; the
book is considered to extend from around 600 BC until 421 AD.
 |
| Joseph Smith's first vision. |
Joseph Smith and the Mormons after him stated that
it was Jesus himself who restored their Church through Smith, a prophet under
constant revelation. Nowadays, the leader of the LDS Church has the title of
"prophet" and is supposed to receive revelations from Jesus
permanently. This prophet and his 12 disciples are the thinking mind of the LDS
Church.
Mormon theology is very complex and a bit
contradictory to some extent. Let us begin with the person of Jesus, at the
center of theology; Jesus would be the son-in-flesh of God the Father, sent to
the earth to redeem all humanity and give an example of perfectibility to the
Saints. As a result, Mormons can, through their works and the commandments they
must follow, become perfect and exalted as Jesus did.
The Mormons call themselves the true
"Christians" in the original sense of the term, but they do not want
to be associated with the common religions to which the label
"Christianity" is given, namely, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and
their multiple ramifications. Besides, those traditional branches of
Christianism do not have the feeling of resembling the Mormons in one way or
another. One of the Mormon leaders, Gordon B. Hinckley, said in this regard that
they "do not belong to the Catholic Church and […] are not protesting
against anything."[5]
Why such resentment? It's very simple; Mormons consider that the Gospel of
Jesus has been soiled for centuries by a multitude of apostate religions and by
false prophets that altered its content. Therefore, the LDS Church is meant to
be a restorationist, that is, having the understanding of the gospel as it was
originally.
We do not belong to the Catholic Church and we are not protesting against anything.
This willingness to stand out from the others by
all means somehow created many dissents throughout the history of the Mormons.
Chased and persecuted by their compatriots Puritans – in the broadest sense,
the Mormons also have an unglamorous past including some bloody episodes that give
a rather unsavory picture. Joseph Smith himself would have repeatedly
brandished the rifle and the sword. It is in a rather violent way that Joseph
Smith died, murdered at the age of 38, while imprisoned with his brother in the
state of Illinois.
Fleeing further persecution, the Mormons gradually
headed west, to a country “where nobody would come to fetch them,” Utah. Led by
Brigham Young, the second LDS Church prophet and controversial patriarch,
thousands of Mormon pioneers settled in the Great Salt Lake Valley, in the
heart of the Rockies, between 1845 and 1860. They have remained there until
now, developing more or less self-sufficiently, but still exercising a strong
control over their members around the world.
What do Mormons believe in?
As I already mentioned, Mormons have a very
convoluted theology consisting of a great deal of do's and don'ts (commandments
or ordinances) as well as an exaggerated ecclesiastical structure[6].
In short, I will focus only on the prominent part of Mormonism, namely, the
"plan of salvation."
The Mormon plan of salvation is a kind of guide or manual for whoever wants
to reach exaltation and eternal life. If every step of this plan is
scrupulously respected, the plan will be a sure success. The plan of salvation
is divided into 9 consecutive and indissociable stages.
 |
| Exaggerated roadmap of the Plan of Salvation. |
1.
Premortal life. According to the Mormons, men – Mormons
especially, of course – are literally begotten in spirit by God the Father. The
spirit of a man is the immortal residue of this divine conception. Still
according to the same doctrine, Jesus would be our elder brother, since He is God’s
first-born child in spirit. Lucifer would be the second, jealous and greedy for
power. The men would have been free to join either side. After creating the
earth alone, Jesus sent humanity into a physical and mortal envelope for them
to perfect themselves, conform to a mortal life and prepare to live in the
presence of God.
2.
Adam and Eve’s sin. Among Mormons too, the original sin of
Adam and Eve, which enabled sin into the world, occupies a crucial place.
However, the transgression of Adam and Eve is not considered negative but
rather as an access to knowledge and posterity. As a result, by the almost
immutable principle of "free will," men have the opportunity to
redeem themselves for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression. No
predestination here; everyone is free, and everyone must do whatever is
necessary to earn their heaven.
3.
Communicating with God. The Mormons acknowledge 3 vectors of
communication with God, which are the prayer (personal, intimate, and
obligatory since Adam’s transgression), the revelation (reserved to prophets
only), and the sacred scriptures (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl
of Great Price, Doctrines and Covenants, as well as any revelation given to the
prophets). Note that in Mormon theology, it is normally the Holy Spirit who
dictates these words; the Holy Spirit is a limited spiritual being of human
appearance who can only be in one place at a time.
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| Ceremony of Mormon baptism. |
4.
Jesus-Christ. Central element par excellence, the coming of
Jesus on earth and His atoning sacrifice allows men to hope for access to
salvation, without any guarantee. Grace plays a minor role in this plan – it only
"seals off" when Mormons’ works and sacraments would not be enough.
Even so, eternal life is reserved for an elite of righteous ones who will have
been as good as possible as Jesus in their life on earth. Without Jesus, man
could not hope for salvation and would remain under the effect of the sin.
5.
Jesus’s Church on earth. As mentioned earlier, Mormons consider
that they are the restoration of the early Church, just as it was after Jesus'
resurrection and ascension. This is why they call themselves
"Saints," according to Ephesians 4:12. According to the Mormons, the
LDS Church is identical to the Church as established in the Gospels – same
functions, same roles, same sacraments.
6.
The symbols of the Gospel. This step is subdivided into a logical
succession of principles. The sacrifice of Jesus being at the base, then comes
the faith, indispensable to salvation. Faith then engenders repentance, or
recognition of one's sinfulness, which involves stopping (or limiting) to sin
in order to pursue a spiritual progression. However, sin itself seems to be
only a brake on salvation and does not completely prevents from its access.
Baptism follows repentance, according to Matthew 28. It is a necessary sacrament
to obtain salvation. The gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands
completes the logical succession of principles; the baptized person is then
able to keep the commandments of God. Finally, the Supper is the ordinance that
puts an end to this list of symbols, being the reminder of the Jesus’s gift and
the symbol of the renewal of the covenant of God with the baptized.
 |
| The French version of the Book of Mormon. |
7.
Perfecting the Saints. On a somewhat caustic note, we could say
that this stage of the plan is more like an everyday military journey of
initiation for Mormons. This is again a list of accomplishments, not all
necessary but recommended, to which LDS members must yield to in order to
increase their chances of achieving salvation. Here is a non-exhaustive list of
the works to do.
a.
Observing the sabbath. Borrowed from the Jews, the observance of
the Sabbath is however placed on Sunday. Faithful Mormons must spend their day
devoting themselves to spiritual things and the family. In the morning, it will
be church service, for 3 or 4 hours, or longer if there are any specific roles
and responsibilities[7].
In the afternoons and evenings, Mormons watch movies, play board games or visit
their loved ones.
b.
Tithing. Mormons are very sensitive to this ordinance. The
payment of the tithe is seriously considered and strictly observed. A Mormon
who pays the tithe regularly is very likely to have access to certain benefits,
including entering the temple[8].
If previously, the amount of the dime was fixed per household, it is nowadays more
like a tax; Mormons regularly pay an amount which is proportional to their
income.
c.
Fasting. One Sunday a month, diligent Mormons abstain from
eating and drinking (except water). The amount normally spent on food that day
is added to the tithe.
d.
Hard work. Mormons are hard workers. As written in Genesis,
they must work hard and, if possible, earn enough money to be good believers.
Make no mistake, Mormons are businessmen serving their God.
e.
Relief/Charity. Mormons also practice the good deeds! The most faithful
ones must be attentive to the weak, the widow and the orphan, first in their
congregation, then towards the "gentiles."[9]
Mormons are also committed to contributing to major humanitarian causes,
especially after natural disasters.[10]
f.
Word of Wisdom. One very
Mormon peculiarity; members must abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea
in all forms. Some versions would also add an extension to this ordinance – junk
foods must also be limited, the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit.
g.
Missionary service. Generally aged 18 to 20, all young Mormons
are encouraged to go on a mission outside their family from one and a half year
to two years. Conditioned at LDS Church training centers, Mormon youth learn
communication tactics, improve their language skills, and strengthen their
knowledge of the Mormon doctrines before being sent, at the expense of their
parents, most of the time. The goal is simple, to make converts. Personal
edification is the ultimate reward of this experience. You are warned! If you
see two young men or two young women, rucksacks on their backs, leaflets or
Bible in hand, "Elder" or "Sister" tags on their Sunday
clothes, roaming the streets, no doubt, they are young Mormon missionaries.
h. Additional ordinances. Among the lesser
prominent works, of course we find the consecration (called "sacrifice,"
aiming to do everything for the kingdom of God), obedience to the commandments,
honesty, practice and the development of gifts or talents. One special
ordinance reserved to some Mormon elites permitted to the temple: special
garments (underwear) must be worn all the time.
8.
Family. Renowned experts in genealogy[11],
the Mormons give pride of place to the family. The wish of every Mormon is to
be with their family for the eternity, which Mormon faith allows thanks to
baptism! In the same fashion, for the lucky ones, it is possible to be married
forever as well, in this life and in the next, provided that they have a
special recommendation for the temple. Finally, it is understood that chastity
is de rigueur – nothing below the belt before wedding. And fidelity is required
once the marriage is celebrated. Interesting note – Mormons are very fertile;
they assume that the more children they will have, the more Saints will go to the
“Mormon” heaven.
9.
Afterlife.
Very complex, the afterlife is
compartmentalized in various “layers.” Like
Catholics, Mormons also have their proper purgatory, the "spirit world."
All
souls are stored in this post-mortem place until the universal resurrection. This
spirit world is divided into two distinct sectors, hell and paradise. However,
deceased Mormons have the possibility, or even the responsibility, to go to the
dead in hell to preach the Gospel. In
addition, the living also have the opportunity to "transfer" souls
from hell to heaven by proxy. Once
the moment of the resurrection has come, all the dead without exception will have
their bodies in flesh and bones and will appear for the Judgment Day. At
the end of the Judgment, the unsaved will have the right only to eternal death
in the layer called “outer darkness.” "Passable"
humans will be divided between the "telestial" kingdom and the terrestrial
kingdom, according to the degree of good they have done on earth. Good Mormons
have the right to go to the "celestial" kingdom; as
for the brightest among them, it is eternal life that awaits them, along with
their family and Jesus.
Drifts and assimilations
When speaking about Mormons in general, we quickly
make the connection with a number of unfortunate things – most of them proven –
that are attributed to the LDS Church. Firstly,
we Europeans tend to confuse Mormons belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints with the Amish, a community of Anabaptist believers who live
mainly in Pennsylvania, US, in remote places, sheltered from modernity. The Amish are much
less numerous than the Mormons. Moreover,
they settled in the US more than a century before the "birth" of
Mormonism. Their
respective beliefs differ greatly, in that the Amish are the heirs of the Mennonites
and advocate a conscious and voluntary baptism. Their
theology is derived from the strict Reformation, hence their proximity to the
Europeans. However,
in common with the Mormons, the Amish also claim to be the descendants of the
early Church of the first centuries after Jesus[12].
One of the features that is certainly the best
known and the most controversial concerning Mormons, is polygamy. While
it was true that polygamy used to be a common practice among Mormon elites in
the early years, it is much less common now. The
Mormons relied on 1 Timothy 2: 15 to justify this use " But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith,
love and holiness with propriety." In
other words, Mormon men want to "redeem" women by marrying them
religiously and making them mothers. It
is an act of charity based on a serious misinterpretation of the Bible. As
large families are expensive to maintain, it was most often the elites who allowed
themselves the right to this fantasy. Moreover,
the fact that LDS Church leaders were the main ones to practice this custom
made it easier for them to manipulate the opponents and silence doubts by
claiming to receive this right from God Himself. Although
since the death of Smith in 1852 the practice began to flounder, it is the
publication in 1890 of Wilford Woodruff’s manifesto that officially put an end
to polygamy on pain of being "excommunicated" from the Mormon
register. Let
us make be clear, there are still families in which some husbands have more
than one wife, in remote areas of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming among others. Hardly
hidden, the protagonists advocate diversity and freedom of worship; so
much so that at the beginning of the 2010s, the American TV channel TLC
launched a series of reality television around a polygamous family My 5 wives. The
series lasted only one year, too sulfurous to be extended. However,
according to critics, this initiative was relatively successful, taking
advantage of a growing voyeuristic interest ...
 |
| (c) TLC |
Among other things, we cannot miss the baptism for
the dead. If
the name sounds more like the title of a horror movie, the reality is much less
creepy than it seems. This rite is often
used by the most zealous Mormons. It
is simply a matter of baptizing a deceased relative or a person who has also
died vicariously. Clearly,
if you want your grandmother to become Mormon and be with you for eternal life,
you can be baptized for her by proxy. Mormons
do not excavate corpses, although some testimonies prove a few occurrences of
such extreme. That
being said, baptisms of this kind are done by tens or even hundreds; you
can be baptized for thousands of people if your heart tells you to, provided
you have the necessary recommendations to enter the temple – the baptisms of
the dead take place in the temples. Thus,
you will learn that celebrities such as Louis de Funès and General de Gaulle
were baptized post-mortem by the Mormons. What about their consent?
 |
| Here is what baptismal font look like in the temple. |
To summarize on other excesses, which may arouse
less curiosity but are not less interesting, you will learn that the black people
have long been discredited by the Mormons. And
while the trend is now for more diversity and inclusiveness, it's still pretty
rare to see colored people in Utah outside of Salt Lake City. If
Joseph Smith was anti-slavery and in favor of including black people in his
group, Brigham Young, his successor, was way less so. According
to him and his followers, the blacks would be the heirs of people under the
influence of a curse (Cham), hence their color. Access
to the priesthood was only allowed for black people in 1978. Today, there are
about 500,000 African and African-American members of the LDS Church. Moreover,
women, also relatively disreputed by the Mormon headquarters (Eve's fault),
were able to benefit from the right to speak in public conferences only since
1984. Of course, the homosexual issue is still much debated, and it is a very
hot topic on which Mormons are now divided. Since
the 2000s, however, we can see a certain openness to tolerance, even if there was
recently a paroxysm of Mormon conservatism. “Proposition
8” established in 2008, for instance, was to ban the newly passed law in
California allowing same-sex marriage. Although
the media outcry was large, and the Church did its best to get this law
through, pro-LGBTs had already been controlling California[13]
for far too long. In
2011, just over a third of Utah residents were still against homosexual relationships,
according to a Pew poll. In
2014, the LDS Church set up a website and launched an organism for mediation
with the homosexual community. These
steps are considered as a great effort towards tolerance, which would open the
door to more compassion for the LGBT community, they say. To be continued.
What should you retain?
It is clear that Mormons are a particular
religious group, on the margins of traditional Christianity in many ways, be it
with the pseudo-revealed character of their doctrinal foundation, their
intriguing practices, and their beliefs; icing
on the cake, the Mormons believe body and soul that Jesus will return ... to
the United States. Moreover,
Jesus is "only" the son of God the Father and is not God himself. Joseph
Smith admirably managed to borrow the principles of many religions and
philosophical traditions to build up a very complex and ambiguous mystical
assemblage of which the seduced followers are persuaded that they must gain
their salvation by multiplying the works and complying
with a load of religious constraints to try to get closer to a perfection that they
can only touch in dreams. While
exhausting themselves in this "marathon of perfection," many members are
being disappointed, discouraged, disgusted. No
wonder why Utah has long been the first state in the US to have a high rate of
suicides, divorces and consumption of anti-depressants.
Beyond the purely religious aspect, the Mormons
are a very well-organized network. They
have known how to develop themselves, in the image of a state in itself or a
theocracy. It
was once Smith's wish to establish a theocracy on an American scale. This
has partially failed, given the marginalization of the Mormon community, but also
partially been successful since the official figures are advancing that there
are about 16 million members around the globe. In
any case, Smith, and Young after him, wanted to call their kingdom the state of
"Deseret," which means "beehive" in the Book of Mormon. Even
though it was not recognized by the federal government of the United States,
the Deseret state yet gave its name to many institutions under the aegis of the
LDS Church in Utah, including a newspaper, a bank, a charity
(equivalent of the Salvation Army), a university and many other things. As
mentioned above, Mormons are very connected businessmen. Pulling
strings is not uncommon among LDS Church members. The
foreigners arriving in Utah, the “promised land of the Mormons,” will be
abundantly proselytized until they convert and get baptized. Otherwise,
if they do not leave Utah, they will have to be very discreet and quiet, and be
satisfied with the remains that the Mormons will grant them.
What do YOU think of the Mormons?
Suggested readings:
ANDERSON, Ross. Understanding
the Book of Mormon: A quick Christian Guide to the Mormon holy book. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
ANDERSON, Ross. Understanding
your Mormon Neighbor: A Quick Christian Guide for Relating to Latter-Day Saints.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.
BUSHMAN, Claudia L. Contemporary
Mormonism: Latter-Day Saints in Modern America. Westport: Ed. Praeger,
2006.
WILDER, Lynn K. Unveiling Grace. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2013. Pp.77-92.
NOTES
[1] The term "Mormon" became derogatory in that it was essentially
applied to adherents of the movement during the period when polygamy was
commonplace (1830s). Nowadays, members of the group want to be called very
simply "Latter-day Saints" or just “Saints.” See WebDevilAZ.
March 25, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
[2] In France, the LDS Church acquired the status of association under the 1901
law in 1952, which gives the right to the members to meet freely in places
designated by the leaders. More info at https://www.eglisedejesuschrist.fr/about
[4] The Book of Mormon is one of the four
sacred scriptures for the Mormons, including the Holy Bible, Doctrines and
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
[5] See the full quote in its context: The
San Francisco Gate, April 13, 1997
[6] In addition to the general
organization of the LDS Church, each Mormon worthy of the name has to pass 1)
the Aaronic Priesthood (equivalent to the Catholics’ communion) 2) the
Melchizedek Priesthood which confers more responsibilities. Note that these
priesthoods are exclusively for men. Women ("sisters") have the right
to go on mission, but their role is mainly confined to the maintenance of the
home and the education of children.
[7] There are several different services during the Sunday service. First a
common part that everyone attends, usually composed of testimonials and news
from here and there. Then there are meetings dedicated to women, others
reserved for young men, and others dedicated to Mormons who have greater responsibilities.
[8] The temple is a place considered holy by the Mormons. Various ceremonies
take place at the temple, including eternal weddings and baptisms for the dead.
Only those who have a letter of recommendation received from the priest of
their parish are accepted.
[9] Fun fact. In most towns around Salt Lake City,
there is a street called "Gentiles Street." As unlikely as it may
seem, this street was once exclusively reserved for non-Mormons wishing to
settle in Utah.
[11] The specialists in Mormon genealogies aim to go back to Adam and Eve.
Stored in bunkers buried in the Rockies, Mormon archives surely already have a
very complete file on you. You can go and report yourself at https://www.familysearch.org/
[13] The state of California is
surprisingly one of the most Mormon peopled state in the US, after Utah, Idaho,
Wyoming and Nevada.
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