The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in 1830 and now claims more than 5.8 million members in the United States and more than 12.8 million worldwide. That includes 53,000 missionaries. It also claims 27,475 congregations and 124 temples. The church reports more than 4,500 family history centers found throughout 70 countries. In Colorado, the church reports a membership of 131,241 with 280 congregations.
Structure
At headquarters: Fifteen apostles lead the church; the most senior acts as president. The president chooses two other apostles as his counselors, and these three make up the First Presidency. The First Presidency is the church’s highest governing body.
The remaining 12 apostles comprise the Quorum of the Twelve as the second-highest body. The Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency oversee the entire church. A group of leaders called seventies assist the 12 apostles from various locations throughout the world. There are currently eight groups of the Seventy, which can have up to 70 members.
Local: Each congregation has a leader known as a bishop who oversees each ward. A grouping of wards is known as a stake, which is led by a stake president. Neither the bishops nor stake presidents receive a salary.
Beliefs
God – the Heavenly Father – is the almighty ruler of the universe. Since he created people in his image, he exists in a physical form similar to humans, but perfect.
God is the literal spirit father of everybody. Mormons are unsure who the spirit mother is. The “spirit children” lived in heaven with their heavenly parents before coming to Earth.
Jesus Christ was the first spirit child, making him the eldest brother of all other spirit children, including Lucifer (the devil).
Jesus is known as the “Only Begotten Son” because he is the only person born on Earth from a mortal (Mary) and immortal (God) parent. Mormons believe Jesus came to Earth willingly as the savior.
As offspring of the divine, spirit children are themselves potentially divine.
To attain the divine qualities of their parents, spirit children must leave their “premortal” lives to be tested, to decide between good or evil.
Once on Earth in mortal form, people forget their premortal lives and must choose between good and evil influenced by faith instead of memory.
Mormons believe that when a person dies, he/she goes to the postmortal spirit world to await resurrection. In the spirit world, those who chose good over evil continue on with a happy, restful existence. Those who chose evil will carry on in sorrow.
Mormons believe that at the time of final judgment, each person will be judged and assigned to one of four places – the celestial kingdom (highest), the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, or outer darkness (lowest) – based on that person’s preparedness.
God lives in exaltation, or eternal life. Those who attain the celestial kingdom also live in exaltation, like the Heavenly Father.
Temple garments
Like members of many religious faiths, Latter-day Saints wear religious clothing. But members of other faiths – typically those involved in permanent pastoral ministries or religious services – usually wear religious garments as outer ceremonial vestments or symbols of recognition. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, garments are worn beneath street clothing as a personal and private reminder of commitments to God. Garments are considered sacred by church members and are not regarded as a topic for casual conversation.
Sources: Gospel Principles, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah, revised 1997; LDS Statistical Information;; Denver Post reporting
COMPILED BY CHUCK PLUNKETT AND BARRY OSBORNE
