The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Practices== {{Main|Beliefs and practices of the LDS Church}} ===Rituals=== {{main|Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)}} {{Annotated image| image = Mormon baptism circa 1850s.png| image-width = 600| image-left = -280| image-top = -425| width = 250| height = 250| float = left | annotations = | caption = Baptism by immersion is considered highly important in the LDS Church. This depiction from circa 1850 shows the all-white clothing used in the ordinance.}} In the church, an ordinance is a sacred [[Ritual|rite]] or [[ceremony]] that has spiritual and symbolic meanings, and acts as a means of conveying [[Grace in Christianity#The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)|divine grace]]. Ordinances are physical acts which signify or symbolize an underlying spiritual act; for some ordinances, the spiritual act is the finalization of a [[Covenant (Latter Day Saints)|covenant]] between the ordinance recipient and [[God in Mormonism|God]]. Ordinances are generally performed under [[Priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]] authority. The ordinance of baptism is believed to bind its participant to Jesus Christ, who saves them in their imperfection if they continually keep their [[Covenant (biblical)|promises]] to him.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mormon: Baptism |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/ritesrituals/baptism.shtml|access-date=November 12, 2021| publisher=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref> Baptism is performed by immersion, and is typically administered to children starting at age eight. Church members believe that through the ordinances of temple sealing and [[Endowment (Latter Day Saints)|temple endowment]], anyone can reach the highest level of salvation in the celestial kingdom and eternally live in God's presence, continue as families, [[Apotheosis#The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|become gods]], create worlds, and make [[Spirit body|spirit children]] over whom they will govern.<ref name=Continuation>{{cite journal |last1=Hales |first1=Brian |title='A Continuation of the Seeds': Joseph Smith and Spirit Birth |journal=[[Journal of Mormon History]] |publisher=[[University of Illinois Press]] |date=Fall 2012 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=105β130 |doi=10.2307/23292634 |jstor=23292634 |s2cid=254493140 |quote=Today, an accepted doctrine of the [LDS Church] interprets verses in Doctrine and Covenants 132 as references to the birth of spirit offspring by exalted married couples in the celestial kingdom}}</ref><ref name="EoM Godhood"/><ref name=Fundamentals>{{cite book |title=Gospel Fundamentals |edition=2002 |publisher=[[LDS Church]] |location=Salt Lake City |page=201 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/31129_eng.pdf#page=210|quote=They [the people who will live in the celestial kingdom] will receive everything our Father in Heaven has and will become like Him. They will even be able to have spirit children and make new worlds for them to live on, and do all the things our Father in Heaven has done.}}</ref> Other ordinances performed in the church include [[Confirmation (Latter Day Saints)|confirmation]], the [[Sacrament (LDS Church)|sacrament]] (analogous to the [[Eucharist]] or holy communion), and priesthood ordination. ===Diet and health=== {{main|Word of Wisdom}} The LDS Church asks its members to adhere to a dietary code called the Word of Wisdom, in which they abstain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and illicit or harmful substances.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://kutv.com/news/local/lds-church-clarifies-word-of-wisdom-on-vaping-green-tea-coffee-marijuana-opioids|title=LDS Church clarifies 'Word of Wisdom' on vaping, green tea, coffee, marijuana, opioids|first=Adam|last=Forgie|date=August 14, 2019|publisher=[[KUTV]]|access-date=June 10, 2021|archive-date=June 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609225451/https://kutv.com/news/local/lds-church-clarifies-word-of-wisdom-on-vaping-green-tea-coffee-marijuana-opioids|url-status=live}}</ref> The Word of Wisdom also encourages the consumption of herbs and grains along with the moderate consumption of meat.<ref name =Encyclopedia.com/> When Joseph Smith published the Word of Wisdom in 1833, it was considered only advice; violation did not restrict church membership. During the 1890s, though, church leaders started emphasizing the Word of Wisdom more. In 1921, church president [[Heber J. Grant]] made obeying the Word of Wisdom a requirement to engage in worship inside of the faith's temples. From that time, church leadership has emphasized the forbidding of coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, but not the other guidelines concerning meat, grains, and herbs.<ref name =Encyclopedia.com/> In 2019, the church further clarified through its ''[[New Era (magazine)|New Era]]'' magazine that the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views on cannabis|usage of marijuana]] and opioids is prohibited except as prescribed by a competent physician for medical purposes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Carter |date=August 15, 2019 |title= Latter-day Saint magazine clarifies Word of Wisdom on coffee, tea, vaping and medical marijuana |url= https://www.ksl.com/article/46618755/latter-day-saint-magazine-clarifies-word-of-wisdom-on-coffee-tea-vaping-and-medical-marijuana |work= [[KSL-TV]]|location=[[Salt Lake City]] |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref> ===Sexuality=== {{main|Sexuality and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Law of chastity}} {{see also|Views on masturbation in the LDS Church|Homosexuality and the LDS Church}} Church members are expected to follow a [[moral code]] called the law of chastity, which prohibits [[adultery]], homosexual behavior, and sexual relations before or outside of marriage.{{r|name=Mason2015|q=Observant Mormons... adhere to the 'law of chastity,' meaning that they engage in no premarital or extramarital sexual relations and confine sex only to monogamous heterosexual marriages.|p=1}} As part of the law of chastity, the church strongly opposes pornography, and considers masturbation an immoral act.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/latter-day-saint-sex-therapist-faces-excommunication-over-controversial-views|title=Latter-day Saint sex therapist faces excommunication over views on sexuality|date=April 16, 2021|access-date=April 20, 2021|archive-date=April 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420051328/https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/latter-day-saint-sex-therapist-faces-excommunication-over-controversial-views|url-status=live |publisher=[[KSTU]]}}</ref> Law of chastity violations can be grounds for [[church membership council|church discipline]]; resulting penalties may include having access to the [[Temple (LDS Church)|temple]] and [[Sacrament (LDS Church)|sacrament]] revoked.<ref>{{cite book |last= Riess|first=Jana |author-link=Jana Riess |date= February 2019|title=The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BPiFDwAAQBAJ |location= |publisher= [[Oxford University Press]]|page= |chapter=Chapter 4: Single Mormons in a Married Church β Sex and the Single Mormon |isbn=9780190885229}}</ref> The church discourages romantic dating until around the age of 16.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoyt |first1=Amy |last2=Petrey |first2=Taylor G. |author2-link=Taylor G. Petrey |date=April 30, 2020 |title=The Routledge Handbook of Mormonism and Gender |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6XgDwAAQBAJ|location= |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |page= |isbn=9781351181587}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Frandsen |first=Jake |date=October 3, 2022 |title=What are the Biggest Changes to the New ''For the Strength of Youth'' Booklet? |url=https://www.ldsliving.com/whats-new-in-the-for-the-strength-of-youth-booklet/s/11043 |magazine=[[LDS Living]]}}</ref> ===Tithing and other donations=== {{main|Tithing in Mormonism|Fast offering}} Church members are expected to donate one-tenth of their income to support the operations of the church. After initially relying on a communal lifestyle known as the [[law of consecration]] throughout most of the 1830s, the church created the law of tithing in July 1838 when the membership was [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri|concentrated in Missouri]].<ref name="givens">{{cite book |last=Givens |first=Terryl |author-link= |date=August 5, 2020 |title=Mormonism: What Everyone Needs to Know |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-RP0DwAAQBAJ|location= |publisher= [[Oxford University Press]]|page=170 |isbn=9780190885113}}</ref> Church members would frequently tithed by giving ten percent of their livestock and produce; nowadays donations are generally done with money.<ref name="givens"/> Annual donations were estimated to total $7 billion<ref>{{Cite news |last=Henderson |first=Peter |date=August 13, 2012 |title=Mormon church earns $7 billion a year from tithing, analysis indicates |work=[[NBC News]] |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/mormon-church-earns-7-billion-year-tithing-analysis-indicates-flna939844 |access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Curtis |first=Larry D. |date=December 20, 2019 |title=LDS Church releases explanation of its use of tithes, donations after $100B fund revealed |publisher=[[KUTV]] |url=https://kutv.com/news/local/lds-church-releases-explanation-of-its-use-of-tithes-donations-after-100b-fund-revealed |access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref> to $33 billion<ref name=Hidden/> [[United States dollar|USD]] donated in 2012 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|7|2012|r=1}} billion to ${{Inflation|US|33|2012|r=1}} billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation/fn|US}}). In order to qualify for participation in temple ordinances (which Latter-day Saints believe are necessary for their salvation), paying a full tithe is a requirement, regardless of one's temporal circumstances.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fletcher Stack |first=Peggy |date=March 26, 2018 |title=Does tithing requirement for entry into LDS temples amount to Mormons buying their way into heaven? |newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/03/26/does-tithing-requirement-for-entry-into-lds-temples-amount-to-mormons-buying-their-way-into-heaven/ |access-date=June 27, 2023 |author-link=Peggy Fletcher Stack}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=West |first=Aaron L. |date=December 2012 |title=Sacred Transformations |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/ensign/2012/12/sacred-transformations |magazine=[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |publisher=[[LDS Church]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shields |first=Steven L. |url=https://archive.org/details/latterdaysaintbe0000shie/page/90/mode/1up |title=Latter Day Saint Beliefs: A Comparison Between the RLDS Church and the LDS Church |publisher=[[Herald Publishing House]] |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-8309-0437-2 |page=90 |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ronquillo |first=John C. |date=May 8, 2015 |title=Op-ed: There's another option besides online LDS tithing: confidential payments |newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |url=https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2015/05/08/op-ed-theres-another-option-besides-online-lds-tithing-confidential-payments/ |access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref> Members are also encouraged to [[fasting|fast]] (abstain from food and drink) on the [[Fast Sunday|first Sunday of each month]] for two consecutive meals. They donate at least the cost of the two skipped meals of the fast as a "fast offering", which the church uses to assist people in need and expand its [[LDS Humanitarian Services|humanitarian efforts]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 5, 2009 |title=Mormon: Fasting |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/customs/fasting.shtml |access-date=June 27, 2023 |website=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Local leadership is not paid, and is expected to tithe as well. Full-time missionaries, however, are not expected to pay tithing as they are usually paying to be a missionary.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stephenson |first=Kathy |date=June 27, 2019 |title=Serving a mission for the LDS Church will cost more in 2020 |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/06/27/serving-mission-lds/ |access-date=June 26, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2024}} ===Missionary service=== {{main|Mormon missionary|Mission (LDS Church)}} [[File:MISSIONNAIRES MORMONS.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Missionary (LDS Church)|Missionaries]] typically commit to 18β24 months of full-time service.]] Serving a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission is expected for all able-bodied LDS young men.<ref name=Feminism>{{Cite book |author-link=Joanna Brooks |last1=Brooks |first1=Joanna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IgvCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA298 |title=Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings |last2=Steenblik |first2=Rachel Hunt |last3=Wheelwright |first3=Hannah |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-024803-1 |page=298 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mason |first=Patrick Q. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zDaEDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT311 |title=What is Mormonism?: A Student's Introduction |date=March 27, 2017 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-317-63825-4 |page=131}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Carter |first=Stephen |date=May 4, 2022 |title=The LDS Proselytizing Mission as Hazing |url=https://sunstone.org/mission-as-hazing/ |magazine=[[Sunstone (magazine)|Sunstone]]}}</ref> Missionaries do not choose where they serve or the language in which they will proselytize, and are expected to fund their missions themselves or with the aid of their families.<ref name =Encyclopedia.com/> Prospective male missionaries must be between the ages of 18 and 25 and have completed secondary school.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ksl.com/article/22445486/lds-church-announces-historic-changes-to-missionary-age-requirements|title=LDS Church announces historic changes to missionary age requirements|first1=David Self |last1=Newlin |date=October 6, 2012|publisher=[[KSL.com]]}}</ref> All proselytizing missionaries are organized geographically into administrative areas called [[Mission (LDS Church)|missions]]. The efforts in each mission are directed by an older adult male [[mission president]]. As of July 2020, there were [[List of missions of the LDS Church|407 missions]] of the church.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noyce |first=David |date=November 21, 2019 |title=LDS Church to open 8 new missions, stretching from Texas to Tanzania |newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/11/21/lds-church-open-new/ |access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref> Although missionary service is expected for men, it is not compulsory and is not required to retain church membership.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Huge' jump in LDS missionary numbers as a new teaching approach is unveiled |last=Fletcher Stack |first=Peggy |author-link=Peggy Fletcher Stack |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/06/22/missionaries-mtc-latter-day-saints/ |date=22 June 2023|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Riess |first=Jana |author-link=Jana Riess |title=No mission? Then young LDS men are in 'No-Mormon's Land' |url=https://religionnews.com/2016/07/11/no-mission-then-young-lds-men-are-in-no-mormons-land/ |publisher=[[Religion News Service]]|date=11 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/topic/missionary-program|title=Missionary Program|date=August 24, 2021|publisher=[[LDS Church]]}}</ref> Unmarried women between the ages of 19 and 29 may also serve as missionaries,<ref name=Feminism/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Serve a Mission |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/missionary?lang=eng |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}</ref> generally for a term of 18 months. Retired couples are also encouraged to serve missions, and may serve from 6β23 months terms.<ref name=Health>{{Cite journal |last1=Merrill |first1=Ray M. |last2=Baker |first2=Randy K. |last3=Gren |first3=Lisa H. |last4=Lyon |first4=Joseph L. |date=2009 |title=Health and Missionary Service Among Senior Couples in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |journal=[[Review of Religious Research]] |publisher=[[Religious Research Association]] |volume=51 |issue=2 |issn=0034-673X |pages=157β158|jstor=20697331 }}</ref> Unlike younger missionaries, these senior missionaries may serve in non-proselytizing capacities such as [[humanitarian aid]] workers or [[family history]] specialists.<ref name=Health/> Other men and women who desire to serve a mission, but may not be able to perform full-time service in another state or country due to health issues, may serve in a non-proselytizing mission. They might assist at [[Temple Square]] in Salt Lake City or aid in the [[Seminary (LDS Church)|seminary]] system in schools.<ref>{{Cite news |title=LDS missionaries with autism helping to hasten church's work |url= https://www.heraldextra.com/special-section/2016/apr/04/lds-missionaries-with-autism-helping-to-hasten-churchs-work/ |access-date=June 27, 2023 |newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Utah)|Daily Herald]]| location=Provo, Utah}}</ref> ===Sabbath day observance=== {{See also|Sabbath in Christianity#Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}} Church members are expected to set aside Sundays as a day of rest and worship. Typically, weekly worship meetings occur solely on Sundays. Shopping and recreation are discouraged on Sundays as well.<ref name=Dummies>{{Cite book |last1=Riess |first1=Jana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Al2-XsN1HdUC&pg=PT456 |title=Mormonism For Dummies |last2=Bigelow |first2=Christopher Kimball |date=March 4, 2011 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=978-1-118-05427-7 |page=456 |author-link=Jana Riess}}</ref>{{rp|456}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page