Mormonism is a nickname for the portion of the Latter Day Saint movement that considers Brigham Young to be the authorized successor to Joseph Smith. This includes various sects, two of which are active in the Yuba-Sutter area: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ.

Historical Figures

• Sam Brannan
• Mary Murphy Covillaud
• Sarah Ann Charlotte Murphy Foster
• Wally Herger
• Harriet Frances Murphy Pike Nye

Denominations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed "the Mormon Church" by early detractors, was founded in 1830 under the guidance of Joseph Smith who said he was acting under the direction of God. The Church is known worldwide for their dedication to family values and humanitarian work. In recent years, the Church has gained notoriety in California for donating support and money to Proposition 8. While the Church occasionally supports specific political initiatives which relate to moral issues, the Church itself remains staunchly neutral in most political matters and does not support specific political candidates. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently has 159 temples operating worldwide wherein various ordinances (including marriage) are performed for faithful members of the Church.

The church commands its members to knock on their neighbors' doors frequently and attempt to convert their neighbors to Mormonism. It does not ordain any women or openly gay men. 

As of a 2007 estimate, 10.9% of Yuba County residents and 8.4% of Sutter County residents belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted in 2007 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 71% of LDS members are married, compared with 54% of the general U.S. population. Only Hindus have a higher percentage (78%) of married followers in the U.S. Converts to the LDS church are less likely than lifelong members to be married (64% versus 74%). LDS members (83%) and Hindus (90%) also are the most likely of all the major religious traditions in the U.S. to be married to someone of the same faith.¹

The same survey also found that 49% of LDS members in the U.S. have children under age 18 living at home, with 21% saying they have three or more children at home. Only Muslims are similarly likely to have large families: 47% of Muslims in the U.S. have at least one child living at home, and 15% have three or more.²

Additionally, the survey found that 76% of LDS members in the U.S. do not believe in evolution. Only Jehovah's Witnesses 90%) have higher rates of disbelief in evolution.³

Community of Christ

The Community of Christ (formerly called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has a less politically conservative culture than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has ordained heterosexual women since 1985, and in the past, it has ordained openly lesbian and gay people with families. It allows the lesbian and gay people who have already been ordained to continue serving as priests and does not ask them to break up their families; however, it does not currently allow any more lesbian or gay people with spouses or partners to be ordained. It currently describes its position on homosexuality with the statement, "We have ongoing differing viewpoints."⁴

Links

Latter Day Saint movement The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Community of Christ MormonWiki Brigham Young Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement Criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Criticism of Mormon sacred texts Ex-Mormon Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) LDS Family Fellowship Mormons for Marriage Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons Northern Lights The Mormon Curtain Mormons, Latter-day Saints & Ex-Mormons for Mormon Faith and Research Recovery from Mormonism Ex-Mormons for Jesus The Rick A. Ross Institute: The Mormon Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Religion Facts: Mormonism Religious Tolerance: The Community of Christ Religious Tolerance: The LDS Restorationist Movement, Including Many Mormon Denominations

Footnotes

1. "Surprises Pop Up in New Survey of U.S. Mormons" by Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, July 31, 2009
2. "Surprises Pop Up in New Survey of U.S. Mormons" by Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, July 31, 2009
3. U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, Chapter 2
4. H-6 Committee on Homosexuality and the Church Report