Some frequently asked questions about The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints:

What does “Mormon” mean?

The term comes from the Book of Mormon, which church founder Joseph Smith claimed to translate from a set of golden plates he uncovered near his home in Palmyra, N.Y. The book says descendants of the Bible’s Joseph built a ship and left the Middle East for the New World before the birth of Jesus Christ. After his resurrection, the book says, Christ visited Lehi’s offspring, the blessed Nephites, and the dark-skinned Lamanites (supposedly the ancestors of Native Americans) to establish his true church in the Americas. The two tribes later fight a great battle in which the Nephites, under their general, Mormon, are destroyed. Today, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints use the Book of Mormon as scripture, along with the Old and New Testaments and two other books: the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

l Why do they say they are “Christian, but different?”

Like mainstream Christian denominations, Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God, and that he was crucified and raised from the dead to save humankind. But their theology is very different from conventional Christianity. Among other things, they have traditionally believed that God, or “Heavenly Father,” was once a man himself, now transformed into godhood; all humans, if they strive hard enough, can be similarly exalted and become gods in their own rights; there are also two lower levels of heaven for those who do not make it; and the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, rather than the traditional Christian Trinity, are actually three separate beings. In Mormon teaching, God the Father has “a body of flesh and bones.”

l How do they practice?

The central ordinances of the faith are practiced inside the temples, which only members in good standing are permitted to enter. There they practice proxy baptisms for the dead and eternal marriages. Mormons also meet each Sunday in the more-common and open meeting houses for worship and study. Meetings are led by lay bishops, who are chosen from the community and administer to their neighborhood “ward,” or congregation. Wards are grouped into larger “stakes,” which are much like Catholic dioceses.

l Why “latter-day saints?” Are Joseph Smith and Brigham Young saints?

Mormons believe Christ’s disciples went astray shortly after his death, and that all forms of Christianity that have followed are corrupt and wrong. Because their church revives the traditions of Christ’s original followers whom they say were called “saints” they are “latter-day saints.” The church is headed by a president whose official title is “Prophet, Seer, Revelator,” and who has two counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The first president was Joseph Smith, who founded the church in 1830 and was assassinated in 1844. The second was Brigham Young, who led the Mormons to Utah and in 1847 established the church in Salt Lake City.

l Why don’t Mormons drink alcohol or coffee?

The Mormon “Word of Wisdom,” which followers believe was divinely revealed, forbids “wine or strong drink,” tobacco and hot drinks, which were later defined as coffee and tea. (There is some debate over the rules for soft drinks with caffeine.) Studies have shown that Mormons on average might live 10 years longer than other Americans, perhaps because of this lifestyle.