Individuals who practice the Mormonism religion, a detachment from Christianity created by the American Joseph Smith in the 19th century
It is popularly known as Mormons to those individuals who profess the religion called Mormonism.
Formally it is known as Latter-day Saints Movement and is mostly composed of restorationist individuals that accept the teachings and revelations proposed by the Prophet Joseph Smith. They call themselves Christians and also believe in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Causes that contributed to its origin
According to Mormonism after the crucifixion of Christ, the death of the apostles and the growing hostility emanating from the Pagan Roman Empire, the church that Christ had been busy building began to change and already reaching the fourth century had little to do with the original.
So, after this moment, according to Mormons, there follows a period of time called as apostasy , which is mainly characterized by the loss in part and completely of all the truths proposed in the gospel, among them, the lack of revelation of God to men.
According to Mormon belief in the year 1820, God appeared to a young man named Joseph Smith, a situation that would reestablish the ancient Church of Jesus Christ on earth. In the aforementioned apparition, according to the testimony of Joseph, God, together with his son Jesus Christ, gave him a series of instructions, among them, he received the mission not to join any of the existing churches and, failing that, to reinstall the original Church of Jesus Christ with all the truths and authority of the priesthood. While, this Church would be finally and formally organized on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York.
It was founded for this date because it is what they consider to be the date of the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ; by 1834 it would be institutionalized as the Church of Latter-day Saints.
The book of Mormon, which comes from ancient records written on gold plates and that summarizes the history of Ancient America is the sacred book that Mormons follow, read and consult; According to Smith, an apparition also revealed to him where the writings were hidden and asked him to translate them. In its pages the visit of Jesus to the American continent after his resurrection is related. It was published for the first time in 1830.
Who was Joseph Smith ?, a man who aroused equally loves and hates
The American citizen Joseph Smith, a native of Vermont, is the founder of this religious belief that is a detachment from Christianity. In 1820, Smith, just 18 years old, claims to have had the First Vision, that is, the manifestation of a deity before him, more precisely in a place located west of New York City known as the sacred grove. . There an angel appeared to him and commissioned him to organize a church and write the Book of Mormon, which is a holy book that reproduces the ancient record that the angel taught him.
His preaching quickly found attention and support but also a lot of reluctance, especially for some proposals that Smith supported and that caused resistance among Christians, such is the case of the polygamy proposal that he defended. We must say that polygamy allows an individual to be married to several people at the same time. Of course, this approach certainly offended traditional Christians because as we know the Roman Catholic Church does not accept this situation in any way, it is a staunch defender of marriage and monogamy.
On the other hand, on the political level, he proposed the establishment of a theocracy, as that form of government in which religion and politics merge, that is to say, the religious leader or representative of a deity is the one who must embody the political power too. In theocracies, the ruler rules in the name of the god he represents.
Due to this state of affairs, Smith was persecuted in his time and also had to endure prison for defending the aforementioned positions. Those who were on the opposite side of his proposals considered him a liar, a madman and a liar, and that is why they entrusted him to jail. He was arrested on several occasions for scandal and disorderly conduct.
Even the rejection of a good part of society ended his life, since he was shot to death in 1844. He was 38 years old.
Now, his followers, who were many, considered him a prophet who was at the level of the legendary Moses or Isaiah, among others.
