Facts About Mormons

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Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830 in upstate Fayette, New York. The modern headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The sacred texts of Mormons are the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and Doctrines & Covenants. The places of worship of Mormons are the temple and the church.

Fact 1. There are an estimated 14 million practicing Mormons worldwide, of whom 6 million are outside the U.S. There are about 1 million Mormons in Asia and 3 million in South America, and the rest in Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Fact 2.  Mormonism has been present in the U.K. since 1837. There are 190,000 in the U.K. The number of Mormons in the U.K. has increased from 6,500 in the 1960s to 190,000 members in 2008.

Fact 3.  The Mormon headquarters is in Salt Lake City because it was an unsettled valley at the time of settlement. Mormons had to move from state to state looking for a place to settle down as the practice of polygamy was not accepted by the common people. They finally settled in Salt Lake City as it was not a developed place.

Fact 4.  The federal government in 1890 outlawed polygamy. However, fundamentalist sects within the LDS church have held on and practiced polygamy.  A past leader, Brigham Young, had 21 official wives.

Fact 5. The justification given for polygamy was the imbalance in the population of women in Utah and the need for women to be protected. However, studies indicate that prior to the trek to Utah, the founder, Joseph Smith, had practiced polygamy in 1831.

Fact 6. The reason given by Joseph Smith for justifying polygamy was that it was a revelation from God.

Fact 7. Polyandry was practiced amongst Mormons with one woman having several husbands.  Joseph Smith sanctioned it as civil and celestial marriages.

Fact 8.  Mormons oppose abortion, homosexuality, unmarried sexual acts, pornography, gambling, tobacco, consuming alcohol, tea, coffee, and the use of drugs.

Fact 9. Non-mormons cannot enter the LDS or Mormon temples. Only Mormons regarded as worthy by the Church are allowed to enter a temple. The temple is a holy building that Mormons regard as the house of the Lord.

Fact 10 . Mitt Romney is the first Mormon  nominated for president by a major political party.

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