![]() ![]() These teachings are disseminated through The Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, and at conventions and congregation meetings. Since 1976, all doctrinal decisions have been made by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of elders at the denomination's headquarters. We provide these articles to help you understand the distinctions between denominations including origin, leadership, doctrine, and beliefs.The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible teachings of Charles Taze Russell-founder of the Bible Student movement-and successive presidents of the Watch Tower Society, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, and Nathan Homer Knorr. This article is part of our Denomination Series listing historical facts and theological information about different factions within and from the Christian religion. ![]() Today, Brigham Young University stands in his honor in Provo, Utah. “This is the right place,” he is credited with saying after he looked out on what would become Utah lands. He, himself, practiced polygamy and was even tried for it, but not convicted.Īccording to the LDS, he was sometimes called the “American Moses” for leading some 60,000 to 70,000 people to the uncivilized west. He is credited with helping to make the church’s community in the Utah area as self-sufficient with local manufacture of goods that would otherwise need to be imported from the east. While they do practice polygamy, they are against underage girls being forced to marry.īrigham Young, the second president of the LDS church after Joseph Smith, headquartered the LDS church in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Centennial Park group, unlike other sects of the FLDS church, advocates spreading the group’s message. This group practices polygamy as well.Īnother Arizona sect, called Centennial Park group, came from conflict over leadership in the 1980s leadership of the FLDS church. Musser, split with other Mormon fundamentalists. This group came about when their leader, Joseph W. The FLDS do practice polygamy, which was suspended by the LDS church in 1890.Īnother different offshoot of Mormonism is the Apostolic United Brethren, which has members in many states. This sect came to media attention with the conviction of church leader Warren Jeffs. Another group of Mormons that are not affiliated with the official LDS church is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS church is the main group with its roots with Joseph Smith. So significant difference there."Ī common misconception is that all Mormons are part of the LDS church. And that right there is a fundamental of the Christian faith that Jesus is God himself, who existed forever and then was incarnated in history and is exalted with the Father now. They view Jesus not as eternally existing as the second person of the Godhead. They reject the Trinity as Protestants understand the Trinity. But if you can't get beyond the Revelation issue, you can't really move forward. And then they quote their other writings and then they quote their leaders. So that's the fundamental bottom line difference, because when you try to debate something or discuss something, that's the impasse. And we would say, no, no, no, we go just to the Bible. So if there's a tier of authority, they go with their leaders and then their Holy books and then the Bible, when there's any kind of disjunction or maybe seeming contradiction. ![]() Plus, they have people, apostles, elders who are still giving revelation. The Mormons have not only the Bible, they have three other books, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. For Christians, for evangelicals, we go to the Bible alone. And in all my debates and discussions with Mormons, it's really come down to one thing, and that's the locus of authority, the center of authority. And it's so heartbreaking to explain this that well, when you think about it, you look at our doctrines and compare them to yours, they don't match in the most significant places. And they consider me a Christian, and they so badly want me to consider them Christians. They're moral people, very much good people. "I have dozens and dozens of Mormon relatives that I just had a family reunion with them in December. ![]()
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