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THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS |
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ONE CHURCH The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is one of the fastest growing Christian churches, with over 180,000
members in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and 10 million worldwide. Yet the Church remains a mystery to many who are unfamiliar with its theology and way of life. Some know the Church because they have heard the renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir; others recognise it as a religion that deeply values the family; and many have had contact with its young missionaries who seek to bring understanding and acceptance of their faith to people everywhere. All of these aspects of the Church are
reminders of its contributions to societies throughout the world. But
they are only part of the story of a Church that survived periods of
intense persecution, grew to appreciate the value of self-sufficiency and
always held the family unit as sacred. The more complete story has
steadily unfolded on every continent as a testament to the power of
Christian faith and a gospel inspired determination to spread the word of
Christ to all regions of the world. From
the earliest days of its establishment in New York State in 1831, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was viewed suspiciously by
some who did not understand its mission to build Christ’s restored
church. The Church’s founder, Joseph Smith, and his brother were both
martyred for their faith and acts of violent persecution eventually
drove Church members to settle in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, in
what is now Utah. Soon after The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded, missionaries were sent to
spread the news of the newly organized Church, and the first overseas
missionaries were sent to the British Isles in 1837. Mormon Tabernacle Choir
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The Preston Temple is located near the area where the first UK baptisms took place over a 160 years ago The group arrived in England on 19 July 1837, preached in Preston on 23 July and held baptismal services for nine new converts on 30 July. The baptisms were witnessed by over 8000 curious onlookers and by the next week, 50 more people were baptized The teachings of the Church attracted more than a thousand converts in the first nine months in the British Isles. Many British converts emigrated to the United States to help build the Church in Utah, but by the l9SOs the encouragement was to stay here leading to a dramatic growth period which has continued ever since. In 1958 the London Temple was opened in Lingfield, Surrey and the Preston Temple will be opened in June 1998. The Preston Temple will be of special significance to Church members because the Preston area was the site of the first preaching and baptisms over 160 years ago and it is home to many generations of Latter—day Saints. Followers of this Christian faith are known as Latter-day Saints and place great emphasis on personal and family development and individual responsibility. They believe that God’s purpose and society are best served when individuals are well rounded in education, physical health and emotional and spiritual strength. Because the Church stresses education, it operates schools, colleges, seminaries and institutes of religion throughout the world. Faithful members of the Church also conform to a health code. This code prohibits the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee. It encourages good health through proper nutrition, and a prudent lifestyle. |
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This is not an official Church page, however items quoted on this page and linked pages are Copyright © The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved Last updated Saturday, 31 March 2001
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