The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Beliefs and Facts

Ask most people about Mormonism and you’ll get an answer that sounds like it came from a century-old stereotype. Yet The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has spent years deliberately correcting those very assumptions — and yet they persist online. The reason is partly historical, partly cultural, and worth untangling if you’re trying to understand what the church actually teaches today.

Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah ·
Scriptural texts: Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price ·
Tonga population affiliation: 60% ·
Leadership: Prophet-led

What exactly do Latter-day Saints believe?

Latter-day Saints hold a set of core doctrines that place them within Christianity while adding distinct elements not found in most other denominations. The church teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings united in purpose — a concept often called the Godhead. Jesus Christ is viewed as the literal Son of God and the central figure of salvation.

Core doctrines

The faith emphasizes personal revelation, meaning members believe God continues to speak to individuals and through living prophets. This differentiates it from denominations that view revelation as closed with the death of the original apostles. Latter-day Saints also believe in temple worship, family sealing ceremonies that bind families together for eternity, and a rigorous moral code centered on chastity, honesty, and self-reliance.

Scriptures

LDS scripture includes the King James Version of the Bible, but the church also recognizes three additional texts as authoritative: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Book of Mormon describes ancient peoples in the Americas who supposedly interacted with biblical figures and received visitations from Christ after his resurrection. The Doctrine and Covenants contains modern revelations and declarations, including Official Declaration 1, which formally ended polygamy on October 6, 1890 (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Modern revelation

Living prophets guide the church today, with the President of the Church considered a revelator for contemporary doctrine. In 1978, the church extended the priesthood to all races, ending a prior restriction for those of Black African descent (Wikipedia). This change illustrates how official church teaching can shift in response to revelation received by current leadership.

Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the same as Mormonism?

This question sits at the heart of one of the church’s most persistent public-relations challenges. The short answer is that “Mormon” began as a nickname derived from the Book of Mormon, and the church once embraced it. That changed around 2018 when church leadership asked members and media to switch exclusively to the full name.

Terminology preferences

President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly emphasized that using the full name shows respect for Jesus Christ, whose name appears in the church’s official title. The church argues that calling it “Mormon church” obscures its Christian identity by making it seem like a sect named after a book rather than a faith centered on Christ.

Historical context

The nickname stuck for cultural reasons. Decades of media coverage and public conversation solidified “Mormon” in everyday speech. The church has since launched a formal campaign to retrain that usage, going so far as to trademark certain phrases and create style guides for journalists. Even Wikipedia’s article structure reflects this tension, with “Mormonism” redirecting to a disambiguation page that now emphasizes the church’s preferred terminology.

How many wives can a Mormon man have?

Zero, for living marriages. This answer surprises many people who associate Latter-day Saints with polygamy based on the church’s 19th-century history. The practice was formally discontinued in 1890 through Official Declaration 1 issued by President Wilford Woodruff, and since 1904, no new plural marriages have been authorized for living members (Wikipedia).

Current policy

Today’s LDS Church strictly enforces monogamy. Members who enter into or advocate for polygamous relationships face excommunication. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley stated this position directly: “I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Historical practice

Plural marriage was taught as a divine commandment in the mid-1800s, supposedly to “raise up seed” according to early church leaders. The theological justification conflicted even then with the Book of Mormon, which states “one wife” as God’s standard unless otherwise commanded (Jacob 2:27-30). The practice ended under intense federal pressure via the Edmunds Act of 1882, which criminalized polygamy and led to property seizures, imprisonment, and loss of voting rights for practicing Mormons (BYU ScholarsArchive).

Can Mormons kiss before marriage?

Yes, kissing before marriage is permitted — though the church counsels members to reserve sexual expression for marriage. This distinction matters because popular misconceptions sometimes suggest Latter-day Saints prohibit all physical affection before the wedding day. The actual guideline focuses on chastity, which the church defines as abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage.

Dating guidelines

The church encourages members to date and court with an eye toward eventual marriage but warns against “heavy petting” and other activities that blur the line into sexual arousal. Couples are advised to set physical boundaries early and maintain them. The emphasis falls on purity of intention rather than specific banned activities.

Chastity law

LDS doctrine ranks sexual transgression — defined as fornication, adultery, or homosexuality — among the most serious sins, second only to murder and the denial of the Holy Ghost. However, kissing itself does not constitute sexual transgression. The church’s 2020 update of its General Handbook clarified that same-sex marriages are no longer categorized as “apostasy,” though the doctrine that sexual relations belong only within heterosexual marriage remains unchanged.

What country is 60% Mormon?

Tonga holds the distinction of having the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints relative to its total population — a striking fact given the island nation’s complicated history with the church. The claim of approximately 60% affiliation appears frequently in church-related media and informal reports, though verified membership statistics from official church records can be harder to pin down.

Global membership

The church claims over 16 million members worldwide as of recent years, making it one of the largest Christian denominations by nominal membership. However, active attendance is significantly lower, with estimates suggesting actual weekly participation hovers around 25-30% of registered members globally. Tonga represents an exception: conversion rates there produced deep-rooted affiliation patterns that persist today.

Tonga specifics

The first LDS missionaries Brigham Smoot and Alva J. Butler arrived in Tonga on July 15, 1891, meeting with King George Tupou I for permission to preach (Wikipedia). The relationship was not smooth. In 1922, Tonga passed the Passport Act excluding LDS missionaries, primarily due to accusations that the church was still practicing polygamy despite the 1890 Manifesto. The legislative debate transcripts obtained by Mission President Mark Vernon Coombs in December 1923 confirm polygamy was cited as the main offense (BYU ScholarsArchive).

During the 1922-1924 exclusion, local Tongan LDS members maintained their faith and continued missionary efforts without foreign missionaries present. The Tongan Mission was formally organized in 1916 but gained legal footing only after the passport controversy resolved. Today, the church operates schools and community programs that reinforce its strong local presence.

LDS Church vs. Community of Christ: Key Differences

Three major distinctions separate these two denominations that share early origins but diverged over fundamental questions of doctrine and practice.

Community of Christ views Joseph Smith as a flawed prophet who made mistakes but delivered genuine spiritual insights — a stark contrast to LDS reverence for Smith as a prophet whose revelations remain authoritative for current doctrine. The implication: the two churches share a 19th-century root but have evolved into doctrinally distinct institutions, with the question of continuing revelation determining much of their divergent path.

““I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy.””

— Gordon B. Hinckley, Church President

“Polygamy was the main issue: “Disturbances are caused by this church,” and “Many of their religious doctrines clash with the doctrines of other churches which have been brought to Tonga.””

— Legislative Assembly (via Coombs transcript), Tongan Legislators

Related reading: Verified History and Key Facts

This overview of core beliefs and historical facts aligns with discussions of its history, beliefs, and leadership found in broader examinations of the church’s development and structure.

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