Mormonism

Joseph Smith from: pbs.org/americanprophet/joseph-smith.html

Mormons, or the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints", founded by Joseph Smith (1805-55), an American born in Vermont.

He claimed to receive a revelation which enabled him to trace and translate from the "reformed Egyptian" certain gold plates which had been hidden by an angel in a hill in New York State, and on the basis of the contents of these plates, which he published as The Book of Mormon, he developed an elaborate theology and creed which soon attracted numerous followers.

Utah

Settlements were made by them in various parts of the U.S.A., from which they were successively driven owing to public prejudice against their doctrines, which included polygamy; the founder was assassinated at Nauvoo, Illinois, and succeeded by Brigham Young, who led the belivers to what is now the State of Utah, where they finally settled. They built an imposing temple at Sale Lake City. Utah was only admitted as a State of the Union in 1896 on condition that polygamy was prohibited.

Beliefs

Mormonism believes that The Book of Mormon is of equal authority with the Bible, in resurrection of the body; in the salvation of man through Christ and baptism by immersion; and continued divine manifestation through the ruling head of the Mormon Church.