Mormonism: Delving into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The State of Utah provides this entry from the Utah History Encyclopedia, a concise history of the Mormons that covers the founding of the religion and the western trek from New York to west of the Mississippi River. There are some interesting facts in this summary, including information about the “Extermination Order” issued by the Governor of Missouri in 1838, which threatened to execute the Mormons if they did not leave the state. This order was not actually revoked until 1976.

ReligiousTolerance.org offers a history of Mormonism before 1839. This passage primarily focuses on Joseph Smith and his prophetic visions. ReligiousTolerance.org prides itself on its unbiased views on all religions. The site also has a link for the continued history of the faith from “1839 to now.” 

The Mormon History Association is affiliated with the American Historical Association and dedicated to the study of Mormon history. Its Web site offers “A Brief History of Mormonism,” discussing the beginning and evolution of Mormonism through Joseph Smith Jr., Brigham Young, and beyond. Although the Mormon History Association is a great resource for information on the history of Mormonism, the actual Web site doesn’t contain much additional information about the religion, other than details about the association itself. 

JosephSmith.net has everything you ever wanted to know about the founder of Mormonism. This Web site, put together by the Church, is extensive and easy to use. The site is quite informative, but keep in mind that as it’s a product of the Church, its portrayal of Joseph Smith is uniformly positive.

LDS.org offers this interactive and informative Web site called “The Pioneer Story.” Trace the route that the Mormon pioneers took on their westward trail and learn about each stop on their path.

September Dawn opened in theaters at the end of August 2007. The movie describes one of the most regrettable and controversial events in Mormon history: the Mountain Meadows Massacre on September 11, 1857, when Mormons in the Utah territory killed approximately 120 men, women, and children. The film’s Web site has a history of the incident, videos, downloads, and film information. The News & Reviews section is also a valuable resource, noting the reactions to the movie. Read the Church’s account of the event, or see Mitt Romney’s reaction to the movie.

Dummies.com presents this extremely helpful piece entitled “Understanding Polygamy in Mormon History,” which clears up the misconceptions surrounding the Mormons’ former practice of plural marriage. Adapted from Mormonism For Dummies, this Web page offers a history of Mormon polygamy, the Mormon arguments in favor of polygamy in the 19th century, and a section detailing the myths about Mormon polygamy. Explore the equally valuable related articles listed at the bottom of the page, such as “Contemplating the Mormon Worldview” and “What’s Not on the Mormon Menu,” about Mormon eating and drinking practices.

OnlineUtah.com goes into more depth than Dummies.com about the former Mormon practice of plural marriage. The layout of the site is not too pretty, but there are plenty of facts here regarding the history of this controversial subject. The site gathers this information from the Utah History Encyclopedia.

NPR describes the life of the infamous Warren Jeffs and his followers in this article from May 3, 2005. Jeffs is/was the leader of a fundamentalist Mormon splinter sect based on the Utah-Arizona border. The article also mentions the tenure of his father, Rulon Jeffs, the previous leader of the sect, who consolidated power and left behind “an estimated 75 widows and 65 children to mourn him.” The younger Jeffs was eventually arrested for arranging a marriage between an underage girl and her adult cousin. Here is an article from CNN.com reporting on Warren Jeffs’s arrest in August 2006; the New York Times has this article about Jeffs’s conviction in September 2007 (you will need a free online subscription); and ABC News explains how Jeffs will probably still retain tremendous influence over his sect, even behind prison bars.

The Rick A. Ross Institute is a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey, devoted to disseminating information and offering resources on “destructive cults, controversial groups and movements.” This page, dedicated to polygamist groups, has an immense amount of information and may be a bit overwhelming. There are subheadings to make the searching somewhat easier, with topics like “Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS),” “History of Mormon/American polygamy,” and “Polygamy and the Law.” If you want an extensive resource on the topic, this is the place to go.

Big Love is a recent HBO show that has brought more attention to Mormonism, even though the show does not highlight mainstream Mormonism. The show tracks the lives of Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) and his family, which includes three wives. The polygamist lifestyle, although discontinued by the Church in 1890, is still practiced by certain splinter sects who consider themselves fundamentalist Mormons, even though the Church does not label them Mormon. To get up to date on the series, read the “About the Show” section.

The LDS.org Newsroom is the Mormon “Official Resource for News Media, Opinion Leaders, and the Public.” You’ll find press releases and news regarding the Church, and Church statistics, such as membership and the number of missions. The “Background Information” section provides various Church-related facts.

LDS Today compiles information about the Church found in media throughout the world. This site is not affiliated with the Church, but it’s primarily meant to show Church members how Mormonism is portrayed worldwide. As the site notes, not all the information is favorable to the Church: the articles that the editor feels are most relevant to Church members and leaders are located at the top, while those that are not as applicable or show the Church in a less flattering light are located lower on the page.

Meridian Magazine is an online magazine that presents the news from a Mormon perspective, with stories updated daily. The publication has a strong religious bent, strewing its articles with quotes from the Bible. You’ll also come across features such as the “Family Value of the Month” and the “Myth of the Month.”

Mormon Matters is a weekly podcast “exploring Mormon current events, pop culture, politics and spirituality.” Listen to the podcast straight from the site or use iTunes. The site also posts an abundance of responses to each week’s podcast.

The Mitt Romney for President official Web site contains a transcript of the “Faith In America” speech Romney gave regarding his religion on December 6, 2007. CNN.com offers this article summarizing the speech.

TIME Magazine examines the role played by Mormonism in the political life of Mitt Romney. The article suggests that Romney will probably focus more on the family values that his religion espouses than on the theology of Mormonism.

The New York Times featured this op-ed piece on April 9, 2007, analyzing the issues involved in Mitt Romney’s presidential run. This piece examines the differences between Mormonism and the Protestant Christianity that has been such a dominant force in American politics.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has this transcript from a speech and discussion forum that occurred on May 14, 2007, in Florida, called “Mormonism and Politics: Are They Compatible?” This interesting speech and question-and-answer period traces the history of the Mormon faith and its relation to the Mitt Romney presidential bid.

Dialogue is “A Journal of Mormon Thought.” Although edited by Mormons, this quarterly journal is independent of the Church’s executive clergy. The journal examines issues relevant to the Mormon religion and its relation to the secular world. Its purpose is to bring Mormon beliefs “into dialogue with the larger stream of world religious thought and with human experience as a whole.” A one-year subscription costs $37; it’s $30 for students and seniors. Some of the articles are available on the site for free.

The Meetinghouse Locator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is provided by LDS.org and makes finding fellow Mormons easy. Find places of worship throughout the world with this tool and access driving directions, a map, and general information for each meeting place.

The LDS Woman is a fantastic resource for women in the Mormon community. Read about a variety of topics, like entertainment, humor, health, politics, and parenting. Share your artwork, novels, poetry, and short stories, and read what others think. Join in the forum discussion or start a conversation in the chat room.

The Genesis Group is a resource for African-Americans who are Mormons or are considering conversion to the faith. In the past, African-Americans have had a contentious relationship with Mormonism; until 1978, they were not allowed to join the priesthood. The site contains a newsletter and various resources for reaching out to the African-American Mormon community. With regard to the historical treatment of African-American Mormons, a New York Times article has this noteworthy line: “Racism is also an issue, since it was not until 1978 that the church opened its priesthood to blacks. But don’t forget that it was only in the 1990s that many Southern churches asked forgiveness for their segregationist stance—and received it.” 

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons confronts the controversial and taboo topic of homosexuality in Mormonism. Historically, Mormonism has not been open to the idea of homosexuality, but the fact that homosexual Mormons exist has become inescapable. This organization, which began in the late 1970s, has become a huge network with chapters throughout the world. The Web site contains news, blogs, learning tools, and plenty of information about the organization.

Provident Living outlines many of the humanitarian and welfare efforts of the Church. The “Training Materials” section, particularly “Basic Welfare Lessons,” explains the principles behind Mormon humanitarian efforts around the globe. On this site, you can either donate to the Church or learn more about becoming an active participant in Mormon humanitarianism.

By Common Consent provides recent posts touching upon current activities in the Latter-day Saint community. The blog has more than 70 authors, some permanent and some guests. The comments under each post often spark lively and lengthy debate.

Mormanity is a well-written blog about all things involving Latter-day Saints. Some of the posts are long, others are quite short, but the posts usually come every couple of days. Many of the posts contain annotated references to the Mormon texts.

Dave’s Mormon Inquiry calls itself “A friendly place to talk about Mormon history, doctrine, and culture.” The site is cluttered, a result of the vast number of links the author includes. The right side of the page is filled with books about Mormonism, various news sources, Mormon Web sites, and blogs.

The Culture Hall is a unique blog written by Mormons who have questioned their faith, are questioning it, or simply don’t know what to think. The site has a number of writers, and according to the “About” section, “All of us have struggled at one point or another within the LDS faith.” But at the same time, “none of us have been able to leave Mormonism behind.”

A Motley Vision is concerned with “Mormon Arts and Culture,” in particular “literature, criticism, publishing and marketing…film, theater, art, music, and pop and folk culture.” The site, with a clean and pleasant design, has six contributing writers.

Mormon Momma is a blog written by Latter-day Saint women about their thoughts on religion and everyday life. You’ll find posts about Mormon doctrinal issues and posts on issues common to all women, such as an entry preparing women for their first mammogram.

Feminist Mormon Housewives is pretty much what it sounds like. Mormonism is usually not associated with liberalism, or feminism for that matter, but this blog tackles those issues anyway. There are eight contributors to this blog, making for a lot of feminist Mormon content, and a lot of comments.

BeSmart.com is a product of Brigham Young University, which lays out various options for Mormon higher education. You’ll find links for BYU, BYU Idaho, BYU Hawaii, LDS Business College, and Institutes of Religion. Look for general admissions information, high school preparation details, college financing suggestions, and more. You may also want to take a look at BYU’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. 

Deseret Book is a publisher and retailer associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offering an abundant collection of Mormon books and other material. Purchase Scripture on this site as well.

LDS.org allows you to listen to audio of Mormon Scriptures on its site. Either read or listen to the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

Liahona.net provides a large selection of Mormon music available for free download. Easily search the site for the song you want and preview the song before downloading it. The music is available in many different languages.

FamilySearch.org was created because of the importance of family in the Mormon faith. Although this is a Mormon endeavor, FamilySearch.org has become a tremendous tool for anyone tracing his or her family lineage. Search the database using a number of possible criteria. There are also specific databases for Jewish and African-American genealogy on this site, although all religions and ethnicities can be searched with the main search engine at the top of the page.