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#1 The Facts On The Mormon Church
1. What is Mormonism and why is it
important?
Mormonism is a religion founded upon the teachings of
Joseph Smith (1805-1844) Although some 100 Mormon sects have existed
historically (many which are polygamous), the two largest divisions are the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (headquartered in Salt Lake City,
Utah) and the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Latter-day
Saints (headquartered in Independence, Missouri).
The subject of Mormonism is important because of the Church's
influence, power, and evangelistic operations. For example, it maintains over
60,000 missionaries who actively engage in proselytizing activities throughout
the world. Further, boasting a membership of 12 million worldwide, Mormonism is
also the fourth largest religion in the U.S. (more than 6 million adherents).
Indeed, The New Mormon Challenge, a scholarly critique of recent LDS
apologetics, extrapolates current growth rates to 580 million by the end of the
century. Although the LDS (Latter-day Saints) Church doesn't release financial
records, the leadership granted Time magazine unusual cooperation. In the
August 4, 1997 issue, the LDS assets were valued at a minimum of $30 billion.
The same article estimated an annual gross income of $5.9 billion.
No one can doubt the power and influence of Mormonism.
Taken from The Facts On The Mormon Church, by
John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Published by Harvest House Publishers
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