Mormons Religious Group - Research Paper Example

Mormons are a religious group of people who follow the teachings of Mormonism. This religion was spawned of the teachings and ideologies of Joseph Smith in the year 1820, as a subsidiary of the Later Day Saint Movement of Restorationist Christianity(Nielson, 2011). In present times Mormons are a member of the LDS church. The central branch of the Mormon Church is in Utah; however, a majority of the church’s members live outside America. This paper will analyze Mormonism, its principles, and the effects it has on its followers. In addition, the paper will look at the religion’s views on religiously controversial issues such as Euthanasia and organ transplantation.

Mormons’ beliefs are listed on thirteen statements, which are known as the Articles of Faith (Evans, 2009). The basic principles of religion are on the fourth statement. This statement elaborates on the elements of religion from a Mormon perspective. These principles include faith in Jesus Christ, which Mormons believe is a gift given to man by God. Faith can further be enhanced by reading the book of God, listening to the testimony of others and constantly praying. The second is repentance, which in Mormonism is vital in maintaining a pure soul. The third is Baptism, which is a way of cleansing one’s sins and the fourth is opening up oneself in order to receive gifts from the Holy Spirit (Evans, 2009).

Mormons believe an individual’s life begins when he or she is born; however, spiritually it begins when one gives his life to Christ. Mormons believe in the eternal life of the soul and they believe that after physical death an individual will resurrect. Mormons believe that at the point of death, all spirits go to the ‘spirit world’ where they will remain until the resurrection. Mormons believe that heaven exists and it is the reward for living a righteous lifestyle. People who live in sin and do not repent are banished to hell for eternity ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, n.d).

Mormons encourage childbirth and bringing life to the earth, this ideology is based on the biblical statement of going into the world and multiplying (Mormon Women, 2010). Family is an important part of the Mormon religion and families who can not conceive either adopt or seek assistance from a fertility clinic. Mormons are against abortion and believe that a child should only be conceived under matrimonial conditions.

Mormons celebrate local and national holidays along with Christian holidays. Mormon celebration of holidays is dependent on their local culture and tradition. Mormons have no special rituals which they follow to maintain good health. They follow social norms of eating healthy food and keeping a clean and hygienic environment. Mormons don’t believe in alcohol consumption or the use of any substances that have adverse effects on the body. If an individual decides to follow Mormonism teachings, he or she has to quite all his bad habits such as drinking and smoking. An individual must also repent and give his life to the lord. Repentance must be done as much as possible and before someone dies he must repent from all his sins.

Mormons place a strong emphasis on life; therefore, they have a very negative opinion about euthanasia. In Mormonism, an individual’s life is in the hands of God and only he can decide when it is time for a person to die. However, the decisions about organ transplantation are made by the individual himself; there are not strict policies on this aspect in the Mormon religion.

Conclusion

The Mormons are a Christian denomination that pays attention to living a righteous lifestyle and repenting when one commits sin. If an individual lives a pure life he will be rewarded by going to heaven. Mormonism mixes both conservative and liberal approaches in its religion. The principles upon which the religion is based try not to interfere in the decisions people make, however, some values are strictly monitored. Individuals are allowed to celebrate holidays and events according to their local culture; however, the religion does not tolerate any consumption of intoxicating substances. The fact that members of the religion are able to celebrate local holidays depending on their culture allows them to blend in with their community and not be labeled as outcasts. This is a positive attribute of religion as it allows followers to exercise their free will in situations where they do not harm themselves or put themselves in a position to commit sin. The religion also believes in forgiveness, which gives people a purpose to live as humans are naturally imperfect and susceptible to sin. They also place emphasis on family which is good for society’s values and morals. The family builds the foundation of an individual’s character and bringing up a child in a good family environment increases his or her chance of growing into a respectable adult.