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Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith in Upstate New York in the 1820s. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism distinguished itself from traditional Protestantism. Mormonism today represents the new, non-Protestant faith taught by Smith in the 1840s. After Smith's death, most Mormons followed Brigham Young on his westward journey to the Utah Territory, calling themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Variations not a part of the LDS Church include Mormon fundamentalism, which seeks to maintain practices and doctrines such as polygamy〔For a discussion on a history of Mormon polygamy, see ''(Plural Marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints )'', The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints〕 that were abandoned by the LDS Church, and various other small independent denominations.〔The second-largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, since 2001 called "Community of Christ", does not describe itself as Mormon, but instead follows a Trinitarian Christian restorationist theology, and also considers itself Restorationist in terms of Latter-day Saint doctrine. In reference to Latter Day Saint denominations like the Community of Christ, the ''AP Stylebook'' states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after () Smith's death." However, the term Mormon is often used to refer to adherents of Mormon fundamentalism.〕 The word ''Mormon'' is originally derived from the Book of Mormon, one of the faith's religious texts. Based on the name of that book, early followers of founder Joseph Smith were called ''Mormons'', and their faith was called ''Mormonism''. The term was initially considered pejorative,〔(Terms used in the LDS Restorationist movement ) ReligiousTolerance.org〕 but is no longer considered so by Mormons (although other terms such as Latter-day Saint, or LDS, are generally preferred). Mormonism shares a common set of beliefs with the rest of the Latter Day Saint movement, including use of, and belief in, the Bible, as well as other religious texts including the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. It also accepts the Pearl of Great Price as part of its scriptural canon, and has a history of teaching eternal marriage, eternal progression, and plural marriage, although the LDS Church formally abandoned the practice of plural marriage in 1890. Cultural Mormonism includes a lifestyle promoted by the Mormon institutions, and includes cultural Mormons who identify with the culture, but not necessarily the theology. ==Brief history== Mormonism originated in the 1820s in western New York during a period of religious excitement known as the Second Great Awakening.〔; ; .〕 Founded by Joseph Smith, the faith drew its first converts while Smith was dictating the text of the Book of Mormon from golden plates he said he found buried after being directed to their location by an angel. The book described itself as a chronicle of early indigenous peoples of the Americas, portraying them as believing Israelites, who had a belief in Christ many hundred years before his birth. Smith dictated the book of 584 pages over a period of about three months saying that he translated it from an ancient language "by the gift and power of God".〔''History of the Church'' 1:315; .〕 During production of this work in mid-1829, Smith, his close associate Oliver Cowdery, and other early followers began baptizing new converts into a Christian primitivist church, formally organized in 1830 as the Church of Christ. Smith was seen by his followers as a modern-day prophet. Smith later wrote that he had seen a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ in spring 1820 in answer to his question of which denomination he should join. Sometimes called the "First Vision", Smith's vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings was reportedly the basis for the difference in doctrine between Mormonism's view of the nature of God and that of orthodox Christianity. Smith further said that in answer to his prayer the Lord instructed him to join none of the existing churches because they were all wrong.〔Smith's 1838 written account of this vision was later canonized in a book called the ''The Pearl of Great Price''. (See: Joseph Smith–History 1:19)〕 During the 1820s Smith reported having several angelic visitations, and by 1830 Smith said that he had been instructed that God would use him to re-establish the true Christian church and that the Book of Mormon would be the means of establishing correct doctrine for the restored church. To avoid confrontation with New York residents, the members moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and hoped to establish a permanent New Jerusalem or City of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri. However, they were expelled from Jackson County in 1833 and forced to flee Kirtland in early 1838. In Missouri, violent conflicts with other Missourians resulted in the governor of Missouri issuing an "extermination order," expelling Latter Day Saints from Missouri. The displaced Mormons fled to Illinois and settled the city of Nauvoo, where they were able to live with a degree of peace and prosperity for a few years. However, tensions between Mormons and non-Mormons again escalated to the point that in 1844, Smith was killed by a mob, precipitating a succession crisis. The largest group of Mormons, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accepted Brigham Young as the new prophet/leader and emigrated to what became the Utah Territory. There, the church began the open practice of plural marriage, a form of polygyny which Smith had instituted in Nauvoo. Plural marriage became the faith's most sensational characteristic during the 19th century, but vigorous opposition by the United States Congress threatened the church's existence as a legal institution. In his 1890 Manifesto, church president Wilford Woodruff announced the official end of plural marriage.〔; (【引用サイトリンク】title=Official Declaration 1 )〕 Because of the formal abolition of plural marriage in 1890, several smaller groups of Mormons broke with the LDS Church forming several denominations of Mormon fundamentalism. Meanwhile, the LDS Church has become a proponent of monogamy and patriotism, has extended its reach internationally by a vigorous missionary program, and has grown in size to 15 million members. The church is becoming a part of the American and international mainstream.〔. "With the consistent encouragement of church leaders, Mormons became models of patriotic, law-abiding citizenship, sometimes seeming to "out-American" all other Americans. Their participation in the full spectrum of national, social, political, economic, and cultural life has been thorough and sincere"〕 However, it consciously and intentionally retains its identity as a "peculiar people"〔The term "peculiar people" is consciously borrowed from (1 Peter 2:9 ), and can be interpreted as "special" or "different," though Mormons have certainly been viewed as "peculiar" in the modern sense as well. ; See also: (Children of the Covenant ), Russell M. Nelson, 1995.〕 set apart from the world by what it believes is its unique relationship with God. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mormonism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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