The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Beliefs & Facts

“Mormon” and “LDS” are widely used labels for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the church has made clear it prefers its full official name over any shorthand. A 2018 rebrand aimed to move away from a nickname tied to the Book of Mormon and, indirectly, to a polygamy history the mainstream church abandoned in 1890. Here’s what that distinction means, what the church actually believes, and where the confusion still lingers.

Founded: April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith ·
Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah ·
Members worldwide: over 17 million ·
Scriptures: Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price ·
Current leader: prophet Russell M. Nelson

Is the Church of Latter-day Saints the same as a Mormon?

Yes and no. The terms “Mormon” and “LDS” are widely used colloquially to refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the church itself has asked members and the public to use its full official name. The nickname “Mormon” derives from the Book of Mormon, one of the church’s four canonical scriptures, while “LDS” is simply an abbreviation of that full name. The church considers both terms informal and prefers the complete designation in formal and public contexts.

Common labels and official name

The church’s official website and communications now consistently use “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” in full. Church leaders have explicitly requested this usage since a 2018 announcement from President Russell M. Nelson, who stated that the name distinction helps clarify the church’s focus on Jesus Christ rather than a book or a historical nickname. According to the church’s newsroom, this shift also addresses associations that have accumulated around the term “Mormon” over time, including connections to polygamy history that the church abandoned over 130 years ago.

Historical context of the term Mormon

The nickname “Mormon” originated in the 1830s as a shortening of “Mormonites,” a label critics attached to early followers of Joseph Smith. The term stuck in common usage for nearly two centuries. Wikipedia’s overview of Latter-day Saint denominations notes that the term gained broader recognition but also carried baggage from both religious opponents and cultural associations. The church’s modern preference for its full name reflects an effort to define its identity on its own terms, centering Jesus Christ in the name itself.

What is the difference between the Mormons and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The difference is primarily one of terminology. “Mormons” as a casual label applies broadly to members and sometimes to related groups, while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a specific denomination within the broader Latter-day Saint movement. The church holds distinct doctrinal positions and organizational structures that set it apart from other groups that trace their origins to Joseph Smith’s teachings.

Terminology distinctions

Wikipedia’s list of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement identifies multiple branches. The largest is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City. Smaller groups include the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), which does not practice polygamy and has different governance structures. Fundamentalist groups like the FLDS Church continue practices the mainstream LDS abandoned. The term “Mormon” in everyday speech sometimes conflates these groups, which the LDS Church considers misleading.

Doctrinal alignments

Core Latter-day Saint beliefs—like the Book of Mormon as scripture, modern prophets, and temple ceremonies—are shared across most branches. However, Wikipedia’s article on Mormonism and polygamy notes that the LDS Church’s doctrinal positions on plural marriage diverged sharply from fundamentalist offshoots after 1890. Today, LDS members believe polygamy is not required for salvation, while FLDS theology considers it necessary for exaltation. This doctrinal split, rooted in the 1890 Manifesto, represents one of the clearest distinguishing lines between mainstream Latter-day Saints and fundamentalist groups.

What are the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches a restored Christianity centered on Jesus Christ, with additional scripture and modern revelation. Members believe in the Bible and Book of Mormon as paired holy texts, follow living prophets, and participate in temple rituals including baptism for the dead and eternal family sealings. The church’s official manual on Gospel Topics states that its beliefs emphasize personal revelation, continuous prophecy, and the literal gathering of Israel.

Core doctrines

Key LDS beliefs include the literal gathering of Israel, the Godhead as three distinct beings, the potential for human beings to become like God through exaltation, and ongoing revelation through a living prophet. The church’s website explains that members fast, pay tithing, and observe the Sabbath through worship services held in local meetinghouses rather than elaborate temples. Local congregational units called wards are led by unpaid volunteer bishops, creating a lay ministry structure unlike many other denominations.

Scriptures used

The LDS canon includes the King James Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon (published in March 1830), the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. According to church materials, this open canon means new scripture can be added if revealed through proper channels. The Book of Mormon describes ancient peoples in the Americas and corroborates biblical narratives. The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations received by Joseph Smith and subsequent church presidents. This four-standard-works approach defines LDS scripture differently from most Protestant churches that recognize only the Bible.

Does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice polygamy?

No. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strictly prohibits polygamy and has done so for over 130 years. The practice officially ended in 1890 when President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, a statement that suspended new plural marriages. The church excommunicates members who attempt to practice polygamy today. Any current claim that mainstream Latter-day Saints condone or practice polygamy is false.

Historical practice

Polygamy was introduced gradually in the early church. According to the Utah History Encyclopedia, LDS leaders publicly announced polygamy as church doctrine in 1852 when Apostle Orson Pratt defended the practice in a public address. Joseph Smith reportedly began plural marriages around 1833 with Fanny Alger, though historical records of these early sealings remain partial. The church’s own Gospel Topics essay estimates that Joseph Smith entered into an estimated 30–40 plural marriages during the Kirtland and Nauvoo periods. Brigham Young continued the practice openly after the church relocated to Utah in 1847. The revelation now recorded as Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 was recorded in 1843, though historians debate when Smith initially received it.

Current policy

The Church Newsroom states plainly that “the practice of polygamy is strictly prohibited in the Church, as it has been for over 120 years.” Members who attempt to enter new plural marriages face excommunication. However, the church still performs temple sealings that allow a deceased man to be sealed to multiple deceased women for proxy ordinances. In LDS theology, this differs from living polygamy—the church teaches that polygamy is not required for exaltation today. This contrasts sharply with fundamentalist groups like the FLDS Church, which requires polygamy for salvation and excommunicates members who leave the practice.

How to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near me?

Finding a local LDS congregation is straightforward through the church’s official website and meetinghouse locator tools. Worship services are held in local buildings called meetinghouses rather than traditional cathedrals, and anyone is welcome to attend public services. The church maintains thousands of meetinghouses worldwide, with over 17 million members spread across approximately 30,000 congregations.

Locator tools

The official website at churchofjesuschrist.org offers a meetinghouse locator where visitors enter their address or zip code to find the nearest ward or branch. Services typically include a sacrament meeting on Sunday mornings, Sunday School for all ages, and separate Priesthood or Relief Society meetings for adults. The locator also provides times, addresses, and contact information for local leaders. No appointment is required—visitors simply arrive at the designated meetinghouse address.

Local resources

First-time visitors can access the church’s “Visitors” section online for orientation materials explaining what to expect during a worship service. The site also offers ComeUntoChrist.org as a public-facing resource for those interested in learning more about LDS beliefs without attending in person. Local missionaries—young men and women serving two-year missions—can be requested through the website for in-person visits or conversations. These resources serve both investigators and those simply curious about church teachings.

Comparing Latter-day Saint Groups

Three major branches of the Latter-day Saint movement share origins but diverge significantly on polygamy and governance, with the mainstream church separating sharply from fundamentalist offshoots after 1890.

The LDS Church and FLDS diverge on fundamental theology regarding plural marriage, while Community of Christ represents a liberal offshoot that abandoned polygamy early and reordered its governance toward congregational democracy rather than prophetic hierarchy.

What people are saying

“The practice of polygamy is strictly prohibited in the Church, as it has been for over 120 years.”

— Church of Jesus Christ Newsroom (Official LDS Statement)

“Most Utahns probably know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) does not sanction polygamy.”

— Hope After Polygamy (Commentary on FLDS vs. LDS confusion)

“Polygamy was not openly practiced in the Mormon Church until 1852 when Orson Pratt… made a public speech defending it.”

— Utah History Encyclopedia (Historical Record)

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The Church actively dispels outdated stereotypes through resources like detailed overview of its beliefs, offering historical context and key doctrines.

Frequently asked questions

For those researching the faith or exploring faith traditions, the distinction between the mainstream church and fundamentalist groups matters—not just for accuracy, but because conflating them obscures a faith community that has changed significantly over 130 years, affecting how outsiders perceive modern Latter-day Saints.