Mormon Church

In the 2010 General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whose members are often informally called Mormons), Mormons were called on to provide a day of service. These will happen at the ward (congregational) level or at the stake (similar to a diocese) level at various times over the coming year. The events are to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the start of the Mormon welfare program.

Days of Service have become a popular activity for Mormons around the world. Through the Helping Hands program, Mormons in signature yellow shirts show up during catastrophes to help with repairs and cleanup. They also plan days to serve a community when there is no emergency need. During these times, they might paint community centers, clean up historic but neglected cemeteries, gather food for a food bank, or improve a local school.

The Day of Service concept, while often done informally by individual congregations, became a more formal program in the late 1980s. At that time, the Church announced a Day of Service for several different countries, including Argentina and Chile. Mormon leaders in these countries went to their government leaders to find out what work needed to be done. Then Mormons drew on their enthusiastic membership to accomplish the projects. Over time the idea caught on and more areas began holding their own days of service. With every area in the world doing one over the course of one year, it is expected the Mormons will make significant impacts on their communities.

Following are some examples of service days from the past:

On April 25 in 2009, Mormons in the southeast—96 stakes in all—were challenged by Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to do a day of service all on the same day. Each group chose their own projects for the day. One group held a fishing day for special needs children and their families. Another painted an historic house the historical society was renovating. A group weatherized low-income homes and another painted low-income homes. A group installed smoke detectors in homes of people who could not afford them. In Charlotte North Carolina, Mormons worked with the minister of another church to build a habitat for humanity home.

In January of 2009, 450 Mormon teenagers gathered in Philadelphia to participate in a Martin Luther King Day of Service. They assembled craft kits to be given to homeless children and shelters. Prior to beginning their work, they watched a videotaped message from King’s son, thanking them for their participation.

West Africa has held an annual day of service for a number of years. Over time, other churches and agencies have decided to join them, increasing the amount of service that can be completed in the course of the day. In 2010, more than 11,000 people participated in the All Africa Day of Service. When Ashanti region in Ghana asked the community to help an orphanage, the Mormons sent in their day of service teams to clean up the compound. The regional director of social welfare himself showed up to help them.

A Southern California group built an entire park during their day of service while another group nearby stocked a food bank.

Many LDS groups held service days on an anniversary of September 11 in the United States. One group held a back to school project. They gathered school clothes and school supplies for low-income families, and in a unique touch, also provided hair cuts and back to school photographs for the children.

Serving others is a long-standing Mormon tradition, based directly on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to love and serve our neighbors and specified that everyone is our neighbor. Early in church history, Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society, a woman’s organization designed to serve others. Seventy-five years ago, in the heart of the depression, the church organized a unique welfare program, one that was praised by Ronald Reagan and many others as being the ideal way to help those in need. Rather than being critical of the poor and the needy, the church welfare program offers people help as needed.

There are two types of programs. The first is for church members. Although Mormons are counseled to prepare as best they can for emergencies by remaining out of debt, building savings, and putting aside food for hard times, even the most careful planner can unexpectedly find himself in trouble. Extended unemployment, illness, or catastrophe can undo all the careful planning. In times such as this, Mormons are advised to turn to family for help. When that is not possible, or when there is more need than the family can provide, the church steps in.

To fund this effort, Mormons forego all food and drink for twenty-four hours one day a month. They then donate at least the amount of money saved by doing so to a fast offering fund. This fund is used exclusively to care for those in need. The person who finds himself in financial trouble goes to his bishop (similar to a lay pastor), who evaluates the needs and makes sure the person has done all he can to help himself first. The church’s goal is not to sustain the current lifestyle, but to help the person survive until things improve.

This program is only for Mormons in good standing, who have paid tithes and offerings. In other words, they’ve assisted others in the past and are now receiving help for themselves. In exchange for this assistance, which never includes cash, they take on additional church service, such as helping in the church welfare program or cleaning buildings. The work may not be equal to what they receive, depending on their circumstances, but it allows them to retain their dignity but providing something of value for what they are receiving.

Next the person meets with the Relief Society president, a woman, to decide what food might be needed. Members are given a list of items in the storehouse—items are grown, manufactured or purchased by the church, unlike most food banks—and they use this list to plan menus. They order only what they will need for two weeks. The list includes items needed to care for the home or sanitary requirements.

The items are picked up at a storehouse, which resembles a small grocery store. Most people come a little early and volunteer their time for an hour or two before filling their own order.

In addition to immediate help, members are also given training as needed to help them become more self-sufficient. The Mormons teach many classes on practical skills such as job hunting, parenting, money management, self-reliance, food storage, and literacy.

Another aspect of the humanitarian program is non-sectarian. The humanitarian branch of the Mormon church is often found during crises, when the church sends in many thousands of dollars in supplies and equipment to help, often remaining long after the location is out of the news and the first volunteers have gone home. They go into countries in need to provide other services as well, including wheelchairs, vaccinations, neonatal medical training, dental care, eyeglasses and other services. They help farmers in developing nations learn to farm more efficiently. They bring clean water to places that have none.

The call for a year of service has sparked enthusiasm among Mormons, but it is nothing new. It is simply a more focused approach to a tradition of compassionate service called for by the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Watch a video of a Mormon Day of Service that involved planting a community garden with Habitat for Humanity.

When people talk about Mormonism, they often focus in on small things that are not important, aren’t taught currently, aren’t even practiced today. By doing so they miss an opportunity to understand Mormonism as it lives today and even as it was originally taught.

To understand Mormonism, you must focus on core doctrines, those things which are canonized as official doctrine and taught consistently. While church practices sometimes change, truth does not.

There are a few guidelines that can help you evaluate whether or not a teaching is a core doctrine—or even a true doctrine of Mormonism.

First, it is important to understand that every word spoken by a prophet is not necessarily doctrine, particularly in the earliest days of the church. In the beginnings, the church was run much more informally. People talked among themselves and sometimes others took notes and published those conversations or informal speculations of church leaders.

The Journal of Discourses is the usual source for speculations by people of other religions. Journal of Discourses is not an official church publication and is not used as a source of official doctrine. It was compiled by people who took notes of speeches, prayers, sermons, and other events in shorthand and then transcribed them. However, not all the transcriptions were accurate. None were evaluated by or approved by church leaders as being official pronouncements of doctrine. It was privately published in England to provide income for the owner of the journals, although Brigham Young approved the project as a way for European Mormons to find out what was going on in Utah. It was basically the equivalent of a newspaper. Today, the Mormons own Deseret News, but articles that appear in the newspaper are not considered official doctrine, and neither are articles in the Journal of Discourses. With the availability of modern technology, many errors have been officially documented.

Because the church was small, even in General Conference, today a very formal event, people were free to ask questions. Because Mormonism focuses on continuing revelation and learning “line upon line” much of the doctrine was not yet known. Therefore, leaders sometimes speculated about possible answers. These speculations did not become doctrine unless Brigham Young or other prophets prayed and received confirmation of the truthfulness of the doctrine. Otherwise, it was just personal opinion and even a prophet is allowed to have an opinion.

So how does one know if something is an official doctrine? Both official Mormon websites, Mormon.org (intended for people who are not LDS) and LDS.org (aimed more toward Mormons but open to anyone) contain official statements of doctrine. Look for official announcements there.

It is important to remember that not all doctrine is given equal weight or importance in Mormonism. It is also important to remember that in a church that does not refuse to allow God to continue to speak and to lead, doctrine is given in increasing steps, what Mormons call learning line upon line. This means Mormons have, over the years, been given doctrine suitable just for one time period or doctrine that might be considered beginner doctrine. As the church membership grew and people became more informed about the gospel, God gradually added to their knowledge. An easy way to understand how this works is to read the lesson manuals written for children. Although the same subject might be covered in each age group, older children are given more complex information because they are ready for it. Mormons are taught by God in increasingly sophisticated stages.

Joseph Smith outlined thirteen Articles of Faith that explained the core beliefs of Mormonism at that time. These are still taught and even memorized by children. Reading them can help earnest students of Mormonism, those determined to learn only what is true about Mormons, to recognize core doctrine. The first Article of Faith is the very core of Mormonism:

“We believe in God the eternal Father, in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

This creates a foundation on which all other doctrines are based. The first Article of Faith makes possible the fourth, which succinctly summarizes the core of Mormonism:

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Faith in Jesus Christ is critical to the mission and doctrine of Mormon beliefs. Repentance, the second portion of this article of faith, refers to Mormon belief in the atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of both grace and repentance in the process of living a Christian lifestyle. Baptism, performed after the manner in which Jesus was baptized, allows people to be forgiven of their sins and is a result of grace, which came to us through the atonement. The Holy Ghost was a gift Jesus Himself promised to send to His followers once He was gone.

Another principle of Mormonism is that of continuing revelation. Nowhere does the Bible state that once Jesus died, God would no longer be willing to communicate with His children or to send them prophets. While the apostles lived, they received revelation and guidance from God and functioned as apostles, seers, and revelators. Once they died, God did withdraw for a time, an event known as an apostasy. It is not that God is not willing to have prophets on the earth at any given time, but mortals are not always willing to accept and honor prophets. When this happens, they are the ones who remove the gift of prophecy from the earth. This happened frequently throughout the Bible and happened for the longest period of time after the apostles died.

However, the Bible assures us that God will do nothing except through his prophets. (See Amos 3:7.) This means that in order to prepare us for the return of Jesus Christ, another core doctrine of Mormonism, God must restore prophets to the earth. He did this when He chose Joseph Smith as His first prophet in the last days. Today, the Church is led by Thomas S. Monson, the Mormon prophet.

There is no question as to the need for a prophet in today’s world. A short drive around most towns will show a large number of churches, all with conflicting doctrine. Clearly, original doctrine has been corrupted over time—this process started even during the New Testament times, leaving the apostles to regularly fight to overcome misunderstandings in doctrine. Without a prophet, no man can do any more than just guess at what God wants of us today or of what specific doctrines mean. Modern-day revelation is key to giving people a fair chance to prepare for the Second Coming.

Another core doctrine of Mormonism is family life. Mormon beliefs include strong teachings on the sacredness of the family unit. Families were planned by God to help Him further His work on earth and are one reason we came to earth. Mormons teach that God’s plan for families today are that families consist of one mother and one father and are meant to last forever. Mormons can be married in a Mormon temple and have their marriages “sealed” for time and all eternity. This means they do not get a divorce at death, but continue the marriage forever if they live worthy of God’s greatest blessings. In addition, parents and children are joined together forever, something most people instinctively understand, even if they say they don’t believe it. Listening to comments at a funeral often reveal a deep belief in eternal families. (“Mom and Dad are together again.”)

Central to Mormon doctrine is the Plan of Salvation. It is the story of our eternal life and unifies the most important teachings of the Mormons.

Our stories began when God created our spirits. We lived with Him as spirits for a very long time, learning truth, learning to love God, and deciding what kind of person we wanted to be. Eventually, as is the case with children living at home, we could progress no further without leaving home and going out “into the world, one God and Jesus would prepare for us. He explained that when we went there we would lose our memory of our time with Him because this journey was about faith. However, we would gain bodies and families and the Spirit of Christ would go with us to help us recognize truth if we wanted to find it.

During our time here we would face trials—different trials for each person—and we could choose our responses to them. Agency was, in fact, key to the experience. Our choices would, as Mormon prophet Thomas Monson likes to say, determine our destiny. However, we could not choose the consequences of those actions.

God knew we would all sin, and He wanted to make it possible for us to return to Him even when we did sin. He loves us and wants us all to make it back home. For this reason, He promised to send a Savior who would live on earth for a time, teach the gospel, and take our sins on Himself, saving us through grace. This grace would allow us to rise from the dead, repent, and make it back to God if we kept the commandments. Grace cannot be bought—we do not have, in ourselves, the power to bring about resurrection or forgiveness. However, the Bible is very clear that only those who keep the commandments and who repent of sins will be allowed to return to God.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The Bible warns us that faith without works is dead. If you say you believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saying only words unless obedience follows the words.

Some were unwilling to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, preferring Satan’s unscriptural promise to save people without any risk of any kind. That meant we would also have no agency. We would simply be puppets of Satan and this would render life meaningless. One-third of the spirits chose to follow Satan and were denied the chance to come to earth. All those who were willing to make a commitment to Jesus were allowed to be born.

Life here on earth is not easy, but it is designed to allow us to have opportunities for growth. It allows us to seek out and find truth if at all possible.

But of course, it is not possible for everyone. Some people live their entire lives never having heard of Jesus Christ—some because they lived before He was born and some because the gospel simply never reached them. Over the centuries, theologians have debated what happens to those people. Would God unfairly punish them for something out of their control?

No, of course not. God is loving and fair and He sent us here. This means He will give everyone a fair chance to accept or reject His gospel. Those who die without being given that opportunity will receive it after their death—not a second chance, but a first chance, the only way a loving God would choose to do it. They can, just as we can, accept or reject Jesus Christ’s teachings and accept the blessings and consequences of their choice.

The Plan of Salvation is a kind, loving, and brilliant plan by our Heavenly Father, designed to give us an opportunity to become everything He intended us to become.

As you continue to study official church websites, take note of what Mormons are being currently taught in their classes. The lesson manuals are all openly online. Those teachings are the core. Mormons are impacted only by core doctrines—those taught by current prophets that affect our eternal salvation.

Brigham Young University, also called BYU, is a university in Provo, Utah. It is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are also known as Mormons.

BYU Honor Code helps students live a Christ-like life.

Although a student does not have to be Mormon to attend BYU, most students are LDS (Mormon.) Any student, whether or not they are Mormon, must sign the honor code and then live what it says. For BYU, unlike some universities, the honor code is not a PR tool or a suggestion, but a serious way of life. Students know about the honor code before agreeing to come to the university and they have given their word to live it. Not doing so results in suspension. The university puts this code above all other considerations and will enforce it even when the person who violates it is the star of a sports team. Some newspapers have noted that most schools who suspend a student for violating an honor code or even for breaking a law will do so during exhibition games or some other time that won’t hurt the team. BYU has gained attention several times for removing a student permanently from the team at great risk to their own success in the world of sports. (more…)

Recently, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, spoke to Mormon teachers and leaders at the Church Educational System fireside about teaching as a Christ-like activity. President Uchtdorf is the second counselor to the Mormon prophet.

President Uchtdorf said, “The call to teach is an opportunity to follow Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher.” He offered five suggestions to help teachers educate students spiritually in a manner that is pleasing to our Savior, Jesus Christ:

1. Center our teachings on Jesus Christ in order to help our students center their lives on Jesus Christ and grow in their love for Him.
2. Teach truth. He instructed teachers to not be afraid of the truth. Teach it with courage and teach it so clearly it won’t be misunderstood. Focus on the core doctrine.
3. Teach by the Spirit. The Holy Ghost has the power to testify to listeners of the truthfulness of what is being taught. He also knows what the students need to hear. When a teacher is guided by the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) he will have a better chance of reaching a student’s heart and mind.
4. Teach from the heart. Students are influenced best when the teacher is sincere and has a testimony of what she is teaching.
5. Testify. Mormons sometimes say that if we fail to share our testimony of the truthfulness of what we are teaching, we leave the students without the main thing they came for. It is important, after offering information, to be certain students know the doctrine is true and that you believe it. (more…)

Grief is part of the human experience. Opposition is necessary for growth, according to the Mormon view of our mortal experience, revealed by the Lord through modern prophets. It can, however, be lifted through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that the Savior, Jesus Christ, not only died to pay for our sins but also to take upon Himself our sorrow, grief, and infirmities (Alma 7:11–12).

Patricia Pinegar, former President of the Primary, or children’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ (errantly referred to by the media as the Mormon Church), speaks of her own encounter with grief and the Savior’s intercession:

The difficult experience of my son’s death helped me identify and rejoice in the blessings of peace, hope, and direction—blessings that all who truly accept and live the gospel of Jesus Christ may enjoy. I can bear witness to the words of Elder Richard G. Scott: “Please learn that as you wrestle with a challenge and feel sadness because of it, you can simultaneously have peace and rejoicing” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 20; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17). (“Peace, Hope and Direction,” Ensign, Nov. 1999).

Jesus Christ Himself was a man of sorrow and grief, yet He must have had the supreme joy of knowing He was in tune with His Father and solace in that unique relationship with Him. We, too, can find that peace and assurance that we are not abandoned when death of a loved one strikes or when someone’s agency tragically colludes with the plans for our own life.

Elder Bateman, a contemporary Mormon leader, speaks as well to the healing balm that can come when we ask the Lord for that special soul salve that only He can truly provide:

Death teaches that we do not experience a fulness of joy in mortality and that everlasting joy can be achieved only with the assistance of the Master (see D&C 93:33–34). Just as the lame man at the pool of Bethesda needed someone stronger than himself to be healed (see John 5:1–9), so we are dependent on the miracles of Christ’s atonement if our souls are to be made whole from grief, sorrow, and sin…. Through Christ, broken hearts are mended and peace replaces anxiety and sorrow.

Grief isn’t always caused by death or sickness.  There are as many life burdens as there are blessings. Of the lesser-visible crosses, modern apostle of the Lord’s re-established Church (Church of Jesus Christ, “Mormon Church”), Marvin J. Ashton remarks:

One type of cross is that of violated trust by a parent, a family member, a teacher, a bishop, a member of the stake presidency, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a co-worker, or a classmate.

Another cross that isn’t always visible but that on occasion can be very heavy and worrisome is the lack of self-respect—a feeling of unwillingness to accept oneself. Can you find it in your heart to once in a while compliment yourself on your behavior? Or do you think poorly of yourself no matter what you do? Having feelings like these can be a heavy cross to bear. Such a cross may slow down your eternal progression. (“Carry Your Cross,” Liahona, Sep. 1988.)

My own crosses have taught me, more than anything, about who Jesus Christ really is and who I really am.  Regardless of their source, there is solace to be found through drawing near to the Lord, who descended below all of the things we endure, so He could lift us up out of them. I testify that Jesus Christ’s power is real, that His knowledge of our struggles is intimate, and that His ability to help us is unparalleled.  If you would like to know more about how to access His power, please visit www.mormon.org or chat with the missionaries.

On February 4, Dallin H. Oaks, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former state Supreme Court justice spoke at Chapman University School of Law on religious freedom and it’s constitutional history and importance. The Mormon apostle focused on why the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom is important to the future of the United States and on the dangers of religious relativism.

The speech, which received a standing ovation, focused on four main points, that were summarized in this way near the end of his talk:

1. Religious teachings and religious organizations are valuable and important to our free society and therefore deserving of their special protection.
2. Religious freedom undergirds the origin and existence of this country and is the dominating civil liberty.
3. The guarantee of free exercise of religion is weakening in its effects and in public esteem.
4. This weakening is attributable to the ascendancy of moral relativism. 

Elder Oaks reminded listeners that religious freedom was a founding principle of the new nation and that religion has had a powerful and positive influence on the good changes to our nation.

The earliest documents of the country mention God and religion openly, without fear of censorship. The Declaration of Independence warned the king that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…”  This statement suggests that the founding fathers understood that human rights are derived from God and religious sources, not the secular desires of humans. Many of these unalienable rights, which had their foundations in religious freedom, found their way into the legal system. Elder Oaks reminds us that the Constitution itself has a foundation in religion. “Its formation over 200 years ago was made possible by religious principles of human worth and dignity, and only those principles in the hearts of a majority of our diverse populations can sustain that Constitution today. (more…)

Did you know that almost a billion people don’t have access to clean water? This extremely serious problem leads to dangerous health conditions for the people in the affected areas. Since 2002, the Mormons have been reduced the number of people without access to clean water by about seven million through clean water projects in 5,000 communities. Bringing in clean water reduces the threat of cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid. Depending on the needs of the area, the projects include digging wells, creating water storage, building delivery systems, or developing ways to purify existing water.

One way the church’s programs differ from many others is that one goal is self-sufficiency. Some charities go into an area, create projects, and do all the work themselves. Then they have to stay forever to keep it running. The Mormons know that if they can get a project running and then leave, they can do far more work and they can also create self-sufficiency and personal pride. (more…)

Mormon beliefs sometimes get confused with the beliefs and practices of other religions. One such belief concerns the celebration of Christmas. Mormons tend to be very passionate Christmas celebrators, with many Mormon congregations hosting nativity festivals or free sing-alongs of Handel’s Messiah each year.

While Santa makes an appearance in some Mormon homes, the focus is always on the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is considered a sacred holiday and Mormon families are encouraged to simplify the secular portions of it in order to make more room for the spiritual elements of the Christmas celebration.

Mormons believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and celebrate His birth as a pivotal moment in eternal life. The Book of Mormon, which Mormons consider a companion book to the Bible, says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26.) (more…)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, released Book 2 of their administrative handbook to the leaders of the Church and also placed it online for the general public to view, a move that is rare in the religious word. This particular handbook is generally given only to leaders at various levels of the Church. Handbook 1 is only for bishops and stake presidents (Bishops are similar to pastors and stake presidents are similar to the bishop of a Catholic diocese).

The Mormons are a lay church and ordinary members are assigned specific roles to play, usually without in-depth training. As a result, the handbook helps them learn their responsibilities and the rules they are to follow. The handbook also outlines selected policies and teachings of Mormon beliefs. (more…)

From time to time an old Mormon “prophecy” known as the White Horse Prophecy, surfaces. Despite the fact that Mormon leaders have denounced it as not having been issued by Joseph Smith, some members and non-members continue to circulate it, sometimes trying to apply it to a specific political leader or commentator.

The legend is that Joseph Smith uses a horse analogy, with different colors or shades of horses representing various groups of people. The white horse, naturally, was assigned the role of the good people. In the prophecy the White Horse, often defined as the priesthood or a specific priesthood holder, would rush in to save the United States from attack or to save the Constitution. The White Horse is said to establish a safe haven in the far west where Mormons will be able to go to escape war and destruction. The Mormons in this sanctuary will be wealthy while the rest of the nation disintegrates. This destruction will be caused by an attack led by a Russian czar.

The problems associated with this reported prophecy are many. The revelation does not follow the pattern of LDS revelation. “I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that if you understand the Church articles and covenants, if you will read the scriptures and will become familiar with those things which are recorded in the Revelations from the Lord, it will not be necessary for you to ask any questions in regards to the authenticity or otherwise of any purported revelation, vision, or manifestation that proceeds out of darkness, concocted in some corner, surreptitiously  presented, and not coming through the proper channels of the Church.” (Joseph Fielding Smith in the 1918 General Conference.)

In other words, revelations aren’t given the way this one was. Our first record of this revelation comes not from Joseph Smith, but from Edward Rushton, who joined the Mormon Church when he was seventeen years old. His record of the “revelation” claims he heard it when he was just eighteen years old. However, the document in which Rushton records it appears to have been written by an elderly man with an unsteady hand. In addition, someone else appears to have edited it and added and changed a great deal of what was in it. It is the revision that was circulated, the earliest found being from 1902 and recorded in someone’s diary.

The prophecy was said to have been given to this young man and Theodore Turley, but never given publicly or to anyone else. Joseph Fielding Smith, in his statement, reminded Mormons this is not how revelation is given. It’s never given to a few people and then kept secret. Mormons have a book, called Doctrine and Covenants, which contains records of all official revelations. They are always made public to the entire church, and thereby to the entire world. There would have been no purpose in having Joseph receive the revelation and then not making it officially know. Revelation is not for entertainment purposes; it is to help us make wise choices in our lives.

The paper published by BYU Studies is from Donald L. Penrod, who first researched this topic as part of a dissertation. He recently returned to it to discover the original record by Rushton, as well as the edited copy, had now been donated to the Mormons. He studied both carefully to evaluate their truthfulness.

The paper records a number of interesting findings which demonstrate the story was invented around 1890 or later. He suspects Rushton, as an elderly man, was pressured to write a story he may have told to show a special friendship between himself and the first Mormon prophet.

However, Rushton is not mentioned in Joseph Smith’s diary of appointments for that day and it is not mentioned in any other records for that day. In addition there is no mention of a meeting two weeks later, when the document claims the prophecy was repeated.

Penrod found numerous problems with the document that demonstrated the “prophecy” could not have been made at the time it was supposed to have been made. For instance, the document refers to blacks fearing re-enslavement. If the prophecy had been given during Joseph Smith’s lifetime, it would have first had to mention the slaves would someday be freed, since they hadn’t yet been. In addition, the document mentions England and France in a deep hatred of each other, which was not true at that time and no war in that century matches the one described in the document—France and England against Russia. The word Jap, used in the “prophecy” was not in usage in the United States until much later. Joseph Smith disliked the term Mormons to describe members of the Church, since it was devised by their enemies and did not accurately describe the faith. He used the word “saints” instead, and so it is unlikely he would have used the term Mormon in an official prophecy. He also never used the term “Heathen Chinese” which is used in the document.

In January, 2010, the Mormons issued a formal denouncement of the White Horse Prophecy. It states, “”The so-called ‘White Horse Prophecy’ is based on accounts that have not been substantiated by historical research and is not embraced as Church doctrine.”

This statement was issued in connection with a reminder of political neutrality, since people frequently misuse the false doctrine to promote a certain candidate, platform, or party. This statement reminds people, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is politically neutral and does not endorse or promote any candidate, party or platform. Accordingly, we hope that the campaign practices of political candidates would not suggest that their candidacy is supported by or connected to the church.”

It is believed the so-called prophecy was made up of fragments of things Joseph Smith might have said, taken out of context, and then mingled with the ideas of another, who was a teenager at the time the prophecy was supposed to have been issued. Research clearly demonstrates it is unlikely to be true and because it came about in an inappropriate manner—issued by someone with no authority—it cannot be true. It is nothing more than mere gossip and should be disregarded by those seeking to understand Mormon beliefs.

Read the article on the White Horse Prophecy research and see the original documents.