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what are latter day saints

Latter-day Saints are members of a modern Christian-origin religious movement that believes Jesus Christ leads His church today through living prophets and continuing revelation.

Who “Latter-day Saints” Are

  • The term usually refers to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , often informally called “Mormons.”
  • “Latter-day” means they see themselves as Christians living in the latter days before Christ’s Second Coming, restored after an ancient, original church from New Testament times.

Core Beliefs in Simple Terms

  • They believe in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, and worship Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer.
  • Key principles of the faith include: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost through laying on of hands.

How Their Faith Is Lived

  • Members are encouraged to pray daily, study scripture (including the Bible and the Book of Mormon), attend weekly worship services, and try to follow Christ’s teachings in everyday life.
  • They place strong emphasis on family life, service to others, and moral standards such as honesty, chastity before marriage, and fidelity within marriage.

Distinctive Practices

  • Latter-day Saints follow a health code that discourages alcohol, tobacco, and some drinks like coffee and tea, and encourages overall healthy living.
  • Many young adults serve full-time missions, sharing their beliefs around the world as a central part of their church culture.

How Others See Them

  • They share many beliefs with other Christian groups but also have unique doctrines (for example, about modern prophets and additional scripture), so some other Christians view them as outside traditional “Nicene Creed” Christianity.
  • Public and forum discussions often focus on both their close-knit community and their distinct beliefs and lifestyle, which keeps “what are Latter-day Saints” a recurring trending topic in religion-related conversations online.

TL;DR: Latter-day Saints are Christians who believe Christ restored His church through modern prophets, follow additional scripture like the Book of Mormon, emphasize family and moral living, and see themselves as disciples of Jesus in the “latter days.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.