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what do latter day saints believe

Latter-day Saints (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) are Christians who center their faith on Jesus Christ as Savior and Son of God, and believe His atoning death and resurrection make it possible for humanity to be forgiven of sin and live with God again. They see themselves as part of Christ’s restored church with additional scripture and modern prophets alongside the Bible.

Core beliefs in Jesus Christ

  • Jesus Christ is believed to be the divine Son of a loving Heavenly Father and the Savior of the world.
  • His Atonement (suffering, death, and resurrection) is seen as the only way for people to be cleansed from sin and reconciled to God.
  • Faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are viewed as foundational principles of the gospel.

God, the Godhead, and revelation

  • Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three distinct beings united in purpose and will (often called the “Godhead,” rather than a traditional Trinity of one substance).
  • They teach that God has a plan for His children to grow, learn, and eventually return to live with Him, becoming “joint-heirs with Christ.”
  • They believe God continues to speak through living prophets and apostles today, and that inspired teachings can be regarded as modern scripture when moved upon by the Holy Ghost.

Scripture and restoration

  • In addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints accept the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price as scripture.
  • They believe that Christ’s original New Testament church was lost or altered over time and that it has been restored in modern days through the prophet Joseph Smith.
  • A brief summary of early LDS doctrine is found in the “Articles of Faith,” which outline core ideas like faith, repentance, ordinances, and spiritual gifts.

Salvation, afterlife, and eternal families

  • Salvation is understood as both being resurrected (given immortality) and being spiritually saved through Christ’s grace, conditioned on faith, repentance, covenants, and enduring discipleship.
  • They believe death is a temporary separation of body and spirit, with spirits going to conditions of peace or suffering while awaiting a final resurrection and judgment.
  • A key belief is that family relationships can continue after death through temple ordinances, allowing families to be “sealed” together eternally.

Everyday practice and community life

  • Latter-day Saints emphasize personal prayer, scripture study, weekly worship, and partaking of the sacrament (communion) as ways to remember Christ and renew covenants.
  • They stress moral living, service to others, and trying to become more Christlike, often quoting the idea that “true doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.”
  • Church life includes lay (unpaid) leadership, missionary work, and strong emphasis on family, youth programs, and community support.

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