Understanding Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Moonies: Beliefs and Practices

Mormons

Official Name

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Founder

Joseph Smith

Origin

New York, USA, 1830

Followers

Approximately 11 million worldwide, with 5 million in the USA

Interesting Facts

• The founder, Joseph Smith, was lynched by a mob and accused of heresy and polygamy.
• Until 1978, black individuals were not permitted in the hierarchy.
• According to their beliefs, the advent of faith in America occurred in Chile thousands of years ago.

Beliefs

• They do not believe in the Holy Trinity or that Christ is God incarnate.
• They consider the Bible secondary to the Book of Mormon, which they view as a kind of Third Testament.
• The Book of Mormon, revealed to Joseph Smith, contains the history of the children of Nephi, a Hebrew believed to have been sent by God to bring faith to America centuries before Columbus.
• An angel allegedly revealed to Smith the hiding place of these new scriptures, engraved on gold plates, and helped him translate them into English. These plates subsequently disappeared.

Practices

They possess significant financial resources and invest heavily in indoctrination through Elder missionaries, who are sent for two years full-time to seek new recruits. They construct identical temples worldwide and use various methods to attract young people. They do not reveal their true beliefs and practices all at once, but rather through a gradual process.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Official Name

Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Society)

Founder

Charles Taze Russell

Origin

Pennsylvania, USA, 1872

Followers

Slightly more than 6 million

Interesting Facts

• They reject all forms of worldly power (government, politics, etc.).
• They oppose blood transfusions and the consumption of certain foods.
• They anticipate the second coming of Christ, accompanied by the end of the world, which its founder predicted several times.

Beliefs

• They use only the Bible, which was translated by their founder. This translation altered all texts that supported the belief in the Trinity.
• For Jehovah's Witnesses, Christ is not God incarnate.
• They interpret some Old Testament laws literally, such as the prohibition of contact with blood.

Practices

In addition to the aforementioned practices, they insist that their members do not participate in any worldly celebrations, such as national holidays, New Year's, or birthdays. They are opposed to military service and other civic activities.

Moonies

Official Name

Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity

Common Name

Moonies

Founder

Sun Myung Moon

Origin

South Korea, 1954

Followers

Approximately 200,000

Interesting Facts

• The founder, along with his late wife, are considered the new Adam and Eve of humanity and the Messiah.
• The founder was imprisoned in 1984 for tax evasion.
• Initially, they were openly anti-Communist.
• The most striking aspect of this group is its mass weddings.