Mormon theology is followed by various Christian groups, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They accept the Book of Mormon as scripture, reject the doctrine of the Trinity, and have different beliefs about the afterlife. Mormons believe in good works for salvation and have three heavenly realms, with the Celestial Kingdom being the highest. Some Mormon groups have slightly different views, such as Mormon fundamentalists who believe in polygamy.
Mormon theology is the creed of a number of Christian groups, most notably The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), but also includes some other splinter groups that identify as Mormons. While Mormon theology shares many common beliefs with traditional Christian theology, it differs in several key ways. Specifically, Mormons accept the Book of Mormon and some other documents as scripture, reject the doctrine of the Trinity, and have different beliefs about the afterlife.
Most Mormons belong to the Mormon Church, which follows the teachings of its founder, Joseph Smith, and a continuing succession of prophets. Mormons believe that Smith received the Book of Mormon as a revelation from God. The Book of Mormon teaches that traditional Christians were part of a great apostasy, in which truths about God and God’s will were lost. They believe that the “restored gospel” of Mormonism is the corrected and expanded form of correct Christian doctrine. The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, as well as the Old and New Testaments, are all considered scripture in the Mormon Church.
According to Mormon theology, both God and Jesus have physical bodies, but the Holy Spirit does not. This differs from the view of the Trinity held by most other Christian groups, in that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are described as three separate beings, rather than three beings in one. God is believed to be the literal, physical father of Jesus and the “spiritual father” of all mankind.
Like most other Christians, Mormons believe that people can be saved from their sins through Jesus Christ. According to Mormon theology, however, salvation is the result of good works, such as baptism and following church teachings, rather than solely by grace. A person who is saved through Jesus will, after death, go to one of the three heavenly realms.
The Celestial Kingdom is the highest of these and is reserved for those who followed the ordinances and covenants of the church during their lifetime, or who had someone else perform the ordinances vicariously after death. In this state of “exultation,” a person has a physical body, remains united with his family, and has the opportunity to become the god of his planet. The other two realms, the terrestrial and the telestial, contain those who are saved, but not “exalted.” Some, called the “sons of perdition,” are sent into “outer darkness.”
Other groups that define themselves as Mormons, but are not part of the Mormon Church, may also have slightly different theological views. Mormon fundamentalists, for example, believe that polygamy, or “plural marriage,” is essential to entering the celestial kingdom. The Mormon Church, however, eliminated the practice of polygamy in 1890.
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