Mormon Beliefs and Attitudes on Immigration
A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.
Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.
In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion on the subject. Mormon views closely mirror these statistics. 45 percent of Mormons also believe immigrants strengthen the nation, although a smaller number, 41 percent, consider them a burden on society. The number of Mormons who accept both or neither or who have no opinion is higher, at 14 percent.
These numbers put them at odds with evangelical Christians, one of the few political areas in which they disagree. Within the white evangelical population, 59 percent believe immigrants are a burden, and 27 percent believe they strengthen the country. Like Mormons, 14 percent answered both, neither, or no opinion. (more…)
Mormons use the King James translation of the Bible in English-speaking congregations and other translations for other languages. They use both the Old and New Testaments and in a four-year rotation of scripture study in formal classes, the Bible receives two of these years. Adults study the Bible for two years in Sunday School. Teens also study it for two years in Sunday School, but in addition, they study the Bible for two years in a class called Seminary. This is an academic and spiritual class taught five days a week during the school year and is an in-depth study. College students and some adults have a similar college-level study in a program called Institute of Religion. Older children ages eight and up study the Bible for two years and younger children study it every other year. Of course, families and individuals also conduct personal and family study of the Bible.
The term comes from the Book of Mormon, a book of scripture Mormons use along with the Bible. It does not replace the Bible and is, in fact, a book that testifies of the Bible’s truthfulness and of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Mormons study the Bible two out of every four years. The Book of Mormon is studied only one year, with the fourth year covering church history and modern revelation.
Have you ever studied sonnets or tried to write one? They have a strict set of rules that have to be followed, and yet there are millions of completely individual sonnets in existence. This is because the form only sets the pattern for the sonnet. The content can be played out in as many different ways as there are writers. While Mormons have a strict framework, that framework leaves open so many variations there is no duplication. If you visit the 
In this article we’re talking about Mormon worship in church. Every Sunday, Mormons gather for three hours at their chapel. You may have heard about Mormons and their temples. However, these temples are not used for regular worship and are not even open on Sundays. On Sundays, Mormons head for a chapel, found in neighborhoods all over the world. These are open to the public and visitors are welcome.