The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God, born of Mary, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared again to his disciples, and now resides, authoritatively, on the right hand side of God. In brief, some beliefs are in common with Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. However, LDS Church teachings differ significantly in other ways and encompass a broad set of doctrines, so that the above-mentioned denominations usually place the church outside the bounds of orthodox Christian teaching as summarized in the Nicene Creed.

The church's core beliefs, circa 1842, are summarized in the "Articles of Faith", and its four primary principles are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin, and the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Ritual and doctrine

Apostasy and restoration

In common with other Restorationist churches, the LDS Church teaches that a Great Apostasy occurred. It teaches that after the death of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, the priesthood authority was lost and some important doctrinal teachings, including the text of the Bible, were changed from their original form, thus necessitating a restoration prior to the Second Coming. That restoration, according to church doctrine, began during the life of Joseph Smith.

According to church theology, the restoration began through a series of visions and revelations, including Smith's First Vision in 1820, visits by various angelic messengers including Moroni from whom he received "the everlasting gospel", John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah, and the apostles Peter, James and John. Both Smith and Oliver Cowdery testified that these last messengers came to them while they were together and conferred upon them the priesthood authority with its various "keys", so that mankind again possessed the "fullness of the Gospel" with authority to administer in the ordinances thereof.See Pearl of Great Price, Salt Lake City, 1981 footnote pp. 58–59. The restoration also included the re-establishment of the Church of Christ on April 6, 1830. The LDS Church teaches that it is the successor of this Church of Christ and that the current President of the Church is Smith's modern successor.

Sacred texts

The church's canon of sacred texts consists of the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These are more commonly referred to as the church's standard works. Though not canonical, many members of the church also accept the teachings and pronouncements of the church's general authorities—and in particular those of the President of the Church—as doctrine, and complementing the standard works.

The church accepts the Holy Bible as the word of God "as far as it is translated correctly".See "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." The LDS Church uses the Authorized King James Version (KJV) for its English-speaking members and other translations to accommodate alternative languages. Smith did work on his own translation, but it is only used in conjunction with the KJV. Extracts of his translation can be found in the Pearl of Great Price, called the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith–Matthew. For English-language speakers, the church encourages the use of the King James Version,. and the church publishes an edition of the KJV. The church regards parts of the Apocrypha, the writings of some Protestant Reformers and non-Christian religious leaders, and the non-religious writings of some philosophers to be inspired, though not canonical.

The church's most distinctive scripture, the Book of Mormon, was published by founder Joseph Smith in 1830. It is believed to be "another testament of Jesus Christ" and bears that subtitle as of 1982.See the title page of the Book of Mormon Smith stated that, under divine direction, he translated the Book of Mormon from metal plates having "the appearance of gold" found buried near his home. Eight men signed a statement as witnesses that Smith possessed the plates and that they had seen them.See Testimony of the Eight Witnesses, printed in the front portion of the Book of Mormon. , the full text of the Book of Mormon had been translated and published in 77 languages, and selections in an additional 28 for a total of 105 languages.2008 Church Almanac, Deseret Morning News, Salt Lake City pg. 656 The introduction printed with the book says that it is a history of people who were among the ancestors of the "American Indian" peoples.

The church's Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations, declarations, and teachings, primarily written by Smith. The Pearl of Great Price consists of five separate books, including two portions of Smith's translation of the Bible. These five books are Selections from the Book of Moses (corresponding to a portion of the Old Testament), the Book of Abraham (Smith's translation of an Egyptian papyrus, which includes an account of the creation), Joseph Smith–Matthew (corresponding to a section of the New Testament), Joseph Smith–History (an excerpt from Smith's 1838 autobiographical writings), and the Articles of Faith (an excerpt of one of Smith's 1842 letters describing church beliefs).

God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost

In LDS Church teachings, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are referred to as the "Godhead".For a different view on the term Godhead, see Godhead (Christian). According to LDS scripture, the Godhead has the following attributes: They are three separate and distinct beings.. They are collectively "one God", meaning that they are united in spirit, mind, and purpose.Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings", p. 311, 372 According to LDS theology, Jesus is "one" with the Father in the same way as he asked his disciples to be "one" with him and each other. Jesus and the Father have physical "bodies of flesh and bone", while the Holy Spirit does not, though the Holy Spirit has a "spirit body". God the Father is understood to be the literal father of the spirits of humanity,. See also, , , as well as the literal father of both the spirit and physical body of Jesus.

The church's view of the Godhead breaks with Nicene Creed tradition and believes it returns to the teachings taught by Jesus. It does not accept the creed's definition of Trinity that the three are "consubstantial" nor the Athanasian Creed'sCatholic Encyclopedia (1913): The Athanasian Creed statement that they are "incomprehensible", arguing that the LDS view is self-evident in the Bible that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons—three divine beings as illustrated in Jesus' farewell prayer, his baptism at the hands of John, his transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen.

In addition to the Godhead, LDS theology recognizes at least the possibility of other divine entities; however, these other "gods" and "goddesses" are not considered to be objects of worship, and have no direct relevance to salvation. Official church materials refer to Heavenly Parents, and a Heavenly Mother. Belief in such a figure is common among members, and she has been mentioned in meetings by church officialsSee, e.g., . and alluded to in two of the hymns of the church.See, e.g., Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985), #292 "O My Father"; #286 Oh, What Songs of the Heart. However, very little on the subject of a Heavenly Mother has been taught by the church.

God the Father

God the Father is understood to be the literal Father of the spirits of all mankind., He is also understood to be the father of Jesus' spirit body and his physical body. On the morning that Jesus was resurrected, Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."

LDS Church president Lorenzo Snow expressed the nature of the Father in his couplet, "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be", which differs significantly from the traditional Christian idea of theosis. Exaltation is a belief among members of the LDS Church that mankind, as spirit children of their Father in heaven, can become like him.

Jesus Christ

The church follows what it understands to be the teachings of Jesus, both in the Bible and in other scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon. According to that book, Jesus Christ is "the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary." As the Creator, he is at times referred to as the father of heaven and earth. This is one sense in which he shares the title "Father" with God the Father. The church also teaches that Jesus is the LORD Jehovah of the Old Testament, and the Holy One of Israel. Early leaders taught that Jesus had multiple wives Quote reproduced at byui.edu. and children during his mortal ministry in promotion of Mormon polygamy, but this is no longer a widely held belief or teaching in the church.

The church teaches that those who accept Christ and are baptized are symbolically born again and become the children of Christ. It additionally states that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Christ's divinity enabled him to take upon himself the penalty for sin and to endure the consequential suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross that paid for the sins of humanity since the Fall of Adam and Eve. This Atonement is also believed to cover not only sin, but all pain, suffering, heartache, or hardship experienced in this life. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus' status as the son of a mortal woman gave him the ability to suffer temptation and experience physical death; while his status as the Son of God gave him the power to lay down and take up his life again at will. The church also believes in the physical resurrection of Jesus' body.; Because of its emphasis on Jesus' resurrection and his status as the living head of the church, the church does not use the symbol of the Christian cross except on the uniforms of military chaplains. Instead, the church tends to focus on the belief that Jesus overcame suffering and death and that he lives today.

Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is regarded as "a being endowed with the attributes and powers of Deity and not a mere force or essence." He testifies of the Father and the Son. "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." The Holy Ghost can sanctify people enabling them "to put off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord". The Holy Ghost is the comforter that Jesus promised to send: "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."

Plan of salvation