The doctrines of Mormonism began with the farmboy Joseph Smith in the 1820s in western New York during a period of religious excitement known as the Second Great Awakening. After praying about which denomination he should join, Smith said he received a vision in the spring of 1820.

Who founded the Mormon church and why?

Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of Christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, Joseph Smith. They primarily belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has more than 16 million members worldwide.

What is the goal of Mormonism?

Gaining a physical body, they practice actively choosing between good and evil (the Articles of Faith reject the concept of original sin) and gain new levels of knowledge that will allow them to become like God, the ultimate goal of Mormon spiritual development.