Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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| Classification |
Christian Latter Day Saint movement |
|---|---|
| Theology | |
| Governance | Hierarchical |
| Leader | Thomas S. Monson |
| Region | 176 nations / territories |
| Founder | Joseph Smith |
| Origin | April 6, 1830 Fayette, New York, United States |
| Separations | LDS denominations |
| Congregations | 30,016 |
| Members | 15,634,199 |
| Missionaries | 74,079 |
| Aid organization | LDS Humanitarian Services |
| Tertiary institutions | 4 |
| Other name(s) |
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| Official website | www |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church or, informally, the Mormon Church) is a Christian restorationist church that is considered by its followers to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 74,000 missionaries and a membership of over 15 million. It is ranked by the National Council of Churches as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Adherents, often referred to as "Latter-day Saints", or, less formally, "Mormons", view faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement as fundamental principles of their religion. LDS theology includes the Christian doctrine of salvation only through Jesus Christ, though LDS doctrines regarding the nature of God and the potential of mankind differ significantly from mainstream Christianity. The church has an open canon which includes four scriptural texts: the Bible (both Old and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Other than the Bible, the majority of the LDS canon constitutes revelation spoken by Joseph Smith and recorded by his scribes which includes commentary and exegesis about the Bible, texts described as lost parts of the Bible, and other works believed to be written by ancient prophets.
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