From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the Mormonism movement or the Mormon movement) is a religious movement beginning in the early 19th century that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches. It is one of a number of movements within Restorationism, which includes the Restoration Movement and the Millerites, who in the early 19th century attempted to transcend Protestant denominationalism, and to restore what they considered a form of Christianity truer to their interpretation of the New Testament.
The driving force behind the movement was Joseph Smith, Jr, and to a lesser extent Oliver Cowdery, who both claimed to have seen angels who restored to them various "keys" to organize and lead the true Church of Christ. In addition, the Latter Day Saint movement was greatly influenced by Sidney Rigdon, a minister within the Restoration Movement who had been associated with the Disciples of Christ before becoming Mormonism's first great theologian.
Today, there are hundreds of active organizations within the movement. Most of these organizations are very small, but overall, there are possibly more Latter Day Saints world-wide than Jews. Most Latter Day Saints belong to one of the two largest denominations, the largest being the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (at over 11 million members), followed by the more ecumenical Community of Christ (at over 200,000 members). The movement continues to grow at an astonishing rate.
