Mormonism and Catholicism: Origins, Beliefs, and Differences
This paper examines the origins and development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith during the Second Great Awakening, and compares its core beliefs and institutional structure to those of the Catholic Church. The paper traces the early history of the LDS Church, including its westward migration, the practice of polygamy, and the role of the Book of Mormon as scripture. It then contrasts Mormon teachings on revelation, lineage, and salvation with Catholic doctrine, noting both structural similarities — such as hierarchical organization, missionary activity, and sacramental practice — and fundamental theological divergences. The paper concludes by reflecting on Mormonism's growing mainstream presence.
- Origins of Mormonism and Joseph Smith's Teachings: Smith founds LDS Church during Second Great Awakening
- Core Mormon Beliefs and Early Church Development: Early doctrines, recruiting, and evolving church teachings
- Westward Migration, Polygamy, and the Mormon Question: Church moves west; polygamy becomes national controversy
- Distinctive Mormon Practices and Scriptures: Book of Mormon, baptism, and communion practices
- Comparing Mormonism and Catholicism: Key theological and historical differences between faiths
- The Growth and Mainstream Evolution of the Mormon Church: LDS growth worldwide and increasing mainstream acceptance
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its comparative analysis in a clear historical narrative, giving readers context for understanding doctrinal differences before introducing them.
- It balances factual reporting with a disclosed personal perspective (the author's Catholic faith), which adds transparency to the comparative sections without undermining objectivity in the historical ones.
- Concrete details — such as membership statistics, specific theological terms like "transubstantiation," and references to cultural events like the 1893 Chicago World's Fair — lend credibility and specificity to the argument.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative religious analysis: it identifies structural parallels between two religious traditions (hierarchical organization, missionary work, sacramental practice) before pivoting to substantive theological and historical divergences. This technique of "compare before contrast" gives the analysis balance and prevents the paper from reading as purely polemical.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a historical account of Mormonism's founding and early doctrines, then traces the church's westward migration and controversial practices. It introduces the Catholic Church as a comparative frame in the second half, examining differences in revelation, historical lineage, creedal structure, and sacramental theology. A brief concluding section addresses Mormonism's modern growth and mainstream evolution.
Origins of Mormonism and Joseph Smith's Teachings
Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith in the early 19th century in New York. Its formal name is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. During the Second Great Awakening — a Protestant revival movement in America in the early 1800s — Smith generated and drew support for his vision of America's privileged place in the history of Christianity. Smith's vision was rooted in the reformist movement of the Great Awakening, and the doctrines he taught carried the Romantic spirit that fueled the Awakening, attracting many people of the time who anticipated the return of Christ to the world as foretold in the New Testament (Smith, 2004).
The new message that Smith gave to his followers was that "on the morning of the 22nd of September 1827 the Angel of the Lord delivered" to him "a series of records of the aboriginal inhabitants of North America" — records engraved on (apparently) gold plates, which showed that the Native Americans were actually the "Lost Ten Tribes of Israel" (Kauffman & Kauffman, 1995, p. 1). This was a new and compelling religious idea that no one had expressed before. Smith's convincing manner and evidence quickly won him adherents. By 1830, he had organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Manchester, New York.
As Jackson (2012) notes, the teachings of Smith "reflected many of the common Christian trends of the times" in that they were oriented toward a vision of prophecy and centered on the evangelical, character-driven leadership of the preacher — Smith himself (p. 20). Smith's version of Christianity was "noncreedal, staunchly Arminian, fervently restorationist, evangelistically driven, end-time-focused and characterized by isolated communal living" (p. 20). Its basic narrative consisted of the vision Smith received and the history of the American Israelites (also known as Native Americans) as it pertained to the Christian New Testament — a story that interwove aspects of the Old and New Testaments along with visions that Smith received from an angel.
References
Bushman, C. (2006). Contemporary Mormonism: Latter-Day Saints in modern America. Praeger Publishers.
Jackson, A. (2012). The Mormon faith of Mitt Romney: What Latter-Day Saints teach and practice. Kudu.
Kauffman, R., & Kauffman, R. (1995). The Latter Day Saints: A study of the Mormons in the light of economic conditions. University of Illinois Press.
Laux, J. (1933). Church history. Benziger Brothers.
Neilson, R. (2011). Exhibiting Mormonism: The Latter-day Saints and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Oxford University Press.
Smith, T. (2004). Revivalism and social reform: American Protestantism on the eve of the Civil War. Wipf & Stock Publishers.
Watson, F. (2000). Statistical report, 2000. LDS. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/ensign/2001/05/statistical-report-2000?lang=eng
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