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SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon Newsroom recently published a new tool to help the public and the media understand the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The "Mormonism 101" page explains the basic beliefs of the church, answers Frequently Asked Questions and includes an infographic with a summary of Mormon beliefs at a glance.
The Deseret News reports Mormonism 101 is an effort to seize the "Mormon moment" spurred by presidential candidate Mitt Romney, "Book of Mormon" the Broadway musical, and what nine months ago Newsweek magazine called "the sudden proliferation of Mormons in the mainstream."
The new page summarizes the church's core beliefs, which center on Jesus Christ.
- Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of our loving Heavenly Father.
- Christ's Atonement allows mankind to be saved from their sins and return to live with God and their families forever.
- Christ's original Church as described in the New Testament has been restored in modern times.
The FAQs include topics ranging from what Mormons believe about God and the Trinity, to whether Latter-day Saints are "Christians." Purposes of temples, race relations and baptism for the dead are also addressed. Two FAQs explain whether Mormons believe they can become "gods," and whether they believe they "will get their own planet."
The site notes that despite the faith's growth, survey results continue to show that relatively few people are familiar with Mormon beliefs. It says the church has the responsibility to publicly and clearly articulate its teachings.
It points out common media pitfalls, including reporters taking "peripheral aspects of the faith and (placing) them front and center as if they were vital tenets of belief." Or commentators overemphasizing what some may consider unusual about Mormonism at the expense of basic beliefs. The page says this "paints a distorted picture of the Church" and confuses the public. The new effort provides background information for media representatives producing stories about the church.
Last week ksl.com reported that the Mormon newsroom launched a new feature called "Mormonism in the News: Getting It Right." It features a roundup of recent articles and blogs that accurately portray the church and those that don't, according to the newsroom staff's view.
