Answers to Questions about Mormonism

There is a lot in the media about Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), but often a lot of the information (sometimes even information from Mormons!) is incorrect.

Fortunately, there are official Church resources that can help journalists, bloggers, leaders and members of other faiths, and any curious individual get “facts, statistics, background information, video and audio — and especially context” when reporting on, or learning about, Mormonism.

The Mormon Newsroom exists specifically for this purpose, to be a “stopping-off point for everything from a quick fact check to a deeper understanding of Church beliefs and practice.”

See this Mormon Newsroom post to see the various resources that exist. Following is a list of resources that might be helpful, particularly at this time when questions about and curiosity about Mormonism are plentiful.

Mormonism 101: FAQ about Mormon beliefs
Humanitarian Aid and Welfare Services Basics: How Donations and Resources Are Used: Information about LDS Welfare and Humanitarian efforts. Includes some financial information.
What to Expect at Church Services: A Mormon bishop talks about what Sunday services are like.
Temples: Sometimes there is confusion about temples and church buildings. We have thousands of church buildings worldwide. We currently have close to 140 temples. Our church buildings are used for Sunday services (visitors are welcome!), weekday activities and meetings, service projects like blood drives, funerals and wedding receptions…. You can take a video tour of what the inside and outside of temples look like at this link.
Commentaries: Find multiple posts on various topics ranging from religious freedom to religion and science to the occasional public misunderstanding about Mormonism…and much more. As stated on the Mormon Newsroom site, “The purpose of commentaries on MormonNewsroom.org is to deepen conversations surrounding the Church and to explain and contextualize Latter-day Saint teachings and practices.”
Political Neutrality: “This longstanding statement of policy makes it clear that the Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians.”
The Church and Its Financial Independence: Sometimes journalists (or even Church members) will try to analyze (or criticize) the Church based on financials alone. This article explores how different funds are used to accomplish the Church’s mission — but how the heart of our faith simply can’t be measured in monetary ways. “The only true wealth of the Church is in the faith of its people” (Gordon B. Hinckley). (See again the link on lay leadership and on our beliefs as well.)