Why is it called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The Church is so named because:

1. Mormons believe that this church is the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth, same organization and everything. It's his church and his doctrine. Therefore, the Church should bear his name.
2. Mormons believe that after Jesus died, the Church began to lose the purity of the teachings of Jesus Christ (the Gospel). The Church started teaching the philosophies of men mixed with the Gospel, and so it stopped being God's true church. Christianity became divided and corrupt, and it remained in this confused state until the world was ready to receive the pure Gospel again. In New York in 1830, Jesus Christ restored his church through the prophet Joseph Smith. (See Joseph Smith (mormon.org)) Joseph received a revelation that God wanted the name of the church to be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So that's what he called it. 
3. Members of the Church are called saints because that's what members of the ancient church were called. Members today are called latter-day saints because we are living in the Latter Days, the period of time that takes place just before Jesus' second coming.
4. The Church is often referred to as the Mormon Church, and members are commonly called Mormons, because they believe in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Holy Bible. The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ. It recounts the history of two ancient-American nations, the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Book testifies of Jesus Christ and teaches his Gospel. (See The Book of Mormon (mormon.org))

The Church could have been given this name: The Church That's the Same as Christ's Ancient Church Whose Members Are Living in the Time Just before the Savior Comes Again. After that, the actual name of the church doesn't seem too long, now does it?

See also these Mormon.org articles: The Restoration of Jesus Christ's Church, Christ's Church

Why don't Mormons smoke or drink?

The prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from God known as the Word of Wisdom. It was basically some guidelines for keeping our bodies healthy. What happens when your lifestyle involves smoking and eating junk food all day? You not only put yourself at higher risk for lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other serious medical issues, but you also won't function at your best from day to day. You're more likely to be crabby and ill-disposed to pray or make other good choices. And how about that hangover? I'm pretty sure it's hard to look and feel your best during a hangover.

The Word of Wisdom is just what it implies: a revelation containing some sensible guidelines for our health. 

It teaches that we should exercise, eat healthy foods, and go to bed and wake up early. It also warns us that we shouldn't use or consume harmful substances, specifically coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol. (We can still use alcohol and tobacco for cuts and bruises or other skin injuries though.)

God promises us that if we live by the Word of Wisdom, we will find "treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures" and that we will "run and not be weary, walk and not faint." 

Interpretation issues:

Caffeine

There is nothing about caffeine in the Word of Wisdom. People may consume it if they wish to. Some people have supposed that the reason why coffee and tea are discouraged is because of caffeine, but that's just a matter of opinion. Yes, caffeine can be an addictive substance and therefore probably isn't very good for you. It would probably be wiser not to give yourself the chance to get addicted to it. But it would also be good to never try chocolate for that reason. I guess you just have to choose your battles.

Meat

The Word of Wisdom says to "eat meat sparingly." Most Mormons nowadays eat meat all the time, maybe because the revelation was received at a time when refrigeration was really poor and people got sick all the time from eating meat, but who knows. Some Mormons have taken a vegetarian or vegan interpretation of the revelation. When it comes down to it, the way you interpret and apply it to your life should be between you and the Lord. You should decide for yourself what you think it means and then ask God if your interpretation is correct. 

Who is Thomas S. Monson?

Mormons believe that Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the earth today. He is the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One fundamental Mormon belief is that God still talks to us today through living prophets. These are the last days that the Bible talks about, and God wants to give us all the help he can to live through them joyfully and to get ready for when he comes again. A modern-day prophet can give us counsel on specific modern topics, such as how to use technology wisely, that might be more difficult to glean from the scriptures. That's why God has given us modern-day prophets.

Joseph Smith was the first modern prophet, and Thomas S. Monson makes the 16th. You can read President Monson's biography and some of his talks at his official website, http://www.thomassmonson.org/.
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Obedience Brings Blessings - Thomas S. Monson - April 2013 General Conference

This is one of the talks President Monson gave at the last General Conference of the Church.

A Correct Understanding of the Godhead

The First Vision (J. Smith - Hist., vv.14-20)

          The First Article of Faith says, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." (Articles of Faith.) This fundamental truth not only establishes that we believe that there is a god, but also that Mormons are Christians. We Mormons believe that it's important to have a correct understanding of the similarities and differences to roles and natures of  each member of the Godhead.

         Mormons believe that God the Father is our literal father, and we are his spirit children. Jesus Christ is also Heavenly Father's son and our brother, but unlike us he is Heavenly Father's only begotten in the flesh, which is probably why he and his father look so alike. Both of them have physical, glorified bodies. Together they, with the Holy Ghost, are united in purpose and love.

         The Holy Ghost does not have a body, but is a spirit. He knows all things, and one of his key roles is to give us testimonies of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and of truth. Communication from the Holy Ghost feels something like warmth, fire, and purity in your chest that fills you with joy. Feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost is a beautiful, sacred thing, and it is available to everyone who wants to know God and actively looks for the truth. (A good way to begin to invite the Spirit into your life and into your home would be to invite the missionaries over, or to start reading the Book of Mormon, or to sincerely ask God if something is true. Those are perfect opportunities for the Spirit to bear witness to you of the truth of the matter in question.)

        God the Father is the one who's in charge. He is the one to whom we direct our prayers. Jesus always does whatever Heavenly Father asks him to do. Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament and directs the affairs of God's church. He also came to earth to show us how to live by being an example, and he and the Holy Ghost are our greatest teachers.

This video from the April 2013 General Conference of the Church is of a member of the Quorum of the 70 explaining the doctrine of the Godhead a little further.

        One of the most important things for us to know is that Jesus is our Savior. Heavenly Father designed for us a plan whereby we could become like him, but the plan would require a savior for us. Jesus is that savior - he made our redemption possible, and we are indebted to him for that and for several other reasons. See What did Jesus Christ do for us, and what do we need to do about it? for more info about Jesus Christ, or go to http://mormon.org/jesus-christ. 

Not just the Bible

Mormons believe that God not only dealt with the middle-eastern people in ancient days, but also with the people of the Americas. Just as the Jews had prophets whose prophecies were recorded and passed down through the ages, so did the people in the Americas. The prophets and political leaders of those people kept records that were buried in the ground and preserved by God to come forth to the world at a later date. Today those records are available to us, known as the Book of Mormon.


The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is an abridgment of the records kept concerning two nations, the Nephites (knee'-fights) and the Lamanites (lay'-meh-nights), made by the prophet-historian named Mormon. He was one of the last of the Nephites who were eventually wiped out by the Lamanites, who are ancestors to the American Indians.

Nephites and Lamanites are the descendants of the family of Lehi (lee'-high), a prophet who was led from Jerusalem to live in the Americas. They are also mixed with the Mulekites (myew'-leh-kites), descendants of Mulek who is the son of King Zedekiah from the Bible. The Mulekites were also led to the Americas, but were already living there when Lehi's family arrived.

The highlight of the Book of Mormon is when Jesus Christ comes to visit the Nephites after his death and resurrection. The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to persuade the reader to believe in Christ, but it also serves to support the Bible and teach the word of God.

• Learn more at the official website: http://mormon.org/book-of-mormon/
• Get a FREE Book of Mormon here: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
• Get a FREE Bible here: http://mormon.org/free-bible/
• Read online versions now: http://www.lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng&cid=rdscriptures

How is the leadership of the Church organized?

       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is governed by two main bodies with equal power: the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
       The First Presidency is comprised of the President of the Church, who is also the Prophet, and his two counselors. He is the only man on earth who holds all of the keys ("keys" are how we describe the permission and authority from God) for administering the Church. The fact that there are three members of the First Presidency is symbolic of the Godhead (Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost).
       The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (sometimes unofficially referred to as simply "the Brethren"), is composed of twelve men whose primary mission it is to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ and to oversee the different departments and programs of the Church. They also do a lot of other stuff, as do the members of the First Presidency. Running a world-wide church is a lot of work!
       The members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are not elected, but are chosen by the First Presidency and/or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when one of its members dies. They pray about it and God reveals to them who the new guy should be. Also, the Q of the 12 operates by consensus. They don't make decisions unless they come to a consensus. That's why it's so important for all of the members to be righteous, spiritually in-tune people. They must be humble and always ask God what He wants done for His church. If they don't repent of their sins, they can't receive revelation.
      Most importantly, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve are just a bunch of men through whom God acts. We don't worship them or anything like them, but we do respect them a lot. They are God's servants, and they do for the Church only the things that God wants them to do.

What do Mormons think of Joseph Smith?

Joseph Smith was a poor, hardly educated farm boy from New York who was trying to find out which church he should join. In 1820, when he was 14, he went into a grove of trees on his family's farm so he could have some privacy, and there he prayed out loud for the first time by himself. He wanted to know which church he should join because there was a lot of religious upheaval where he lived - some joining this church, some joining that church, and the leaders of the different sects were preaching different things because they were interpreting verses from the Bible differently.

When Joseph prayed, Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him. They told him not to join any of the sects, for they were all wrong, meaning that none of them was Their true church. They also talked to Joseph about other things, but Joseph didn't record what They said.

This experience, known as the First Vision, is extremely important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to the world. It teaches us that Heavenly Father and Jesus and two physically separate beings, though they are one and united in basically every other way. They even look alike. It also means that Joseph was about to become an instrument in God's hands to restore God's true church, what is now the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to the earth.

Joseph also translated the Book of Mormon from a set of gold plates that was given to him by an angel of the Lord. It is an ancient record of the inhabitants of the Americas from the time of the Tower of Babel down to the destruction of the Nephites.

Joseph Smith suffered lots of persecution. If you were Satan, and God was trying to restore His church, wouldn't you want to do all you could to stop it? So, Joseph Smith and fellow church members suffered all kinds of attacks, violence, and injustice. They were forced by this persecution from Ohio to Missouri to Illinois, and then to Utah where there remains a large Mormon population today. Joseph didn't make it to Utah, though, for he was killed by a mob at Carthage, Illinois. In spite of its rocky start, the Church continued to grow and is today a worldwide church.

Mormons don't worship Joseph Smith, but we revere him as a great man who had to go through hard things to serve God and the rest of us. It was a tough job, restoring the Church and translating the Book of Mormon and taking care of the affairs of the new organization. It shouldn't be surprising that we Mormons love Joseph Smith as much as we do.