Latter Day Saint

Latter Day Saint

A Latter Day Saint (LDS) is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement, or who practices Mormonism. Latter Day Saints trace their religious heritage through Joseph Smith, Jr, who claimed to have restored the original "Church of Christ", which had disappeared from the earth after a period of apostasy. Latter Day Saints consider themselves to be "saints" in the original sense of the word, meaning members of the original Christian church established in the First Century, AD.

The term Latter Day Saint has a different meaning than the younger and more specific term Latter-day Saint (spelled British-style with a hyphen and a lower-case d). The latter term refers specifically to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is by far the largest Latter Day Saint organization. Sometimes, Latter Day Saints are referred to as Mormons, a term that began as a nickname in reference to the Book of Mormon; however, some Latter Day Saint sects consider the word Mormon to apply only to Latter-day Saints.

List of Latter Day Saint sects

* The largest of these churches, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, sometimes called the LDS Church; commonly but incorrectly called the Mormon Church.

� Formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or RLDS Church.

List of Latter Day Saint sects

See also: