The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added a new "in-home" component to its missionary force of 60,000 Friday that church leaders hope will literally open doors to its messengers.
Known for the well-dressed missionary pairs who volunteer their time to knock on doors full-time in more than 160 nations, the church premiered a new Web site Friday designed to allow people interested in its teachings a way to explore their questions at home. Found on the Internet at www.mormon.org, the site provides answers to specific questions about the church using text, video clips and pictures.
The Web site was announced Friday morning at a press conference in the Church Office Building amid preparations for the faith's 171st Semiannual General Conference, set to begin Saturday.
Brief statements of belief are designed to answer frequently asked questions about church doctrine and practice in a format that invites users to search for more information, to locate an LDS chapel anywhere in the United States and Canada, to ask questions, or to request church literature or a visit from the missionaries.
Social issues addressed include the church's stance on abortion, homosexuality, abuse, why women don't hold the priesthood, the differing roles of women and men, and the importance of family, with quotes taken from sermons delivered in recent years by church President Gordon B. Hinckley.
The church's history with and subsequent outlawing of polygamy is discussed, and the stance of Mormons as Christians is addressed extensively. Doctrines about the eternal nature of the family, pre-mortal life, the resurrection, life after death, tithing and health laws are also explained. Other features include the ability to send a customized "greeting card" geared for friendship, sympathy, special occasions or other events. It allows users to choose an inspirational picture and pair it either with a suggested quotation or one of their own creation.
The stand-alone Web site is separate from the church's family history Web portal familysearch.org and its official homepage www.lds.org. It was designed specifically for people who may be interested in the church but don't necessarily want to open their doors to the missionaries.
It's "a convenient, non-threatening way for people to learn about the church. They can explore on an individual basis with complete anonymity," said Elder Neil L. Andersen, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. "We hope the site will also encourage people to talk to church members in their areas about what they have learned."
Though church membership has recently topped 11 million, church leaders have consistently expressed concern that the number of converts has not kept pace with the growing force of missionaries it has marshaled. Several of the sermons delivered to members worldwide during General Conference semiannually emphasize church members' responsibility to share their faith with their friends and neighbors. While maintaining its call for all worthy young males to serve a mission, in recent years the church has also stepped up its call for older married couples to serve as well.
The Web site, under development since January, is expected to provide an electronic teaching component to complement the efforts of members and missionaries to share their beliefs.
Latter-day Saints believe their faith is a restoration of Christ's true church and priesthood power, given by direct revelation from God and Jesus Christ to church founder Joseph Smith beginning in the spring of 1820. While acknowledging that other faiths have much truth and light, Latter-day Saints believe their faith includes a restoration of pure doctrines and covenants taught in Christ's original church but gradually lost from the Earth.
For that reason, church leaders from Joseph Smith to the present have emphasized the importance of missionary work — one of the threefold purposes of the church — to "take the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people."
"I hope people will see mormon.org as an introductory source of information about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and a way to gain an improved understanding of our faith," Elder Andersen said.
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