Elizabeth Smart is now safe after being missing for nine months, and many questions have been answered in the past week. Many more questions still remain, though.
One of those is the question of religion and what role it played in Smart's kidnapping.
Police revealed over the weekend that they believe Brian David Mitchell, the man who allegedly abducted the 15-year-old girl, took her as a plural wife. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Mitchell claims God spoke directly to him, telling him to take seven wives.
This has many questioning the credibility of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has practiced polygamy, marriage to more than one wife, in the past.
HISTORY
The the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon religion, started in 1820 when 14-year-old Joseph Smith was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ, according to www.mormon.org. He was told that the church Jesus originally established no longer existed on earth.
Through subsequent messages, Smith was told about golden tablets buried in New York. He found the tablets and translated them. They then ascended to heaven, according to the Mormon Web site.
The church was formed in 1830. Because of a number of circumstances, believers migrated from New York to what would become Utah and settled in 1847.
It was there that the church expanded rapidly. Religious studies professor James Barton said there are now between 8 million and 10 million Mormons living in Salt Lake City. The Smart family belongs to the Church of Latter-day Saints.
In Utah the Mormon practice of polygamy was eventually abolished. Barton said the United States would not grant Utah statehood until it got rid of this practice.
The church has since separated itself from polygamy and anyone who practices it. In 1998, Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the church, released the following statement:
"This Church has nothing whatsoever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church." If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated."
Barton said the practice began so woman could also go through the different degrees of exaltation after death. The church's doctrine stated that a woman must be attached to a man before going to heaven. Polygamy was a method used to solve the problem of having more women than men practicing the religion.
THE CHRISTIANITY DEBATE
Since the founding of the church, Mormons have contested that they are Christians. Many theologists and Christians debate that sentiment.
"The big question is whether the church is Christian or not," Barton said. "It's a hard call for me to make. On the surface I would say it's not Christian."
Barton said fundamental beliefs of Mormonism conflict directly with Christian doctrine.
First, the Church of Latter-day Saints believes that God was not always God, but rather a man. Barton said the church believes that all people have an opportunity to become a god and possibly rule a planet of their own, if they do enough good works.
Works is another thing Mormons and Christians are at odds about. The Christian churches believes people are justified by faith and the grace of God. Mormons believe that is not enough. They also need to build up good works for merit.
Mormons also don't believe in hell.
"Those who choose not to follow our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will receive a reward according to what they have done in this life," the Mormon Web site states. "But they will not enjoy the glory of living in the presence of God."
Christians believe that people who don't believe will spend eternity separated from God in hell.
Hinckley insists, though, that the church is as Christian as any other denomination.
"We accept Jesus Christ as our Leader, our King, our Savior," he said in a statement published on mormon.org, "the only perfect Man who ever walked the earth, the living Son of the living God."
This debate is not likely to end soon. Logic would indicate, though, that some questions about Brian David Mitchell's connection to the Mormon religion should end.
While it's reported Mitchell claimed God told him to take Smart as one of his wives, the church no longer supports polygamy.
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