Wikipedia:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement

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Scope[edit]

This is a WikiProject on elements of the Latter Day Saint movement, Mormonism, Latter Day Saint history, doctrine, practices, and other cultural effects inspired by Joseph Smith.

Project guidelines[edit]

Some quick points to remember:

  • Titles of articles wholly pertaining to the Latter Day Saint movement should be parenthesized (Latter Day Saints) if they are ambiguous without the parenthetical.
  • Articles should not be limited to a single Latter Day Saint denomination, unless including the entire Latter Day Saint movement is impractical or awkward. For example, instead of "Restoration (Community of Christ)" or "Restoration (LDS Church)", you would call the article Restoration (Latter Day Saints).
  • In article names, references to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should capitalize the initial The and include a hyphen and a lower-case "d".
  • In general, use the term Mormon or its derivatives only when referring to people or denominations with historical ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in Utah.
  • Deadlinks are discouraged as they tend to attract POV material on religious subjects.
  • Apply the {{LDS-stub}} boilerplate message at the end of stubs.
  • For specific dates, please only "datelink" in accordance with wp:DATELINK.

Sources[edit]

A non-exhaustive list of sources whose reliability and use within LDS-related articles are frequently discussed is kept at WP:LDS/RS and can be viewed below. It summarizes prior consensuses and consolidates links to the relevant past discussions.

Perennial sources list
Source Independent? Status
(legend)
Discussions Uses
Past Summary
Association for Mormon Letters Not until WP:COI issues are worked out No It has been discovered that a number of undeclared WP:COI-editors associated with this organization have been active in promoting it on Wikipedia. Until this is settled, it is best to not only not use this source, but excise it when its inclusion looks at all questionable. The organization states its aims as studying and promoting Mormon literature, conceived broadly. Publishes a blog (Dawning of a Brighter Day) and an online literary journal (Irreantum) which is not peer-reviewed. Independent of denominations. The blog publishes reviews of both fiction and nonfiction. Irreantum is primarily for creative work but also publishes literary studies. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
BYU Studies No No consensus Additional considerations 2009 A peer-reviewed journal that generally meets academic standards. However, some articles may be tilted to favor institutional narratives of the LDS Church, as the journal self-describes as "scholarship informed by the restored gospel of Jesus Christ," i.e., the Latter-day Saint tradition. This is most true for articles in ancient Book of Mormon studies, the premise of which does not cohere with the scholarly archaeological community's broader consensus on archaeology of the Americas. Articles on other subjects (history, sociology, etc.) tends to meet a higher standard of reliability. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Church Newsroom No No consensus Additional considerations 2016 Church Newsroom is the press release arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As such, it is a self-published source and in many cases better understood as a primary source for church statements and policies, rather than a secondary source that critically analyzes it or other topics pertaining to the Latter Day Saint movement. Speeches by church officers are sometimes reprinted in Church Newsroom; such reprints might be used as a source for verifying quotations when relevant. Church Newsroom might be usable for uncontroversial self-descriptions, but avoid citing Church Newsroom as a source for exceptional claims. In general, a secondary source with a stronger consensus for reliability is preferred. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Church News (supplement) No No consensus Additional considerations The Church News is a joint publication of the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As such, it is in part a self-published source. It is not clear what degree of editorial control or freedom exists for the Church News and editors agree it consistently depicts the church in a favorable light and avoids both controversial events and dissenting critical analysis. It might be used for uncontroversial self-descriptions, but avoid using it as a source for exceptional claims. In general, a secondary source with a stronger consensus for reliability is preferred. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org Yes Generally unreliable Generally unreliable The ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org is a self-published source and is not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It therefore does not qualify as a reliable source nor meets the special case usage for self-published sources. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Deseret News No consensus Generally reliable Generally reliable 2012
2016
2016
2022
The Deseret News is considered generally reliable, however, it is owned by a subsidiary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there is no consensus on whether the Deseret News is independent of the LDS Church, so it should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The publication's statements on topics regarding the LDS Church should be attributed. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Encyclopedia of Mormonism No consensus Generally reliable Generally reliable 2018 The Encyclopedia preface states "Lest the role of the Encyclopedia be given more weight than it deserves, the editors make it clear that those who have written and edited have only tried to explain their understanding of Church history, doctrines, and procedures; their statement and opinions remain their own." 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
FAIR (Mormon apologetics organization) No Generally unreliable Generally unreliable FAIR Latter-day Saints (formerly The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research) is an apologetic organization dedicated to answering criticisms of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is not peer reviewed by the wider academic community should not be considered reliable, except when attributed to show a specific view of some within the LDS Church. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) No Generally unreliable Generally unreliable 2024 The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an apologetic organization dedicated to answering criticisms of the LDS Church. It produced the periodical FARMS Review of Books (1989—2010), and was absorbed into the church's Brigham Young University (BYU) Maxwell Institute in 2006. FARMS was not peer reviewed by the wider academic community and should not be considered reliable. FARMS Review became Mormon Studies Review which was published by BYU through 2018. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Gospel Topics Essays No No consensus Additional considerations Anonymous essays that should only be used only to demonstrate an official viewpoint of the LDS Church. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
2 HTTPS links HTTP links
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship No consensus Generally unreliable Generally unreliable 2021
2021
Formerly named Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture. While not an official organ of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many contributors to the journal are employed by the Church. Scholarship is not mainstream. Should only be used when presenting a particular viewpoint within the LDS Church, or non-controversial such as a pronunciation guide of Book of Mormon names. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Yes Generally reliable Generally reliable Peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the University of Illinois Press. Was briefly named the Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture from 2008–2013. Reliable, especially in its twenty-first-century incarnation, for interdisciplinary approaches to the Book of Mormon. Some older issues, especially from the twentieth century, might be less reliable. The best rule of thumb is probably that literary, philosophical, theological, reception history, cultural studies, and related approaches are usually reliable. Some older issues include archaeological articles working from an ancient Book of Mormon studies premise, and that is, as with all claims of ancient Book of Mormon historicity, a different matter. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
2 HTTPS links HTTP links
Journal of Discourses No Generally unreliable Generally unreliable A multivolume collection of speeches given by Latter-day Saint leaders as compiled by George D. Watt, published from 1854–1866. Since it is a primary source, it is not independent. Furthermore, the Journal's more generalized reliability as a repository of what speakers said is complicated and uncertain at best. Watt often significantly altered the speeches between the shorthand transcription and their publication in the Journal: "The edited, published versions may represent ideas similar to what the speaker intended and may occasionally represent the speaker’s own editorial changes, but they do not represent a word-for-word echo. In fact, they often would not be recognizable when compared to the originally spoken words" (42). On Wikipedia, cite independent secondary sources instead.
Journal of Mormon History Yes Generally reliable Generally reliable The Journal of Mormon History is a part of the non-profit Mormon History Association whose members include Latter-day Saints, members of Community of Christ, adherents of other Latter Day Saint denominations, and those who are not Mormon in any way. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
KSL Yes Generally reliable Generally reliable While KSL is owned by Bonneville International, the for-profit broadcasting arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the KSL newsroom has operational independence and maintains separate editorial staffing from the church. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
2 HTTPS links HTTP links
MormonThink Yes Generally unreliable Generally unreliable MormonThink is a self-published source. Most authors are anonymous, so it is not possible to verify that they are established experts on the topic of the article whose work in the relevant field has previously been published by reliable third-party publications. As a self-published source, it may be used as a source when the statement concerns MormonThink itself. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links
No Man Knows My History Yes No consensus Additional considerations 2022 Originally released in 1945, Fawn Brodie's No Man Knows My History was an influential biography of Joseph Smith published by Alfred A. Knopf, a reputable press. However, scholarship in Mormon history has moved away from many of the book's interpretations (such as the assumption that Smith was fundamentally irreligious), and it contains some factual inaccuracies that have been disproved in later works. Editors should defer to more recent sources.
Salt Lake Tribune Yes Generally reliable Generally reliable 2013 A large local newspaper which is independently owned and not affiliated with the LDS Church. Like other newspapers, its articles are editor-reviewed though not peer-reviewed. 1 HTTPS links HTTP links

Legend
Always refer to the summary and the most recent discussion.

  •   Generally reliable Generally reliable for use on LDS topics: Editors show consensus that the source is reliable in most cases on subject matters in its areas of expertise. The source has a reputation for fact-checking, accuracy, and error-correction, often in the form of a strong editorial team. It will normally still be necessary to analyze how much weight to give the source and how to describe its statements. Arguments to exclude such a source entirely must be strong and convincing.
  •   No consensus No consensus, unclear, or additional considerations apply: The source is marginally reliable (i.e. neither generally reliable nor generally unreliable), and may be usable depending on context. Editors may not have been able to agree on whether the source is appropriate, or may have agreed that it is only reliable in certain circumstances. It may be necessary to evaluate each use of the source on a case-by-case basis while accounting for specific factors unique to the source in question. Carefully review the Summary column of the table for details on the status of the source and the factors that should be considered.
  •   Generally unreliable Generally unreliable: Editors show consensus that the source is questionable in most cases. The source may lack an editorial team, have a poor reputation for fact-checking, fail to correct errors, be self-published, or present user-generated content. Outside exceptional circumstances, the source should normally not be used, and it should never be used for information about a living person. Even in cases where the source may be valid, it is usually better to find a more reliable source instead. If no such source exists, that may suggest that the information is inaccurate.
  •   Deprecated Deprecated: There is community consensus to deprecate the source. The source is considered generally unreliable, and use of the source is generally prohibited. Despite this, the source may potentially be able to be used for some uncontroversial self-descriptions, although reliable secondary sources are still very much preferred.

Timelines[edit]

There are currently three timelines related to Mormonism: Mormonism in the 19th century, Mormonism in the 20th century, and Mormonism in the 21st century. All date-related information relating to Joseph Smith, Jr. and his immediate family can be included in Mormonism in the 19th century.

Templates[edit]

Documentation and descriptions of the templates used in conjunction with this WikiProject are listed at WP:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement/templates.

To do[edit]

Templates[edit]

Extended content

Article alerts[edit]

Extended content

Did you know

Articles for deletion

Proposed deletions

Categories for discussion

Requested moves

Articles to be merged

Recent changes[edit]

Extended content
List of abbreviations (help):
D
Edit made at Wikidata
r
Edit flagged by ORES
N
New page
m
Minor edit
b
Bot edit
(±123)
Page byte size change

29 March 2024

28 March 2024

Recognized content[edit]


How to find WP:LDS articles[edit]

All articles related to this WikiProject should be in one of the many subcategories of Category:Latter Day Saint movement. We also try to keep List of Latter Day Saint movement topics up to date, but it doesn't always reflect the most current state as well as the categories. As long as {{LDSproject}} (or the longer form {{WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement}}) is found on the talk page for the article, list, category, etc... it will also be available thru the grid in the recognized content section below. This will also add the articles to Category:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement articles and it's subcategories.

Participants[edit]

Please add your name here if you are interested in participating in this project. You do not need to be a member of any Latter Day Saint movement denomination to join this WikiProject. We ask that project members try to make at least one contribution per month to an article related to the Latter Day Saint movement. Users without any Wikipedia contribution within ~3 years, or any users with an indefinite block or ban, may be removed from this list, but they are welcome to add their name back if they return.

  1. bhludzin (talk · contribs)
  2. biggins (talk · contribs)
  3. Billlund (talk · contribs)
  4. Blaze Wolf (talk · contribs)
  5. Carter (talk · contribs)
  6. COGDEN (talk · contribs)
  7. Cool Hand Luke (talk · contribs)
  8. CsikosLo (talk · contribs)
  9. Cstickel(byu) (talk · contribs)
  10. DavidBailey (talk · contribs)
  11. DavidForthoffer (talk · contribs)
  12. Davidwhittle (talk · contribs)
  13. Deaddebate (talk · contribs)
  14. Ecjmartin (talk · contribs)
  15. Eric710 (talk · contribs)
  16. FormalDude (talk · contribs)
  17. Gilgamesh (talk · contribs)
  18. HankyUSA (talk · contribs)
  19. Hathawayc (talk · contribs)
  20. Hawstom (talk · contribs)
  21. Jamison Lofthouse (talk · contribs)
  22. Jgstokes (talk · contribs)
  23. John Foxe (talk · contribs)
  24. JonRidinger (talk · contribs)
  25. Joseph Yanchar (talk · contribs)
  26. Kant66 (talk · contribs)
  27. Kbabej (talk · contribs)
  28. Kitabparast (talk · contribs)
  29. Kristmace (talk · contribs)
  30. Leon7 (talk · contribs)
  31. Mark_Koltko-Rivera (talk · contribs)
  32. Mathboy965 (talk · contribs)
  33. MrWhipple (talk · contribs)
  34. Nereocystis (talk · contribs)
  35. OneWeirdDude (talk · contribs)
  36. Pastychomper (talk · contribs)
  37. Rich jj (talk · contribs)
  38. Richwales (talk · contribs)
  39. Rwelean (talk · contribs)
  40. Ryan Reeder (talk · contribs)
  41. Seeker095 (talk · contribs)
  42. Surv1v4l1st (talk · contribs)
  43. ThutmosisV (talk · contribs)
  44. todrobbins (talk · contribs)
  45. TomasBat (talk · contribs)
  46. Tomhung357 (talk · contribs)
  47. Tripleahg (talk · contribs)
  48. Val42 (talk · contribs)
  49. villaged (talk · contribs)
  50. Visorstuff (talk · contribs)
  51. WikiLeon (talk · contribs)
  52. Worthington56 (talk · contribs)
  53. Wrp103 (talk · contribs)
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You may add the userbox for our WikiProject to your userpage using {{User WPLDSmov}}. If you would like to be listed in the members category without using the userbox, add [[Category:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement members|{{PAGENAME}}]] to your userpage.

Userboxes[edit]

Extended content

Several userboxes expressing beliefs related to this project (like the ones displayed below) can be found here.

Code Result
{{Template:User WPLDSmov}}
This user is a member of the Latter Day Saint movement WikiProject.
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS}}
LDSThis user is a Latter-day Saint.
Usage
{{Template:User LDS}} Usage
{{User:Jaksmata/Userboxes/User LDS}} Usage
{{User:Ashley Y/Userbox/LDS}}
LDS This user is a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Usage
{{User:Java7837/userboxing/mormon}} Usage
{{User:Gilgamesh~enwiki/Liberal Mormon}}
This user is a liberal Mormon.
(Yes, there is such a thing.)
id2
Usage
{{User:UBX/CofC}}
This user is a member of Community of Christ.
Usage
{{User:UBX/Latter Day Saint movement}}
This user is a member of a
Latter Day Saint church.
Usage
{{Template:User Cultural Mormon}}
This user identifies as a Cultural Mormon
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/Temple}}
This user is Temple Ready.
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/Godhead}}
This user rejects the doctrine of the Trinity.
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/CTR}}
This user knows what to do with their choices.
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/RM}}
R MThis user has had the best two years
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/BOM}}
This user believes that the canon of scripture is NOT closed
Usage
{{User:UBX/LDS/OpenCanon}}
This user believes that the canon of scripture is NOT closed
Usage
{{User:UBX/BOMforall}}
This user is of the opinion that the Book of Mormon contains useful advice for any Christian, even if they choose to believe that it is a forgery.
Usage
{{User:Rich jj/Userboxes/MHA}}
This user is a member of the Mormon History Association.
Usage
{{User:Rich jj/Userboxes/MormonStudies}}
This user is fascinated by Mormon studies.
Usage
{{Template:User Critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}} Usage
{{Template:User Critical of Mormonism}}
This user is Critical of Mormonism.
Usage
{{Template:User dry Mormon}}
This user is a dry Mormon.
Usage
{{Template:User not influenced}}
NPOVThis user has political or religious views but always writes with a NPOV when editing Wikipedia.
Usage

Departments[edit]

External links[edit]

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