<P> Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity . Joseph Smith founded the movement in Western New York in the 1820s . During the 1830s and 1840s, it distinguished itself from traditional Protestantism . Mormonism represents the faith taught by Smith in the 1840s . After he was killed in 1844, most Mormons followed Brigham Young on his westward journey to the area that became the Utah Territory, calling themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints (LDS Church). Other sects include Mormon fundamentalism, which seeks to maintain practices and doctrines such as polygamy, and various other small independent denominations . The second - largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints, since 2001 called the Community of Christ, does not describe itself as "Mormon", but instead follows a Trinitarian Christian restorationist theology, and also considers itself Restorationist in terms of Latter Day Saint doctrine . </P> <P> The word Mormon originally derived from the Book of Mormon, a religious text published by Smith, which he said he translated from golden plates with divine assistance . The book describes itself as a chronicle of early indigenous peoples of the Americas and their dealings with God . Based on the name of that book, early followers of Smith were more widely known as Mormons, and their faith was called Mormonism . The term was initially considered pejorative, but Mormons no longer consider it so (although generally preferring other terms such as Latter - day Saint, or LDS). </P>

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