Mormons recognize four sacraments:

1. Baptism – upon reaching the age of eight through complete immersion. The Mormons have a wonderful substitutionary baptism for the dead. A Mormon whose loved ones have died "pagans," i.e., outside the sect, after his own baptism, can also be baptized in the name of such persons, for each individual, and thus give them the opportunity to participate in all the blessings promised to the faithful;

2. Ordination to sacred offices. The priesthood is divided into two ranks: the highest or inner, the Melchizedeks (with two degrees: high priest and elder), and the lower, or outer, Aaronic (with three degrees: priests, teachers, and deacons);

3. Marriage. Marriage (sealing) among Mormons is twofold: either only for earthly life, or heavenly, not abolished by death. Women may, in addition to their husbands, marry with deceased men through vicariousness: the deputies are either the chief chiefs of the sect or persons appointed by them;

4. Communion – with bread and water.

The Mormon social system is a despotic theocracy. A prophet or seer, as one who receives direct revelations from the deity, has unlimited power. The supreme council of three (one with the title of "patriarch") assists him in discussing matters, but does not bind his decisions. Judicial functions are performed by bishops appointed from among the high priests of the order of Melchizedek. For the execution of secret death sentences, there has been, since the time of Smith, a detachment of avenging angels. In spite of the material well-being and external culture, the life of the sect, based on boundless despotism, testifies to the moral savagery of this society-sect.

7th Day Adventists

A sect of American origin, adhering to the Baptists and having a special predilection for the Old Testament. Its founder is a simple farmer William Miller (1781-1849), who belonged to one of the Baptist communities in the state of New York.

The study of the Holy Scriptures led Miller to the conviction that the end of the world would soon come and the thousand-year kingdom of Christ would be revealed. He was not embarrassed by the words of the Savior Himself about the time of His second coming: "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father alone" (Matt. XXIV, 36). Since the Lord speaks of a day and an hour, not a year, Miller decided that only the day and hour, but not the year, were hidden from men and angels; and based on Daniel 8, Miller determined that the second coming of Jesus Christ falls in 1843. Miller simply solved this issue: he accepted the prophet Daniel predicted 2300 days for years and decided that there were 2300 years left before the judgment from the day of Daniel's prophecy, i.e. from 457 BC: 2300 – 457 = 1843.

In 1831, Müller preached a passionate sermon on the subject. His preaching quickly spread throughout the country, finding a response in Europe. But when the year 1843 came, Miller postponed the coming of Christ to the year 1844, and the month, the day, and even the place of the coming were indicated – a mountain in the state of New York, on which Christ was to descend in a cloud. On this day in 1844, Müller's followers settled down in great numbers at the "court mountain", in white robes, but their long wait was in vain. Ridicule rained down on the unfortunate prophet, but many remained faithful to him. The tense state of Miller's followers, their unshakable conviction of the imminence of the Second Coming, their naïve credulity and confusion, were taken advantage of by non-Christian elements to take over the movement. As early as 1844, one of Miller's followers, George Sperr, published six of his sermons, in which he rejected the immortality of the soul and argued that eternal torment should be understood as the complete, complete destruction of sinners. At the same time, a proposal was put forward to celebrate Saturday instead of Sunday. In January 1845, Miller and his followers were expelled from the Baptist union to which they belonged, and this led to the formation of an independent Adventist organization.

Why didn't Christ come to Miller at the calculated time, in 1844? The bewilderment of the followers of the ridiculed "prophet" was resolved by one of the members of the sect. He allegedly prayed for a long time, studying the Scriptures, and during his field work he received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that on the day indicated by Miller, October 22, 1844, Christ did come, but He did not come to earth, but to the heavenly sanctuary, and from that bottom the "judgment of investigation" took place in heaven. During this judgment, both the righteous and the departed sinners remain in their graves. The deeds of each of them are recorded in the books of heaven. And the purpose of the "judgment of inquiry," which takes place before Christ's coming to earth, is to determine beforehand who is worthy to be raised from the dead in the first resurrection, at His coming, and who of the survivors will be worthy in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet, to be changed and caught up in the clouds to meet Christ. Christ is personally present at this "trial judgment," offering His blood for those who have chosen Him to be their intercessor. It will take from 70 to 109 years to carry out this "trial judgment", and at its end the Lord will appear in glory. From this calculation flowed the predictions announced after Miller's death about the coming of Christ in 1914, then in 1932-33, coinciding in the determination of the date with the predictions of the Jewish rabbis, who were waiting for the coming of their "Messiah" precisely by these years. The last prediction of the Adventists dates the coming of Christ to the year 1995, and this prediction coincides with the last predictions of the rabbis, there is a prediction for the coming of the Antichrist at this time and St. Nilus of Athos.

Thus, according to the teaching of the Adventists, the year 1844, indicated by the seemingly unfortunate Miller, is "the beginning of a great movement" – it is the year of "the proclamation of the news of the second coming of Christ," which should induce all the elect of God "to come out of the Christian church in order to prepare for the great event – Christ's coming."

Having grouped all the passages of Holy Scripture where the Second Coming of Christ to earth is spoken, Adventists assert that the doctrine of the Second Coming constitutes the core of Holy Scripture, in relation to which all dogmas are of secondary importance. "This teaching, like a golden thread, runs through the Holy Scriptures... The Second Coming of Christ is the center of the teaching of the New Testament. All other truths seem to revolve around this main event, depicted with such force by all the sacred writers." The main interest of Adventists is directed to the book of the prophet Daniel and to the Revelation of John the Theologian.