Hey Jody, thanks for asking. What you are asking is not an easy task simply because there is so much. I'll limit to a few main points, but feel free to ask more questions for clarity or curiosity.

First and foremost, mormons are christian. Anyone that says otherwise either doesn't know a thing about mormons or harbors an agenda. While its true we break from a lot of the christian sects with our own doctrine and scripture, we worship the same God and try to live Christlike lives.

Preseletizing is a tenant of the faith, which is why those two men are out their talking to people. I served my 2 years in Germany starting at age 20 and it was the toughest 2 years of my life. I know its often resented when the knock comes at the door, but if there is no interest in talking to them a polite no thank you should suffice. Otherwise they'd be happy to spend a few minutes answering questions.

The religion got its start when a young man by the name of Joseph Smith asked God which of the disparate Christian sects he should join. He got his answer when in a vision he saw God and Jesus Christ with an answer that he should join none of them and that a new work would be started which was to restore Christ's church on the earth. Joseph Smith was to be called as a modern day Prophet and his first task would be to translate an ancient record which would be a companion scripture to the Bible. He was given Gold Plates and other implements with which he worked at this task to bring forth the Book of Mormon. It is an account of a family that left Jerusalem 600 years BC and travelled to the American continent. The family divided into two main camps that warred with one another for hundreds of years. The pinnacle of the book is the resurrected Christ's visit to these people which ushered in an age of peace that lasted for a while but eventually the people divided once again in warfare until those who followed Christ were destroyed. Mormon was one of the last prophets of these people, who compiled the records of 1000 years into the Gold Plates which would eventually be given to Joseph Smith.

The church was formed in 1830 with Joseph Smith as the Prophet. Under his hand other texts were added to the Canon of scripture. The mormon faith grew and persecution followed wherever they tried to build a community. It grew because of the missionary efforts throughout the states, Canada and Europe. An early tenant of the teaching was that the members should gather and build up a community where they could worship God together. Mormons quickly became unpopular, especially in Missouri, where they were expelled by force from the State. Part of this was due to all of the foreign sounding immigrants pouring into the area which upset the political balances. The slavery question was a firebrand issue, but there were other issues as well, some of them the fault of the mormons.

Joseph Smith was killed in 1844 while in prison. He was shot 4 times when a mob stormed the jail he was being held in. This didn't end Mormonism though. Succession of the prophetic mantle fell to Brigham Young which the main body of mormons followed, though there were several offshoots as well. The main body of mormons organized under Brigham Young and left the United States in a mass exodus to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah, but was then part of Mexican territory.

The church today is much the same as it was when it was organized in 1830. As prophets die, new once take their place. Today his name is Thomas Monson. The church is much bigger and worldwide due to the missionary emphasis. We are about 15 million people worldwide, though probably only half is devout.

I was born a mormon, as were my parents and their parents. On my mom's side mormonism goes back to the early days of Joseph Smith. On my Dad's side mormonism started in Denmark in the 1860s when a great great swedish grandfather was taught by the missionaries. His family then emigrated to Utah and put down roots. My own faith is continually tested, especially in this modern age, when speaking of prophets and God is out of fashion. Regardless my faith is my own and its how I raise my kids. They will have to decide for themselves whether to continue in it, but for me its a way of life. It isn't a perfect faith, but it suits me well.