Contributing Author – Page 16 – What Do Mormons Believe?

An Answered Prayer

I started writing an article on a different topic today, but I couldn’t get my head around it. Every way I phrased my words seemed wrong or incomplete. As we say in the Church, I had a stupor of thought.

I had the feeling to discuss something else:

Studying the scriptures makes it easier for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Before studying the scriptures this morning, I closed my eyes and offered a silent prayer. Often times (too often) I pray for the same, routine blessings, “bless me with thy spirit, help me understand, give me guidance, etc.” Nothing wrong with any of those things, just that they are so vague and I tend not to think too hard about them.

This morning I was about to do the same thing, but I paused and recognized a problem in my life. There is a person I treat poorly. Some would call it a ‘personality conflict,’ but it’s really all about pride. Mine and his. Mostly mine. Problem is (and it really makes me ill to admit), I’ve come to enjoy putting him down, and making him the butt-end of jokes. This morning in my prayer, I asked for the grace to want to love him with a Christ-like type of love.

I opened my Book of Mormon to Mosiah 4 and started reading, but the verses still floated in and out of focus. I’m sure you know the feeling of reaching the end of a page and thinking, “Do I remember anything I just read?” Anyway, I woke myself up enough once I reached Mosiah 4:12, which read,

And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

This stuck out to me. It was the exact answer to my prayer, but I had to go back and read the previous verses again to find out what the “this” was that I had to do.

And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

There is a lot there to ponder. What really made me think was that God is greater than us all, and he knows all of our weaknesses, yet he still loves this person I struggle with. Who am I, in my nothingness, an unworthy creature, to maltreat this person? Am I saying that my judgment of the man is better than God’s?

I need to submerge myself in ‘the depths of humility’ before Heavenly Father. It’s very easy to come to this conclusion, but a terrifying and difficult thing to do. It means surrendering what I think is good (or fun or funny) for what I know the Lord desires. It also means trying to see him in a better light and treating him as a child of God, an heir! This particular relationship will take time to mend, but at least it feels good to be heading in the right direction for a change.

If we put a little more thought and effort into our prayers, the answers that come will be more powerful and profound. I know that much is true.

Book of Mormon Evidence

Q. How do Mormons (who are very intelligent, well educated as a group) reconcile themselves to the fact that there are no historical evidences of the peoples in the Book of Mormon? -Sherry

Sherry, thank you for considering us intelligent! Your comments are welcome here any time!

Modern prophets have always encouraged us to “get all of the education that you can.” The Perpetual Education Fund is in its seventh year, providing school loans to men and women in poor areas across the globe, and there are many Mormons in every professional career path from doctors, engineers, and scientists to CEOs, attorneys, and public servants. We do believe in the scientific method and most of us are very capable of holding our own in logical discussions.

And yet we still believe the Book of Mormon is the translated word of God.

An arch is held up by a strong keystone at the top.

You are very wise to bring this up, Sherry, because the Book of Mormon is the proverbial keystone in the archway of our religion. If it is a true document with miraculous origins, then Joseph Smith was a prophet and this Church represents the best thing to happen to humanity in thousands of years. If the book was merely dreamed up by Smith, then he was a fraud and got away with one of the biggest, most successful hoaxes ever imagined. The whole Church would crumble. It becomes even more important when we consider that this book is verifiable.

I’m also glad you asked because there actually is evidence. A large pile of it. It isn’t publicized by the Church because archeology cannot change hearts and bring people to repent. If your testimony of the Church is based on something as tentative and changing as science, your faith in Christ will waver with every new discovery. In the late 1800’s some of the Book of Mormon’s references to animals and metals were laughably inconsistent with then-current scientific knowledge. In recent decades, more scientific discoveries have actually turned each of these accusations into stronger proof that the book could not have been written by Joseph Smith.

I don’t want to get into it all here, but I’ll list a few examples and let you look at Jeff Lindsay’s website for a larger, more detailed collection of Book of Mormon evidence.

The early chapters in the Book of Mormon map out a route from Jerusalem, along the Red Sea to a city called Nahom, ending in a lush coastal location where a boat was built to sail to America. The city NHM and the paradise valley are still there today, and exist in exactly the locations on the Arabian peninsula the Book of Mormon describes. Joseph Smith had no access to such information.
Many leading researchers place Book of Mormon lands in Mesoamerica, just below the Yucatan peninsula. Evidence supporting this claim includes: temples, large cities, volcanic activity at around 33 AD, fortifications for war, multiple city markets, fighting wars in winter months, and many more.
The use of cement buildings, steel swords, buried stone boxes, and metal plates all used to seem anachronistic in the ancient world, but recent findings have turned up evidence of all these elements.
An ancient Middle-Eastern poetic structure called chiasmus was discovered in the Book of Mormon. The concept of chiasmus was virtually unknown in most scholarly circles in Joseph Smith’s time, and if he did somehow know to include these poems, he didn’t seem to realize what powerful evidence they were, failing to make any mention of them to his detractors as evidence of authenticity. No one in the Church knew about them until 1967.
Jacob 5 gives an amazingly detailed (and accurate) account of proper olive tree maintenance (as an allegory for the gathering of Israel). Joseph Smith had no experience with ancient olive tree cultivation, nor were there available any sources on the topic.

As I mentioned earlier, all of this is interesting and good, but will not likely cause a person to devote his or her life to discipleship with Jesus Christ, which is the book’s true goal. Science is not the only path to knowledge. It is just the most objective path, and that is why it is valuable. Still, there are some things that can only be understood through personal experience (see D&C 79:116-117). We can learn many important things through the scientific method, but God does not wait for science to catch up on the most vital truths. Millions of non-Mormons have been learning this book is true for 178 years, even when the scientific evidence of the day seemed to be against them. The learning method is the same today as it was then (see Moroni 10:3-5):

Read the book
Remember how merciful God has been to you
Ponder the message in your heart and mind
Ask God if it is true
Listen for the answer through the Holy Ghost

You can know, too. And you can stand with us as a member of this family of intelligent, faith-filled people.

Remember!

A large part of faith in Jesus Christ is assurance that he is there and always has been there for us. This means remembering.

It’s an uphill battle, remembering. Not only are dark forces working to weaken our mental agility with mind-numbing TV fare and internet sites, but our own mortal brains purposefully forget things every night in our sleep! I bet it takes you a few seconds to recall what you had for breakfast yesterday, let alone the quietly-answered prayer from the Holy Ghost you felt two years ago. Against such odds, what hope do we have?

Keeping a journal is a great way to remember.

You can try to develop a photographic memory. Or, you can write things down. I encourage the latter. A journal is an amazing memory-extending device, like a flash drive for your brain. You might wonder about the connection between journal-keeping and worshiping God, but it is a perfectly natural relationship. In fact, most of my journal consists of events in my life that have served to strengthen my faith. When I read entries from years ago, it amazes me how much of my life has been forgotten by the very mind that lived it.

President Henry B. Eyring, a counselor to the Prophet Thomas S. Monson, recently spoke on the importance of remembering:

“I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: ‘Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?’ As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.” O Remember, Remember; Oct. 2007

We are commanded not just to recall what has happened to us in our lives, but to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.” (Moroni 10:3) This is one reason Mormons soak up family history stories. We can relive with admiration the great faith of and blessings dispensed upon the pioneers as they crossed the plains to Utah. It helps to believe in the gift of healing when you can point to an ancestor who had that ability. We can go back further and examine the righteous examples of the early Christian saints who lived by the words of Peter and Paul. And we all have a heritage leading back to Noah and Adam and Eve.

scroll Many books of scriptures were originally journals of prophets replete with inspired writings. It would be impossible to remember the great words of Isaiah or Ezekiel or Paul if they had not been recorded with good old-fashioned pen and paper. Isn’t it conceivable that your own journal will influence future generations as well?

Throughout earth’s history, we can see the hand of God working in ordinary peoples’ lives. By recognizing and remembering His hand in your life, you will bolster your assurance that He is watching and helping you overcome your own trials. When He speaks to you, write these experiences down. If your faith in Christ begins to waver, your journal might be the thing that buoys you up, reminding you of that time He answered an important prayer.

Tithing and Unpaid Clergy

Q. Do [Latter-day Saints] give part of their earnings to the Church?

"Tithe" means "tenth"

Yes. One of the main principles of Christ-like living is sacrifice. We give of ourselves to help lift others and for the ultimate betterment of self. Former President and Prophet Ezra Taft Benson taught,

“Sacrifice is truly the crowning test of the gospel. Men are tried and tested in this mortal probation to see if they will put first in their lives the kingdom of God. (See Matt. 6:33.) To gain eternal life, they must be willing, if called upon, to sacrifice all things for the gospel. ‘If thou wilt be perfect,’ Jesus said to the rich young man, ‘go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me'” (Matt. 19:21).

Sacrifice comes in many forms: serving as a missionary, providing a meal for a widow, helping a neighbor roof his house, giving voluntary service to the Church, working at a local food pantry, etc. But you asked about money, so that is where I will focus my thoughts.

What Tithing Is
We give ten percent of our income to the Lord, knowing that He truly gave us all of it to start with. (‘Tithe’ comes from an old word meaning ‘tenth’). We are given a very specific –and shockingly reliable– promise from Malachi:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts” (see Mal. 3:8–12).

If you live the law of tithing, you will understand what it means to have blessings pouring out of heaven such that you cannot receive them all. But this is something (like all principles of the gospel) that must be lived to be understood. You can know if it’s right to pay tithing by paying tithing (see John 7:17).

Where Tithing Goes
It’s important to note that tithing money is sacred. It is ‘consecrated,’ meaning it is set apart to the Lord and must be used judiciously. The money goes toward maintaining Church operation, such as

Constructing temples, chapels, and other buildings.
Funding day-to-day Church function.
Funding the missionary program.
Preparing materials used in Church classes and organizations.
Performing temple work, family history, and many other important Church functions.
Education (Church-owned universities, seminaries, and Institutes of Religion).

You may have noted (I hope with dismay) that the list above does not include giving to the poor and the sick and widows of the world. While tithing does play a role, there are separate funds (fast offerings and humanitarian aid) that primarily fill these needs. We will talk about these other programs in upcoming articles.

Tithing does not pay Church leaders. Nobody acquires wealth at the hands of a Mormon congregation. Bishops, stake presidents, and all other leaders in the Church serve willingly without wages, aside from rich, spiritual blessings. They follow the example of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon who taught that, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God” (see Mosiah 2:17). They support themselves by working in their chosen professions during the week. My dad is a bishop, but on weekdays he also works as a high school counselor. The bishop of my congregation in Logan, UT is an orthopedic surgeon. They both pay tithing too.

Your tithing donation will never be published. Privacy
Tithing is a private matter. We do not pass around a collection plate and we do not publish last week’s earnings in the bulletin. (This really shocked me when I visited a particular non-LDS church service one Sunday). We write out our tithing checks and seal them inside a gray envelope. Then we discreetly hand it or mail it to our bishop. There need not be any pomp for hefty donations nor shame for measly ones. The Lord requires the same from everyone: ten percent. Giving any more or any less is not tithing.

If you have never paid tithing, I encourage you to do it. You can obey this law even if you haven’t been baptized. There is lasting satisfaction in knowing you are supporting the Lord’s work and keeping His law. It is a true token of your faithfulness to Jesus Christ and the blessings that result will help you feel His love for you.

Smoking

Q. Why do you think smoking is so bad? Why is everything so bad?

skullsmoker You sound like a struggling nicotine addict I knew, who wanted me and God and his conscience to stop pestering him to straighten up. By demanding from me an ever-better-but-never-good-enough reason to quit, he was really making for himself an excuse to keep smoking. Sound familiar?

Way deep down, though, you want peace. A quiet conscience and confident self-control. This peace will not come to you as long as you bind yourself to your cigarette master. You know it, but you also know what a terrible and difficult road it is to quit. You have probably tried several times already.

Get help. If you don’t have friends or family who want you to give up smoking, contact the local LDS missionaries. They have a highly-successful stop-smoking program that they will teach you for free, just because it’s their job to help people repent and come closer to Christ and feel the peace that only He can bring.

Don’t focus on the tough road ahead of you. Think of your destination. How wonderful will it be to put your $5 per pack into groceries or gifts for your children? You won’t feel compelled to take a five-minute break every hour. You will start tasting delicious foods again. You will have energy. Your shame and guilt will turn into confidence. Think of how nice it will be not to have to ask the question above; never having to rationalize your habits.