Contributing Author – Page 7 – What Do Mormons Believe?

Why Can’t Mormons Swim on Sunday?

Q. Why can’t Mormons swim on Sunday?

Swimming is something we do mainly for recreation, like sailing, golfing, four-wheeling, and going to the movies. The Lord has asked us to spend one day of our week in worship. Recreation often distracts from this goal. We prefer to find activities that focus our thoughts on the Savior and bring us together as families.

Is there something inherently evil about swimming? No, but we can lose our spiritual balance when we overfill our time with fun-seeking.

The Lord instructed Joseph Smith, “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (D&C 59:9–10). Notice that there is a blessing associated with Sabbath observance, and you can choose to claim it or not. Freedom from the ‘spots’ or moral pollutions of the world is more important to me than swimming.

The blessings of closer communion with God easily outweigh the pleasure I might get playing Marco! Polo! in the community swimming pool (called the ‘Municipool’ where I live), especially when I can enjoy a swim on six other days of the week.

The blessings are not reserved only for Mormons, either. Give it a try and see how you feel. See David’s excellent article on Sabbath Day worship to learn how.

How do we ‘know’?

Today at church we had a testimony meeting. This is a somewhat unique sermon style where the bishop invites the people in the congregation to come to the microphone and share their testimonies or personal witness stories. They simply go up to the front if they feel like they should, and it is usually very uplifting and enlightening. You can learn how the gospel impacts a person directly.

You’ll often hear phrases like, “I know that God lives,” and “I know Jesus died for my sins,” and “I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.” Sometimes visitors come away from these meetings non-plussed by our uber-confident ‘knowledge’ of things. It got me thinking.

Whenever someone says they know something, they are saying they have high confidence that their belief coincides with objective truth. We do this all the time. You say, “I just know the dentist is going to lecture me on flossing” because 1) he’s done it before and 2) you still haven’t been flossing. Your previous experience and the evidence of your behavior lead you to this prediction. There are many ways we gather knowledge; I’ll list a few here for illustration:

Personal experience (five physical senses, sense of balance, pain, hunger, etc.)
Emotion and intuition (love, fear, instinct, etc.)
Experiences of others (advice, anecdotes, biographies, etc.)
Logical and mathematical proofs (a priori)
Found evidence (archeology, historical documents, paleontology, forensics, etc.)
Robust scientific experimentation that controls for all variables (physics, chemistry, etc.)
Scientific experimentation/observation that controls for variables where possible (sociology, political science, economics, etc.)

We all tend to have some level of confidence in these methods, some more than others, depending on many factors, but each of these can lead a person to say “I know…” if the learning method is compelling enough. Even so, many would argue that none of the methods I listed above are capable of producing reliable knowledge of things as transcendent as God. Archeological digs might lend credence to a religious belief, but surely not firm knowledge. These critics have a point, so I would add one more item to the list:

Revelation from God

God speaks to His children in various ways. He gave Joseph prophetic dreams that came true; He spoke to Moses from a burning bush (and also face-to-face). He sent an angel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. Joseph Smith saw and listened to the Father and the Son in a grove of trees.

To Joseph of Egypt, Moses, Mary, Smith and many others, those experiences were indisputable. They had every right to declare, “I know” instead of “I believe,” and they did.

For most of us, though, the glorious visions and visitations of heavenly beings haven’t yet happened. For us, God has promised another form of revelation: a personal witness of spiritual truths through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is available to bear witness of the Father and the Son. “By the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). This witness may be less dramatic or conspicuous than an angelic visitor, but its convincing power may be even more sure than a vision (see Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:151; 1 Nephi 17:45-46). Because of His subtlety, it may take many prompts for you to hear the Holy Ghost and again many more before you trust them enough to say “I know.” But it can happen. This is how I know God lives and that Jesus is the Christ.

You can know, too. Like other modes of learning, it won’t necessarily come in an afternoon of mild curiosity, but it will with dedicated seeking, knocking, and asking over the course of weeks and months and years. Begin now and you will taste the deliciousness that is the knowledge of God.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

In 1830, a young man named Joseph Smith published a book that he claimed was sent from God. That book, the Book of Mormon, contained teachings and prophecies centered on Jesus Christ. It was written for the purpose of “convincing Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting Himself to all nations” (Title Page). It continues to be published to this day and is distributed worldwide in every major language. To me, the Book of Mormon adds an extraordinary amount of spirituality, peace, and insight to my life. It is through the Book of Mormon that I came to understand more clearly the Bible and the role of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Mormon is about a people who left Jerusalem and lost their connection to the prophets of the Bible that lived there. In order to teach this separate people, God called prophets among them. Through their history, each wrote down their own experiences, prophecies and sermons. All the writings were condensed and compiled into a single volume a thousand years later by a prophet named Mormon. That volume, written on gold plates, was buried anciently and retrieved by Joseph Smith by commandment of God. He translated the work though the power of God into English and worked to distribute the book to as many of God’s children as would receive it.

It is through the Book of Mormon that we can more clearly see that Jesus Christ has been known to all of His followers, no matter where or when. The power of the Book of Mormon comes from its witness that Jesus is the savior and redeemer of the world. That witness is given by every one of the prophets in the Book of Mormon. One of those prophets, named Nephi, expressed his reason for writing of Christ.

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (2 Nephi 25:26).

Nephi’s brother, Jacob, expressed similar feelings. “For this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us” (Jacob 4:4).

With such a purpose of this book, it is important to understand clear what it is. I’ve seen that some people refer to our scriptures as the Mormon Bible. This term is confusing because it implies that the Book of Mormon replaces the Holy Bible, which it doesn’t. We believe in and study the Holy Bible (in English, we usually read the King James version) along with the Book of Mormon. The two are inseparably combined and go hand in hand. With both of these resources available, a greater clarity of the scriptures can be understood by those willing to study it out.

For example, in the gospel of Matthew we read that Christ went to John the baptist to be baptized. John realized that if there was anyone ever who never needed baptism for remission of sins, it was Jesus. Yet Jesus was supposed to be baptized, saying, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). What exactly does it mean “to fulfill all righteousness”? A prophet from the Book of Mormon explains it for us: “And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments” (2 Nephi 31:6-7). This is just a single example of many such topics. We learn about Christ’s sacrifice and suffering, the priesthood, faith, the purpose of the law and many others in this book.

The Book of Mormon also teaches us that a testimony of Jesus Christ will protect us. It demonstrates very vividly the promise that the Lord has made to His people as He said, “If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land, but inasmuch as ye do not these things, ye shall be swept off the face of the land.” (See 2 Nephi 1:9-11) This seems to be the overarching theme that is shown by periods of prosperity followed by periods of war and famine, ending ultimately in the complete destruction of a people that had fully rejected Christ in their lives.

In short, every single prophet taught the people about Christ, His mission on earth, His atonement and our eternal indebtedness to Him. They were taught to humble themselves before Him, to learn of Him, to pray to Him, to do His will, and above all, to be as He is. We too can learn the lessons the people of the Book of Mormon were taught, with the added benefit of perspective. Consequences of embracing or leaving behind the gospel of Christ are put in plain view in scripture.

Any way you look at it, the Book of Mormon is phenomenal. In just over 500 pages, a history of a people, spanning about a thousand years, is presented. It is complete with personal stories of its authors, societal issues of an ancient people and above all, prophecy after prophecy and principle after principle relating to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you have not yet read it, please do so at your first possible chance.

“Hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, . . . and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day.” 2 Nephi 33:10-11

http://www.whatdomormonsbelieve.com/2009/02/the-bible/

Missionaries Knock On Your Door: What to Expect

You have probably already met a couple of LDS missionaries. They’re the young men in dark suits and bicycle helmets, or the young ladies wearing skirts; they all have black name tags. Maybe it was at your front door (or your back door, if you live in Wisconsin), or it could have been on the street, or a gas station, or at a friend’s house. They waste no time searching for people to declare the gospel to.

Odds are, you didn’t hear their message. Maybe you were in the middle of repairing your truck, or you were in a bad mood from a long day at the office, or you thought they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Could be you were curious of what they had to say, but didn’t want to let on. Mostly, you didn’t know what to expect.

It’s understandable. I hate being blindsided by unexpected surprises; not knowing what’s coming or how to control it. Missionaries approaching you out of the blue is the epitome of being caught unaware. My hope with this article is 1) to teach you what you can reasonably expect from these young men and women and 2) to give you some ideas of how to act the next time they arrive.

The Greeting

A missionary’s purpose is to share a vital message with you; it’s so important that they dedicate two years of their lives on their own dimes to come present it to you and your neighbors. When they are new to being a missionary, they learn quickly how important trust is. In order for their message to change lives, it must first be heard; for the message to be heard requires a person’s trust. Establishing trust within 15 seconds at a complete stranger’s doorstep is a truly daunting feat!

From my own experience, I can testify that most missionaries are trustworthy. They are typically honest, clean, kind, and very respectful of other’s beliefs. It’s difficult to establish all of this in the first few moments of introduction, but they will try. They will shake your hand, introduce themselves as representatives of the LDS Church, give their names with a smile, and ask to be invited inside for a discussion. The hope is that you will see or feel in them some spark of goodness that will persuade you to give them just one fair hearing. Sometimes it happens, often it doesn’t.

Imagine that you are at this moment of decision: consider your options. If you are like me, your gut will tell you to avoid the hassle, avoid the awkwardness of meeting new people and turn them away. But, if you had a few minutes to weigh the consequences, your sense of adventure might say, “What the heck! They’re no threat; I’ll listen to ’em. I can TiVo American Gladiators tonight.”

I hope that wherever you are, you will decide right now to invite them in next time. Give them a chance. If not, at least be civil. A polite “No, thank you” is exactly as effective as a tirade of verbal abuse at keeping them from returning, so save your energy.

Let’s assume you invite them in. Once inside, they won’t usually dive right into a religious discussion. They will chat politely about your family, your job, hobbies, etc. They will also be glad to answer questions you have about their backgrounds. Ask them where they are from, what they plan to study in college, how long they have been missionaries, etc. Again, they hope to establish a good relationship of trust with you. This isn’t merely a gimmick; they really are interested in you because they hope eventually to become your friends. If there’s one thing Mormon missionaries believe in (besides their message), it’s that everyone is a potential friend. There are people I met on doorsteps as a missionary that I grew to love and I still keep in contact with.

Their Presentation

At some point, the missionaries will change the topic to religion and begin the presentation they arrived on their missions to give. They may request to begin with a prayer in order to invite the Holy Spirit. Because they are guests in your house, they will allow you to decide who should say the prayer and it’s just fine to pick one of them or to say it yourself. Do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Many people assume that the message they have to share will basically mirror a typical sermon from their local pastor, about Jesus suffering on the cross and how we can be saved if we believe in Him. This is central to our beliefs and essential to understand; it will take a prominent role in the lesson, but the missionaries will go deeper into what makes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unique. The message is not only that Jesus saves, but that Jesus speaks.

The lesson is known as the Restoration of the Gospel. Just as this is the first thing the missionaries teach, it was the first thing we published on this website two years ago. Go read it! With more familiarity on the topic beforehand, you will have better comments and questions. You’ll also be better able to listen to the whispering from the Holy Spirit during the meeting.

During the presentation, the missionaries will take turns discussing each topic. It may sound somewhat rehearsed (because they do rehearse it; the rehearsals help them cover the essential points within a reasonable time-frame; their visit will probably last no longer than 20 minutes unless you invite them to stay longer), but I hope you will recognize that the missionaries really believe it. They are committed to it. You can also help them out of rehearsal mode by showing interest and asking them questions along the way.

Future Visits

The missionaries will end their talk by asking you to read from the Book of Mormon, ponder over the message, and pray to God about it. They really don’t expect you to believe them at their word (you are still essentially strangers after all), but they have full confidence that Heavenly Father will confirm the truth through the Holy Ghost. They will want to follow-up and see how He answers you, so they will request a return appointment, usually within a week.

My advice is to take their commitments seriously: read, ponder and pray all week. Asking God if their message is true can do no harm, and it will do plenty of good. Also, get their phone number so you can contact them if you need to reschedule or if you have questions or concerns that just can’t wait.

They have several more lessons, so they hope you will keep inviting them back after each visit. Each subsequent lesson will resemble this first one except a bit longer (maybe up to an hour), they might bring along someone from the local congregation, and every visit you’ll move steadily from complete strangers to solid friends. In fact, I’d wager it won’t be long before you’re asking them to come for dinner.

I’d like to open the comment section to stories of when the Elders or Sisters came to your house for the first time. What was the experience like? What did you learn from it? Have they been back since? If you don’t have a story to share, invite the missionaries over by clicking here!

Prophet: “We are appealing to members to donate”

As you well know, the people of Haiti are in desperate need. The earthquake that hit near the capital has already decimated the population and more are in danger as their injuries and wounds lie unattended. People from around the world have been congregating on the island to help, including an airplane full of returned LDS missionaries who served in Haiti, know people there, and speak the language fluently. Here is a brief account from one of those former missionaries serving as a medical doctor to the Haitian people he loves.

President Thomas S. Monson and his counselors have sent a message to all Mormons to contribute to Church Humanitarian Services, even despite current economic hardships:

Our hearts are filled with sadness as we have watched the suffering in Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake. We turn to the example of Jesus Christ who reached out to “lift up the hands which hang down” and “strengthen the feeble knees.” We are keenly aware that many in America are dealing with economic challenges caused by the recession. However, we are appealing to members to donate to Church Humanitarian Services as their means allow in order to help our Haitian brothers and sisters. Many have already contributed and others are anxious to do so.

Money is not the only need in Haiti. People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite our people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people as urgent aid and reconstruction efforts continue.

I would like to extend this appeal to all those who read this blog.

There are many noble charities you may give to. If you donate to Church Humanitarian Services, one hundred percent of your money will go towards helping those in need. None of it goes to administrative overhead expenses. None. That is where I’ve sent my donation, and I intend to send more as I continue to reevaluate my wants and needs.

Please also pray for the survivors. Distress, panic, and fear are their worst enemies right now. Pray for angels to attend to them. Pray that they will feel Heavenly Father’s love. Pray that they will be given assurance of their future, and ask Him what more you can do.