commandments – Page 2 – What Do Mormons Believe?

The Sons and Daughters of God

While studying the scriptures recently, one particular point was brought to my attention that I would like to share with you today. In the book of Revelation it is often mentioned that in the midst of all the plagues, destruction, and ruin, that there will be those that overcome the world.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:7).

There are numerous other references to those great people who were clothed in white, who praised God and who were blessed by Him. What stuck out to me, however, was the statement, “and he shall be my son.” In a previous article titled, “Is Jesus the only son of God?” on this site, the nature of our relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ was explained. Our opportunity to become sons and daughters of God was listed as the third point. This is the entire reason behind our beliefs and the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As the apostle John wrote, “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). To become a son of God, in this sense, is to be like our Savior. This is our ultimate goal for this life and all that we do ought to progress us further in pursuing that goal.

That goal, however, is impossible to achieve alone. In and of ourselves, we do not merit anything remotely approaching a return to our Father in Heaven or to be called sons of God. In spite of everything we could ever do, our mistakes and imperfections prevent us from ever returning to our God. He did not send us out from His presence for the purpose of losing us though. His perfect plan accounted for our weakness by including the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

It is through Christ’s suffering in Gesthemene and His death on the cross that He became our advocate to the Father. Without Christ, we would have to accept all the consequences of our actions, that includes being forever separated from God. Christ paid the price of justice on our behalf, making us debtors to Him and no longer to sin. Sin would condemn us forever, but Christ has set His own conditions that allow us to obtain mercy. Those conditions that He gave us are simple enough. He wants us to give Him our will, the only thing we really have of ourselves to give Him. He asked us to believe in His name, love Him, keep His commandments, enter into covenants, and to repent.

To fulfill those requirements He has given us, it first requires faith on our part. Faith in His name and in His word causes us to follow His teachings, repenting when necessary. Repentance leads to baptism which prepares an individual to receive the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost provides the guidance we need to further emulate Christ, particularly in serving our fellow man.

When baptized, an individual makes certain covenants or agreements with the Lord. We agree to take His name upon ourselves and to always remember Him. Taking His name upon us is a major step in becoming a son or daughter of God. It means to act in His behalf and do as He would do. If we are true and faithful to His name throughout our lives, we will become like He is. We will be like our Father, just as we are commanded to be (Matt 5:48).

This is a great truth that has sustained me in this life. We have infinite potential! Even the lowest, meanest person on earth is spiritually a son of God and can become like Him. We should all take strength in this knowledge and be faithful to it. The greatest blessings of Heaven and Earth are available to the faithful.

Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? -Abinadi (Mosiah 15:11-12)

The Standard of God

I have often found in this wide world, that many people don’t understand the Mormon way of living. This is evident based just on the question, “what can’t Mormons do?” as if restrictions on behavior is something strange. Well, first off, it isn’t to me. Not very much. It isn’t strange to me that I don’t smoke, drink, gamble, cheat, or steal and that I do go to church, pay tithing, read scriptures, stay chaste and so forth. That is the standard by which I live. Everybody has a standard, or guidelines by which they make their decisions. So then, why did I choose my standard? Let me explain it to you.

First and foremost, God has a standard. He has a way of living that He wants for us. He has revealed, and continues to reveal, that way of living to prophets throughout the ages. Through Moses, He instructed the children of Israel to obey a strict set of laws. Jesus Christ instructed the Jews a different (and better) way of living that relied more on developing a good heart that dictates good actions. I don’t doubt that that same Being inspired Buddha, Mohammad or Confucius to teach their respective peoples a better way of living.

Here’s the important part: God does this so that His own children might be happy. That’s right; God gives rules for you to be happy. If He can persuade His children to lift their way of living to a higher level, even on just a single point, it brings Him joy because they are living up to a standard that is naturally better. It isn’t so much that God will punish those who break commandments; the commandments are there to prevent actions that cause damage. If I do action “A” then “B” will be a result. If “B” is good, then God wishes us to do “A,” otherwise He must forbid it.

There are several problems people see with this standard. First, they don’t see beneficial results from supposedly good actions, nor do they see bad results from bad actions. Then they wonder why the standards are there in the first place. Patience. That’s why we believe in personal revelation. We can ask our Heavenly Father if such a thing is for us. After receiving an answer, we trust in that answer and believe that someday, somehow, that trust will be for our good.

Second, many people find themselves not living in harmony with their beliefs. That is, everybody eventually finds themselves where their actions don’t line up with what they know they should be doing. They then have a choice. They could change their actions, or change their beliefs. Either will relieve the situation and not doing either will always result in misery. You would be the most wretched person if you constantly wish to be unchaste while acting in celibacy. Or you could be miserable believing that you ought not to drink alcohol while sitting at the bar getting drunk. The key is to alter the action that is keeping us from God instead giving up His standard.

Third, when we make a poor decision, we naturally are loathe to accept the consequences for that action. We would like to get the benefit of something we didn’t do and avoid the penalty for something we did do. It is true that Christ’s atonement allows us to repent and avoid the dire consequences of our actions, most especially being separated from God, but it is definitely easier to prevent making a mess of our lives than to work through the repentance process. The time spent destroying spirituality could be spent building it up instead. God’s standard helps us reap blessings with the time we have and not to spend it in trials and pain.

So in light of all this, it is imperative that each of us keep to the standard of God and stick to it. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there for us in our moments of weakness and to pick us up at our worst moments, if we are just willing to accept help. It will be uncomfortable, there is no doubt there, but growth means growing pains. The path of least resistance is quite comfortable, but doesn’t lead to the desired end. We desire a better end, a more excellent way and one that brings a life of real joy and satisfaction. That is why we do the things we do and try our best to live according to God’s standard.

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.

To Sing a Song of Redeeming Love

There are times in my life when feelings are particularly poignant towards my Savior. I read the scriptures, I pray and and I try the best I can to do His will and I ask myself, as Alma once asked, “if [I] have experienced a change of heart, and if have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can [I] feel so now?.” (Alma 5:26) The answer at times may be yes or no. I certainly try to keep that feeling to sing a song of redeeming love concerning my Savior. It is difficult, yes, but the rewards are infinite in scope and value.

The price to pay for these rewards is ourselves. Our Heavenly Father asks us to be humble and penitent toward Him and to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. When we give ourselves, our will and our lives, to Christ, He gives them right back to us in a purer condition and also with His blessings. These might be spiritual blessings such as peace in one’s heart or also blessings of prosperity and success. It is important to realize that He allows us to retain our freedom even when we give ourselves to Him.

This is diametrically opposed to the manner the world sees it and how the world operates. Many things petition us for our time, energy and will that will enslave us and will never set us free willingly. I have seen families destroyed by abuse of alcohol and individuals reduced to nothing because of all kinds of destructive habits. There is no real freedom there.

The power to free us remains in Christ. We must choose Him to become free spiritually. “But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son.” (Alma 12:33) That mercy will allow us to break the chains that hold us down and to destroy habits that enslave.

All can be free through Christ. It truly is a glorious prospect, and not one that comes easy. It takes a sincere desire to change one’s being, from thought to action, and, more importantly, the humility to understand the powerlessness one has in a current situation. But where there is a lack of power and ability, Christ makes up the difference. “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Nephi 1:15) From binding chains to arms that embrace is a reality that does happen. I know it does. I have seen it, I have felt it and I can’t imagine a better way to show my appreciation for it than by sharing it.

Consistency

As you can see, Freddy Rodriguez consistently exercised his right arm, but not his left.

It has been difficult for me to come up with a topic to write on this month. There has been a lot of change in my and my family’s life in the last month. Change always brings adjustment for me—adjustment to a new schedule, new places, new activities. Interestingly, it is during these times that it is hardest for me to be consistent in those things that provide a solid foundation in my life, namely scripture study and prayer. However, it is consistently doing the right things in life that brings the richest of experiences and the greatest of blessings. By and large, one cannot experience the complete blessings of a commandment or good activity until it is done consistently.

When one is consistent at exercising for an extended period of time, exercise becomes an integral part of that person’s life. Sure, one may miss a day here or there, but consistent exercise over time brings benefits that can only be known and felt by that person. In the same manner, consistently adhering to God’s commandments, whether it is studying the scriptures daily, or being meek and lowly of heart continually, will bring blessings, peace, and joy that only that person can know.

If you don’t know what I am talking about, or have yet to experience the sweet fruit of consistency, pick a commandment that you could polish a little, or a good activity, like exercise, and live it daily. Do it consistently for a week, then a month, then 3 months, then a year. You will look back on that time and realize that you have truly changed, because something good; something God-like has become an integral part of you. In some small way you will have fulfilled Christ’s commandment to “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 6:48).