Joseph Smith – Page 4 – What Do Mormons Believe?

“Except a man be born of water…”

Q. Why would a Lutheran pastor say that a baptism held by the Mormon church might not hold true with all of Christianity?

The best place to go for the answer to this question is a Lutheran pastor. There could be many reasons he would hold such a position, and I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of Lutheran doctrine. However, I will tell you about our beliefs regarding baptism, so that when you talk to the pastor you will be moderately well-informed (in case he doesn’t know the ins and outs of Mormonism).

One thing I want to make clear: baptism is a covenant between an individual and his Heavenly Father. It is not a covenant with the rest of Christianity. Whether any other denomination accepts my baptism is immaterial if I know that it was authorized by God.

But which baptisms does He authorize? I’ll get to that in a moment; first, I’d like to shed a little light on what baptism means and why we do it.

The purpose of baptism

Baptism is found among the very first principles and ordinances of the gospel: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is a token of faith in Christ, and a sign that we have repented of our sins. It is also a prerequisite to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost as a daily, constant companion.

Like I mentioned above, baptism is a covenant (or contract) with God. We promise to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, become one of His people, and to serve God and keep all of His commandments. He promises to forgive us of our sins, to guide us through the Holy Spirit, and to give us eternal life. After baptism, we must be faithful to the promises we made.

jesusbaptized Baptism by water is the gateway to the straight and narrow path leading home to God. Jesus taught, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Being baptized is not optional for salvation. Even Jesus Christ, the holy and perfect Son of God, made this covenant with His Father when He was baptized by John. Why? Nephi, from the Book of Mormon teaches us:

“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 31:7).

Baptism must be done in the right way

How can you be sure your baptism was authorized by God? First, it must be done in the right way.

When Jesus appeared to the people in America (in the Book of Mormon), He very first taught them who He was, followed by detailed instructions on how to properly baptize:

“Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying: ‘Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’ And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water” (3 Nephi 11:23-26).

We’ll talk more about that phrase, “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ” in the next section.

Immersion in water is a key component of baptism. The very word “baptize” comes from the Greek word baptizein, meaning “to immerse.” Immersion is a symbol of death and burial. It represents both the death of our old, sinful life and the death and entombment of the Savior. We come out of the water to symbolize resurrection and rebirth. We have a new, clean life ahead of us. Baptism allows us to start with a clean slate.

Another key to proper baptism is accountability. Baptism must be administered to individuals who understand right and wrong. They must be capable of making and keeping this important covenant with God. Baptism of babies is not only unnecessary — because “little children are alive in Christ” (Moroni 8:12), and “of such is the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:14) — it is condemned. Babies are whole; they are not capable of committing sin. It is a wicked thought to say that one baby is saved and another condemned because the parents baptized the first and not the second (see Moroni 8).

Baptism must be done by authority

“We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof” (Article of Faith 5). We call this God-given authority ‘Priesthood.’ It is what allows a baptism on earth to be counted in heaven.

Not everyone holds the priesthood, though. After the deaths of the twelve Apostles, the authority to baptize was lost for hundreds of years.

The Lord never intended for it to be lost forever. When Joseph Smith was translating 3 Nephi 11, where it mentions, “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ…” he and his scribe, Oliver went to the banks of the Susquehanna river to ask the Lord for more information about this authority.

parson-aaronic-priesthood-2_hr An angel appeared to them both. He said he was John the Baptist, and laying his hands on their heads, he said, “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins…” (Doctrine & Covenants 13).

The priesthood authority for baptism has been passed down from the prophet Joseph through the laying on of hands ever since. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is today the only church with the power to authoritatively baptize anyone for the remission of sins. This is the reason we send missionaries all over the world, including to the doors of faithful Christians. We hope to take the preparation of the gospel they’ve received and supplement it with the restored priesthood power and revelations from a living prophet.

We make baptism available to any who desire it. Please contact your local missionaries to set up an authorized baptism for yourself and your family.

The Restoration

The Lord follows every apostasy with a new dispensation and a restoration of authority. Here is a short film produced by the Church which shows how the current dispensation was opened through the young man, Joseph Smith.

This is the second half of the same film.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

Heavenly Father will answer your prayers, too. Ask Him whether Joseph Smith was a prophet.

The Prophetic Calling

The Living Prophet: Thomas S. Monson Q. Respectfully, what makes Mr. Monson the modern day living prophet? Is it blood lines? Is he descended from the original prophet? In other words, how was he chosen to be your prophet? Thank you. -Patricia

Thank you for your question, Patricia. This is a very important topic, and I’m glad you asked about it. In any kind of leadership role, leaders ascend to their position through some kind of process. In a monarchy, the title is held by the royal family. Some governments are headed by military commanders, having taken control through force and intimidation, and others enter their reign through buttering up the bourgeoisie, etc. In a democracy, they are elected by a majority-vote of the people.

Democracy works pretty well, so we give it high props in America, but it isn’t perfect, since it often turns into a popularity contest. Instead of being led by the most popular candidate, what if we were led by the best or most qualified individual? Someone who has every citizen’s interest at heart, doesn’t care for the throne, and isn’t worried about re-election. Unfortunately, these people are rarely found in modern politics, and even if they were how would we collectively and reliably identify them?

In the LDS Church, our leader is Jesus Christ. He is active and involved in making decisions and developing policies. He wants what is best for us and we trust Him in this role. We don’t believe He will abuse His power. Ever. This is called “having faith in Christ.”

Moses was being prepared for his role long before he knew it. One of the most crucial decisions He makes is whom He should call to lead the Church on earth. Anciently, he called Moses through the spectacular vision of the burning bush. But we know He had been preparing Moses long before then. As an infant, Moses was rescued from Pharaoh’s execution order. Before Moses was even born, we believe he had been foreordained in the pre-mortal realm to become a great prophet to the children of Israel. We believe every prophet was called and foreordained prior to birth (see Jeremiah 1:5).

Joseph Smith was similarly prepared to reinstate the gospel in its fullness in the 1830’s and 40’s. The visions and visitations he received (from age 14 on) were no less remarkable than Moses’ were, and we can be assured of his calling through study and prayer. The Holy Ghost will always testify of the truth, and you may learn from Him whom the Lord has chosen as prophet if you will make it a matter of devoted prayer.

After Joseph was martyred, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who all held the requisite priesthood keys, became the governing body of the Church until a new prophet and president of the Church was revealed by God to the Twelve: Brigham Young. This same process is used every time a prophet dies.

Last spring, President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away at the age of 97. He was loved by all, having served as president for nearly 13 years. Upon his death, the First Presidency (i.e. the executive head of the Church comprised of the prophet and two trusted counselors) was dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assumed responsibility. Shortly after the funeral, they all met together in fasting and prayer in the Salt Lake City Temple and after requesting revelation from the Lord, unanimously selected Thomas Spencer Monson to lead the Church as the next prophet. We have faith that this was Christ’s own decision made manifest to the Apostles of the Lord. (For a similar example, see the calling of Matthias in Acts 1:23-26)

We understand that nobody the Lord calls is perfect. President Monson doesn’t know everything and he isn’t error-free in his judgment, but he is among the best we have on earth right now. We look to him as a watchman on a tower. He is a seer. Because of his calling and his close relationship with the Savior (developed over a lifetime of discipleship and preparation), he can see things past, present, and future that are not obvious to us. There is safety in following the prophet, and we hope you will take the opportunity to listen to his wise counsel.

Joseph Smith and Authority

Keys Q. What kind of a God would go through all the trouble of Salvation, teach his apostles so many things, and wait until 1820 to give Joseph Smith authority? That, my friends, does not make sense. I am really worried about you guys and I will truly pray for you. You know nothing of Church history or the teachings of Christ who by the way wanted his apostles to spread his good news. Why would he then wait for Joseph Smith?

I am glad that you asked this question. It is apparent that there has been misunderstanding of what we believe. God didn’t wait to give his authority to Joseph Smith. The original 12 apostles had the authority, but it was not passed on after their deaths. We believe that God restored his authority through Joseph Smith.

In answering this question, I first need to define apostasy. According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, apostasy is “An abandonment of what one has voluntarily professed; a total desertion or departure from one’s faith, principles, or party.” Evidence that there was apostasy happening at the time of the apostles (Acts 20:29-31, 1 Cor. 11:18, Galatians 1:6-7, 2 Tim. 1:15, 2 Tim. 2:16-18, 1 John 2:18-19) and that the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ would be lost over time (2 Thess. 2:1-3, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim 4:3-4, Amos 8:11-12) is evident from study of the New and Old Testaments.

The priesthood, or the God-given authority to act in His name, is a crucial part of the foundation upon which the Church of Jesus Christ must be built. For instance, In Matthew 16:18-19 we discover that Christ gave unto Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” In other verses of the New Testament we read that conferral of authority to another was marked by the laying on of hands of him who held the authority to do so (1 Tim. 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6, Heb. 6:2). Furthermore, in Hebrews we read “No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Heb. 5:4). It is clear that there are several things that the early Church had: God-given authority to act in God’s name, this authority gave those men who held it the right to administer the ordinances of the church and it was passed from the prophet/apostles to other men by the laying on of hands.

Jesus Christ ordaining the Twelve Apostles

After Christ’s death the apostles did what they were commissioned to do: spread the Gospel to all of the earth. However, as a consequence of martyrdom and geographical separation, the priesthood keys were not passed on. The early bishops of the church did not have the apostolic authority that Peter, James and John did, or else they would have been called apostles. For example, Linus the first bishop of Rome (often assumed to be the head of the church after Peter’s death), according to Eusebius of Caesarea, was a bishop (i.e. a local congregation’s minister), not an apostle (Church History, Book III, Chapter II). Eusebius, while he calls these early bishops successors of the apostles, he speaks of these bishops as men who were called to lead that particular group of people under the direction and guidance of the apostles (Church History, Book III, Chapter IV). Now, I am not saying that Linus or any of the other bishops were bad men, but what I am trying to say is that with the apostles and the keys of the kingdom gone, there was no clear direction from God on how to run the Church. I am sure they did the best that they could, but eventually there began to be major disagreements in the church. This is evident by the Council of Nicaea, which met in part to discuss the Arian controversy. The disagreement was centered on the relationship between the Father and the Son. This issue would have been resolved very quickly had there been a prophet who could receive divine revelation and held the authority to determine church doctrine. As it was, Constantine, the Emperor with no ecclesiastical authority took the lead in the council and made them come to a decision.

Take the example of Peter making doctrinal decisions from Acts chapter 11; it is clear that Peter held the keys to decide such matters. He received a revelation that the Gospel was to go to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Those present at the meeting accepted Peter’s statement, because they recognized that he held the authority to institute practices and doctrine for the entire Church. The process was simple, and it was not a matter of politics. This pattern was repeated in Acts 15. Had there been a prophet on the earth in the fourth century, there would have been no need for the Council of Nicaea. How could something so fundamental as the character of God and his Son come into question by the leaders of Christ’s church? This alone is evidence enough that the leaders of the church at that time did not have the authority to receive revelation from God for the church, nor did they have the authority to act in his name.

Christ didn’t waste his time, nor did the apostles. Rather, there was an apostasy. This pattern has been repeated numerous times through history. We see it with Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses and so on. God calls a prophet to teach the people and gives him authority. Some people accept what the prophet has taught, but eventually the people turn from the truth. No one had the authority to speak in God’s name nor did they have the authority to administer the ordinances necessary for salvation after the original twelve apostles were killed. True, there were many men who tried to reform what they thought was the truth, but these men were not called of God as the ancient prophets were.

In addition to the above evidences of apostasy, Peter taught that at some future time there will be a restoration or ‘restitution of all things’ (Acts 3:21). In order for a restoration to occur, there had to be a loss. Thus, according to the scriptures and prophets, there would be an apostasy and then there would be a restoration of not only the truth, but of all things (Ephesians 1:10).

In 1820, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and called him to the work. He was given the priesthood authority—that is, he was given the keys of the kingdom. Through Joseph Smith, Christ’s church has once again been established on earth. The keys of the kingdom that Joseph Smith held have been passed in an unbroken chain down to the current prophet, seer, revelator and president of the church. The Living Prophet: Thomas S. Monson His name is Thomas S. Monson; we have a quorum of twelve apostles who spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world. They are called of God and set apart by the laying on of hands by those who have the authority to pass the priesthood on.

We have a massive missionary force, almost 53,000-strong, who are in nearly every country in the world. They all proclaim that God has once again spoken to his people through a prophet and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was lost through apostasy, is once again upon the earth. We proclaim that Jesus lives and that he is the Savior of all mankind and that all can partake of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (by someone holding priesthood authority).

I hope this answers your question and clears up your confusion. Think about what I have written. God knows if it’s true. Ask Him about it in prayer. I invite you to contact the missionaries who are in your area by going to this website and entering your information. A pair of young men or young women will come to your door to teach you further about what we believe. Thanks for your inquiry.

Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants

A question was input into the illustrious question box (that rectangular thing on the right there) as to what the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants are. Well, A) they’re books and B) having perused both of them multiple times I feel qualified to explain the following:

monson_medium Firstly and foremostly, in order to understand these books it must be understood that we believe that God still speaks to man. There is a prophet on the earth today (Thomas S. Monson by name, as seen in the lovely picture) who receives revelation directly from God for the people of our day and age.

Ok. The Pearl of Great Price is a sort of hodgepodge of articles and publications that concern our faith and doctrine. It contains, among other things, Joseph Smith’s account of his First Vision when God and Jesus Christ appeared to him in the spring of 1820. It also contains the Book of Abraham: a translation of some ancient Egyptian papyri that Joseph Smith acquired, which contain writings fasc of the ancient patriarch Abraham. This book sheds fascinating new light on pre-earth life and the creation (click here). Way cool times three. It’s also got some nifty facsimiles like this one on the left.

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations from God to the Prophet Joseph Smith as well as to some of his successors. It also contains inspired declarations made by these same men. We regard it is as a book of scripture like the Bible because it is the writings of prophets inspired by God. It’s a truly remarkable book in that we can hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to man in our modern day. Some of my favorite passages from the book include this, Joseph Smith’s testimony of Jesus Christ and this here, a trio of verses that keep me motivated.

But, as Reading Rainbow would remind us, you don’t have to take my word for it—be your own judge, read from the Pearl of Great Price here, the Doctrine and Covenants here.