Queston Box: Definition of Scripture

Question:  How many divine writings are there for Mormons? Which are the most authoritative? Do the Scriptures for Mormons evolve or are they set never to change?

True to the Faith, a book published by the Church, defines Scriptures as follows:

“When holy men of God write or speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, their words “shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:4). The official, canonized scriptures of the Church, often called the standard works, are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.”

In addition to the four standard works above, we listen to the words of living prophets and apostles every six months in a general conference of the Church.  They give us the counsel and words of Christ we need for the specific problems we are facing today – for example there just wasn’t the internet or video games or a TV to deal with when the Bible and Book of Mormon were written.  We consider this modern counsel to be scripture as well.

We are told that our purpose in life and our Heavenly Father’s  “work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).  We gain eternal life by exercising faith in Christ, repenting of our sins to become like Christ, and by making covenants (two-way promises between us and God) through ordinances such as baptism.  These principles taught to us in the scriptures have always existed and will never change.

On the other hand, specific commandments can be revoked.  Two well-known examples include:  1) After Abraham demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, the command was revoked and a ram was used instead,  2) After Christ came, the law of Moses was fulfilled and the sacrament was introduced instead to remind us of the atonement.  If a commandment for the Church needs to be revoked or changed or even added today, it will be presented in general conference – most likely by the prophet President Monson.

The standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) and the words of modern apostles and prophets all complement and support each other as the Lord’s scripture.  As far as what we consider to be the most “authoritative”, that question would only be an issue as far as specific commandments are given (like what I talked about above).  Then the Lord’s most recent word would be what we would follow.  For instance, after Christ fulfilled and did away with the law of Moses, we don’t follow that law of Moses in the Old Testament anymore.  However, we still read and study the Old Testament as scripture for the eternal laws and principles taught there that teach us how to be like Christ – like the ten commandments.  If President Monson were to give us a new specific commandment, we would consider it to now be the Lord’s will on the matter.

Question Box: Prayer and Salvation

Q. Do mormons believe in salvation? Do they believe in asking God to come into your heart? Who do they pray to?

Yes, Mormons do believe in salvation. We believe that mankind may be saved through Jesus Christ and may live in the presence of God provided that we are prepared for it.

Asking God to come into your heart is a valid request but it must be noted that God has a physical body and so cannot actually dwell in our hearts. Intead, He sends the Holy Ghost to comfort us and accompany us.

Mormons pray to God, the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Is the LDS Church just another Christian Church

The following is my own opinion, but it is what one Mormon believes, so I think it can still be posted on this website.

We recently got a nice comment from a woman who used to be a member of our Church, but has since becoming involved in another, more mainstream Christian Church.  She wrote about her “new eyes and strong desire to help others come unto Christ [the same way that she has].”  It was really nice to read, actually. And I’m grateful that she commented because it gave me a chance to think about what she is advocating.  As a member of a church that proclaims to be the “only true and living church on the face of the earth” (D&C 1:30) it is sometimes hard to wrap my head around the fact that someone could leave this “fully true” church for a “partly true” church.  (Don’t get all offended, I’ll explain my labels).

There are at least two parts to our church:  the human part and the inspired part.  The human part is honestly just like any other Christian Church.  There are fellowship meetings, get-togethers, sermons by people who have some pet virtue they want to beat into the parishioners heads.  Sometimes the church is amazing in this realm.  Sometimes people reach out to new people and bring them into their warm circle of friends and fellowship.  Sometimes seven different people come up to you during the first 14 minutes of church when you are visiting just to introduce themselves (thank you, Abilene Texas 3rd ward!  You guys were awesome!).  Sometimes there are incredible choral programs for Christmas and Easter.  Sometimes someone’s sermon changes your life for good.  Sometimes you find your closest friends through the Home or Visiting Teaching programs.

And sometimes, honestly, the human parts stink.  People are flawed.  And they bring those flaws to the church–especially in the LDS Church where everything is run by the members–a lay clergy, volunteers in every single role from the tiniest nursery tots all the way to the High Priests Group nodding off in the back row.  So that means that every person’s flaws and weaknesses are somehow incorporated into the functioning Church body (as well as their good qualities, but that observation belongs in the paragraph above).  And so, for people like the woman I mentioned above, visiting a warm and welcoming  congregation, perhaps with a social following the service and all sorts of ancillary programs to sign up for, may seem like a shocking difference (especially if her LDS ward was the opposite of the Abilene Texas 3rd Ward).  And it might seem like that church is more true.  More full and lively.  And it probably is more full and lively.  As far as fellowship and sociality goes, the Mormons don’t claim to have a monopoly.  Other churches are simply outstanding at uplifting and professional sermons, providing like-minded friends, urging people to lead honest and moral lives.   I don’t think any Mormon would argue otherwise; and if the human part of our church were the only part, then the answer to my post title is Yes.  It is just another Christian Church.

But there is another part to the church: the inspired part.  And this is the part that separates it from the “partly true churches” that have great human components.  God the Father and Jesus Christ really did restore the Church of Jesus Christ back to the earth through Prophets.  The Prophet really does speak to deity.  That’s an important distinction.  The organization of the church below them with Apostles, Seventies, Elders and so on is truly inspired.  It works on a small scale and it works globally.  I don’t think that Joseph Smith could have come up with that one on his own. The temples are also inspired.  Probably the most important element of the inspired part–that which makes it the true church–is the performance of saving ordinances:  Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Sacrament, Temple Endowment, Temple Sealing.  These things are HUGE.  It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been to an LDS temple why they are so important, but it’s like having the map back to heaven, printed in your own language.  The temple is the point of having the Church back on the earth at all.  This is what makes the LDS Church the “only true and living church on the face of the earth.”

However, sometimes even members of the LDS Church miss this.  They see only the human parts and if they aren’t comparable to the other Christian Churches around their neighborhood  then it only makes sense to switch.  Being a member of the LDS church matters if those saving ordinances like baptism and temple ordinances are important to you.  They are important to me.  They give me security and increase my faith in Christ.  I know that He will do what He has promised to do because I’ve covenanted with Him to follow Him and He is always true to His covenants.  Those ordinances mean that I have a constant companion all the time: the Holy Ghost.  He leads me, comforts me and corrects me.  My temple marriage means the world to me because my little family means the world to me: if my road cycling husband were killed in an accident, I have God’s promise that we will be together again in the next life.  And I trust that.  I won’t even start to imagine losing one of my cherubic children because its too painful to contemplate, but we will be together for eternity too.  And when I die, because of what I have learned in the temple and covenanted to do, I have full confidence that I’ll be privileged to meet my Savior.  That is so important to me.

Way more important than how successful the ward party was and if today’s sermon wasn’t given as tactfully as I would have liked it. But that is my preference.  Everyone is entitled to their own priorities and I won’t condemn you for yours if you don’t condemn me for mine.

 

Brigham Young University’s Honor Code: Integrity and Athletics

Recently, the nation has been talking about a series of recent events at Brigham Young University (BYU), a college of 30,000+ students located in Provo, Utah. BYU is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and (as of last week) featured the third-ranked men’s basketball team in America, as well as (arguably) the nation’s best player, Jimmer Fredette. On Tuesday, March 1, as the BYU Cougars were gearing up for a possible run at the NCAA basketball Final Four, news broke that the team’s starting center, 19-year-old Brandon Davies, had been suspended for a “BYU Honor Code violation.” Several news sources later reported that Davies’ violation consisted of premarital sex with his girlfriend.

For the past several days, newspapers, blogs, celebrities, and individuals all over the country have been sharing reaction, thoughts, and opinions about Brigham Young University, the Honor Code, and Davies’ suspension. In this post, we’d like to help set the record straight by answering a number of questions that we’ve seen in a variety of locations.

What is Brigham Young University, and what is the Honor Code?

BYU is a private university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in Provo, Utah, 98.5% of its students are LDS. These students come from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 different countries. The Honor Code is a code of conduct that BYU students are required to sign if they wish to attend the university. It is meant to help keep the atmosphere on campus consistent with the teachings of the LDS Church and includes standards on being honest, living a chaste and virtuous life, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, and using clean language. All students are required to renew their commitment to the Honor Code each year by signing a form before being able to register for classes. The Honor Code website says: “Violations of the Honor Code may result in actions up to and including separation from the university.”

Note that not everything in the Honor Code corresponds to a doctrinal teaching in the LDS Church, although most of the standards in the Honor Code—including strict adherence to the Law of Chastity—do have their basis in the doctrines of the Church.

Do all college-aged Mormons sign the Honor Code, or only those at BYU?

An Honor Code of some sort exists at all of the colleges operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but students who don’t go to a Church-owned school do not sign an official Honor Code. I went to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for a semester before I decided to transfer to BYU. At UMass, there was no Honor Code, but because of my beliefs and standards as a member of the Church, I adhered to most or all of the elements of the Honor Code even though I was not at a Church-operated school. (I ultimately transferred because I wanted to be around more people my age who shared my beliefs, including adherence to many of the standards in the Honor Code.)

How can you possibly go through college with no drugs, no sex, and even no coffee?

It’s not always easy for everyone, but it’s often not as hard as it sounds—especially at BYU, where members of the Church are surrounded by many others who feel the same way they do. Tens of thousands of students do it every year. (And it’s not just for Mormons. My sister, a Unitarian, spent her freshman year at a small liberal arts college in New England living in a dorm that had a non-religious honor code that forbade most of these same things.) See this post and this post for an explanation of why we believe that premarital sex and certain substances don’t need to be a part of “growing up in America today.” I’ll tell you one thing: I’m extremely grateful for the principles behind the Honor Code. And yes, I had plenty of fun in college without promiscuous sex or drugs/alcohol.

Note that caffeine, although not served on BYU campus, is not explicitly against the Honor Code, and I (for one) enjoy a good caffeinated Diet Coke and/or Dr. Pepper from time to time. So why no coffee or tea? There are a number of potential reasons, but as Dave wrote on this blog, “The Lord doesn’t often provide a clear why with His commandments. If you believe the Lord said it, then you’ll just have to trust Him. Frankly, He would know.”

Does Brandon Davies’ suspension mean that someone “told on him?”

Absolutely not. This has been one of the main criticisms of BYU during the past few days by those who likely don’t understand the Honor Code or the environment at BYU. It is extremely rare for someone to be “reported” to school authorities for a violation of the Honor Code. One of the most important beliefs present in Mormonism is that of individual responsibility. Those who violate the Honor Code are invited to follow their own standards, and to remember that they promised to live by these rules before they came to school. In fact, many of these principles are core to Mormons’ faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. In Davies’ case, he felt genuine, personal remorse over having violated what he believes (and we agree with him!) to be a commandment of God. I can certainly tell you from personal experience that, when things aren’t right between me and my Heavenly Father, my first priority is always to fix the situation. That’s how Davies felt, according to those close to the situation.

Technically, he didn’t need to talk to his bishop—again, confession is voluntary—but he wanted to make things right between himself and his God; nobody could possibly have “told on him,” and nobody was trying to get him suspended due to any sense of self-righteousness or vengefulness. As a church leader at BYU, Davies’ bishop is obligated to approach university authorities when any student (basketball player, artist, engineer, or otherwise) violates one of the most important elements of the Honor Code, which is what this bishop did.

In rare cases where someone (for a variety of reasons, most of them bad) reports another student to university authorities, the school takes no action unless the person willingly and contritely admits to the violation (or unless there is hard and irrefutable evidence of a violation). There is no coercion or pressure put on students to confess such things, and nothing is done based on hearsay.

Is it BYU policy to publish the specifics of an Honor Code transgression?

All of these proceedings are typically handled privately, with extreme concern for the emotional and spiritual well-being of the student. It is regrettable in the extreme that Davies’ personal spiritual life became a matter of public interest. That should never have happened. Note that BYU took care not to release information about the nature of Davies’ Honor Code violation; when asked, BYU officials would only say “that Davies wasn’t involved in anything criminal that resulted in his dismissal from the team.” Information about the sexual nature of the violation came from an unknown source, but definitely not through official Brigham Young University channels.

Would Davies’ have been suspended for any violation of the Honor Code?

Almost certainly not. I’ve heard this question in a variety of forms over the past couple of days. Because the powers of procreation are so sacred, the Law of Chastity is one of the most important tenets of Mormon life. That’s the primary reason why the Honor Code takes that particular commandment so seriously.

Why are the standards different for a BYU student than they are for a member of the Church?

For the most part, the standards are no different for a BYU student, but the consequences may be. Attendance at BYU (and participation on its sports teams) is dependent on a student’s willingness to live by the Honor Code. In this case and others, a young person sought to begin the repentance process—just as any member of the Church might—but because Davies had agreed to uphold the Honor Code, there was an additional consequence that a non-student would not face. The Law of Chastity (and most of the Honor Code) reflects standards held by all members of the Church. Even though I am not a BYU student anymore, I still believe that my Heavenly Father wants me to keep the commandments described in the Honor Code, and I try to do so. (There are a few Honor Code rules that don’t correspond to church doctrine, such as rules surrounding facial hair for men, but that isn’t the issue here.)

Does everyone at BYU live by the Honor Code all the time?

Of course not. We’re all human, and that means we’re imperfect. We slip up. We fail. I don’t know anybody who lived by the entire Honor Code for four consecutive years while I was at BYU. It’s hard to do! But we certainly try. When we make mistakes, we repent. The fact that we all sin is one reason why the BYU community has been so loving toward Brandon Davies since this news broke. The two BYU basketball games since his suspension was announced have been filled with fans holding signs supporting Davies and letting him know that we want to see him come back strong (both athletically and spiritually), and that to at least a certain extent, each of us knows what he’s going through.

Couldn’t they have dealt with this after the basketball season?

Sure. Or they could have brushed it under the rug entirely. One NBA star weighed in and encouraged BYU to “let it slide” because Davies is just a kid. That isn’t the point. When students come to BYU, they agree to live by these standards. If BYU sacrifices its integrity just to keep a player on the basketball floor for a few weeks, then what does it stand for? It would become just like the large number of other colleges and universities throughout the country who do this sort of thing all the time. If you look around, you see student-athletes who get arrested for serious crimes and miss a game or two (or none at all!). You see teams vacating seasons and going on probation, and you see star players giving back awards that they won, only after scandals come to light. You see coaches who violate NCAA rules (to which they have also agreed) and are met with a minor slap on the wrist and are glorified by their fans.

BYU is different. It was designed to be different—a place where young people could come and succeed academically, athletically, and spiritually. BYU men’s basketball head coach Dave Rose explained it this way: “A lot of people try to judge if this is right or wrong, but it’s a commitment they make. It’s not about right or wrong, it’s about commitment.”

So yes, BYU could have done the questionable thing by dealing with this after the season and would have certainly enjoyed better odds of going deep into the NCAA tournament, but that isn’t what the university stands for. And, frankly, doing so wouldn’t have been fair to Davies, who wanted to deal with this situation right away regardless of the consequences.

A number of media members and national pundits have applauded BYU for valuing integrity more than winning. One wrote, “There should be respect for a school that stands by its values, apparently without any athletic department member saying, ‘Yeah, but what will this do to our [basketball ranking]?'”

Now that the BYU basketball team is clearly struggling, why not reinstate Davies?

See previous answer. It comes down to integrity. Either the commandments of God are important to BYU, or they aren’t. If they are important (and I promise you that they are), then you need to stick with the program, and you can’t waver just because there is a big carrot dangling in front of your nose. Believe it or not, there are still some things more important than basketball. (And I say that as a die-hard sports fan who is as big a BYU fan as anyone.)

Does an Honor Code violation mean that you are kicked out of school or shunned on campus?

In most cases, it actually means the opposite. As BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe described the situation with Brandon Davies, “The first thing we did was put our arms around him.” Davies (and anyone who violates the Honor Code) will be treated with love, respect, and compassion, not with derision, exclusion, or spite. As I mentioned above, you can see this in the way that BYU students and fans have responded to this news. Hundreds have joined Facebook groups such as one entitled “We Love Brandon Davies,” not to complain about the Honor Code, but rather to show their support for both the Honor Code and for a tremendous young man who deserves every bit of the kindness he is receiving.

It’s also worth noting that BYU president Cecil O. Samuelson, a church authority at nearly the highest level, took a whole day off of work last week to spend it with Brandon Davies to make sure he was doing well, given not only his transgression and the suspension, but also the unfortunate news leaks surrounding the nature of his Honor Code violation.

There may be a few small-minded and self-righteous people who would look down on someone for having violated the Honor Code, but that attitude is not in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Also, there may be certain Honor Code violations (such as crimes), or repeat offenses, which do warrant suspension or expulsion from BYU, but that is not the case with Brandon Davies.

What happens when a non-Mormon comes to BYU? Does he/she still need to obey the Honor Code?

Yes. All students and faculty are required to sign the Honor Code before coming to BYU, whether or not they happen to believe in the spiritual principles behind it. In some cases, this leads to a cultural dissonance where the individual isn’t happy living by these standards. Occasionally, we see a non-LDS athlete come to BYU and then end up transferring to another school rather than continue to support the Honor Code.

Where can I learn more about all of this?

By now there are countless articles, sound bytes, and video clips discussing BYU, the Honor Code, and Brandon Davies’ suspension. Many are clouded with opinion or blatant misinterpretations, but here are a few that I have enjoyed.

Full content of the BYU Honor Code
BYU praised for Honor Code enforcement in Brandon Davies case
Is BYU’s Honor Code Too Tough for Today’s College Students? (Hint: The author says it isn’t.)
Former BYU star Danny Ainge discusses the Honor Code and Brandon Davies on Boston sports radio station WEEI