What Do Mormons Believe? – Page 30 – "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

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/

What is your great question of the soul?

I read an interesting quote the other day, about how people in our church “need to know how to use the Book of Mormon to arouse mankind’s interest in studying it, and they need to show how it answers the great questions of the soul” (Ezra Benson).

That quote made me think: what are the great questions of the soul? I thought of several and I want to show you how the Book of Mormon answers them. Many of the questions I thought of are below, along with a specific passage in the Book of Mormon to help answer that question. There are many more questions and many more passages, but this is just a small glimpse into the book I love so much. I hope this helps some of you orient yourselves to the Book of Mormon, which has helped me answer my own soul’s greatest question.

Is there a god? (2 Nephi 2:14; Alma 30:43-44)

If so, how can I know? (Alma 22:16-18)

What is God like? (2 Nephi 26:23-24, 33, 27:23)

Does life have a purpose? (Alma 42)

Can I know that purpose? (Mormon 9:21, 27-28)

Is there life after death? (Alma 11:45, Alma 40)

I know that although this site is targeted to people who want to know more about what Mormons believe, it is frequently visited by members of our church. I encourage all of you who have read this far to leave a comment in this section. Tell about a great question of your soul, or simply ask it here. If you have found your answer in the Book of Mormon, put the scriptures that helped you. If you know of any scriptures to help anybody out, put them there. We can all gain something from this experience if you share your thoughts in the comments right now, and we need your contribution.

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!

Why do bad things happen to good people?

hurricane

We have all known people who have had bad things happen to them, or perhaps even wondered why terrible things happen to us–sudden deaths, incurable diseases, and natural disasters that destroy homes and prized possessions. These types of events cause us to question from time to time, “why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t have a perfect answer for you, but what I do know is that trials and tribulation cause us to grow in ways that we might not comprehend or realize. I can personally say that the most character-shaping times of my life have been the times that I have had to struggle the most. Granted, I didn’t see this until the tribulation had passed, but I wouldn’t trade those hard times for anything now. I am thankful for them.

In the most recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Elder L. Whitney Clayton, in his talk “That Your Burdens May Be Light”, shared 3 points that have helped me to understand why bad things happen to good people.

“In a general sense, our burdens come from three sources. Some burdens are the natural product of the conditions of the world in which we live. Illness, physical disability, hurricanes, and earthquakes come from time to time through no fault of our own. We can prepare for these risks and sometimes we can predict them, but in the natural pattern of life we will all confront some of these challenges.

Other burdens are imposed on us by the misconduct of others. Abuse and addictions can make home anything but a heaven on earth for innocent family members. Sin, incorrect traditions, repression, and crime scatter burdened victims along the pathways of life. Even less-serious misdeeds such as gossip and unkindness can cause others genuine suffering.

Our own mistakes and shortcomings produce many of our problems and can place heavy burdens on our own shoulders. The most onerous burden we impose upon ourselves is the burden of sin. We have all known the remorse and pain which inevitably follow our failure to keep the commandments.

No matter the burdens we face in life as a consequence of natural conditions, the misconduct of others, or our own mistakes and shortcomings, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who sent us to earth as part of His eternal plan for our growth and progress. Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heaven’s perspective, for “but a small moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high” (D&C 121:7-8). We must do everything we can to bear our burdens “well” for however long our “small moment” carrying them lasts.”

This helped me to understand why bad things happen to us sometimes. I hope that when something happens to you, you will remember what Elder Clayton said and realize that maybe this hard time is actually for your benefit; also, it is not an indication of God’s lack of love, remember that Christ suffered more than anyone else, and He is God’s most beloved Son.

Mormon Fellowship – Visiting and Home Teaching

When my family and I moved to south Texas three years ago, we joined a student Christian group for married couples. It was a great little diversion once a month–to get out, talk with others who are devoted to religion and Christ, and to learn about what they believe and (we hoped) let them see that Mormons can be normal people.

One term that came up several times in conversation with them was “fellowship”, which I came to understand as a sort of social network of other Christians (like that group); to lend support, help each other and just provide friendship. I thought at the time, what a great idea, but also, how sad that “fellowship” isn’t built into their churches already. I’m not claiming that Mormons are perfect at fellowshipping, because there are plenty of former Mormons who will say we really stink at it, but it is built in to the Church’s organization. And although there are some places in the church that don’t do it well, I’ve been in many places that do it perfectly, and it is a blessing to everyone involved.

Home_Teaching

The Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching programs are two complementary programs within the Church that provide “fellowship” from two different groups. Home Teachers are men, anywhere from age 14-110 who are paired up into a companionship (like our missionary program) and then they are assigned usually three or four families within their same ward (congregation) to visit monthly. While visiting them, they teach a spiritual thought from the First Presidency (the Prophet and his counselors), get to know the family generally, and assess any needs or concerns that they have. They are the first point of contact for that family if there is a problem. It may sound like having assigned friends, but it is a lot more substantial than that. Home Teachers are assigned by the leaders of the Priesthood quorums by inspiration and after serious prayer. It’s amazing to see some of the home teaching miracles that happen because just the right person visited at just the right time. While the first visit or two may be a little awkward, especially if you are new to a ward (whether recently baptized, or recently moved), Home Teachers quickly become comfortable friends. Growing up, our family had one home teacher for years. Lanny. He was also our neighbor across the ditch bank, and he took us all out to Chuck-a-Rama every Christmas. He got to know us really well and we got to know him really well. He wasn’t just an assigned friend, he really cared whether we were okay and was happy to help.

Visiting Teaching is about the same thing, only it is women, and they just visit women–not their entire families. Every woman in the Church who is over 18 years old is a member of the Relief Society, and are assigned visiting teachers. These relationships are some of the dearest in my life. Again, at the beginning it may just feel like assigned friends, but there is a real power in having people visit you in your own home, who really care about you. I look forward to their visits every month. They are also assigned by the Relief Society President after receiving inspiration about how to pair up the companions and who to assign them to. I think this is an especially inspired program because of the inherent social needs that women have. We need to talk! We need friends! If we are new to an area, or to the Church, we need someone to sit by at our meetings. We need someone to call if we are stuck sick in bed. And visiting teaching gives a woman 6 possible friends automatically: their companion (who are often the dearest friends of all), the two visiting teachers who come to them, and the three ladies that they visit. And because it is a church-wide system, there doesn’t need to be awkwardness, or worry that we are stepping on someone’s toes. It’s just a lovely way to “fellowship”.