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Mormon Beliefs Articles
Recently, a lot has been said about Mormon beliefs, but few ask Mormons themselves what they believe. Because of this, misperceptions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abound and are repeated as if they were true. Sometimes, Mormons state their beliefs and others restate them, as if Mormons can’t be trusted to state their own beliefs fairly and clearly. However, many friends of other faiths come to realize that Mormon beliefs, when accurately portrayed, aren’t anything like the misrepresentations that abound. Hopefully, this article will clarify some beliefs that are true to Mormonism.
By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them
Before we start, take a good look at Mormons. You know good people come from good philosophies and responsible religions, and Mormons are great people. Many are now famous (Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Bob Bennet, the Osmonds, David Archuleta, Chelsea Hightower, Stephenie Meyer, Gladys Knight, etc). A great deal of time has been... Read the rest of this article »
by Keith Lionel Brown
Many Christian faiths believe and teach that the three Divine personages that comprise the Godhead—God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit—are one and the same. Expressed in theological ideology, they are three co-equal persons of one nature, otherwise known as the “Blessed Trinity” or “Triune God.” Christians who teach and practice this doctrine are known as Trinitarians. In common with Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also believe in a Godhead which consists of God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. However, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which church is frequently misnamed the “Mormon Church“) also believe and testify that these are three separate, distinct beings, and that they are one, but one in purpose. Members of the Church further testify that God the Father is not just a spirit,... Read the rest of this article »
An article published in February 2012, by Stephen H. Webb, professor or religion and philosophy at Wabash College, titled “Mormonism Obsessed with Christ,” focused on discrepancies between Mormonism and other Christian denominations and defended Mormonism against many of its attackers. A bold stance for a man who claims to be an expert on Mormonism while not embracing the faith himself.
As Webb pointed out, making fun of the Mormon faith (really The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) seems to be one of the last areas where people are untouched by political correctness. It seems to be a free-for-all most of the time on Mormons, and few people jump to their defense, whereas making fun of Judaism or Islam is certainly viewed, at the very least, as being in very poor taste. While Webb admits he was once closer to this side of things than defending Mormonism, he now poses the question of why people still seem to think it’s okay to attack Mormons and also why they... Read the rest of this article »
Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.
This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian.
“Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life... Read the rest of this article »
By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST
David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and... Read the rest of this article »
A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.
Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.
In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion... Read the rest of this article »
by Karla
Have you ever wondered how the gospel (or the word of God) is brought unto each nation, kindred, and tongue? How does this divine work happen? And who are the instruments by which it continues?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly referred to as the Mormon Church) is known to be a church of preaching. One mission of the Church is to preach the gospel to everyone. That is why there is a need for the service of those that are called of God to be missionaries.
Since its earliest days, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been a proselyting church, sending out missionaries to all parts of the world. Missionary work is constantly talked about in Mormon congregations, and Latter-day Saints are encouraged to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has perhaps the most-active missionary program of any world church. As of December 31, 2004, there were in excess of 51,000 full-time missionaries... Read the rest of this article »
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes casually called the Mormon Church) who have made covenants in holy temples wear what is called “the garment of the Holy Priesthood” under their clothing. Although virtually all religions use some sort of ritual clothing, the Mormon garment is often held in derision and called “Mormon underwear.” Latter-day Saints find this disturbing and request the same respect given to friends of other faiths who wear special clothing during their faith-based rituals. The Mormon garment is a close relative of the Jewish tzitzit, which is also worn under the clothing, except for the tassels, knotted to represent the 613 Mosaic commandments.
The Mormon temple garment is made to wear underneath one’s clothing and is much like normal underwear, except that it is always white (except for special garments made for military use), and has four small symbols woven into the fabric to remind the wearer of covenants made in the... Read the rest of this article »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly misnamed the Mormon Church, is centered on Jesus Christ and authority. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church on the earth which has the authority to act in God’s name, because it was organized and is headed by the Savior Himself.
Mormon doctrine teaches that the period of falling away which Jesus and His apostles prophesied of in the New Testament came when the apostles were killed. Latter-day Saints (often nicknamed Mormons) call this period the Great Apostasy. Because the apostles were killed, the authority they had died with them when the priesthood power was lost with them. With their deaths, there was no one definitively in charge in the church anymore, and the result was men coming together to reason things out (take for example the Councils at Nicaea and Constantinople, among others). There was no revelation, because God’s servants had been murdered under the direction of evil men.
With... Read the rest of this article »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church, is unique among Christian denominations for its open canon. The Mormon Church is the only Christian denomination which believes that God still speaks to His children today through a living prophet.
As a young farm boy of 14, Joseph Smith was studying his Bible, James 1:5, which reads: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Joseph had been struggling trying to decide which church to join and felt he needed help. In praying to God to know which sect was true, Joseph received a remarkable vision of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They told Joseph that none of the churches contained the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that Joseph should not join any of them.
Over the next ten years, Joseph was visited by many heavenly beings who instructed him and strengthened him, because he began to be... Read the rest of this article »
