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Mormon Life Articles
Studies in the United States have shown Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes mistakenly called the “Mormon Church”) give more and volunteer more than any other group of people. Here are the many ways that Mormons help the poor and seek to do God’s work.
Mormons pay tithing, ten percent of their income, to the LDS Church. The payment of tithing is confidential. There is no collection plate passed around during meetings. It is also optional, but all temple-worthy Mormons are full tithe-payers. Sometimes, people being taught the Mormon missionary lessons or new converts think they can’t afford to pay tithing. We invite those to experiment upon God’s word when He says,
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing,... Read the rest of this article »
Many people are unfamiliar with what actually takes place during a worship service in a chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Research also shows that there are many people who feel that they are not welcomed inside an LDS chapel to worship with Latter-day Saints to be able to observe for themselves that Mormon worship is focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is often the basis for misunderstandings among communities where Latter-day Saints live and leads many to believe that the close-knit ties of the Latter-day Saint community is both clannish and secretive. Part of this misconception may be caused by the differences between worship services in LDS chapels and temple worship. All are invited to attend services in LDS chapels, but only those members of The Church of Jesus Christ who are deemed worthy and hold a valid temple recommend are permitted to enter the sacred temple – the House of the Lord.
The infographic below is... Read the rest of this article »
By Doris
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church”) has very clear doctrine regarding homosexuality and gay Mormons. Mormon doctrine teaches that practicing a homosexual lifestyle is a sin, but that having feelings of attraction to a member of the same gender is not a sin.
For someone who was not raised with religious values or who simply does not feel that homosexuality is a sin, I can understand how the Mormon Church’s view on gay Mormons and homosexuality may seem like bigotry. However, as a faithful Latter-day Saints (“Mormon”), I feel I understand what the doctrine is saying, and I do not consider myself a bigot at all.
Mormon doctrine teaches that we are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for us, which involves coming to this earth, gaining a body, and having life experiences. We are free to choose for ourselves which path to follow, but God has made it clear what... Read the rest of this article »
On a recent Sunday, a few hundred members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in an LDS chapel just outside the Washington D.C. beltway, in Alexandria Virginia, to listen to an Obama administration official recount his conversion to Mormonism.
The speaker was Larry Echo Hawk. Echo Hawk was born on 2 August 1948 in Cody Wyoming. He and his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 14. He is an attorney, legal scholar and politician. He is also a member of the Pawnee Nation. He was sustained by Church members as a General Authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on 31 March 2012. Prior to becoming a General Authority, he was the United States Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. On 20 May 2009 he joined the administration of President Barack Obama as the head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Echo Hawk also served as Attorney General of Idaho from 1991... Read the rest of this article »
by Jan
Mormon women have the “drive to strive”
I am convinced that women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which church is often mistakenly referred to as the “Mormon Church”) want to make the world a better place—even if it means doing so by helping one person at a time. As a youngster, I remember going to the store with my mother to buy groceries for a family in need. I watched her prepare meals, take people to the doctor ,and spend hours sympathetically listening to the problems of others. Her service was tireless and constant. She didn’t say much about it and never complained or criticized others. I thought it was what women were supposed to do.
Since that time, I have learned not everyone in the world is as generous or charitable as my mother. But I find that many Latter-day Saint women (“Mormon women”) try to be. We come in all varieties—married, single, widowed, serious, jubilant, retro,... Read the rest of this article »
by Roy
God always gives blessings to those who are willing to obey His commandments. Such blessings may not be material things, and the more valuable blessings are not, particularly those that last even beyond the grave. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the “Mormon Church” by others) teaches that families can be together forever. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sacred nature of the family.
Many prophets have testified about the value and importance of the family. “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a man and a woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in the family is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established... 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... 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... Read the rest of this article »
SMITHFIELD — After dinner, three baths, four bedtime stories and a half-a-dozen goodnight kisses for 2-year-old twins Brock and Isaac and 6-year-old Ellie, Erin and Brian Thompson finally sink into the couch with weary smiles.
Being parents is just what they always wanted. And they love it.
“Of course we have our crazy moments,” Thompson says, “but for the most part we just try to find the good things in the day and remember that they’re only going to be little for so long.”
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Thompsons believe that maintaining a strong marriage and raising and teaching children are essential keys to happiness and their most important responsibilities on earth.
In fact, 81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in life,” according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life —... Read the rest of this article »
As the “Mormon moment” extends into 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life today released a groundbreaking new survey, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.
Entitled “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,” the survey was conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 2011 among a national sample of 1,019 respondents who identified themselves as Mormons. The results validate a number of long-held stereotypes (most American Mormons are white, well-educated, politically conservative and religiously observant) while providing a few interesting surprises (care for the poor and needy is high on the list of LDS priorities, while drinking coffee and watching R-rated movies aren’t as taboo among the rank and file as... Read the rest of this article »
