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Mormon Beliefs Articles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official name of the often misused title the “Mormon Church.” The misnomer comes from a book which Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) regard as holy scripture: the Book of Mormon. While Latter-day Saints accept a few different books as scripture (including the Bible), the Book of Mormon sets it uniquely apart. The Book of Mormon is a record of some of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas who were led out of Jerusalem by the hand of the Lord. It contains His dealings with this people and records the instance of His appearance to them after His death and resurrection. The book is another testament, along with the Bible, that Jesus is the Christ. Its name comes from the man who abridged the book, and that is where the misnomer originates.
While there is nothing offensive to Latter-day Saints about being called “Mormon,” replacing the Church’s true name with “Mormon... Read the rest of this article »
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called Mormons by those of other faiths, believe strongly in the importance of family history and genealogy. The past few decades have seen an explosion if interest among people of all faiths across the world in their personal heritage. In the past, records have been difficult to obtain. People have had to travel to remote places to search for important family records in cemeteries and parish records. An enormous effort by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, frequently misnamed the “Mormon Church” by the media has allowed millions of people to access these records from the Internet without having to travel extensively.
A great indexing movement is still taking place in the LDS Church. Teams have travelled the globe scanning in countless documents. Volunteer members then work to digitize the important information from these documents, providing them to any who wish... 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... 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 »
Mormon doctrine teaches that all members should pay a tithe to the Lord. A tithe is defined as 10 percent of one’s increase. This was an ancient law, which is referenced in the Old Testament when Abraham went to pay his tithing to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20). The law of tithing was restored when the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 119).
The law of tithing is a serious enough commandment that it is a requirement for one to be worthy to enter the temple of God. The funds from tithing do not go to the clergy of the Church. All Mormon clergy serve on a volunteer-type basis. All time and services are donated, and no funds are received in compensation. Tithing funds are used to help build and maintain church meetinghouses, temples, and other facilities. Tithing is also used in part for missionary support and for the educational and welfare programs of the Mormon Church.
There is no... Read the rest of this article »
Mormons are often easily identified by their lifestyle. Mormon doctrine teaches that we should not partake of alcohol, take tobacco in any form, drink coffee or tea, or take any substance which is harmful to the body. In addition, we should take care of our bodies by getting enough rest and exercise and eating in moderation.
When the Word of Wisdom is combined with the Law of Chastity (that no one should participate in sexual intimacy outside the bonds of marriage), the world often looks and says, “How awful! You aren’t allowed to have any fun at all!” When one truly understand the Mormon doctrine behind these principles, however, it is readily apparent that the Word of Wisdom gives us far more freedom than it takes away.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 says, “Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you,... Read the rest of this article »
Many people criticize Mormons for having more scripture than the Bible. In fact, a lot of people think that Mormons don’t believe in the Bible at all. This is not true. Mormons believe the Bible to be the word of God, but only insofar as it has been translated correctly (Article of Faith 8). Over thousands of years, many truths have been lost from the Bible, either by malicious people who changed meaning, by mistranslation, or by mistakes in copying. However, many of these truths have been restored in other scripture, particularly through the Book of Mormon. Mormon doctrine teaches that God continues to speak to His children today, and Mormons have four total books of scripture which have been canonized: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a record of the history of some of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. It tells the history of three different... Read the rest of this article »
A debate goes on among many Christian denominations about the concept of grace and works. The New Testament references both as necessary to one’s salvation, yet some denominations claim that grace is solely responsible for our individual salvation, and others claim that the emphasis is on works. In this debate, grace is understood to mean that Christ saves us when we say we believe in Him, and works means we must work out our own salvation be keeping His commandments. The Mormon doctrine includes aspects of both.
Mormon doctrine teaches that grace is an essential part of our salvation. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (the Atonement), we would all be lost, and there would be nothing we could do to be saved. The Plan of Salvation teaches us that Christ’s Atonement will be extended to every person who has lived or will yet live upon this earth, because they will all be resurrected and will all be brought back into the presence of God... Read the rest of this article »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church, is unique. Most Christian denominations believe in the Trinity, the concept that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all different manifestations of the same being. In holding this belief, it is necessary to also believe that each of these entities is spirit and not flesh and bone. Otherwise, they could not possibly be one and the same. There are several scripture references in the Bible which may appear to support this interpretation. For example, John 10:30 and 1 Corinthians 8:6, which state Christ and the Father are one, and that the Apostles believed in one God after Christ’s death. There are even more scriptures, also found in the Bible, to contradict this interpretation, though: Matthew 3:17 shows that God said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” when the Savior was baptized; John 20:17, where Jesus says, “I ascend... Read the rest of this article »
Many people have noticed Mormon missionaries on the street, and perhaps a pair of them have rung your doorbell. At any given time, there are over 50,000 full-time, volunteer missionaries serving worldwide in the 344 missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most full-time Mormon missionaries are young, single adults. Young men serve for two years, beginning at age 19, and young women may serve for 18 months, beginning at age 21. There is an age limit of 26 for young men. Missionary service is not compulsory, but most Latter-day Saints who are active in their religion hope their sons will serve in the “mission field.” There is a standard of worthiness which must be met. A potential missionary must be sexually chaste, honest, a full tithe-payer, and must live the health laws of the Church.
When a young Mormon adult desires to serve a mission, he or she pays a visit to the bishop of the ward (congregation). ... Read the rest of this article »
