Mormon Beliefs Archive
What are the Articles of Faith?
Personal Response by Bethany
Background:
In 1842, John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat, wrote to Joseph Smith requesting information for a friend who was writing a history of New Hampshire. Joseph Smith’s response to this inquiry has become known as the “Wentworth Letter.” The letter includes a brief history of the Church and significant events in its restoration. It ends with thirteen statements that have become known as the Articles of Faith and are published in the Pearl of Great Price. Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "What are the Articles of Faith?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/563/what-are-the-articles-of-faith" }); Read More →
Personal Response by Natalie
Yes! He really does. I have felt the powerful assurance that God does hear my prayers many times in my life. I know that the Savior’s message, recorded in the New Testament, still rings true: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).
Last summer I was preparing to begin my first year at Brigham Young University. As it got closer to the time that I had to move out, I began to get really nervous. I worried about who my roommates would be, how hard my classes would be, and how difficult living away from home for the first time would be. I remember one night being particularly worried and stressed about everything. In tears, I knelt next to my bed and prayed to my Father in Heaven that He would fill me with comfort. Almost immediately I felt a calm assurance wash over me and I knew my prayer had been answered. I knew that the Lord knew me and loved me and that I had nothing... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Lance
I have known for a long time that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but only in the last couple of years, while serving as a Mormon missionary, was I finally able to put into words the way that my answer came. There is a promise given by Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon that if a person reads, ponders, and prays to know the Book of Mormon is true, the truth will be manifest to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5)
I read the Book of Mormon a few times growing up and I always felt that it was true, but I could never clearly express how I had come to that knowledge. I could honestly say that I knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but I couldn’t describe what that meant. It was more than just a simple feeling. It was a strong conviction.
As a missionary I came across people who had highly varying beliefs about the Holy Ghost and the way that the Holy Ghost affects us. This caused... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Nathan
Answers to prayers come in many different ways. A good way to answer this question may be to explain some of the generic ways prayers are answered.
There is a method of seeking revelation (communication from God to man) that allows prayers to be answered. Seeking revelation correctly begins through effort on our part. A simple prayer is often not enough. Important steps to consider are fasting, pondering, and building faith to accept an answer. As we fulfill these steps, God will see our efforts and bless us accordingly. Often the best method of seeking revelation or answers to prayers is to make a tentative decision after our fasting, pondering, and faith building. Once we feel we have a good preliminary decision, we take the decision to the Lord and ask for His confirmation. Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "How Can I Recognize Answers to My Prayers?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/125/how-can-i-recognize-answers-to-my-prayers"... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Chris
Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is central to the plan of redemption, which teaches that one can be saved in the kingdom of heaven by a single vicarious act of sacrifice. We believe that Jesus Christ lives as our Savior, an example of goodness, charity, love, and other perfected attributes as recorded in the Bible and other revealed scripture. Jesus Christ in the Mormon Church is taught to have suffered for the sins of the world and to have promised forgiveness to all who live on this earth if they will hearken unto Him and do His will as laid out in the scriptures. He is the living Son of God, the Only Begotten in the flesh, and the mortal Son of Mary. Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "What do Mormons Believe about Jesus Christ?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/107/what-do-mormons-believe-about-jesus-christ" }); Read More →
Personal response by Jack
At age 50 I was body surfing with my 16-year-old son and his friend at Laguna Beach, California. I took one “last wave” and accidentally hit by forehead on a submerged rock, my neck was broken, and my spinal cords severed between the second and third cervical vertebrae. I was instantly paralyzed, lost consciousness, and woke up two hours later in the Laguna hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses. One of the nurses noticed my eyes were opened and said to me, “Jack, if you can understand what I am saying, blink your eyes once.” I blinked and there was a collective sigh of relief in the room. That began for me a new way of life that has continued on for the past 19 years.
Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Does God feel our pain?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/126/does-god-feel-our-pain" }); Read More →
Personal response by Jack
This is a very good and thought-provoking question. I would imagine that many people, at one time or another, have felt that perhaps there is a major conflict between science and religion. The age of the earth, how it was created, evolution, the dinosaurs, and a host of other seemingly knotty questions seem to preclude having faith in God and accepting evidence gleaned from the scientific method of discovering truth.
I just recently read a most fascinating book that for some reason I had missed over the years that helped me make sense out of this supposed science vs. religion conflict. It is Reflections of a Scientist by Henry Eyring. The book was published in 1983 and may be difficult to find but is well worth reading if you can find it.
Henry Eyring was a world renowned chemist who taught for a number of years at Princeton during the late 30s and through World War II. Albert Einstein was also on the faculty and they shared a number of experiences during those... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Lance
On the first weekend of April and the first weekend of October, the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes casually referred to by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon” Church or the LDS Church), including the modern prophet and Twelve Apostles, speak to the world in what is known as general conference. From the Conference Center in Salt Lake City the words of the prophet, the apostles, and other leaders are carried via TV, radio, satellite, and the Internet to more than eighty countries and translated into more than eighty languages. We invite everyone, regardless of religious belief, to join with us in watching or listening to general conference.
The reason I love general conference is best described by the opening words of one of the Church hymns, “Come, listen to a prophet’s voice, And hear the word of God” (“Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice,” Hymns [Salt Lake City: The Church... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Lance
I served for two years as a Mormon missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) in Mississippi and Louisiana. It was the greatest experience of my life. I loved sharing the gospel with the people of the South because so many of them have deep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were very kind to us missionaries coming to their door. I cannot count the number of people who let me into their home, as a complete stranger, to share what I believe. I learned that “southern hospitality” is very real and I believe it is because the people have good Christian values. There were also many people who turned us away but even this was usually done politely. Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "What was it like to be a Mormon missionary in the Bible belt?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/104/what-was-it-like-to-be-a-mormon-missionary-in-the-bible-belt" }); Read More →
Yes. Latter-day Saint leaders and canonized scripture affirm that Mary was a virgin when Jesus Christ was born. Like other Christians, Latter-day Saints believe in the miraculous conception, though no miraculous means are ascribed to the method of his birth.
When Matthew quoted the prophecy “Assuredly, my Lord will give you a sign of His own accord! Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son. Let her name him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 Jewish Publication Society of America), he translated the original Hebrew text or used the Greek Septuagint version with one slight change. He replaced the Greek word for “young woman” with the word for “virgin,” thus reinforcing the messianic nature of the prophecy (see Matthew 1:23).
Read the rest of this entry »
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Do Mormons believe in the virgin birth?", url: "http://www.mormonchurch.com/102/do-mormons-believe-in-the-virgin-birth" }); Read More →
