Mormon Beliefs Archive
95
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.
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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.
Because of my faith in a personal God and his goodness I never was angry at Him, nor did I go around saying, with an attitude of self-pity, “Why me?” However, it did take time for me to realize that God and Christ felt my pain and suffering as much, if not... Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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201
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).
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905
The Mormon temple includes the pinnacle of all of the ordinances that are performed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). One of these ordinances is temple marriage. Temple marriage is an ordinance, or a ceremony, that is performed by qualified officiators in the Mormon temple. It is similar to a wedding ceremony that is performed in a church, a synagogue, or even a Japanese shrine, with some notable exceptions. In the above ceremonies, the couple exchanges vows with one another, in the presence of witnesses and an officiator. In the Mormon temple, the couple also exchanges vows in the presence of an officiator, also known as a sealer, and two witnesses. However, Mormons also believe that God is party to these vows. These vows are known as covenants because of their sacred nature, and because they are a symbol of a relationship of commitment between God and the marriage partners. When performed by a sealer who possesses the authority, acting for and behalf... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Karim
I’ve always enjoyed romantic movies. Both in film and in real life, there are those married in big cathedrals decorated with gorgeous flowers; others exchanging vows at sunset by the beach. But regardless of the glamour or setting, there is something these versions of a wedding all lack: a union for eternity. Civil marriages claim that the couple will be together until death. A Mormon temple marriage guarantees that if you honor each other and the promises you made in the temple, you will be together forever- even past death–to enjoy a fulness of life and joy, and an increasing posterity.
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Personal Response by James E. Faulconer
The answer to this question is straightforward: God didn’t create hell. Hell is the state of being separated from the love of God, a state that we create when we turn from him in sin.
Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) taught, “What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed his commands” (History of the Church, page 554). Through his Son, Jesus Christ, God has given us a way via which we can return to him, restored from our state of sin to a state of grace and glory, but he will force none of us to return against our will. If we choose to remain in sin when given the chance of being lifted from it, he will allow us to remain where we wish, separated from God, in other words, in hell.
However, the scriptures sometimes use the word “hell” to refer to a place, and when they do so, the word has various meanings. Both the Hebrew... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Nathaniel
Being at BYU has allowed me to associate with students and faculty who share similar values. I do not have to worry about being pressured to do things that I am morally opposed to. Being at BYU has also allowed me to integrate my secular education with my religious beliefs. As a private university, BYU offers religion classes, together with regular college classes. There was a semester in which I had a class on the divinity of Christ, immediately followed by Calculus 1. Mormons believe all truth is related and part of one whole. The more we learn in each sphere, the better people we can become.
I have also developed associations with faculty which will continue after my graduation, and influence the course and direction that my life will take. Being at BYU has also given me a vision of how I can be a part of the world, but not “of the world.” By this, I mean that I can interact with people from all walks of life, without compromising the moral... Read the rest of this entry »
