What do Mormons believe about the Godhead? Members of the Godhead are united in purpose and will but consist of three separate Beings: God, the Eternal Father; Jesus Christ, His Son, our Redeemer; and the Holy Ghost...
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 of God, the marriage is perpetuated beyond the grave. This has reference to the sealing power that was given to Peter in the New Testament (Matt. 16: 19). (more…)
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. (more…)
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. (more…)
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 standards that I believe have been given by God.
From early in its history, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) have valued education. In 1832, two years after the Church’s official founding, a revelation to the first Prophet of the Church, Joseph Smith, says:
I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-79) (more…)
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) revere Biblical prophets and apostles such as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, James, and Paul. They believe the Lord continues to call prophets and apostles in this modern day. Among those prophets God has chosen today is Joseph Smith (1805-44), the first modern prophet.
In addition to reverencing prophets and apostles, Mormons believe, like all Christians, that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Therefore, Mormons truly and sincerely worship God, the Eternal Father, in the name of the Jesus Christ-God’s unique Son. They worship no other man or women no matter who they are or what they have done. (more…)
Latter-day Saints, Mormons, like many other religious people, wear special clothing with religious meaning. Often Christian ministers and priests wear special robes or collars to identify themselves. In secular society, police officers, basketball players, or nurses wears special clothing to identify themselves with a particular group. Such clothing provides a sense of belonging and a personal reminder of what membership in that group entails.
When we see Protestant clergy or Buddhist priests, we automatically recognize a deep sense of religious commitment on their part. When we see a Catholic nun wearing the traditional black and white habit, we may identify her with people like Mother Teresa, who helped the poor and needy. (more…)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is often identified as the Mormon or LDS Church. LDS, in this case, is an acronym for Latter-day Saints, a part of the official name of the LDS Church. When religious bodies use similar names to identify themselves, such as FLDS and LDS, there may be and often is some confusion about the relationship between them.
Just as there are many Christian denominations which believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the long anticipated Jewish Messiah and the Savior of the world, yet disagree upon other significant doctrinal points, including the nature and composition of the Bible, there are individuals and groups who accept the message of the Restoration (the calling of Joseph Smith as a prophet and coming forth of additional scripture, including the Book of Mormon) yet disagree on some rather key doctrines, policies, and practices. (more…)
Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have nothing to do with the Texas polygamy sect, recently covered in the national and international press. We wish to convey compellingly that those who practice polygamy today are not Mormons. They are fundamentalists or members of other religious groups who defy the teachings of the Savior in our day, and who are in no way affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ (Mormon Church). This is true of the Texas polygamy sect and of all other splinter groups that have formed in the West and in various parts of the world.
As Mike Otterson of LDS Public Affairs has stated, we have made this distinction clear in the past and we reiterate to the press and to all those who are desirous to know the facts, and the reality of the doctrines and practices of all identifiable Mormons worldwide.
We ask the press and public, therefore, to dissociate the terms “Mormon” and “polygamist” and “Mormon” and “fundamentalist” when referring to anyone who practices polygamy in our day. It is a violation of both our creed and our civil law.
The teachings of the Savior for our day include monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. We also oppose same sex marriages while we extend a hand of fellowship to those wishing to overcome same gender attraction.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) believe in the sacredness of the body. We consider it a gift necessary to experience mortality and to live a worthy life preparatory to eternal glory. We believe with Paul that we “are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in [us],” and that defiling our body is inappropriate and offensive to God (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). As a result, Mormons do not pierce their body for cosmetic purposes, and are encouraged to pierce only one ear, to accommodate modest earrings.
Tattooing mars the body and is discouraged as a whimsical way of imprinting an identity or showing allegiance to a particular gang. President Hinckley 15th President of the Church, remarked: (more…)
