Mormon Lifestyles Archive
At the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 12, 2009, Russell M. Nelson spoke to the delegates about the importance of the traditional family. Elder Nelson is an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes informally referred to as Mormons. He said,
“Dear friends, future happiness and even the future of nations is linked to children. Families with children need to be re-enthroned as the fundamental unit of society. We simply must value children more than we do! Without a new generation to replace the old, there is no wealth; without families, there is no future.”
The traditional family is a fundamental principle of Mormonism. Mormon beliefs center around Jesus Christ as the head of the church, and the family as the fundamental building block of society. Children learn their first values from their parents, and parents should always be the primary teachers of values. Churches and other organizations can only support... Read the rest of this entry »
The Mormons are sometimes seen as having a great many restrictive rules. Mormons themselves know that within the rules are many opportunities for freedom, and that these rules actually make them freer than those with no rules.
An often-used example of freedom within structure is the sonnet. A sonnet is a poem with very strict rules.
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Shakespeare’s sonnets each contained fourteen lines. Every line had ten syllables written in iambic pentameter. Despite this very strict structure, Shakespeare managed to come up with 154 sonnets, all different, and many other people have also created sonnets based on this formula. The structure does not prevent people from being creative and writing something close to their heart. Rather, it actually frees the author. By having the structure in place, the poet is free to focus all his attention on the message and wording of the poem, which, after all, is the point of a poem.
In the same way, a Mormon is free to live a life of great variety without breaking... Read the rest of this entry »
On August 10, 2009, Sheri L. Dew, CEO of Deseret Book and a former General Relief Society President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke before the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She offered this warning to nations and their families:
“We all know that every nation is ultimately at the mercy of its families. If families are riddled with problems, society eventually collapses under the weight of problems too vast for any government to meet. If families are strong, society is strong.” (See Sheri L. Dew: The Power of Virtue.)
Laws can demonstrate a nation’s priorities and enforce behavior, but deep, lasting change happens on a more personal level. When we read biographies of famous people, they nearly always begin with a study of the person’s family history and demonstrate how that affected the person’s choices in life. Parents and other family members have the most opportunity to influence the thinking and behavior of their children.... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Natalie
Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have quite a few activities for youth. All activities sponsored by the Mormon Church are designed to provide youth with a fellowshipping base, or friends who are upholding the values of the Church. Activities are also fashioned to encourage maturity and self-reliance, increase testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach skills while providing wholesome fun. All youth ages 12-18 belong to either of the Young Women or Young Men organizations. On Sundays during the three-hour block of meetings, youth meet for about an hour in their respective classes. There they are taught lessons about the scriptures and gospel. Within each of the organizations, there are three sub groups. For example, in the Young Women organization, 12- and 13-year-old young women meet in what is called the Beehive class, 14- and 15-year-old young women meet in the Mia Maid class, and 16- and 17-year-old young women... 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 Rachel
I have summed up the most significant lesson I learned on my mission in six words: “Come unto Christ and be happy.” This phrase has become a personal motto for the rest of my life. Each morning of my mission we had an hour to do personal study of the scriptures and Preach My Gospel. The more I studied the words of Jesus Christ through His ancient and modern prophets and apostles, the more I came to love Him and believe in Him. My growing belief and faith in Christ led me to follow His teachings, develop Christlike attributes, and testify of Jesus Christ’s restored gospel. As I obeyed the commandments of the gospel and became more like Christ, I felt the Holy Ghost’s influence more abundantly in my life. I felt the fruits of the Holy Ghost, which include “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23). I learned that “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Natalie
A Glimpse Into a Mormon Student’s Values & Lifestyle
Attending Brigham Young University, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church), has helped me realize that the key aspects of my religion–repentance, revelation, prayer, and coming closer to Jesus Christ- are applicable to all areas of my life. My religion has become more than a Sunday trip to church, or an occasional reading of scriptures. The gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is my life. As I study the bones in the human skull or the process of embryo development in my anatomy class, I am reminded that God is the creator of all men and women and that He created us in His image, and that the body is a sacred gift from God. As I study American History, I am reminded that the Lord’s hand was in the making of our country and the unfolding of our Constitution so that the gospel could later be restored on this earth. As I study the behavior of atoms... 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 »
Personal Response by James Faulconer
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)... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Response by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel
Latter-day Saints use the Western calendar, also known as the Gregorian Calendar, established in 1582. They generally observe the national holidays in the various countries where they live. For example, in the United States, LDS members (Mormons) celebrate Independence Day on 4 July and in Canada they observe Canada Day on 1 July. Mormons, like many people, also observe birthdays and wedding anniversaries as special days to celebrate with family and friends. Additionally, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) observe some of the main Western religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, even though they believe that these dates probably do not reflect the actual historical anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ or his Resurrection. However, they are grateful to celebrate these two supernal events with other Christians who follow the Western religious calendar.
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