Where is God part V – The Mormons
I have decided that if I’m going to write several dialogues about as many churches and religious organizations that I can think of, I ought to at least have the decency to begin with my own chosen faith.
And, before I began, I think it only fitting that I begin with a disclaimer.
It should be understood from the start that I am no theologian. I am not a religious expert of any kind. I cannot even claim to have excessively studied and researched the subject. Yes, I have done reading and I’ve done some research, especially since I began this series of articles. But in all honesty, I am probably the least qualified to write any article of this caliber.
However, from my perspective, maybe that’s exactly what is needed here. Maybe what is really needed is someone who isn’t already so saturated in the dogma of any one given faith that they can honestly look at the available information and provide a non-biased opinion.
Keep in mind, as I have said in previous posts, I have kept the concept of God as generic as possible because I believe our individual belief systems are very different. What I consider God may be completely different from your view. And yes, because I am a member of a specific Church I obviously have my own preference. However, I can assure you that I will be as fair as possible. I am not interested in raising one church or organization above another. I am not interested in slamming some organization and tossing them down into the gutter because I disagree with them. I have no interest in partaking in “I am right, and you are wrong”.
So… having accomplished that, let’s get one more thing out of the way:
And that is: No, Mormons do not support multiple wives or Husbands… Only multiple children!
In the history of our church polygamy was legal and part of church doctrine. However, the explanation for this is complex enough that it should be saved for a separate article. There are to this day still some fringe organizations that call themselves Mormons that still have multiple wives. These organizations are not associated with the modern-day Mormon Church.
OK… Now!
First and foremost, I think it’s important to understand that although our popular title is the Mormons, our official name is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The phrase “Mormon” refers to an individual who was part of the history of our Gospels, and was one of the many authors, or profits, who recorded them. We do not worship him any more than we worship Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith, as with Mormon, or Isaiah, or Moses or any other prophet from history; these are all prophets, seers and revelator. Some of these were witnesses to the miracles of our heavenly father and Jesus Christ, and all stood in their lifetimes to record and be a testament of our heavenly father and his son.
You’ll notice in the previous paragraph that I mentioned our Gospels. This is one of the ways that our church differs from all other Christian organizations.
Whereas most Christian organizations believe that there is the Old Testament, the New Testament and that’s it, we believe that our heavenly father, through prophets, always have continued and still continue today to be inspired to speak and to record the word of God.
Simply put: Why would God stop speaking to us. After all, he has a great deal invested in us so far, why drop the ball now?
Our church also believes in the Old Testament and the New Testament (the Bible). However, in addition to these we also have the book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
In digest, these books are as follows:
The book of Mormon: another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Quoting from LDS.org:
The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ and confirms the truths found in the Holy Bible. Far from undermining the Bible, the Book of Mormon supports its testimony of Jesus Christ. One passage says that the Book of Mormon “shall establish the truth” of the Bible “and shall make known to all kindred’s, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40).
The Doctrine and Covenants:
The doctrine and Covenants is basically a collection of revelations directly from our heavenly father given to the prophet Joseph Smith. This text also contains a few revelations given to other latter-day Prophets that followed Joseph Smith.
The Pearl of Great Price:
Again, quoting from LDS.org: The Pearl of Great Price contains the book of Moses the book of Abraham the prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of Matthew chapter 24 and some writings on the prophet Joseph.
The Bible:
And of course, we have the Holy Bible. Anybody who knows and understands Christianity understands the Bible. Despite what others might think, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believes in, studies, and follows the teachings of the Bible. The one subtle difference between us and other Christian organizations is simply this: we believe in the Bible in as far as it is accurately translated.
It’s understandable of course if this sounds kind of snooty. Snooty in that our Gospels are seemingly more accurate than the Holy Bible.
However, if you can step outside of your standard religious beliefs and think about it logically, the reasoning seems to make sense.
Basically, all Gospels, whether it’s the Bible or any one of our books are all writings from history, in some cases hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Most of these books have been created by people who either saw the events happen, lived through them, or finally recorded the events after being handed down through the generations. In this case I believe all religious texts are the same. The difference comes in the timing of these above texts in question and what has happened to them since they were first introduced.
The doctrine and covenants, the Pearl of great Price, and the book of Mormon have all been translated or revealed within the last 200 years. For the most part they have only been translated once. In addition, the original translation of these texts was in English.
The Bible however is a much older text. Throughout its history of existence, it has been translated and retranslated in and out of many languages. It has suffered through the dark ages and all the effects that era in history caused. In addition, the Bible has been edited and tweaked and adjusted by many supposedly learned men, all in an attempt to clarify and to bring to light what they believe to be the true intent of the text. Finally, some portions have even been eliminated completely.
In short: it’s logical to assume that the difference between the original writing of all the text that makes up the Bible or what could have been in the Bible, and what we read now, is going to be undeniably quite different in content and intent.
The Mormon’s books have not gone through all that change and turmoil.
Church Organization:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been established and organized to follow the originally intended organization and structure of the original church. As such our church has the first presidency which consists of the president of the church or the prophet, and his counselors the first and second counselor. Directly underneath these men is the quorum of the 12 apostles. These 15 individuals are the top of what’s called the general authorities of the church. All of these individuals who are general authorities are all full-time employees of the church. This means that they do not hold any other jobs other than the roles that they play supporting the church and its membership.
Below this however, all other church leadership consists of unpaid members of the church who are all fulfilling what is called a church calling. Even every individual church Bishop, the equivalent of a Catholic priest or any other paid church minister, is fulfilling that role as head of that local church (what we call a ward) strictly on a volunteer basis. They receive no salary or compensation whatsoever. These hard-working individuals are also family men, fathers and husbands, as well as a full-time employee with whatever their chosen career might be. Over the course of 3 to 5 years, most major callings are rotated, allowing one to step down and another to take his or her place.
As Mormons we go to church every Sunday just like most other Christian organizations do. The average church service on a Sunday lasts three hours: the first hour being standard church service or the sacrament service, the second hour being Sunday school for both adults and children, and the third hour where children continue with Sunday school, and the adults attend their final meeting which is the Elders Quorum for the men, and the Relief Society for the women.
I think one of the most comforting things about the way our churches are organized is the fact that as I travel the country and even the world, I can walk into any LDS (Latter Day Saint) church and I will know pretty much what to expect. I will always get a warm welcome by people who greet me as family. The meetings are organized pretty much the same no matter where you go. It’s even possible that if you finished lesson three in Chicago on one Sunday and then traveled to St. Louis for example over the following Sunday, you would probably jump right into lessons four in that St. Louis Ward.
In addition to our equivalent of what all other Christian’s call a church, which we again call a Ward, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also has what we call our Temples.
Anyone who has studied or ever been even slightly curious about the Mormon Church has probably wondered about Mormon temples. Suffice it to say, that Mormon temples are not secret places as much as they are sacred places. Many wonderful and sacred ordinances are performed within Mormon temples, by members of the church, for themselves and for other people who have passed on. Although the average non-member can walk into any Mormon church at any time as a guest, no non-member is allowed within a Mormon temple. The only exception to this is when a new temple is first opened. Usually there is a short week-long open house where nonmembers are allowed in and get a guided tour through the facility. If ever you hear of a Mormon temple that’s having an open house I invite you to make a point to go and visit; it is an experience you will not soon forget.
For all worthy members, going to the temple to perform ordinances is a sacred and holy experience, leaving one filled with joy, humbled by the glory of the Lord, and filled with the belief in the truth of the gospel and an unquestioning knowledge of just how loved by God you are.
One simple and quick way to explain in general what our church stands for is by reading the churches “Articles of Faith”.
This can be found@LDS.org at the following URL:
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1.13?lang=eng#12
Because I am a member, I could go on and on and on about the little nuances and differences about our church as compared to other Christian organizations.
However as stated above, we are a Christian church who believes in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. Unlike other organizations we believe that Jesus Christ still speaks to us today through our Prophet.
Another example of the differences is this:
Baptism:
Unlike other organization, we do not baptize newly born babies. Our children are baptized at the age of eight years old by their own choice. This is what we call the age of accountability. Basically, this means that at this stage in life, the child certainly doesn’t understand everything but, they understand the basic concept of right and wrong. As such, these young Saints are ready to become full members and begin to take on the responsibilities of a young person in the church.
The concept of sprinkling a child’s head with water after they are born is based upon a belief that you are freeing that child of the shackles of the original sin, that sin being when Eve ate the apple and Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
Basically, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believes that Jesus Christ died for all of our sins, which includes the sin of Eve eating the apple and Adam and Eve being cast out of the garden.
No child is born with any sin!
A newly born baby is the closest thing to perfection that any human being can ever experience.
Although we do believe that you are saved by accepting Christ as your Savior, we also believe that getting to heaven takes a little bit more than just saying “I believe”. In digest: you can’t just accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and then go out and live the life of a murderer or rapist or any of these type things and expect to end up in heaven. You are saved by accepting Christ as your Savior, and by how you live your life. You get to heaven by the choices you make, the faith that you keep and so on; as is spelled out in the articles of faith noted above.
Appearances:
Unlike most Catholic churches, for example, which are usually very ornately decorated with tall cavernous sanctuaries, stained-glass and beautiful pulpits, the average LDS ward is by comparison rather plain. It is pleasant and comfortable but it’s simply not fancy.
We once invited a Catholic friend of ours to come to church with us one Sunday. With a little trepidation, because she had no idea what to expect, she came. As is customary at church, when they got to the announcements during sacrament we stood with her and introduced her as our friend and guest. The rest of the three-hour meetings were followed by people greeting her and welcoming her, guiding her throughout the meetings to make sure she knew where she was going and would not be lost or left feeling alone. In the end as we were driving home we asked her what she thought of our meeting. She answered that it was a very simple and basic experience. There were no fancy trappings or stained-glass, it was almost like all we had was the Word.
My answer to her comment was simple: in truth, the word is all that you need.
Marriage:
Another subtitle difference between Mormons and other Christians is what we call a Temple Marriage. Simply put: a standard civil marriage is until death. Once one or both pass on, the relationship is legally ended. LDS members also partake in civil Marriage but can at our discretion go a step further.
All worthy members can have a temple Marriage, which is for all time and eternity and is performed in addition to the standard ceremony.
The Word:
Another good definition of the Mormon Church is what I always say to investigators looking to join.
As Mormons, we are BIG into missionary work. At the end of 2017, there were over 70,000 missionaries worldwide. Most of these are all young adults, girls and boys, which spend a solid 18 months and 2 years respectively, away from home doing full-time mission work. Sometimes their mission takes them out of the country. Boys can go on a mission between 19 and 26, and girls after they are 21.
It is a common practice for regular members such as myself to go with them to talk to interested persons who want to learn and join. It gives them another perspective that they may not otherwise get.
Always, when I go, I am asked what I think of the church as a regular member.
I always answer the same:
The Mormon Church is one of the most challenging and sometimes frustrating organizations on the face of the Earth. At no time will you ever be allowed to just attend church as a spectator. You will be asked to become involved, sometimes very Involved. You will be asked to speak on Sunday during sacrament meeting, take a calling that will involve teaching or guiding or directing or even leading an entire church as Bishop. You will be expected to live a life that does not include caffeine or alcohol or tobacco in any form. Moreover you will be encouraged to attend the temple to perform more ordinances as well as be a full tithe payer.
Most importantly it is also one of the most rewarding and fulfilling organizations that claim to be Christian that I have ever been a member of.
So, down to the original question, that being:
“Where is God?”
I think it’s important to say here that ALL viable religions are going to profess to be that “One True Church” where God resides. No one is ever going to say: “Yea, we are a church of God, but he speaks to the Mormons first!”
However…
This is where I’m going to be accused of being snooty again. According to LDS doctrine, in my words: There are many good intending Christian churches, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is the one true and living church.
Now that I have completely alienated and annoyed every Christian organization except for one, allow me to explain:
The Mormon Church uses a phrase that states that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints holds the keys to the priesthood. What this basically means is that the Mormon Church has the authority to teach and preach the gospel in God’s name. Additionally, the Mormon Church has this day a living Prophet appointed by God to act as his voice here on earth.
In the time of Christ Jesus, Christ held the authority, or as we like to call them the keys, to stand on earth in God’s name and to represent God’s will. As he gathered his 12 disciples, it wasn’t simply a gathering of men to follow Him, but it was a representation of how he wanted his church on this earth to be organized and managed. In addition, by calling together these 12 men and calling them his disciples he was in fact passing on to them the keys, or the authority, to stand with him to represent heavenly father’s plan.
I’m quite sure that when Jesus Christ was put to death, his persecutors felt that they were putting an end to all this nonsense that Jesus Christ was talking about. But in truth however, the 12 disciples held the authority given to them by the son of God before he died.
Unfortunately, due to various circumstances whether it be loss of faith, or fear, or being murdered by the masses before anything could be done, after the last of the 12 disciples died they did so without taking the opportunity to pass the authority that they were given on to anyone else. When this happened, the intent and passion and the excitement that Jesus Christ started carried on, but the authority to continue the work did not. This authority died with the last of the 12.
Following this, many well intended learned and holy individuals and organizations started many churches; many of which still exist today. However, it wasn’t until Joseph Smith, after receiving a vision in the forest of Manchester New York in the year of 1820, and who later had the authority of the priesthood restored to him by God and his Son Jesus Christ, did this true authority returned to the earth.
That authority is now continuing today, after being passed on until the profit of the church today: Russel M. Nelson.
To quote one of the LDS General authorities from a conference in 2008, Then First Counselor in the First Presidency, President Henry B. Eyring:
“…The Lord spoke to those through whom He restored the Church in the latter days (Speaking about the Mormon Church). He said of them that they “might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—
“For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
“Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
“And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.”
This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter. Those keys were restored to Joseph Smith, who then was authorized to confer them upon the members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
When the Prophet Joseph was murdered, the enemies of the Church thought that the Church would die. They thought it was the creation of a mortal man and therefore would perish with him. But their hopes were dashed. It was the true Church, and it also had the power to live on, even when those chosen for a time to lead it died.
We have seen today a demonstration that this is the true and living Church. The keys of the priesthood are held by mortals, but the way has been prepared by the Lord for the keys to remain functioning on the earth so long as the people exercise faith both that the keys are on the earth and that they have been passed on by the will of God to His chosen servants.
God’s people have not always been worthy of the marvelous experience we have shared today. The Apostles, after the Ascension of Christ, continued to exercise the keys He left with them. But because of disobedience and loss of faith by the members, the Apostles died without the keys being passed on to successors. We call that tragic episode “the Apostasy.” Had the members of the Church in those days had the opportunity and the will to exercise faith as you have today, the Lord would not have taken the keys of the priesthood from the earth. So, this is a day of historical significance and of eternal importance in the history of the world and to the children of our Heavenly Father.”
For anyone who is interested in researching and studying about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I invite you to visit www.LDS.org. In addition, you are always welcome to walk into any Mormon church at any time that the doors are open.
