Meet Mormons

A: While there was a time when Mormons practiced polygamy, for over 100 years the practice has been outlawed by the church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is based on a few key principles, one of which is modern-day revelation. We believe that God reveals His will to chosen prophets, selected now as they were in Biblical times. God is an unchanging God (yesterday, today, and forever), but sometimes His will is different at different times to different children.

Picture an eleven year-old girl asking her father for the keys to the car. He refuses, telling her that she cannot, under any circumstances, drive the car.

Five years later that same girl asks her father the same question. He tosses her the keys, telling her to have fun with her friends.

Did the father change? Or did the circumstance change?

This principle of continuous revelation is evident in the Bible. We read that Noah was faced with a watery problem, about which the Lord counseled "Make thee an ark. . . ." Not too many pages later we read of another man faced with an issue of water. Moses and the Children of Israel met the Red Sea, and the Lord commanded "stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it."

Did God change? Or did the circumstances change?

This is the same principle that guides our church today. Even though in the Bible there were men authorized to practice polygamy (Jacob, Solomon, and David), and even though a few men in the day of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were directed to practice polygamy, we believe that God has since revealed that polygamy is not to be practiced.

And that is why in the rare case that a member of the LDS church is found practicing polygamy, that member promptly loses membership in the church.


A few helpful links:
*Explanation of practice and discontinuation of polygamy here.
*The Church's official beliefs regarding the family: The Family: A Proclamation to the World
*Video explanation here

A: We believe that no matter what we do, there is no way we would ever make it into Heaven without the help of Jesus Christ. Christ's suffering in the Garden and on the Cross make the impossible possible.

Our knowledge of Christ's suffering comes from the truth restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. We believe that through baptism (at age 8) we enter into a sort of "deal" with Christ. We promise to do our best at keeping His commandments and following His words, and he promises to make up the difference. Because of this deal we have a chance at Heaven. Without it, we'd all be toast.

I understand this doctrine best as it is illustrated by this short example:

A man is stumbling along in the desert. He is sunburned and his tongue is so dry it sticks to the roof of his mouth. He can barely see, his eyes bloodshot and blurred from lack of water.

He is about to collapse and give up when he sees a signpost on the next dune. It reads: "Water Here" with an arrow pointing just over the dune. The man summons all his strength and heads for the sign.

When he reaches the sign, a hair's breath away from fainting, he sees a water pump at the bottom of the dune. He smiles as wide as his chapped lips allow and hurries to get a drink. He cranks the handle and lets the water splash into his mouth and over his face.

What saved the man? Was it the sign? Was it the man's faith in the sign? Was it all the man's work getting over the dune to the pump? Was it the pump?

It was the water. Jesus Christ is the Living Water, the quencher of all eternal thirst, the only One who has the power to save us.

A: No. Mormons do not worship any human being. Mormons worship God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that these two figures, with the Holy Ghost, make up the Godhead--three distinct beings who are one in purpose. (More on that later).

We believe that God reveals truths and gives guidance to His children through men called prophets. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is always revealed to and through prophets, who act as watchmen on the tower. Adam, Moses, Noah, and Abraham are among the many prophets described in the Bible.

For many years, there was no prophet on the earth. (This is called the Great Apostasy and spanned from the murder of Christ and the apostles to the early 19th century) Joseph Smith was called to fill the void. (See a video of his story here.)

Joseph was a young man during the religious renaissance of the 1800s. There were hundreds of competing denominations and religious factions, a result of thousands of years without God's prophet on the earth. Confused by the widely varying interpretations of the Bible held by the various churches, Joseph turned to God in sincere prayer. He asked God which church God wanted him to join. God answered that none of the churches was correct, and restored His church through Joseph Smith.

We hold Joseph Smith to be a great prophet, a great leader, and a man chosen by God to do a great work.

Next week's question: "What do Mormon missionaries do?"

A: The official name of the church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." The name comes from our understanding of Jesus Christ's ministry. We believe that while on earth, Christ organized His church the way He wanted it--He gave others authority to do the work of His church. We call this organization "The Church of Jesus Christ."

After the crucifixion, the saints (members of Christ's church), were still led by authorized leaders. Christ had left authority to do the work of His church with the Twelve Apostles and others. Eventually, though, they were killed and persecuted to the point that no one on earth had the authority to do the work of Christ's church. (For a better explanation, click here.) Essentially, the Church of Jesus Christ was no longer on the earth.

Enter Joseph Smith. In 1820 the young farm boy was confused by the many conflicting religions, faiths, and interpretations. In answer to sincere prayer, Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph. This initiated the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Today, the Church of Jesus Christ is again on the earth. In order to differentiate today's church from the church in the time of Christ, it is now called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." "Latter-day" meaning "not in Christ's time," and "saints" referring to believers of Christ.

Next week's question: "Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?"