Meet Some Mormons
Have you ever met a Mormon? We've collected stories from some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and posted them. Come meet a Mormon!
Q: Do Mormons ever think for themselves? Don't they always blindly follow their leaders?
A: Some people do think that we Mormons are like sheep--mindlessly following our leaders. That is not the case for a number of reasons.
If I have strep throat and go to a doctor, she will prescribe the appropriate medicine. If I were to go to a different doctor, that doctor would prescribe the same medicine for my sickness. Are those two doctors "blindly obeying" the textbook or are they acting the same based on the knowledge they each personally gained?
Imagine an un-anchored sailboat on water. Now imagine a flock of sheep following a shepherd. Which is more free? Which has more power over what happens to them?
The sheep are walking along in a field. The shepherd leads them to food, to water, around the pasture. The sheep choose to follow the shepherd because they trust him.
Now picture that sailboat on the water, now caught in a violent storm. Waves crash against the boat. Wind pushes the boat this way, waves beat it back the other.
Which is more free--the sailboat or the sheep?
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are taught that they should study issues out on their own (see here, here, and here). Joseph Smith, the founder and first Prophet of the Church in modern days, taught that the Church teaches correct principles and lets its members govern themselves (quoted here). This is the real power of the Church. Members learn what the leaders teach, learn the consequences of actions, and then make their own decisions.
And that is why I am a member of the Church. I have decided that I want to follow the Shepherd. Turns out that He knows the way.
Q: Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
A: Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. We worship a living God, one that speaks today through prophets just as He did in times past. We believe that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are one in purpose and goals and desires, but are separate and distinct beings with unique roles.
We understand the verse, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the aworld, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" (John 17:11, see also 3 Nephi 19:23,29) to indicate that we can become one with Christ just as Christ is one with the Father.
There are many other verses in the Bible that support this understanding. Among those are the following: Matthew 3:13-17 ; John 14:6-12; John 17:6-23; Acts 7:55-56; 2 Nephi 31:18; Mormon 7:5-7; D&C 76:20-24.
In a recent conference of the Church, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained our doctrine plainly and understandably. He started with the following:
"We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings."
Click here for the rest of the talk: Text || Audio || Video
Q: What is the Mormon view on polygamy?
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
Q: Do you really think that God speaks to us today?
A: We sure do. We believe He speaks to us through direct personal revelation (usually through prayer, scripture study, and church attendance) as well as through a living prophet. A person can receive revelation about personal issues--what to study in school, where to live, when/whom to marry, etc. God reveals to individuals things that help their personal lives.
Besides revealing things to individuals personally, God has followed a pattern throughout time of revealing important truths to prophets. Prophets preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and lead Christ's church through revelation. Just as Christ called prophets and apostles while on earth, He has called men to serve as prophets and apostles in our time.
One of the best ways to follow Christ is to listen to and follow His chosen prophets and apostles: This Saturday and Sunday is the 178th Semiannual General Conference of Christ's church. At this conference, the modern-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson, will address the world, as will the twelve apostles and other church leaders.
Their talks represent what the Lord wants to teach us at this time.
(Want to listen? click here. Want to watch? click here. Want to read what they said last conference? click here. Want to chat online with a church representative? click here)
Q: Do Mormons Worship Joseph Smith?
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?"
