What Do Mormons Believe?

I had a conversation recently with a fellow student at Chico State who is a Seventh Day Adventist. He wanted to know why it is that the LDS church (and many others) observe Sunday, the first day of the week, as the Sabbath instead of Saturday, the seventh day.

My first thought was that the ‘when’ of the Sabbath is not nearly as important as the ‘why’. We celebrate Christ, both my Seventh Day Adventist classmate and I, we just do so on different days.

In our conversation we discovered many similarities in our beliefs, we both agreed that God created the Earth in six days and rested on the seventh. (Genesis 2:2-3) And we were both well aware of the 4th of the ten commandments which refers to Sabbath Day observance, saying, “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy . . . wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11)

It is in the New Testament, however, that the importance of the first day of the week becomes emphasized. Mary arrived at the Garden Tomb on the first day of the week to find that Christ had been resurrected (John 20:1). Later, in Acts, Paul had the disciples gather together to take the sacrament and be instructed on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we rest from our regular, daily labors one day a week. We gather together to take the sacrament and learn the teachings of Christ from the scriptures and modern prophets. We follow the example of the early disciples and commemorate Christ’s victory over sin and death every Sunday.

Q. Is it true Mormons believe Jesus went to Salt Lake City after his resurrection?

We don’t have any records indicating that Jesus visited Salt Lake City just after His resurrection (or Salt Lake valley, since there was no city at the time).

The records we have (the New Testament) indicate that He was born in Bethlehem, just outside of Jerusalem. He grew up in Nazareth and preached mainly in Galilee, and also in other regions of Palestine. He was killed by crucifixion just outside Jerusalem, and was resurrected (came back to life) after three days. He spent at least 40 days with His followers before He ascended to heaven. While He was with them, He told them He had “other sheep,” or other followers, of a different fold He needed to visit (see John 10:16).

In another record (the Book of Mormon) we learn that Jesus visited a group of immigrant Israelites who had been led by God to the American continent hundreds of years earlier. He descended from heaven and appeared to these people at the temple in the city of Bountiful (see 3 Nephi 11). Many scholars on Book of Mormon geography believe Bountiful was in what we now call the Mexican state of Tabasco with its myriad ruined temples.

When Jesus visited these people in Bountiful He told them there were yet more sheep He would go to (3 Nephi 16:1). After He departed, we presume He visited them, but we don’t have any records of it.

Read this for more on the topic: Traveling Jesus

Good question.  The short answer is that we become members by being taught fundamental doctrines and principles and then by being baptized.  However, as part of that, we commit to keeping God’s commandments and taking upon ourselves Christ’s name – meaning we try to live our lives and treat others as Christ would.  Missionaries teach people these fundamental doctrines and commandments, and then ask them to pray and ask God if what they’ve taught is true.  Here are some links to other articles that may be useful too.

How do I become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Fundamentals of the Gospel
How Do You Pray?
Missionaries Knock On Your Door: What to Expect
Repentance Before Baptism
What Do Mormons Believe? – Baptism
What does baptism entail?

Recently, we were asked about our stance on racism.  We believe, as Neil A. Maxwell stated, that “God’s second commandment, love thy neighbor, clearly leaves no room for racism.” (“Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,” Ensign, May 1995)  Thanks for your question!

Easter Sunday is one of the most hopeful days of the year. We celebrate Christ’s victory over death and His atonement for our sins and weaknesses. Take a moment to watch this video and read this document to know what Mormons believe about Jesus Christ.