First and foremost, God has a standard.  He has a way of living that He wants for us.  He has revealed, and continues to reveal, that way of living to prophets throughout the ages.  Through Moses, He instructed the children of Israel to obey a strict set of laws.  Jesus Christ instructed the Jews a different (and better) way of living that relied more on developing a good heart that dictates good actions.  I don’t doubt that that same Being inspired Buddha, Mohammad or Confucius to teach their respective peoples a better way of living.

Here’s the important part:  God does this so that His own children might be happy.  That’s right; God gives rules for you to be happy.  If He can persuade His children to lift their way of living to a higher level, even on just a single point, it brings Him joy because they are living up to a standard that is naturally better.  It isn’t so much that God will punish those who break commandments; the commandments are there to prevent actions that cause damage.  If I do action “A” then “B” will be a result.  If “B” is good, then God wishes us to do “A,” otherwise He must forbid it.

There are several problems people see with this standard.  First, they don’t see beneficial results from supposedly good actions, nor do they see bad results from bad actions.  Then they wonder why the standards are there in the first place.  Patience.  That’s why we believe in personal revelation.  We can ask our Heavenly Father if such a thing is for us.  After receiving an answer, we trust in that answer and believe that someday, somehow, that trust will be for our good.

Second, many people find themselves not living in harmony with their beliefs.  That is, everybody eventually finds themselves where their actions don’t line up with what they know they should be doing.  They then have a choice.  They could change their actions, or change their beliefs.  Either will relieve the situation and not doing either will always result in misery.  You would be the most wretched person if you constantly wish to be unchaste while acting in celibacy.  Or you could be miserable believing that you ought not to drink alcohol while sitting at the bar getting drunk.  The key is to alter the action that is keeping us from God instead giving up His standard.

Third, when we make a poor decision, we naturally are loathe to accept the consequences for that action.  We would like to get the benefit of something we didn’t do and avoid the penalty for something we did do.  It is true that Christ’s atonement allows us to repent and avoid the dire consequences of our actions, most especially being separated from God, but it is definitely easier to prevent making a mess of our lives than to work through the repentance process.  The time spent destroying spirituality could be spent building it up instead.  God’s standard helps us reap blessings with the time we have and not to spend it in trials and pain.

So in light of all this, it is imperative that each of us keep to the standard of God and stick to it.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there for us in our moments of weakness and to pick us up at our worst moments, if we are just willing to accept help.  It will be uncomfortable, there is no doubt there, but growth means growing pains.  The path of least resistance is quite comfortable, but doesn’t lead to the desired end.  We desire a better end, a more excellent way and one that brings a life of real joy and satisfaction.  That is why we do the things we do and try our best to live according to God’s standard.

Swimming is something we do mainly for recreation, like sailing, golfing, four-wheeling, and going to the movies.  The Lord has asked us to spend one day of our week in worship.  Recreation often distracts from this goal.  We prefer to find activities that focus our thoughts on the Savior and bring us together as families.

Is there something inherently evil about swimming?  No, but we can lose our spiritual balance when we overfill our time with fun-seeking.

The Lord instructed Joseph Smith, “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (D&C 59:9–10). Notice that there is a blessing associated with Sabbath observance, and you can choose to claim it or not.  Freedom from the ‘spots’ or moral pollutions of the world is more important to me than swimming.

The blessings of closer communion with God easily outweigh the pleasure I might get playing Marco! Polo! in the community swimming pool (called the ‘Municipool’ where I live), especially when I can enjoy a swim on six other days of the week.

The blessings are not reserved only for Mormons, either.  Give it a try and see how you feel.  See David’s excellent article on Sabbath Day worship to learn how.

Q. Can [Mormons] have TV?

A. Yes

Q. Can the girls have Barbie dolls and the boys have video games?

A. Yes

Q. Can they have radio?

A. Yes

The price to pay for these rewards is ourselves.  Our Heavenly Father asks us to be humble and penitent toward Him and to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.  When we give ourselves, our will and our lives, to Christ, He gives them right back to us in a purer condition and also with His blessings.  These might be spiritual blessings such as peace in one’s heart or also blessings of prosperity and success.  It is important to realize that He allows us to retain our freedom even when we give ourselves to Him.

This is diametrically opposed to the manner the world sees it and how the world operates.  Many things petition us for our time, energy and will that will enslave us and will never set us free willingly.  I have seen families destroyed by abuse of alcohol and individuals reduced to nothing because of all kinds of destructive habits.  There is no real freedom there.

The power to free us remains in Christ.  We must choose Him to become free spiritually.  “But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son.” (Alma 12:33)  That mercy will allow us to break the chains that hold us down and to destroy habits that enslave.

All can be free through Christ.  It truly is a glorious prospect, and not one that comes easy.  It takes a sincere desire to change one’s being, from thought to action, and, more importantly, the humility to understand the powerlessness one has in a current situation.  But where there is a lack of power and ability, Christ makes up the difference.  “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Nephi 1:15)  From binding chains to arms that embrace is a reality that does happen.  I know it does.  I have seen it, I have felt it and I can’t imagine a better way to show my appreciation for it than by sharing it.

Before the fall, there was the creation of Earth.  Before that, there was a council.  Our Heavenly Father presented a plan for us to progress from our spiritual state to one where we could be like Him.  For this to be accomplished, we needed to come to Earth and gain a body, experience life, and learn to use the agency given us to submit our will to His through doing all that he would command us to do (Abraham 3:24-25).  This plan encompassed all these things.  God knew what would happen on Earth.  He knew that Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit and would have to leave His presence, He knew of wars among His children, He knew of the pain and suffering they would pass through and He knew that left alone, His children could never return to Him.  That is precisely why the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the key part of this plan.  God planned that once the fall of Adam and Eve occurred, He would teach them about the Atonement so that they could live and grow in spite of being separated from God.

Once all the future of the Earth was planned according to God’s power, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to create the Earth.  And create it, He did (Ephesians 3:9).  He created it beautifully and perfectly and placed the plants, animals, and man there.  Once Adam and Eve were there, God commanded them to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).  Furthermore, they were told that they could eat of any plant or tree in the Garden of Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God told them that if they were to eat of this tree that they would die (Moses 3:17), however He gave to them agency and expressly told them that it was given to them to choose.  Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden in a state of innocence, not knowing good or evil, nor did they know what happiness or sadness were (Moses 3:11). They existed, and little more.

The book of Moses tells us that Satan did not know the mind of God (Moses 4:6) and wanted to destroy God’s plan for his children.  Through a serpent, he told Eve that she ought to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil so that her eyes could be opened, to know good from evil (Moses 4:11).  Now, eating this fruit was something that God had warned them against because of the consequences.  Eating this fruit would cause them to become mortal and therefore imperfect.  They would eventually die.  Mortal man, stained with his own sins, cannot withstand the presence of God in a permanent setting, so this also separated them from God.  God never allows us to make decisions that separate us from Him without first warning us, hence the commandment He gave Adam and Eve.

Eve saw that the result of knowing good from evil was indeed a desirable thing so being deceived by Satan, she ate the fruit.  As evidenced by Adam’s confession to God a few verses later (Moses 4:18, Genesis 3:12), Adam was commanded to remain with Eve.  Once Eve had eaten the fruit, Adam saw that he must either partake of the fruit or be separated from Eve.  It is a good thing that he chose the first or none of us would be here.

Adam and Eve’s world changed then.  It no longer was a paradise that grew all sorts of foods without effort.  It became a place where Adam and Eve had to work to live.  Aside from being a reference to the separation of God from the world, it provided an environment where mankind had to work, be humble towards God and rely on His mercies.  According to the plan, Adam learned the gospel of Jesus Christ and knew that the Atonement was coming.  He taught his children this truth and rejoiced in the knowledge of his Lord and Savior.

While the Fall of Adam and Eve may seem like a tragic event, it isn’t.  It’s true that they transgressed the commandments of God, but that event provided an opportunity for all of the spirit children of God to come to a place to receive a body and have the opportunity to become like God himself if they chose to do so.  Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed, God is merciful.  He provided a way for them to be forgiven of that transgression through His Son–the only sinless person who has or ever will live on this earth.  Likewise, all of the posterity of Adam and Eve, us, have claim upon this wonderful opportunity of forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ if we will choose to receive it into our lives.

Life is full of ups and downs.  At times we feel inclined to sing, rejoice and be happy.  At others times, we feel as though we are treading through paths of misery and woe.  In spite of life’s difficulties and pains, we are not meant to be continually mourning.  Our purpose here in life is actually to have joy. The prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon stated, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)  We exist in order to have joy!

While in this life, we ought to be happy and we ought to be preparing to join God in His Heaven after this life (Alma 34:32).  The two go hand in hand.  When we choose to prepare to meet God, that is, we choose to shun the evil and pursue the good, we will be more happy.  It is in God’s nature to be happy and everything that is good (including happiness) comes from God.  Obedience to the commandments and happiness are related.  Conversely, when we make poor decisions that are contrary to the commandments of God, we cannot expect to be happy forever because  wickedness never was happiness. (Alma 41:10)

Every decision we have to make has consequences.  We are allowed in this life to make our own choices but we cannot choose the consequences that our decisions incur.  Those consequences can be good and bring us knowledge, success or peace or those consequences can be just the opposite and damage the body, mind and soul.  The commandments that God has given us are guidelines of a loving parent so that we might more fully enjoy life without being encumbered with additional pains.  When we keep the commandments in our hearts and seek to obey them, God has promised a fuller and more abundant life.  They are not intended to restrict, but to free.  Milton R. Hunter, a member of the quorum of the seventy wrote in the book, ‘The Gospel through the Ages,’ the following about living life, “Religion is the highest expression of man’s will to live and to have that life more abundantly.  Religion is the outreaching of the human heart for the most worthwhile things that life offers.  In fact, it is the highest aspect of our struggle for life, beauty and happiness.”  Those commandments contained in the Bible become less of a burden and more of a joy when we realize what things are truly worthwhile in the larger scheme of things.

When considering this principle of consequences from actions, one must not assume all pain and suffering comes from bad choices.  Life is a growing experience.  God did not place us all in a static environment.  That would show nothing from us.  All people grow more when they are stretched to their limits.  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”  (Ether 12:27)  Our real responsibility when dealing with hard times is to remember that we still control our attitude.  The way we react to situations speaks volumes of our true self.  When we have hope, we allow God to help us grow in trials.  When we despair, we are left to languish and deteriorate.

God did not intend for us to only react, however, and He has given us certain commandments that we must be charitable towards our fellow man.  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“  (Matthew 22:37-39).  When we love God, we love our neighbor.  We serve him and when we serve our neighbor, we are serving our God.  (See James 1:27 and Matthew 25:34-40)

A truly full and abundant life would not be complete without our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through His gospel, He can be a daily part of our life.  Through Him, our efforts to serve God will not be in vain.  We will grow, our fellow man will grow, and we will all be perfected in Him.  This process is continuous and does not end, even when this life will end.  Our true faith and our willingness to come to Christ will be an integral part of our life and it will show.

See “The Plan of Salvation“

Q. I am a Christian and go to the First Christian Church here in town, am I wrong? I was wondering if you believe that I am damned to hell if I don’t switch to your Church.

Will you go to hell for not being a Mormon? Heavens no. You’ll get a heaven very much like the one that is taught in your church—a glorious place, beyond imagination, where Jesus Christ reigns and you live throughout eternity as an angel, singing praises to Him.

So why, you may ask, are you Mormons so insistent that everyone else join your church? I’ll tell you: “In [our] Father’s house there are many mansions” (John 14:2) and the heaven that most of Christianity is yearning for isn’t even all that the Father wants to give us. Even the very lowest level mansion (or kingdom) is beyond our imagination in terms of splendor and glory and beauty and happiness. But what He really intended for us for eternity is exaltation, not just salvation. He wants us to have eternal families—meaning you, your spouse and children will stay together as a family unit for eternity, not just until death. He wants us to return to Him, He wants us to have everything that He has.

Those blessings of exaltation are only available through living the Gospel valiantly, through the ordinances performed by His priesthood here on the earth, (which priesthood was restored through Joseph Smith) and, most importantly, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to earth to save us all.  Not just the Lutherans or the Baptists or the Mormons. His atonement is big enough to save everyone who will come unto Him and accept His help (2 Nephi 26:23-28, 1 Cor. 15:22).  However, if we reject His sufferings in our behalf, we will have to suffer for our sins ourselves (read about that here). But when all of the suffering is over and Christ’s work is done, salvation will be given to all.

The object of our Church and its doctrines is to make our entire existence joyful. Live on earth more compassionately and wisely, avoid unnecessary suffering and sin, enjoy our time in Paradise before we are resurrected because Christ will have already suffered for our sins, and then return to live with God forever, with our families. The alternative has a happy ending too, but with a lot of unnecessary sadness and misery on the way (and no families forever).

I want these guys forever

“Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he that commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.”  (2 Nephi 26:27)

For more information on this incredible topic, read these:

D&C 76 (the vision given to Joseph Smith describing the kingdoms of glory)

D&C 19 (talks about suffering for sins—both Christ’s and what we will have to do if we don’t accept Him)

D&C 45 (Christ talking as our advocate before the Father)

“Salvation and Exaltation” by Russell M. Nelson (talks about the differences between the two)

“Our Father’s Plan – Big Enough for All of His Children” by Quentin L. Cook (talks about how Mormons are different from most other Christians in that they don’t see everyone but them going to hell)

“The Plan of Salvation”

Heavenly Father has prepared another chance for them to hear the gospel and choose to accept or reject it.

The official Church website explains:  “Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5)  Many people, however, have died without being baptized.  Others were baptized without proper authority.  Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism.  By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors.  Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.”

Baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel.  It is so important that even Jesus Christ asked to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness.  Because Heavenly Father desires for us all to return to Him, He has made it possible for the dead to have the same opportunities as the living through the temple ordinances.

Some have the misconception that this temple work forces the deceased persons into covenants against their will.  This is entirely false.  All spirits maintain their free will after death and can opt to accept or refuse the ordinance of baptism.  When a living person is baptized and receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost in behalf of a deceased person, it is only to give the deceased person the opportunity – the option of redemption.

LDS.org also reveals:  “Many in the spirit world embrace the gospel. However, they cannot receive priesthood ordinances for themselves because they do not have physical bodies. In holy temples, we have the privilege of receiving ordinances in their behalf. These ordinances include baptism, confirmation, Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men), the endowment, the marriage sealing, and the sealing of children to parents. The Lord revealed this work to the Prophet Joseph Smith, restoring a practice that had been revealed to Christians shortly after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:29).

Part of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to Redeem the Dead.  Because of this, we participate in genealogy/family history work to find our ancestors who were not able to hear and accept the gospel while on earth.  Many in my family are involved in this work because of our desire to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers as mentioned at the very end of the old testament.

I love going to the temple.  There is such a special feeling that accompanies me when I’m in the House of the Lord.  Doing the physical ordinances for my ancestors who have passed on is an amazing experience because I know that many of them have been waiting for hundreds of years to finally have their baptism performed.  Being a part of their spiritual progression is remarkable.  I know that God is merciful and mindful of each of us because He gives everyone a fair chance at accepting or rejecting the message of the gospel.

The simple answer to the question is yes, but this is no place for a simple answer.  Let’s expand the question to:  “What is the religion’s stand on divorce?“  The answer in this case is:  The church wishes couples would work through their problems and stay married, but accepts the fact that divorce happens.

Marriage is a multi-level arrangement. In our current society it is a symbol of true love, the establishment of a new household, a legal partnership, and an economic contractual relationship. In other cultures a marriage may be the combining of two families households, or the woman may be nominally sold into the keeping of her husband and his family. Due to the uneven or unequal potential in the marriage relationship, religions and social customs have attempted to modify the power of the husband over the wife.  For example:

” Under Jewish law a man can divorce a woman for any reason or for no reason. The Talmud specifically states that a man can divorce a woman because she spoiled his dinner or simply because he finds another woman more attractive, the woman’s consent to the divorce is not required…This does not mean that Judaism takes divorce lightly. Many aspects of Jewish law discourage divorce… According to the Torah, divorce is accomplished simply by writing a bill of divorce, handing it to the wife, and sending her away. To prevent husbands from divorcing their wives recklessly or without proper consideration, the rabbis created complex rules regarding the process of writing the document, delivery, and acceptance. A competent rabbinical authority should be consulted for any divorce” (Judaism 101: Divorce).

When Jesus was being tempted by the Pharisees (Matthew 19), they asked him if it was lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause. He answered with two important statements; in verse 4 he replies, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female.” And then in verse 8, “He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” ["Putting away" was another term for giving the wife a writing of divorcement.]
From his reply one could get the insight that God didn’t make one sex to rule over the other, he made them both, male and female and that what Jesus was hinting at was that equal regard should be given to both. From the second comment we can see that the cultural beliefs were pretty deeply embedded among the Jews and they probably weren’t ready for the introduction of a doctrine of equality of the sexes.

In our enlightened culture we have legally, at least, attempted to deal with both sexes equally. In the last 100 years laws have changed in most countries to allow marriages to be dissolved, the immediate result is generally a rapid increase in divorce as people free themselves from relationships that were not acceptable to one or both partners. Currently in America 50% of all marriages end in divorce. In a talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, he tells of the sorry situation in the Philippines:

“When a marriage is dead and beyond hope of resuscitation, it is needful to have a means to end it. I saw examples of this in the Philippines. Two days after their temple marriage, a husband deserted his young wife and has not been heard from for over 10 years. A married woman fled and obtained a divorce in another country, but her husband, who remained behind, is still married in the eyes of the Philippine law. Since there is no provision for divorce in that country, these innocent victims of desertion have no way to end their married status and go forward with their lives” (Divorce, Dallin H. Oaks)

A cornerstone in Mormon doctrine is the concept of the free agency of the individual. If the church were to make a hard and fast rule or policy condemning divorce then members of the church would be in similar circumstances as people in the Philippines. They wouldn’t be able to remain members in good standing while attempting to deal with life’s problems that a bad marriage might present. The church has increasingly spoken out on the issue of divorce. Elder Oaks continues:

“I have felt impressed to speak about divorce. This is a sensitive subject because it evokes such strong emotions from persons it has touched in different ways. Some see themselves or their loved ones as the victims of divorce. Others see themselves as its beneficiaries. Some see divorce as evidence of failure. Others consider it an essential escape hatch from marriage. In one way or another, divorce touches most families in the Church. Whatever your perspective, please listen as I try to speak plainly about the effects of divorce on the eternal family relationships we seek under the gospel plan. I speak out of concern, but with hope.”

Many other leaders have spoken on the subject, for further material please go to LDS.org and search under “divorce”. A general attitude of the church leaders is that two rational people should be able to work through problems if they pray for guidance, are humble, and are willing to work hard to preserve their marriage.  As Elder Oaks says, “A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman.  It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection.”  However it is not advocated that a person should stay in a marriage that is abusive or dangerous. Since the church has emphasized family so much in the last half century there is a feeling that divorced people are somehow failures and don’t fit the mold.  In the past decade there has been a greater effort toward greater inclusion and acceptance of people who are divorced.

Temple marriage adds yet another level in the complex relationship of a marriage.  It secures for the married partners certain blessings and expectations, including the promise that the marriage will last beyond the grave.  Marital fidelity is stressed and expected. Sadly, some of these marriages end up in divorce as well.  Individuals that have gotten a civil divorce can also apply for a temple cancelation of their marriage.  For anyone in that situation your local bishop can provide you with more information.  For those not in that situation, don’t worry about it, just live up to the covenants made, whether civil or religious.  Give 100% to improving the marriage, treat your partner with respect and love, and you will grow as an individual as well as a couple in the greatest adventure you’ll ever embark on.

Whether it is dieting, taking up a new hobby, catching up on reading or starting an exercising routine, change can be difficult. Getting into the habit can be the hardest part and discouragement can often take place soon after beginning and possibly soon before ending for good.

But how about this for a new years’ resolution: a surrendering of one’s will completely and wholly to the Lord. That’s a worthy goal, is it not? It goes along with Christ’s injunction, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). Should we find ourselves lost in the cause of Christ, our will being given to Him, we will find our life, that is, eternal life. No doubt He has our best interests in mind and would not lead us astray; why not follow Him?

More practically, however, we find ourselves less able to follow through with this than often we would like. Why is that? What prevents us from keeping in line with His teachings? Often, I find myself thoroughly dedicated at one moment, but then find my resolve slipping and my condition back to what is once was. Yes there are temptations but ought not we to be able to overcome such?

There are a few reasons for this, and I’d like to address one in particular. I have found in my own life, that even though my desire to improve is pure and my resolve strong, there are weaknesses because I am not thorough enough and there is usually something else in which I allow myself indulgence. How can I receive full strength from the Lord in breaking a bad habit when I willfully allow myself to continue in other habits. Maybe those habits aren’t even so bad. A bit of impatience toward a stranger. A little dishonesty. Or even just a few hours wasted in front of a TV or computer, time that could be spent being more productive. Moreover, the pride in me says that I can do these things and nothing bad will come of it because they are so small and insignificant. The temptation to keep doing these things is there while I make an attempt with my new resolution and I am weakened because my will isdivided. My new years’ resolution then is to be undivided.

If you want to apply this principle in your life, go ahead! The way is clear for anyone to do so. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have taken on a covenant, or a promise with God, that we will be willing to take upon ourselves Christ’s name, keep His commandments and always remember Him. There is no division or conditions in those words. Submit our will to adopt His name, keep the commandments, always remember Him. That is my goal this year and I invite everyone to do the same. Really and truly apply the phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?” in your life. Is it a sacrifice? Indeed it is. But it is worth every bit.