continuing revelation – Page 4 – What Do Mormons Believe?

Do Mormons ever have questions about what they believe?

In the course of my journey as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there have been numerous times where I have questions come up that challenge my faith. I can’t speak for all Mormons, but I would assume that we all go through these cycles from time to time. I picked this topic to write about, because I want others who are not of our faith to know that I do have questions and from time to time finding answers to these questions causes spiritual turmoil. However, it is during these times that I grow the most spiritually.

The foundation of my belief is rooted in Joseph Smith’s testimony that he was in fact visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ. This visit came in response to Joseph’s prayer to know which church he should join. They gave him specific instructions — he was to join none of the churches, because none of them were right (Joseph Smith History 1:1-20). What followed next in Joseph’s life is phenomenal: through him Jesus Christ re-established his Church, the Book of Mormon was translated, the authority to act and perform ordinances in God’s name was given to man again, and the list could go on. I will always remember the day that the truthfulness of this man’s testimony was written upon my heart by the Holy Ghost. I feel much the same as Joseph did: I know it and I know that God knows it and I cannot deny it (JS-H 1:25).

However, even though I know Joseph Smith’s story to be true, from time to time, something will come up that causes me to wonder. For example, polygamy, or how the priesthood was distributed prior to 1978. These challenges of faith, no matter how big or small, cause me to reflect and evaluate. Sometimes, they cause me to think, “how could God’s prophet do this, or say that?” I learned a long time ago that there is a reason; however, in these times I have yet to discover the puzzle piece that makes the picture complete. Often I have to go back to the basics that I know to be undeniably true–that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he did in fact translate the Book of Mormon. In other instances, I have to sit down and think about other confirmations that I have received from the Holy Ghost about a particular piece of doctrine, whether it is prayer, fasting, scripture study, marriage, or the priesthood for a few examples. As I do this and ponder my question throughout the day or weeks, eventually someone will say something, or I will have a thought that comes to me, always accompanied by another confirmation through the Holy Ghost. Then I can clearly see what I was missing.

These experiences strengthen my faith and further buttress my basic testimony of God. In this way I have been able to move from truth to truth and from grace to grace, learning about God and the grand plan that He has designed for our eternal happiness. I am grateful that there is a God and that He loves me perfectly (as He does all of us), even if that means that from time to time I have to struggle in my faith, because it helps me to grow stronger.

How Do You Pray?

Q. How do you pray?

This is an important topic. Paramount. Essential! We’ve discussed the topic of prayer already here, here, here, and my personal favorite, here. But I really don’t think we can emphasize prayer enough. Too often religious discussions get bogged down in abstract dogmas like grace and works, deification, and canon. These are good things to discuss, but we sometimes miss a chance to talk about what’s really practical in our lives here and now.

Many of our readers have never prayed before and probably feel intimidated at the thought. I hope my step-by-step instructions will be helpful to you.

Step 1: Prepare

Why are you praying? A prayer is communication with your Heavenly Father, and there are many reasons to speak to Him. Perhaps you are facing hard times and need help. He can help you. Maybe you need answers; maybe you just want to know if He is really there. He will respond. You can confess wrong-doing to begin repentance. You can thank Him for blessings. You can request to feel His love for you.

Meditation before prayer can help you focus your thoughts and will make your prayers more meaningful.

Another part of preparation is finding an appropriate time and place to pray. I’m focusing this article on personal, private prayers, so alone time is key. Turn off the music, find a quiet spot and allow yourself at least a few minutes without interruption.

Step 2: Address God

Jesus began His famous prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” Jesus is the Son of God, so He naturally called on His Father in prayer. I think it’s significant that He invited us to call Him Father, too. The most powerful being in existence is your spiritual dad. Remember this relationship.

Kneel. It shows your respect and your willingness to defer to His wisdom. It represents humility. Your prayer does not depend on the position of your body, but it does depend on your attitude. Kneeling reminds you to adjust your attitude.

Step 3: Be Grateful

Express your thanks for the good things and people that are a part of your life. Think of the beauty of earth, the love of your mother, your innate, sharp intellect, your home. They are gifts from Father. Try to recognize when the Lord’s hand helped you and let Him know you appreciated it.

Again, your attitude is key. We are dependent on God for all our support. As King Benjamin taught in the Book of Mormon, “I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:21). Our gratitude is the least we can offer to Father for all He has given us.

Step 4: Speak Your Mind Plainly

You can talk to Heavenly Father as easily as you talk to your own parents. Share your thoughts with Him, let Him know what your dreams are and what kind of person you hope to become. Celebrate together your triumphs, and seriously reflect on your sins; request forgiveness.

He knows what’s halting your progress, and He can help you overcome. Ask how.

You can ask for help with other things, too. Things like: relationship trouble, career paths, patience, mathematics, lost car keys, what books are worthwhile, overcoming addictions, providing food, maintaining health, etc. It’s really wide open. There are things that are probably inappropriate to ask for (“please make my neighbor die”), but there is a wide field of possible blessings God is willing to grant, and is waiting for us to request.

Step 5: Close Your Prayer in Jesus’ Name

“…in the name of Jesus Christ; amen.” This little phrase, spoken in sincerity, indicates you have faith in Jesus Christ. Every answered prayer is a miracle, and miracles can only occur with faith in the Redeemer.

The Book of Mormon prophet Moroni was confronted by the charge that God can do no miracles. This was his response: “And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth” (Mormon 9:20-21).

This promise even extends to us today, whenever you pray to the Father in the name of Christ.

Praying in Jesus’ name also brings your heart and mind closer to the Savior’s. Read a bit more about that over here.

Step 6: Listen

This is the hardest step, especially if you are unaccustomed to praying. You’ll sit there in silence for a moment, thinking about the things you said in your prayer. You will analyze and over-analyze every thought that passes through your mind, wondering, “was that from me, or from God?”

Sometimes it will be obvious. Sometimes it will be subtle. Like a radio, we must tune into the signal and be ready to receive. We will talk more about this topic in another article, but I want to leave you with one important rule: if it is good, it comes from God.

Moroni taught, “But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good. And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me” (Ether 4:11-12).

What Do Mormons Believe? That General Conference Rocks

Brush up your britches and polish your teeth kids, a prophet is coming our way! Yea, verily it’s been 6 months since the last one so it’s time for another General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Explanation: it’s a conference where we all get to enjoy a few hours of inspired counsel from the general leadership of the church. And, yes, that includes addresses from the prophet of God: Thomas S. Monson. The meeting itself takes place in the behemoth Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (note: by “behemoth” I mean “the largest theater-style auditorium ever built” [as seen in the picture]). But luckily some engineering kids figured out how to broadcast the entire proceedings of the conference to any and all of us by way of TV (check local listings), radio (check local listings), or streaming online. Or, stroll on over to a local LDS meetinghouse near you.

areallycoolplace Here’s the lineup (Mountain Daylight Time):
Saturday April 4, 2009
10 am – noon ~ First session
2 pm – 4 pm ~ Second session

Sunday April 5, 2009
10 am – noon ~ Third session
2 pm – 4 pm ~ Fourth session

If I were you, I super-really wouldn’t miss out on this. When I watch these conferences, I am left on an invigorating spiritual high, wanting to love more, wanting to serve more, wanting to want to love more, wanting to want to want to love more, etc. Unfortunately and granted, this sense of goodness doesn’t last for nearly as long as it should, but then that’s why the entire proceedings of the conference are kindly posted online for review at any time.

If you think life is rough, let me introduce you to the diamond: General Conference.

Noah’s Flood

Q. What do Mormons believe about the Flood?

Let me introduce to you Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Noah looking formidable with billowing clouds in the background signaling the impending torrents of rain.

We Mormons believe in Figure 1. While certainly the artist took some creative license in recreating this scene (who ever said Noah had a giant staff?), the basic idea that it conveys is real. There was a man named Noah who gathered up a bunch of animals, put them on an ark, and then weathered one crazy storm with the miraculous help of God.

We also believe in science. For years I was a TA for physics classes at my university where I would teach everything from F=ma to quantum mechanics. I am currently working on a project for NASA that requires using more science than any grown man should ever have to use. With this background I know that there are equations and models that we’ve derived from our objective view of the universe that work. That is, we have discovered laws and theories that, as far as we know, accurately predict how our universe functions.

Sometimes science seems to butt heads with religion. Noah and the Flood is one of times. Many geologists discount the Biblical narrative of Noah as being improbable and not scientifically sound. This is fine by me. I do not need science to prove my belief in the Bible. There are many things I believe in that science can’t prove. How can people be resurrected after they have died? How can heavenly messengers such as angels defy Newton and his apple? How do miracles occur? I have chosen to place my ultimate confidence in God, not in the models and equations of science, which, in just the last couple hundred years alone, have been shown to change time and again as new experiments are performed.

The argument that geologists give that the Flood never really occurred is based on a few underlying assumptions that are important to understand. First, the concept of uniformitarianism which assumes that the natural processes that we observe occurring in our world today are the same as those operating in the past. That is, the geologic processes scientists have tracked over the last few hundred years are sufficient to predict what has happened to the earth over the past millions of years.

Another bold assumption is that God doesn’t exist. This assumption conveniently gets rid of Moses parting the Red Sea and the earth ever being modified in any unnatural way. I refute this assumption, believing Christ’s words, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20).

I love the Bible. I know it to be the word of God. Its teachings (especially those of Christ) lead us to God and to a happier, fuller life. Science can’t always promise that.

Further reading: “The Flood and the Tower of Babel”, “The Gospel and the Scientific View: How Earth Came to Be”

Revelation on the Afterlife

Q. If God had two separate revelations to America and Israel, why did he leave out the complicated afterlife progression in the middle eastern revelation and then give them to Joseph Smith?

Good question. I assume that you are inquiring about how we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believe that there are “three kingdoms of glory” in the afterlife, not simply the heaven and hell concept that the rest of the Christian world teaches.

It is apparent that we don’t have all of the teachings of all the prophets of Biblical times. The Bible is a compilation of assorted writings of various prophets; it is not a complete book. Here are some references made by some of the authors to other epistles/books of scripture that we simply do not have today—they are lost books of scripture (Num. 21: 14, Josh. 10: 13, 1 Chr. 29: 29, 2 Chr. 9: 29, 2 Chr. 12: 15; 2 Chr. 13: 22, 2 Chr. 20: 34, 2 Chr. 33: 19, 1 Cor. 5: 9, Col. 4: 16, Jude 1: 14 ). If we know that manuscripts have been lost, isn’t it safe to assume that teachings and doctrines have also been lost? That is a logical conclusion and a safe conclusion. The Bible does not contain a complete record of what has been taught by Biblical prophets. This is where the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith comes in—through Joseph Smith, God restored doctrines and truths that had been lost in previous eras. This is a beautiful concept. I love that God follows this same pattern over and over through history. When people fall away from His gospel and truths are lost, He calls a prophet just as He always has and restores the fullness of the Gospel through that prophet.

Celestial bodies There is, however, evidence from the Bible that the doctrine of “three kingdoms of glory” was taught. In fact, it seems to be so well understood that Paul just refers to it offhandedly. In 1 Corinthians 15:31-42, he teaches about the resurrection of the dead. Just as all animals are different (fish, birds, beasts), Paul clearly teaches that not all resurrected bodies are the same—there are celestial bodies, terrestial bodies, and telestial bodies, each with its own glory. In addition, there are different glories (kingdoms)—the glory of the sun (Celestial kingdom), glory of the moon (Terrestial kingdom), and glory of the stars (Telestial kingdoms, of which there are many). It follows that if there are celestial bodies, then they must inherit the Celestial kingdom or glory of the sun and so forth. This is what was revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in February 1832 (see Doctrine and Covenants 76). In addition to there being celestial bodies and a celestial kingdom and so on, it was given to them what the basic characteristics would be of the people who are assigned to these different kingdoms.

So, while we don’t have as full of an account of the afterlife progression from the Biblical prophets as we do from Joseph Smith there is still evidence that it has been taught the way Joseph Smith revealed it from at least the time of Paul and the early Church leaders.

For a more detailed explanation of our doctrine on the afterlife, see these two great posts: Life After Death: Part 1 and Life After Death: Part 2

Thanks for your inquiry.