faith – Page 3 – What Do Mormons Believe?

What Do Mormons Believe about the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

The atonement of Jesus Christ is the single most important event that has or ever will occur in the existence of the earth. Through this incomprehensible act of self-sacrifice, mercy satisfies the absolute demands of justice required by broken commandments of God (Alma 34:15-16). Atonement literally means to set at one. The atonement of Jesus Christ reconciles all things that have estranged us from the Father. Thus, only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can we be brought back into full favor with the Father (John 14:6). When we come before God to be judged, Christ will plead our case before Him and if we have been true and faithful, the Father will accept his Son’s sacrifice in our behalf (D&C 45:3-5). By being set at one with the Father we are granted innumerable blessings — we become perfect in every way, just as Christ and the Father are perfect (John 17:20-23; D&C 35:2; Hebrews 2:10-11; Revelation 21:6-7).

The Act of the Atonement

The pinnacle and defining event of Christ’s ministry on this earth was when He bowed beneath all of the sins and imperfections that we as God’s children have experienced or will experience. From the time that He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane to the time that He said “it is finished” on the cross, the entire world hung in the balance. Our very souls, billions if not trillions of souls were at stake; He knew it and yet, He came off victorious. He drank from the bitterest of cups, not necessarily because He wanted to, but because He was willing to submit Himself to the will of the Father in all things. In order for us to be spared from destruction and eternal torment, it HAD to be done (Luke 22:41-42; Isaiah 51:22). What Christ did in those blood and tear-stained hours allows us and this world to exist (D&C 88:6-13, 50). It even gives Christ power over death and sin and allows the resurrection to happen (D&C 88:14; Alma 42:23). To contemplate the weight of this burden He bore is overpowering and yet to know that He personally atoned for my imperfections (Mosiah 15:10) causes “[my] heart to swell as wide as eternity” (Moses 7:41) in love and gratitude for Him.

In addition, when one considers exactly who Christ is, a God himself (Alma 34:9-14), and that he would condescend from his throne on high to submit himself to all of the suffering, torture, beating, and humiliation associated with the atonement, descending below all, just to save you and me is confounding to say the least. If even He who had all power over both heaven and hell could control himself in every way as He bowed beneath the rod of his own creations, then I too should be able to bite my tongue when I want to say something mean, or when I want to do something contrary to His commandments.

Our Part in the Atonement

All people who have lived on this earth are given the free gift of resurrection (Revelation 20:12-13), but for the atonement to have full power in our lives we must satisfy specific requirements (1 John 2:1-6). We need to believe that Christ’s atonement can cleanse us from our imperfections (Mosiah 15:10-13), and have a broken heart and contrite spirit before Christ (3 Nephi 9:19-20). In essence we need to “[become] as [children], submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things” (Mosiah 3:19). Furthermore, we must be baptized by immersion and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by one who holds proper authority from God to perform ordinances in His behalf (St. John 3:5; Hebrews 5:1-4). All of these things show that we are willing to submit our will to the Father and that we want to follow Christ’s commandments (John 14:15). Our will is the only thing that we have that we can give to God. Everything else is already His. If we will completely submit our will to God just as Christ did, then the atonement of Jesus Christ can make us white as wool by washing our garments in the blood of the Lamb.

Scrub board for washing clothes by hand

Although it may seem hard at times to live the way Christ asks us to live, he has promised us that if we yoke ourselves to Him, that it will be easy (Matthew 11:28-30). I can say from personal experience that this promise is true. Our part is to believe and live such that our lives are a manifestation of our belief that Christ can set us at one with the Father. While at times this may seem a heavy burden, Christ and his Atonement are there to help us in our journey. In addition, we have the Holy Ghost to provide comfort and encouragement that we are on the correct path.

Yoke of oxen pulling a load.

More importantly though is whether or not we will accept this infinitely priceless gift into our lives by believing in the power that Christ gained over sin and death. If we do we will be spared suffering and be granted glory in the mansions of the Father (St. John 14:2, Enos 1:27). The mercy of this doctrine is profound — that “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should never perish, but have everlasting life” (St. John 3:16).

The Atonement in Salvation

With regard to salvation, the atonement provides mercy or justice for all people who will fall into one of three categories. First, little children and those that do not know the law are redeemed (Mosiah 3:16, Moroni 8:12-13, D&C 29:46-47, 2^nd Nephi 9:25-26, Mosiah 3:11). Second, those who do know the law and repent are saved from suffering for their sins (Mosiah 3:12; Alma 34:15-16; D&C 19:16). Third, those who do know the law of God and choose not to repent receive just punishment (Alma 34:16; Alma 42: 24; D&C 19:17-18; Isaiah 51:22-23).

I invite you: come unto Christ; come drink from a Fountain that is springing up unto everlasting life (St. John 4:14) and eat Living Bread (St. John 6:47-58). You will never hunger or thirst again. There is nothing, nothing, but peace, joy, and happiness to be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this, because I have experienced it in my own life and continue to do so — I know the promises of God are sure and true.

See “The Plan of Salvation“

Do Mormons Pray To or For the Dead?

Q. Do Mormons pray to or for the dead?

Mourners often pray at gravesides of loved ones. To the first part, no; we do not pray to the dead. We pray to God the Eternal Father. We believe in His Son, Jesus Christ and we end our prayers in Jesus’ name. We believe that the Father and the Son are both very much alive.

Perhaps you are referring to the uniquely Mormon practice of baptism for the dead. It’s not exactly a prayer to or for the departed, but an ordinance and covenant made on their behalf. If that is what you meant, please read Baptisms for the Dead.

Regarding prayer for the dead, I would begin by recommending reading some of our other articles on prayer. Most recently, I like the way this one addresses how we pray and what we pray about. Personally, I would say there’s nothing wrong with praying for deceased loved ones. In fact, I think it’s a wonderful idea. The prophet Joseph Smith received revelation pertaining to the eternal welfare of his late elder brother, Alvin. I am sure the prophet Joseph prayed for his brother many times; he and his wife Emma likely prayed for the many children they lost as well. I know I have personally prayed for loved ones who have passed on, both those I knew in life and those I did not have the opportunity to meet.

There is a great bond that joins all generations. As Malachi of old prophesied, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

So go ahead and pray for deceased loved ones. God will undoubtedly hear you.

Why Do You Believe in God?

I recently came across a blog of an atheist named Katie soliciting believers for why they believe what they do. I took the opportunity to respond. I’ve reproduced my comment here, because it sums up my faith pretty well.

1. Why do you believe in God?

I’ll grant that my upbringing played a huge role, but I feel that I’ve grown beyond the testimony of my parents and I have learned who God is independently. My belief began as a small seed, planted in my heart, which I nurtured carefully through prayer, scripture-study, fasting, and attending church, etc.

I have seen and felt personal evidences that Father is looking out for me and others, and although any doubter could systematically dismiss them as coincidences or cognitive dissonance, I know that I have felt the peaceful comfort of the Holy Ghost. It is enough for me. The more I feel the witness of the Holy Ghost, the more sense everything makes and the more comfort I feel.

2. Why do you believe in your particular god?

You could make the case that I didn’t give the other gods a chance. You might say I’m only a product of my culture, but I will tell you that there is something deeply significant with the story of Jesus.

It’s concrete; He actually lived, and died. Then, He lived again, according to countless witnesses. It’s practical; He saves us from our own evil, while making us good. It’s universal; His story dovetails perfectly with ancient Judaism and (according to Mormonism) his gospel reaches far beyond first century Israel into ancient America and other locations, into the realm of the dead, into the pre-earth spirit world, and into modern times.

But mostly it’s because of the relationship I’ve developed with God through prayer. The best thing I ever did to solidify my sometimes wavering faith was to read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it were true.

When I learned from Him that it is true, I knew I could trust Joseph Smith as a legitimate prophet. Once this foundation was laid, it became much easier to believe, and I began to see the fruits (evidences) of my faith more abundantly.

Why do you believe in God? How would you respond?

Greatest Gift on Earth

present Think of the best gift you have ever received. Christmas, birthday, whatever. It was probably thoughtful, generous, useful, exactly what you needed even if you didn’t realize that you needed it. And that gift came from a person with limited resources, imperfect abilities to love completely and know your deepest needs.

Now think of the best gift you could ever receive–one from a loving heavenly parent with unlimited resources, perfect love, and such an intimate knowledge of who you are and what you need that it often surprises you. What gift would God give to you on a special day?

I’ll tell you and I want you to know up front that it is honestly the most important gift I have and will ever receive in this life.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost.

pentecost The gift of the Holy Ghost comes to you as part of your baptism. (For more information on baptism, look here.) It is God’s gift to you for your willingness to make a covenant to follow Him and it is the very thing that will help you receive the greatest gift He has to give: Eternal Life. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is a promise that the Holy Spirit will be your constant companion, as you live worthily. Let me belabor this a little bit: a member of the Godhead (and there are only three) is your constant companion, giving inspiration, guidance, protection, comfort, knowledge, reproofs (when needed), and spiritual gifts throughout the rest of your life.

Some of the ways that I have personally benefited from this gift are:

Protection – Even though this one happens less frequently than the others listed below, it is still important. If a place is not safe or a person should be avoided, He will communicate that to you. For me, it is a generally uneasy feeling, sort of nauseous. At other times, people hear a voice, as in “stop and turn around” or “don’t talk to that person”. The way the Holy Ghost communicates with each person is tailored to them. Remember, God knows how to reach each of us perfectly.
Avoiding Spiritual Dangers – Along the same lines as physical dangers, there are very real spiritual dangers surrounding us that the Holy Ghost points out to us before we get hurt. You could call it a Sin-Warning-Alert System. The Spirit lets you know when you are going to do something that will drive Him away, and when you feel His absence, you know that you have done something to drive him away, and need to repent. And the guilt doesn’t go away–you can’t just push through it and get through on the other side unscathed. The only way is to turn around, change the behavior or thoughts, and ask for forgiveness. Then the Spirit will return and so will the peace. The Holy Ghost is the instrument that helps us gauge if we are in good standing with the rest of the Godhead, or if we need to repent.
Comfort – This happens often. At times of tragedy, the feeling is strong and warm, like walking around being hugged all of the time. (This is why LDS funerals are usually somewhat uplifting and peaceful.) On my mission, I had a few opportunities, when I felt all alone in the world, to pray and find companionship and comfort. Even with daily weaknesses and shortcomings, the Holy Ghost provides comfort and reassurance to help you get back on your feet.
Guidance – I cannot understate how important this is to me. What should I major in? What should I do for a career? Where should I live? Who should I marry? When should I have children? God gives us our freedom to make choices, but it is so nice to be able to consult with Him and receive answers and direction through the Holy Ghost. As a member of the Godhead, they all work together and are one in purpose and direction, so though you pray to God (in the name of Christ), the Holy Ghost is the one bringing you the answers to your prayers.
Knowledge – As a student, this was key. I had to show that my schooling was important to me through studying, attending class, and taking it seriously, but the Holy Ghost sure made it easier for me to retain things, write my essays and take my tests. I know that it was the Holy Ghost because the times that I wasn’t doing everything that I should have (living all the commandments) and He couldn’t be with me, I was barely able to keep my head above water. This isn’t just worldly knowledge though–spiritual knowledge is related to us almost exclusively through the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If you have just been baptized and you feel like you don’t know anything about what you have just covenanted to do, don’t worry. Just keep studying and asking and the Holy Ghost will teach you. And it doesn’t take long to understand the gospel as long as you are sincere and dedicated.
Reproofs – For awhile in my young adult life, I felt like this was the only way that the Holy Ghost was speaking to me, but I am sure glad that He did. The Holy Ghost is like a warning alarm, letting us know when we are veering off of the path back to Heavenly Father. He either tells us to straighten up or else He has to leave us until we repent and are worthy again. Both ways are effective at getting us to seek God again. If, as a recipient of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, you find yourself feeling unhappy, listless, frustrated and dissatisfied when you used to be happy and satisfied, it may be that He had to leave you. So repent, get back on the path and you can enjoy His presence again. Remember how nice that felt?
Spiritual Gifts – Spiritual gifts follow the true church of Christ. There are the public gifts like the gift of tongues or of interpretation of tongues, prophecy or healing (which all exist in this Church. They are just special and sacred so we don’t broadcast them for everyone to see). But there are also personal, private gifts of the spirit: Faith, visions, discernment, beholding of angels, teaching and learning wisdom, etc. These gifts aren’t intended to convince anyone that God is there, they are rewards for believing that He is, and for blessing the lives of others (1 Corinthians 12). And they are wonderful.

So can you see why I say that the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift I have ever or will ever receive? Even my marriage and beautiful children aren’t going to benefit me if I can’t make it to heaven to live with them forever. The Holy Ghost is going to help me get there. God wants everyone to have this gift because He loves us all and wants us to return to live with Him again. You don’t have to believe me, you can ask Him directly and the sweet answer that will come to your heart is the Holy Ghost.

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”