I was studying my scriptures when I came across this verse. I give it as food for thought.
"13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 (It's the very last thing written in the book.)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Faith and Works
"For it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." - Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23
As Latter-day Saints, we believe that both faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and works are needed to be saved. (Ephesians 5:5)
Some say that it is by faith that we are saved. Since the real, saving faith that the Savior requires of men naturally leads to good works and a willingness to obey God's commandments, that statement could be viewed as correct. So, possessing that kind of faith causes one to have works as well. Ultimately, the combination of faith and works is what saves the soul. Both components are essential. Let us define each.
Faith
"Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." - Book of Mormon, Alma 32:21
Faith is to believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Unless a man believes this, he cannot be saved. It is through the Atonement (His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His resurrection) that our salvation is made possible. Christ paid the price for our sins, which is why we can be forgiven and not have to suffer as He did, if we repent. But if we will not repent, then we must suffer even as He did. (D&C 19: 16-19)
Works
"Faith without works is dead, being alone." - James 2: 17-18
I personally do not believe that God would issue commandments and not expect His followers to obey them. They are not suggestions: they are commandments. We must earnestly seek to obey him, therefore. James 4: 17 tells us "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is a sin. Also, we shall be judged according to what we do. Matthew 16:27 reads, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Without the Atonement, we could not be saved. Without Christ's role in our salvation, we could not be saved.
God is intelligent, in fact omniscient, and He knows what's best for His children. God gives us commandments to help us work toward perfection so that someday we may become like Him. Christ said, "Come follow me" and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5: 48) I don't think these were hollow suggestions. They were instructions to place the believer on the path to happiness, perfection, and a life with God.
Some would still say that it is not necessary to obey God's commands. James 2: 14-26 is, in my opinion, the best passage to justify the Latter-day Saint concept of faith plus works.
As Latter-day Saints, we believe that both faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and works are needed to be saved. (Ephesians 5:5)
Some say that it is by faith that we are saved. Since the real, saving faith that the Savior requires of men naturally leads to good works and a willingness to obey God's commandments, that statement could be viewed as correct. So, possessing that kind of faith causes one to have works as well. Ultimately, the combination of faith and works is what saves the soul. Both components are essential. Let us define each.
Faith
"Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." - Book of Mormon, Alma 32:21
Faith is to believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Unless a man believes this, he cannot be saved. It is through the Atonement (His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His resurrection) that our salvation is made possible. Christ paid the price for our sins, which is why we can be forgiven and not have to suffer as He did, if we repent. But if we will not repent, then we must suffer even as He did. (D&C 19: 16-19)
Works
"Faith without works is dead, being alone." - James 2: 17-18
I personally do not believe that God would issue commandments and not expect His followers to obey them. They are not suggestions: they are commandments. We must earnestly seek to obey him, therefore. James 4: 17 tells us "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is a sin. Also, we shall be judged according to what we do. Matthew 16:27 reads, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Without the Atonement, we could not be saved. Without Christ's role in our salvation, we could not be saved.
God is intelligent, in fact omniscient, and He knows what's best for His children. God gives us commandments to help us work toward perfection so that someday we may become like Him. Christ said, "Come follow me" and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5: 48) I don't think these were hollow suggestions. They were instructions to place the believer on the path to happiness, perfection, and a life with God.
Some would still say that it is not necessary to obey God's commands. James 2: 14-26 is, in my opinion, the best passage to justify the Latter-day Saint concept of faith plus works.
Why don't Latter-day Saints baptize infants?
We believe that little children are free from guilt, and thus sin, until they reach the age of accountability. I must admit that I do not know the exact time for when a child becomes accountable before God, whether it be when he is baptized or before or after. I will continue to research it, but for now I'll just have to leave that question unanswered. It would be my guess, though, that it is different for every person.
Since we believe that little children are sinless, we believe that they are saved if they should die. Some of our good Christian friends might ask, "What about the Fall of Adam?" I say, what about it? Article of Faith #2 states that "we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Christ's Atonement takes care of Adam and Eve's transgression, so we are born into this world as innocent as can be. Little children who die are made alive in Christ. (Mark 2:17, Mark 10: 13-16) (Moroni 8, D&C 29:46)
Since we believe that little children are sinless, we believe that they are saved if they should die. Some of our good Christian friends might ask, "What about the Fall of Adam?" I say, what about it? Article of Faith #2 states that "we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Christ's Atonement takes care of Adam and Eve's transgression, so we are born into this world as innocent as can be. Little children who die are made alive in Christ. (Mark 2:17, Mark 10: 13-16) (Moroni 8, D&C 29:46)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?
No, Latter-day Saints do not worship Joseph Smith. Because he played such a big part in restoring lost Gospel truths, though, we honor him and respect him as a great man. Latter-day Saints don't give Joseph the credit for restoring the Church, but we do give him the credit of being a worthy servant of God to carry out God's work. I personally believe that it takes a man of great character to be able to suffer as much as Joseph did and yet remain strong, humble, and teachable from our Heavenly Friends. I would guess that many saints (followers of Christ and/or members of the Church) feel the same way. Therefore, we have a deep love and sense of gratitude for Joseph Smith. However, we do not worship him. We only worship God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
Just for fun, I'd like to include a talk by the late President Gordon B. Hinckley. It helps clarify some of our main doctrines. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=f9ef092480e6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
Just for fun, I'd like to include a talk by the late President Gordon B. Hinckley. It helps clarify some of our main doctrines. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=f9ef092480e6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Are Mormons Christian?
This subject is debatable from a worldly standpoint. It is true that Mormons do not fit some of the formal Catholic or Protestant Christian definitions, but we are, nevertheless, Christian.
Some would say that Mormons are not Christian because they do not believe in Jesus Christ. Those people are either misinformed or fighting against the Church, because that simply isn't true. A belief in Jesus Christ is at the very heart of Latter-day Saint doctrine. The website http://mormon.org contains much better insight and quotes from Church leaders regarding this question than I can provide. It's really an excellent, excellent source for nonmembers.
So, are Mormons Christian? The answer is, yes.
Here is a part of my own personal set of beliefs about Jesus Christ:
Some would say that Mormons are not Christian because they do not believe in Jesus Christ. Those people are either misinformed or fighting against the Church, because that simply isn't true. A belief in Jesus Christ is at the very heart of Latter-day Saint doctrine. The website http://mormon.org contains much better insight and quotes from Church leaders regarding this question than I can provide. It's really an excellent, excellent source for nonmembers.
So, are Mormons Christian? The answer is, yes.
Here is a part of my own personal set of beliefs about Jesus Christ:
- He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Without His Atonement, no man could return to live with Him and Heavenly Father. (John 3:16-17)
- He loves and knows each and every one of us immensely, so deeply that it is difficult for me to comprehend it all. (Luke 12:6-7)
- He is the Son of the Living God. (Matt. 16:15-17)
- He has a glorified, immortal body of flesh and bones, like ours except way better. (Luke 24:39 (36-43)) The Father does also. (Genesis 1:26-27) They are physically separate beings, though They are one in love, purpose, and direction, in the same sort of way that husbands and wives are one with each other. (Acts 7: 55-56)(John 11:41-42; 12:27-30; 14:6-13,16; 16:28; 17:1-26)
- He and Heavenly Father are glorious, wonderful, happy, powerful, just, merciful, almighty Beings. They love us very, very much and are concerned about us, whether we care about them or not. (Though hopefully we care about Them!)
- He condescended from his home above to dwell here on earth for a time, as part of Heavenly Father's plan. (John 1:14) As Mormons, we call this plan the Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness. I will try to remember to post an explanation of this plan sometime soon.
- He lived with us, His brethren and sisters, before the world was. (Revelations 12:7-10)We knew Him, and He knew (and still knows) us - by name even.
- He is perfect, as is Heavenly Father, and He was the only perfect man to walk the face of this earth. (1 Sam. 15:29) (Matt. 5:48)
- He was resurrected. He visited the apostles before He ascended back into heaven and ate fish and honeycomb. They felt the prints in His hands and feet, as well. (Luke 24: 36-43)Also before He left, He went to visit the people living in the Americas at that time. (John 10:16) (3 Nephi 11)
- He stands at the head of the Church, guiding and directing His people even today through His servants the prophets and the apostles. (Job 33:14) (Proverbs 29:18)
- He will come again to the earth, but this time in power and great glory. (Matt. 16:27)
The Articles of Faith,
The following is the 1981 edition of the response that Joseph Smith wrote in a letter for a Mr. John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat. Joseph's wrote this, known as the Wentworth Letter, in response to an inquiry of the newly-formed Church's beliefs. This version which I'm presenting to you I believe is the most current and correct. It has been canonized as scripture and can be found in the Pearl of Great Price, as well as in History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp.535-541. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will do my best to find an answer for you. Enjoy!
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healings, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healings, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
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