Like the title says, I'm a Mormon, or a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although I will strive to be accurate in all my commentaries, you need to know that my opinions are not necessarily those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To read more about the church, go to the source at www.ChurchOfJesusChrist.org.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Religion and Empirical Evidence

A logical person requires evidence for belief; as well they should. We would not believe atoms existed without proof through microscopes and studies of their nature. We would not believe anything outside our own experience without the confirmed experiences of others. Facts and figures need to be backed up with evidence from our own understanding. It is in this realm of empirical evidence where religion is often mocked for a lack of tested, tangible evidence. I wish to refute the idea that believers in religion and in Christ operate on “blind” faith and propose that individual experience of a believer equates to scientific, empirical evidence.

As Mormons we believe that all men, by virtue of being sons and daughters of God, have within them the light of Christ. This light of Christ can also be called the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. We believe the mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide men to all truth (John 16:13), to testify of Christ (1Cor 12:3), and to comfort (John 16:7). This means that regardless of religion or creed, every individual can feel the spirit in their lives when coming unto Christ and searching for truth.

When eternal truths are presented, the Holy Ghost will testify of the truthfulness through a manifestation of the Spirit. These manifestations of the Spirit are felt in a variety of ways (1Cor 12Moroni 7; Gal 5:22-23), but each is felt by the individual and is undeniable.

A spiritual experience can be just like a headache. You cannot show someone you have a headache. You don’t even know if the headache you’re experiencing is exactly like a headache someone else has. Science can explain why one happens; but even if you don’t show the scientific signs of a headache, your head still hurts! When you have a spiritual experience, you know for yourself of its reality.

Having the Spirit of the Lord testify truth to you is as real as seeing, smelling or touching. It is very much a sense that can be used as empirical evidence. Just as color would be difficult to explain to someone that was blind from birth, if you have not had a spiritual experience, it is difficult to explain. But just because someone else has not experience it or just because someone else does not understand it, this does not take away from the very real experience one can have with the Spirit.

I also want to make clear that Mormons do not have a monopoly on eternal truths or spiritual experiences. Many other people in many other religions, who seek truth and try to grow closer to God, experience and can testify of the near tangible feelings from God and His Holy Spirit. Followers of God don’t do so blindly, but with eyes wide open, having experienced God in a genuine way.

(For fun, click here to check out some famous scientists that are Mormons!)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mormons and Grace

Grace is an integral part of Christian theology. Believers in Christ come together in agreement that all men are in a fallen state and can only be made whole by the merits of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In my interaction with people of various faiths I am often confronted with a common concern that Mormons do not join with the Christian community in the need for grace. In fact, The Church of Jesus Christ does focus so much on works, that at times it is easy for even members of the faith to be confused about the doctrine of grace. I wish to dispel that misconception and explain some thoughts on Mormons and grace.

Mormons believe there are two obstacles that inhibit man from returning to live with our Heavenly Father again. The first being physical death that occurs at the end of our mortal life and the second being spiritual death that occurs each time we choose to distance ourselves from God through sin. Christ’s atoning sacrifice in Gethsemane and later on the cross are what make it possible for man to overcome both.

Because Christ suffered the atonement and was resurrected, all mankind are given the gift of freely overcoming physical death. Mormons believe that regardless of the life one leads on this earth, the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ makes it possible for all men to live again. This is a global belief in grace, a free gift all men receive by virtue of being born and being a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.

To overcome the second death, spiritual death, Mormons believe as James taught in the New Testament that works must accompany faith (James 2:14-20). We believe in both the laws of justice and mercy. Justice has hold on us until we allow Christ’s mercy to work on our behalf (Mosiah 2:36-37). It is here that many of my friends of other faiths have trouble with Mormons and grace. Some accuse Mormon doctrine of teaching that man must earn his way to heaven. That only through works man can be saved. It is also here that some Mormons get confused and believe they can earn their way to heaven! Both are very mistaken.

Once someone has accepted Christ in their life as their Savior, it is then up to that person to follow Christ’s teachings. One cannot truly accept Christ without following Him. However, man will still slip up. No matter how many good works one does, it will never be enough to justify him at the last day. Always, man must rely on the grace of God to be forgiven and enter into His presence.

Elder Marion G. Romney, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ, explained this doctrine well when he said:

“ …[T]he Savior by his suffering paid the debt for my personal sins. He paid the debt for your personal sins and for the personal sins of every living soul that ever dwelt upon the earth or that ever will dwell in mortality upon the earth. But this he did conditionally. The benefits of this suffering for our individual transgressions will not come to us unconditionally in the same sense that the resurrection will come regardless of what we do… We cannot of ourselves, no matter how we may try, rid ourselves of the stain which is upon us as a result of our own transgressions. That stain must be washed away by the blood of the Redeemer, and he has set up the way by which that stain may be removed. That way is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel requires us to believe in the Redeemer, accept his atonement, repent of our sins, be baptized by immersion for the remission of our sins, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and continue faithfully to observe, or do the best we can to observe, the principles of the gospel all the days of our lives” (Conference Report, Oct. 1953, 35–36).

Truly, Mormons believe in and cherish the great gift of the atonement and the amazing grace provided us by our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. We stand in awe at the wonderful blessing to have the opportunity to live with God again. We know that believing in Christ and partaking of His grace means accepting His terms and doing good works as He taught. We know that we must show our faith through our works, but that in the end only God’s grace will save us. 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Mormons are Ignoramuses: The need for Authority

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, that is to say, the church found in the Old Testament and again established by Christ during His earthly ministry (See the Sixth Article of Faith). We also believe that throughout history, the truth found in that church has been lost and had a need to be restored. Such was the case when Christ visited the earth. The Law of Moses had become corrupt by the leaders of the church and the basic saving doctrines had been lost. Christ came and taught His gospel and established His church.  

After Christ’s death, He led His church through the rock of revelation (Matt 16:17-18) with Peter as its earthly leader. Over the next century, the apostles of the church spread throughout Europe to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Each met different difficulties in the regions they preached. Each apostle met a different end to his life. At first the apostles met to replace those that had passed on, such was the case after Judas hung himself. As time went on, the apostles were too spread out to meet and ordain new apostles.
Those with authority to run the church died by the end of the first century. Local leaders kept trying to follow the gospel Christ set forth, but without the authority of the apostles, the task became impossible. This is evident even before the apostles’ death as you read each of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. Nearly every letter was sent with the purpose to course correct the saints found in different lands.

Members of the Mormon Church call this loss of God’s authority, apostasy. The time period after Christ’s death is commonly known as the dark ages, and surely they were. Without the proper authority in the land, false doctrines were taught and accepted. Good intentioned men taught scripture with their own understanding, void of true inspiration or revelation.

Although everyone can find truths of the gospel in the scriptures and follow them, this is not the same as having the proper authority to preach and perform saving ordinances found in the scriptures. Authority has always been an important part of leading Christ’s church. That’s why Moses led the Israelites and not Aaron, that’s why the prophet Abraham paid tithes to the high priest Melchizedek, and that’s why Peter, not James or John led the church after Christ’s death.

This leads me to explain a quote from a Catholic Priest after having visited with leaders of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Speaking of the idea of a restoration, he said:  

 "You Mormons are all ignoramuses. You don't even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Catholic Church. The issue is between Catholicism and Mormonism. If we are right, you are wrong; if you are right, we are wrong; and that's all there is to it. The Protestants haven't a leg to stand on. For if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, since they were a part of us and went out from us; while if we are right, they are apostates whom we cut off long ago. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there was no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the Gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the Gospel in latter days." (Elder LeGrand Richards 1972)

The idea is simple, authority was either passed from person to person, or it was restored again to a prophet like it always was in the Old Testament.

Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Elijah, Elias, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, and Christ all worked with authority from God. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe it is still necessary for Christ’s church to operate with that same authority. We believe that authority was given to Joseph Smith from Christ and that it has been given to each prophet since by the laying on of hands. 

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Mormons Trying to be Christians

Often contempt is held against Mormons from other faiths for not being “Christians”. When a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is confronted with this, the conversation generally goes something like this:

Other denomination: “You are not a Christian”
Mormon: “Yes I am, my church is named after Him”
Other denomination: “That doesn’t make you a Christian”
Mormon: “Well, we follow His teachings”
Other denomination: “That doesn’t make you a Christian, you have to believe in the same Christ I do”
Mormon: “Oh… I think we do”
Other denomination: “Well, you don’t”

This misunderstanding comes from both sides. Mormons use one common definition of the word Christian and other denominations use another. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ use the general definition found in any dictionary or used by Peter in 1 Peter chapter 4:7-19; that a Christian is simply a follower of Christ and His teachings. Because Mormons believe in the Bible and try to follow the teachings of Christ as they understand them, Mormons call themselves Christians.

What many Mormons don’t understand is that the Catholic and Protestant religions are using a more specific definition when excluding the Church of Jesus Christ from the ranks of the Christians. Their definition includes allegiance to a strict definition of the Trinity.

The idea of the Trinity, and even the word Trinity, was used shortly after the apostles’ deaths in the second century. The exact nature of the Trinity was still widely discussed and debated throughout the next few centuries. Near the first part of the fourth century, a political figure, Constantine, while trying to keep peace in the land Christianized Rome and Paganized Christianity.  When the debate over the true nature of the Trinity, whether they be of one substance or many, became heated, Constantine ordered a council to be gathered at Nicaea. This council was made up of over 300 bishops, most coming from the eastern orthodoxy. After much debate, all but 17 bishops agreed to sign the first Nicene Creed. Declaring that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are inexplicably one being, this has been the standard definition of who God is and how the Trinity works for most Christians. Centuries later, when Luther and others left the Catholic Church because of its corrupt doctrines, many still hung on to this piece of doctrine.

So herein lies the difference. Catholics and Protestants believe God, the Son, and the Spirit to be one actual being. The Church of Jesus Christ believes God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be one in purpose, but three distinct beings. Because of that difference, Protestants and Catholics think that Mormons don’t believe in the same Christ as them and therefore they can’t be true Christians. Mormons sometimes don’t understand that difference. But, Protestants and Catholics also don’t understand what The Church of Jesus Christ proclaims in its first Article of Faith, that we do believe in God the Father, in His Son, and in the Holy Ghost. Mormons very much believe in the divinity of the Son and in His eternal nature as God.

If strict allegiance to a non-scriptural creed is what is necessary to join the ranks of Christendom, then count Mormons out. But, if trying one’s hardest to follow the precepts of Christ’s gospel as set forth in the Bible are what being a Christian is all about, then Mormons, Protestants, and Catholics alike can join together to make the world a better place.