Mormon Beliefs Archive
Mormon beliefs sometimes get confused with the beliefs and practices of other religions. One such belief concerns the celebration of Christmas. Mormons tend to be very passionate Christmas celebrators, with many Mormon congregations hosting nativity festivals or free sing-alongs of Handel’s Messiah each year.
While Santa makes an appearance in some Mormon homes, the focus is always on the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is considered a sacred holiday and Mormon families are encouraged to simplify the secular portions of it in order to make more room for the spiritual elements of the Christmas celebration.
Mormons believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and celebrate His birth as a pivotal moment in eternal life. The Book of Mormon, which Mormons consider a companion book to the Bible, says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a... Read the rest of this entry »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, released Book 2 of their administrative handbook to the leaders of the Church and also placed it online for the general public to view, a move that is rare in the religious word. This particular handbook is generally given only to leaders at various levels of the Church. Handbook 1 is only for bishops and stake presidents (Bishops are similar to pastors and stake presidents are similar to the bishop of a Catholic diocese).
The Mormons are a lay church and ordinary members are assigned specific roles to play, usually without in-depth training. As a result, the handbook helps them learn their responsibilities and the rules they are to follow. The handbook also outlines selected policies and teachings of Mormon beliefs. Read the rest of this entry »
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Every year, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, but especially so at Christmas time. It is decorated for Christmas with millions of lights, nativities, and special religious programming designed to help us remember that Christmas is a Christian holiday.
A Temple Square Christmas celebration is one that is taken seriously and prepared for many months in advance. Staff begins putting out the cables and extension cords in August, quickly followed by thousands of strands of lights. Volunteers and workers hang garland and lanterns and set up nativities throughout the grounds in November in order to be ready the Friday after Thanksgiving. For many, decorating the Square is a family tradition. Read the rest of this entry »
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From time to time an old Mormon “prophecy” known as the White Horse Prophecy, surfaces. Despite the fact that Mormon leaders have denounced it as not having been issued by Joseph Smith, some members and non-members continue to circulate it, sometimes trying to apply it to a specific political leader or commentator.
The legend is that Joseph Smith uses a horse analogy, with different colors or shades of horses representing various groups of people. The white horse, naturally, was assigned the role of the good people. In the prophecy the White Horse, often defined as the priesthood or a specific priesthood holder, would rush in to save the United States from attack or to save the Constitution. The White Horse is said to establish a safe haven in the far west where Mormons will be able to go to escape war and destruction. The Mormons in this sanctuary will be wealthy while the rest of the nation disintegrates. This destruction will be caused by an attack led by a Russian czar.
The problems... Read the rest of this entry »
In the October 2010 General Conference, a semi-annual world-wide meeting for Mormons, Boyd K. Packer gave a talk which generated some controversy. It has been widely reported as a talk on homosexuality, but was in reality a talk on a proclamation on families issued by the Mormons a number of years ago. In this talk, he also addressed pornography, honoring marriage vows, and chastity. He focused on the ability of people to choose repentance and then to succeed in their sincere efforts to repent and their ability to be forgiven for past sins.
In order to understand why the controversy is misguided, one must understand some important principles concerning how the Mormon Church operates. Elder Packer is an apostle. The president of the Church and the prophet are roles both filled by Thomas S. Monson. President Monson is assisted by two counselors. He and the counselors form the First Presidency of the Church. Next is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of which Elder Packer is the president.... Read the rest of this entry »
A soft-launch of the newly revised LDS.org is available for preview at NewLDS.org. Not all features are working, but you can easily see what will soon be available for you to use. It is a far more personalized and interactive site than the previous version.
To use the personalized features, you will need to register. You’ll only be asked for a username and password, and if you are LDS (Mormon) for your membership record number. The membership number allows you to access the few parts open only to members—membership lists for your own ward or stake (similar to congregations and dioceses) and to information specifically for people in certain callings or programs. Although you must register, you will not be contacted by missionaries or other church members. In the years I’ve been registered, I’ve never even received an email from them. It simply allows them to provide you with private access to any personalized materials you create and to ensure no one accesses portions of the site... Read the rest of this entry »
Barbara B. Smith died on September 13, 2010. She served as the General Relief Society President for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) from 1974 to 1984 and was the first president born in that century. As General Relief Society president, she oversaw this official women’s auxiliary for the entire world-wide church. A life as a wife and as a mother of seven might not seem to be the usual preparation to head up one of the largest women’s organizations in the world, but it taught her organization, leadership, teaching skills, and service. Over the years, she had served in a variety of volunteer positions within the Church, including serving on the governing boards of a number of official LDS auxiliaries prior to overseeing the Relief Society. Read the rest of this entry »
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Mormons have a long history of coping with religious intolerance. From their earliest days, they were persecuted and chased out of the places they lived. They were the only religious group with a government-issued extermination order (from the state of Missouri).
Over the years, as they have gained safety and a measure of acceptance, they have joined their voices with others to promote religious tolerance for other groups, including respect for that which a religion might consider sacred. Read the rest of this entry »
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Mormons believe strongly in religious freedom. Many of the early settlers who came to the United States came because they needed the freedom to practice their religions. While some of them weren’t practitioners of freedom of religion for others, this longing for the free practice of a given religion eventually led to increased respect for other religions. By the time the Mormons were establishing the restored gospel, the world was somewhat prepared to allow such a faith to develop. Of course, there were challenges and many people attempted to block religious freedom for Mormons and for some other religions, but in general, the country was well-suited for such an enterprise.
Following are thoughts from Mormon leaders on religious freedom:
Separation of Church and State:
“Unfortunately, good culture alone is not strong enough to cause good culture to endure in perpetuity. Additional strength is needed from the power of theistic conviction. For this reason, a policy to separate completely... Read the rest of this entry »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, recently issued the following statement:
In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives.
However, so-called “blood atonement,” by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people.” (See Mormon Church Statement on Blood Atonement.) Read the rest of this entry »
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