Mormon Church

As the “Mormon moment” extends into 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life today released a groundbreaking new survey, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.

Entitled “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,” the survey was conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 2011 among a national sample of 1,019 respondents who identified themselves as Mormons. The results validate a number of long-held stereotypes (most American Mormons are white, well-educated, politically conservative and religiously observant) while providing a few interesting surprises (care for the poor and needy is high on the list of LDS priorities, while drinking coffee and watching R-rated movies aren’t as taboo among the rank and file as you might think).

“While this survey comes amid a contentious election campaign, it is not solely or even chiefly about politics,” said Luis Lugo, Pew Research Center director, in the published survey’s preface. “Rather, we hope that it will contribute to a broader public understanding of Mormons and Mormonism at a time of great interest in both.” (more…)

On December 5,2011, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, announced a new website devoted to free online videos about Jesus Christ. The first videos are now available and teach the Christmas story in the exact words of the King James Bible.

The project is the first of many films to be produced on a film set near Goshen, Utah. 830 acres have been turned into a replica of ancient Jerusalem and other New Testament locations. It is not a re-creation of the city of Jerusalem. It is a collection of settings that can be used and re-used for the needed scenes. Digital imaging will create some aspects of the city, such as the temple, that are not being built. Researchers went to Jerusalem, studied it, and photographed it. They also studied the scriptures to understand how things needed to look. The goal was to create as authentic a set as possible. Months of searching finally led them to a large piece of land that included sand dunes, desert, and even a river. The mountains in the background looked appropriately Biblical.

The set was designed to be highly efficient. Columns and windows are interchangeable so they can be altered to fit the time period needed, since future films may cover other scriptural times. Draining the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a man who was lame, and covering it, allows them to use the same space to film the wedding at Cana.

The project will create thirty brief scenes from the New Testament to be used in classes, at church visitor’s centers, and online. The initial project focuses on the life of Jesus Christ and of His apostles.

Currently on the site are videos about Mary learning from an angel that she is to become the mother of Jesus Christ, a scene of Mary and Elisabeth talking about their miracles, the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the shepherds coming to worship the baby, the presentation of Jesus at the temple, and the later arrival of the Wise Men, who did not arrive until Jesus was a toddler. A mobile app is available, and one for I-Phone is coming soon.

Mormons worship Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Book of Mormon, which the Mormons use along with 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 remission of their sins” (2 Ne. 25:26). Mormons teach that only through Jesus Christ can we be saved and receive the gift of eternal life.

Mormon beliefs teach that Jesus Christ was born the son of Mary, who was a virgin at the time of His birth, and of God. They do not claim any understanding of how the conception occurred, despite gossip to the contrary. They do believe it was done in a way that was respectful of Mary and that God, not the Holy Ghost, is the Father of Jesus Christ.

Mormon beliefs teach that Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of Jesus Christ and that He was baptized despite having no sin of which to repent. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ voluntarily took on Himself the sins of the world, a very personal and individual gift to all of us, one that brought powerful suffering and yet is often overlooked by the Christian world. He died on the cross and was resurrected in three days. Through this act, He broke the bonds of death.

Jesus’ atoning sacrifice allowed all mankind to be resurrected, to live forever, and to repent of their sins. It also allowed them to activate the gift of eternal salvation if they chose to do so, by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior, being baptized, and keeping the commandments. However, everyone receives the great gift of grace, since all are resurrected regardless of their acts. Eternal life, however, is a choice each person must make. The Bible tells us that just saying we believe in Jesus Christ is not enough; to be saved we must keep the commandments.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).”

Mormons worship Jesus Christ in their weekly worship services, in their Mormon temples, and in their everyday lives. Little children are taught a song called, “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus” and in their classes, they learn how Jesus lived and are taught to emulate Him. This continues into adulthood and is an eternal goal for Mormons.

The new website is part of a continuing effort of the Mormons to help the world come to know Jesus Christ.

Visit the website: The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos. There is no charge and you do not need to register to view them.

Watch a sample video:

In the Book of John, we learn, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (See John 1:3.)

It is clear, then, that anything that exists was created by God, and so God made Satan. However, he wasn’t Satan at his creation and he was not created evil. The prophet Isaiah helps us to understand what turned Lucifer into Satan and demonstrates that he is not the being God created him to be: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (See Isaiah 14:12.)

In other words, Satan, as created, was not evil. God does not create anything that is evil. The creation accounts in Genesis consistently remind us that everything God creates is good. How did Satan go from being a good creation of God to being the source of evil?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, teach that agency was an essential part of God’s plan for us. From the very beginning, God gave us the right to choose for ourselves. Although He made rules for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden concerning the tree, he did not lock it up where they could not get to it. In fact, he put it right in the center of the Garden, where they would see it often. They were free to choose to eat from it, and they did.

Agency explains how Lucifer became Satan. Mormons believe that God first created our spirits and allowed us to live with Him in Heaven prior to the creation of the Earth. This makes Him very literally our Father, and it also means we began to develop our characters and personalities prior to birth. We did not have bodies, but we did have personalities, and the ability to choose whom to become. Some worked hard to become as much like God as possible. Some did not. Some were power-hungry, even then, and it appears Lucifer was one of these. The events that would occur demonstrate he was popular among a certain type of spirit and that he used that popularity and his agency to cause others to make poor choices, even then.

Mormon beliefs talk of a great meeting held in Heaven in which we were told of the plan to create an earth for us. We would all, in our turn, go there to live for a while. We’d gain a body, come to earth through a family, and have agency. We would not remember our time in Heaven, but we would be given the ability to feel God’s presence and counsel to us if we listened and were anxious to do the right thing. Through what would be known as the Spirit of Christ, we would be able to discern truth from lies if we chose to do so. The Holy Ghost would be available to help us on Earth. With this help, we would be expected to search out the truth and then commit to live it.

Of course, we wouldn’t be perfect, and the Law required perfection in order to return home. To this end, God would provide a Savior who would come to earth through a mortal mother, with God as His father, and live a sinless life. He would then make a voluntary sacrifice on our behalf, known as the atonement. This would allow us to overcome death and to repent. It would make it possible to overcome the demands of the law through mercy. Jesus Christ volunteered for this calling, saying he wanted all the honor and glory to go to God.

Lucifer, however, did not like God’s plan. He used his influence to try to convince us to replace God and Jesus Christ with him. Lucifer said he would take control of our lives on earth, controlling every movement and thought so we could not possibly sin. In that way, no atonement would be necessary (relieving him of the need to suffer on anyone’s behalf) and we’d all come home safely. In exchange, however, he wanted us to let him take God’s place and receive all the honor and glory.

Lucifer’s plan was a selfish one, designed to win him a position of power and authority without undue sacrifice. This was a sharp contrast to Jesus’ proposal, which asked nothing for himself. However, perhaps because Lucifer was popular, or perhaps because his plan seemed to offer security and an easy route to success, one-third of God’s children chose Lucifer as their leader, rejecting both God and Jesus Christ.

They were not allowed to come to earth as a consequence. They will never receive bodies or families, and because they rejected the atonement before they even came to earth, they are not allowed to benefit from it. They were cast out of heaven for their efforts to overthrow God and His plan. All the remainder of the spirits in Heaven began to prepare for mortality.

However, Lucifer’s work was not done. He became Satan and he was angry at being cast out of Heaven. He was also miserable, having been denied what even he knew was a wonderful opportunity—even though he made the choices that led to it. He was determined to make every who had refused to follow him miserable.

His role in our lives today is to try to get us to reject the great plan of salvation we once embraced, to disobey God’s commandments, even to choose not to believe in God or Jesus Christ. He is determined to undermine God’s work.

Although Satan is allowed to try to make us sin and reject the opportunity to return home to God’s presence, there are some things he cannot do. He cannot force anyone to sin: he can only encourage sin. He cannot prevent anyone from knowing the truth who is determined to know it: he can only try to keep us from wanting to know. Satan cannot remain if we tell him to leave. In the New Testament, we can look to the example of Jesus Christ to know how to handle Satan’s temptations and lies. When Satan tried to tempt Jesus, Jesus simply refused to pay any attention to him and ordered him to leave.

Satan then, began life as we all did, as a child of God. He used his God-given agency to reject God and the gospel and chose instead to live a selfish life harming others. While he is temporarily allowed to try to carry out his revengeful goals, we are under no obligation to give him power over us.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are often called Mormons by others, believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth one day. Mormons focus on what we know about that time and leave the rest to God.

Jesus Christ will return to Earth.

“Four matters are indisputable to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace. (2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4) the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it. (See Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Liahona, May 2004, 7–10)

Let’s look first at the first and second principles Elder Oaks mentioned. Mormons believe in the Second Coming. We can over cover what will happen briefly in this article. For a more detailed explanation, read the chapter on this subject in a book called Gospel Principles, chapter 44. (more…)

In 1830, the first copy of the Book of Mormon was published. Recently the 150 millionth copy was printed. Today, it is translated into 82 languages and is selections have been translated into 25 more languages.

The Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible for Mormons. It is used with the Bible and its purpose is outlined in the subtitle: “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” In the Book of Mormon, we learn that a few small group of Jews were sent to the American continent by God. In just a brief time, the primary group, known as the Nephites, were forced to move away from another group, the Lamanites. The leaders of these two groups were brothers, but one was evil and one was a prophet of God. The Lamanites had as their goal to destroy the Nephites and all memory of them.

Throughout the generations, the Nephites had prophets, as did the people of the Old Testament. They learned that God loves all His children, not just those who lived in the Holy Lands at that time. They were even promised Jesus would visit them sometime after his crucifixion and resurrection, which He did. The wicked were killed and the righteous remained to greet their Savior. During this visit, the people learned of the Savior’s great love for them. Unfortunately, after a few generations, the children who had not been alive at this time stopped believing Jesus had ever really come or stopped caring what He had taught. They became progressively more wicked and again divided into two groups.

Eventually too many of the Nephites had forgotten the promises they had made to God. God had promised they could not be destroyed as long as they were righteous but the time came when there were few who were righteous. A great war ensued between the two groups and large numbers of people were killed, with the greatest number on the side of the Nephites. The Lamanites continued to hunt down and kill the surviving Nephites until there was only one man left, a teenage boy named Moroni. He was the son of the prophet Mormon, who had been commanded by God to begin abridging the records each prophet had left behind and handed down from prophet to prophet. When he died, Moroni, now the only righteous person in his personal world, went into hiding and finished the project. He was in constant danger of being murdered as the Lamanites continued to search for him. So bloodthirsty they could not stop fighting when their enemies were dead, they were now killing each other, but they were anxious to finish off the remaining Nephite.

Once Moroni finished the editing, he hid the book and left the area. He returned after a time, briefly, and added more to it. We don’t know what happened to him after that. He did report that the Lamanites were still fighting, so it is likely they became a fairly small population by the time their internal wars ended.

The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to testify of Jesus Christ. It refers to Him and to His ministry more often than does the Bible. It contains many of the great Biblical themes: grace, atonement, charity, service, faith, and repentance, for example.

Following are a few verses from the Book of Mormon that relate critical doctrine:

8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary (Mosiah 3:8).

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23).

26 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 remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)

26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you (Moroni 7:26)

The Book of Mormon came into our modern lives through Joseph Smith, the first prophet of modern times. God often said in the Bible He would do nothing but through the mouth of His prophets. There had been brief (from an eternal standpoint) periods of time in which prophets were withdrawn from the earth due to the refusal of God’s children to listen to them and to obey them. But always God returned the prophets to the earth. In these final days, as we prepare for the Second Coming, we can look around and see there has never been a greater need for a prophet. It is clear people are confused about what is true and what is not. Without a prophet like Noah or Moses to guide them, it can be very difficult to stay the course. God loves us too much to let us flounder when the stakes are high.

With this in mind, God called Joseph Smith to be the first prophet in modern times. He was shown the location of the Book of Mormon by Moroni himself, now an angel. The Bible often refers to angels and they are an essential part of God’s work. Moroni tutored Joseph until he was ready to receive the plates on which the book was recorded. Although at the time no one had ever heard of records being kept on metal plates in ancient times, today archaeologists have indeed found such records.

When the Book of Mormon was published, the church was officially restored. Mormons would read both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to gain a greater understanding of God’s work and the Savior’s mission. Over the years, the Book of Mormon has been loved and read by many, named among the nation’s most influential books even by organizations not associated with the Church.

How did this book, whose power to change lives, come to be accepted as scripture by so many people? The Bible has had the gift of time. We are more inclined to accept the old, even when there is insufficient proof. For instance, many “experts” believe Abraham never existed because the story doesn’t fit the facts as they have determined them. And yet, Christians accept the reality of Abraham even without physical proof. We don’t need proof. God said Abraham existed and we trust God.

The Book of Mormon, although newer, also requires a measure of faith. The Bible tells us how to find out if it is true. In James 1:5, James told us if we lack wisdom, we can ask God with faith and pure intent and He will answer our question. With this promise, we can know the Bible is true. The Book of Mormon offers a similar promise. In Moroni 10:4, near the end of the book, Moroni promises that if we study the book with pure intent and a sincere desire to know if it’s true, we can pray and receive an answer to our request to know.

Mormons are taught to put this to the test. Most Christian churches don’t require their members to pray about the Bible prior to joining their church. Mormons teach even their young children that they are to pray to know if the scriptures are true and if the church is true. Before baptism, they are asked about the results of this inquiry by their leaders. Each member of the Mormon church is expected to gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, rather than trusting the words of others.

The Book of Mormon has reached such a high level of readership because so many people have put the book to the test and received confirmation that it is true. It has withstood all its critics, all those who mock it, and all those who discount it and has continued on to give people what is often their first testimony of Jesus Christ.

In the 2010 General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whose members are often informally called Mormons), Mormons were called on to provide a day of service. These will happen at the ward (congregational) level or at the stake (similar to a diocese) level at various times over the coming year. The events are to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the start of the Mormon welfare program.

Days of Service have become a popular activity for Mormons around the world. Through the Helping Hands program, Mormons in signature yellow shirts show up during catastrophes to help with repairs and cleanup. They also plan days to serve a community when there is no emergency need. During these times, they might paint community centers, clean up historic but neglected cemeteries, gather food for a food bank, or improve a local school.

The Day of Service concept, while often done informally by individual congregations, became a more formal program in the late 1980s. At that time, the Church announced a Day of Service for several different countries, including Argentina and Chile. Mormon leaders in these countries went to their government leaders to find out what work needed to be done. Then Mormons drew on their enthusiastic membership to accomplish the projects. Over time the idea caught on and more areas began holding their own days of service. With every area in the world doing one over the course of one year, it is expected the Mormons will make significant impacts on their communities.

Following are some examples of service days from the past:

On April 25 in 2009, Mormons in the southeast—96 stakes in all—were challenged by Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to do a day of service all on the same day. Each group chose their own projects for the day. One group held a fishing day for special needs children and their families. Another painted an historic house the historical society was renovating. A group weatherized low-income homes and another painted low-income homes. A group installed smoke detectors in homes of people who could not afford them. In Charlotte North Carolina, Mormons worked with the minister of another church to build a habitat for humanity home.

In January of 2009, 450 Mormon teenagers gathered in Philadelphia to participate in a Martin Luther King Day of Service. They assembled craft kits to be given to homeless children and shelters. Prior to beginning their work, they watched a videotaped message from King’s son, thanking them for their participation.

West Africa has held an annual day of service for a number of years. Over time, other churches and agencies have decided to join them, increasing the amount of service that can be completed in the course of the day. In 2010, more than 11,000 people participated in the All Africa Day of Service. When Ashanti region in Ghana asked the community to help an orphanage, the Mormons sent in their day of service teams to clean up the compound. The regional director of social welfare himself showed up to help them.

A Southern California group built an entire park during their day of service while another group nearby stocked a food bank.

Many LDS groups held service days on an anniversary of September 11 in the United States. One group held a back to school project. They gathered school clothes and school supplies for low-income families, and in a unique touch, also provided hair cuts and back to school photographs for the children.

Serving others is a long-standing Mormon tradition, based directly on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to love and serve our neighbors and specified that everyone is our neighbor. Early in church history, Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society, a woman’s organization designed to serve others. Seventy-five years ago, in the heart of the depression, the church organized a unique welfare program, one that was praised by Ronald Reagan and many others as being the ideal way to help those in need. Rather than being critical of the poor and the needy, the church welfare program offers people help as needed.

There are two types of programs. The first is for church members. Although Mormons are counseled to prepare as best they can for emergencies by remaining out of debt, building savings, and putting aside food for hard times, even the most careful planner can unexpectedly find himself in trouble. Extended unemployment, illness, or catastrophe can undo all the careful planning. In times such as this, Mormons are advised to turn to family for help. When that is not possible, or when there is more need than the family can provide, the church steps in.

To fund this effort, Mormons forego all food and drink for twenty-four hours one day a month. They then donate at least the amount of money saved by doing so to a fast offering fund. This fund is used exclusively to care for those in need. The person who finds himself in financial trouble goes to his bishop (similar to a lay pastor), who evaluates the needs and makes sure the person has done all he can to help himself first. The church’s goal is not to sustain the current lifestyle, but to help the person survive until things improve.

This program is only for Mormons in good standing, who have paid tithes and offerings. In other words, they’ve assisted others in the past and are now receiving help for themselves. In exchange for this assistance, which never includes cash, they take on additional church service, such as helping in the church welfare program or cleaning buildings. The work may not be equal to what they receive, depending on their circumstances, but it allows them to retain their dignity but providing something of value for what they are receiving.

Next the person meets with the Relief Society president, a woman, to decide what food might be needed. Members are given a list of items in the storehouse—items are grown, manufactured or purchased by the church, unlike most food banks—and they use this list to plan menus. They order only what they will need for two weeks. The list includes items needed to care for the home or sanitary requirements.

The items are picked up at a storehouse, which resembles a small grocery store. Most people come a little early and volunteer their time for an hour or two before filling their own order.

In addition to immediate help, members are also given training as needed to help them become more self-sufficient. The Mormons teach many classes on practical skills such as job hunting, parenting, money management, self-reliance, food storage, and literacy.

Another aspect of the humanitarian program is non-sectarian. The humanitarian branch of the Mormon church is often found during crises, when the church sends in many thousands of dollars in supplies and equipment to help, often remaining long after the location is out of the news and the first volunteers have gone home. They go into countries in need to provide other services as well, including wheelchairs, vaccinations, neonatal medical training, dental care, eyeglasses and other services. They help farmers in developing nations learn to farm more efficiently. They bring clean water to places that have none.

The call for a year of service has sparked enthusiasm among Mormons, but it is nothing new. It is simply a more focused approach to a tradition of compassionate service called for by the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Watch a video of a Mormon Day of Service that involved planting a community garden with Habitat for Humanity.

This year, Mormon Sunday School classes for adults and teens and the Senior Primary children who are ages eight to twelve are studying the New Testament. All Primary children—those ages 3 to 11, will have a sharing time (a time when a number of classes meet together to be taught by their leaders) focusing on the truthfulness of scripture.

The Sunday School classes and senior Primary are on a four year rotation system. Each year they study one book of scripture—Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Church History/Doctrine and Covenants (a book of modern revelation). The Senior Primary, the teens, and the adults study the same book of scripture at the same pace but at their own level. This allows families to come together after church and during the week to discuss what they’ve learned and lets parents reinforce those teachings.

Younger children, ages four to seven, are on a two year rotation, covering two books of scripture in one year, with an emphasis on the life of Christ as taught in the four gospels of the New Testament, and on the Book of Mormon. They repeat the manuals one time, but at a more grown up level. Nursery toddlers and three year olds have just one lesson manual which covers stories from all scriptures.

The Mormons are offering a solid collection of materials to help both Mormons and non-Mormons study the New Testament this year. The actual lesson manuals are available online, both the student and teacher’s editions. This allows curious non-Mormons to find out what Mormons actually teach their own members about Jesus Christ.

Read or listen to the Adult Sunday School (Gospel Doctrine) teacher’s manual for the New Testament.

Read or listen to the student study guide for adults on the New Testament.

Read the teacher’s manual for the children’s New Testament class. (The children don’t receive a manual.)

Many Mormons like a more in-depth study of the scriptures each year. Teenagers study a book of scripture each year in Seminary that does not match the Sunday School rotation. Seminary is held most weekdays, usually before the school day begins. It is a much more in-depth study of the New Testament and includes scripture memorization. The lesson manual for this class is also online for anyone who wants to use it.

Read the Seminary New Testament Manual online. You’ll note this page also has additional study materials, including music, a list of scriptures to memorize, a reading chart and a timeline.

For even more in-depth study, you might want to explore the Institute of Religion Manual. This manual is a college-level course and has a great deal of interpretation, inspiration, historic and cultural background information and more to help you really dig into your study of the New Testament.

Read the Institute of Religion New Testament manual.

While the Mormons have had the Bible free on the Internet for a long time, the new scripture site has some exciting additions to help people study the scriptures. For many of these features, you will need to sign up for an account. While reading the New Testament, which doesn’t require an account, you can also use account-based tools to write notes, keep a scripture-reading journal, highlight scriptures and even print out your work. You can even, without an account, download MP-3s of an audio New Testament. Mormons use the King James translation of the Bible.

This year the Mormons will be studying the life, ministry, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Why not take a peek and see what they will be learning?

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. (more…)

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. This makes him next in line to be the prophet if he outlives President Monson. Only the current living prophet can declare official doctrine for the entire church and he cannot make doctrine simply because he wishes to. He must petition God for doctrinal changes and doctrinal changes come very seldom.

Mormon leaders, even at the highest levels, are not trained ministers. They don’t attend a traditional seminary (a Mormon seminary is a school-year class for teenagers). They come from other professions. For instance, our current prophet was in the printing industry prior to becoming an apostle.

Prophets and apostles are ordinary people. They are given the same gift of agency as is everyone and they hold personal opinions. Mormon beliefs don’t cover everything and so, where the Church has no official doctrine in place, Church members, including leaders, are entitled to hold whatever opinion they choose and to develop that opinion in any way they choose. The Church has frequently explained that science and history are not doctrine, and therefore, many church leaders, some of whom come from the world of science, are free to hold whatever opinions they would like to have in those areas. Where science and religion might overlap, only the spiritual aspects—those affecting eternal life—are of importance to the Church.

The Mormons have stated that they do not take an official stand on the causes of homosexuality and on whether or not the tendencies can be changed. Nor do they take a stand on whether or not a person should seek treatment to change and they do not recommend programs. This is because it is an issue of science, not religion. God does not judge our temptations—even Jesus was tempted, which makes His perfection meaningful. It is our actions that matter. Jesus taught that we must do the will of the Lord to be accepted into Heaven. While a person may be unable to choose his temptations or tendencies, he is free to choose his actions and this is where the Mormons focus their religious doctrine, because it is the only part of the subject that affects a person’s eternal life. Causation is for science, psychology and personal beliefs until God speaks otherwise. However, there can be no question that the Bible speaks quite firmly about the evils of homosexual behavior. The Bible is clear and consistent on the subject.

Elder Packer’s talk was published with a few changes. However, the eternal truths were not changed. It is standard for a speaker to be allowed to review the talk he gave and decide whether to publish it as is or make some changes. The written talk is considered the official version, the one church members study and learn from. This allows a speaker who inserted personal views, misquoted a scripture or simply misspoke—as any frequent speaker will tell you is common—to make certain the official version accurately reflects official teachings and not just the personal opinions of the aspects not canonized.

Official truth, however, cannot be altered. As Elder Packer said, you cannot put truth to a vote. When we stand before God, He will not evaluate our political correctness or our ability to match the views of the times. He will compare our lives to the eternal truths He taught us.

The bulk of Elder Packer’s talk was on the gift of repentance, a selfless gift made possible by the Savior’s atonement. Because Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, we are able to repent and to be made pure again.

The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the tempter. If you are bound by a habit or an addiction that is unworthy, you must stop conduct that is harmful. Angels will coach you, and priesthood leaders will guide you through those difficult times.

Nowhere are the generosity and the kindness and mercy of God more manifest than in repentance. Do you understand the consummate cleansing power of the Atonement made by the Son of God, our Savior, our Redeemer? He said, “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.” In that supernal act of love, the Savior paid the penalties for our sins so that we might not have to pay.

For those who truly desire it, there is a way back. Repentance is like unto a detergent. Even ground-in stains of sin will come out.

What a powerful promise—that angels will coach you as you struggle to overcome behaviors you know in your heart to be against the teachings of God. Regardless of the initial cause of any sin, angels stand ready to help us get through the process of change. When we think of the millions going through recovery programs for various challenges and struggling to overcome them, it is extraordinarily encouraging—the giving of courage—to picture a personal angelic coach and to know that when the struggle ends, God will forget our sin as if it never happened. This, more than any other teaching, can bring peace to those whose lives are hard. It can help people overcome the bullying of those without compassion and the attempts of others to lead them back into a life of sin. It creates a life of hope.

President Joseph Fielding Smith told me of a repentant woman struggling to find her way out of a very immoral life. She asked him what she should do now.

In turn, he asked her to read to him from the Old Testament the account of Lot’s wife, who was turned to a pillar of salt. Then he asked her, “What lesson do you gain from those verses?”

She answered, “The Lord will destroy the wicked.”

“Not so!” President Smith said that the lesson for this repentant woman and for you is “Don’t look back!”

Strangely enough, it may be that the simplest and most powerful prevention and cure for pornography, or any unclean act, is to ignore and avoid it. Delete from the mind any unworthy thought that tries to take root. Once you have decided to remain clean, you are asserting your God-given agency. And then, as President Smith counseled, “Don’t look back.”

Read Elder Packer’s talk.

Read the official church response to HRC Petition.

Read the call for civility.

Read the official clarification of Elder Packer’s talk.

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.) (more…)