Elder Holland began his remarks by congratulating the students on their openness to discussions of religious belief. “In the western world religion has historically been the basis of civil society as we have known it, and if I am not mistaken, men and women of the law are committed to the best—that is, the most just—civil society possible,” Elder Holland pointed out. “So thank you for taking religion seriously. You will not only be better attorneys but you will be closer to the truth in your own personal lives.”

Mormonism: The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ

The origins of Mormonism were the first topic addresses by Elder Holland. Mormonism is a restoration of the original gospel established by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. Following Christ’s ascension into heaven and the deaths of the original twelve apostles, the primitive Christian Church entered a long period of confusion:

So what ensued was a millennium and a half of destroying Paul’s hope that there would be a “unity of the faith, and [a] knowledge of the Son of God, . . . that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” It is commonplace to note that in the Christian world we now see anything but “a unity of faith” or any real Christian cohesiveness that could remotely be called “the building fitly framed together”that would reaffirm “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith

By the time of Joseph Smith, who was a young man during the time of religious contention and revival during the early 1800s in the United States known as the second “Great Awakening,” huge divides of doctrine separated the different Christian sects from one another. According to Elder Holland,

This young boy-prophet lamented that his region was “a scene of great confusion and bad feeling . . . priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that [any] good feelings . . . were entirely lost in a . . . war of words and tumult of opinions.” “A war of words and tumult of opinions.” That says so much about post-New Testament Christianity.

Mormonism: Basic Beliefs

Mormons are Christians

We are not fourth-century Christians, we are not Nicene Christians, we are not creedal Christians of the brand that arose hundreds of years after Christ. No, when we speak of “restored Christianity” we speak of the Church as it was in its New Testament purity, not as it became when great councils were called to debate and anguish over what it was they really believed. So if one means Greek-influenced, council-convening, philosophy-flavored Christianity of post-apostolic times, we are not that kind of Christian. Peter we know, and Paul we know, but Constantine and Athanasius, Athens and Alexandria we do not know. (Actually, we know them, we just don’t follow them.)

Doctrinal Differences Between Mormons and More Recent Christianity

A few doctrinal differences between Mormon doctrines and post-fourth-century traditions were pointed out:

• God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are separate and distinct beings with glorified bodies of flesh and bone. As such, we stand with the historical position that “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].”…However, having affirmed the point of Their separate and distinct physical nature, we declare unequivocally that [God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ] were indeed “one” in every other conceivable way—in mind and deed, in will and wish and hope, in faith and purpose and intent and love. They are most assuredly much more alike than They are different in all the ways I have just said, but They are separate and distinct beings as all fathers and sons are. In this matter we differ from traditional creedal Christianity but agree with the New Testament.
• We also differ with fourth and fifth century Christianity by declaring that the scriptural canon is not closed, that the heavens are open with revelatory experience, and that God meant what He said when He promised Moses, “My works are without end, and . . . my words . . . never cease.” We believe that God loves all His children and that He would never leave them for long without the instrumentality of prophets and apostles, authorized agents of His guidance and direction.
• …we are unique in the modern Christian world regarding one matter which a prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called our “most distinguishing feature.” That is, divine priesthood authority to provide the saving sacraments—the ordinances—of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The holy priesthood, which has been restored to the earth by those who held it anciently, signals the return of divine authorization. It is different from all other man-made powers and authorities on the face of the earth. Without it there could be a church in name only, and it would be a church lacking in authority to administer in the things of God. This restoration of priesthood authority eases centuries of anguish among those who knew certain ordinances and sacraments were essential but lived with the doubt as to who had the right to administer them. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we can answer the question of “who laid hands on him” all the way back to Christ Himself. The return of such authority is truly “the most distinguishing feature” of our faith.

The young couple eventually went to pioneer in the high desert country near Vernal, Utah, a place where the only thing green was the town’s name and the name of the Green River flowing nearby. The land was so remote that it became notorious as a location along the infamous “Outlaw Trail,” where various wild west outlaws could roam and hide freely during the late 1800s. Despite of, or perhaps because of, the heat and the cold, the dryness and the rough company, William Tapscott Gillman grew to be a strong, faithful Mormon man, and a successful farmer. He married Catherine McKowen in 1887 in Vernal, Utah. Together they raised ten healthy children, all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Catherine McKowen’s father, Philip, married her mother in Manchester, England. They, too, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and travelled over sea and land to Vernal, bringing Philip’s Irish parents, Patrick and Mary Katherine, along. Patrick and Mary McKowen’s parents never saw their children again. Once, a distant relative of mine dreamed about Patrick’s father, watching the cold sea as the ship carrying his family away disappeared into the distance. As faithful Catholics, Patrick’s parents were persecuted in Ireland for their beliefs, and the state was forbidden to record their births, deaths, and marriages. What little information remained about them was burned in a fire. Even their names and birthdates have been lost. But their legacy came to America with their children and grandchildren.

William Tapscott and Catherine McKowen Gillman are the parents of my grandmother, Nora Gillman Moore. My name is Nora, too. I have grown up in physical prosperity and spiritual wealth, the beneficiary of the sacrifices and faithfulness of those who came before me. Although they have passed away, I often feel surrounded by their faith and concern.

On March 18, 2012, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang the following revivalist hymn on its weekly broadcast, “Music and the Spoken Word.” The words and music brought the memory of my ancestors’ sacrifices back to me:

Then We’ll Sing Hosanna

I have some friends before me gone

Who love to sing hosanna,

And I’m resolved to travel on,

For I love to sing hosanna,

For we have but the one more river to cross,

And then we’ll sing hosanna,

For we have but the one more river to cross,

And then we’ll sing hosanna.

Mormon Beliefs About Death: Eternal Spirits, Eternal Families

Mormons believe that death is just one more event along the way of our eternal lives. Every human being possesses an immortal spirit, which lived with God before being born here on earth. When we die, we retain our individuality, our loves, our skills, and our faith. Amulek, an ancient prophet who lived in the Americas prior to the time of Christ, taught that “that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world” ( Alma 34:34). Amulek’s teachings are recorded in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the religious history of his people.

The Prophet and Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints possesses the ancient “sealing” power given to Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:18. This power, restored to the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, in a visit from the ancient prophet Elijah to the Mormon temple in Kirtland, Ohio in the 1830s, allows those with proper priesthood authority to bind families together for eternity in ordinances performed in Mormon temples. My grandmother’s parents were sealed in the temple to each other and to their children, as were my grandparents and my parents. I have been sealed in the temple to my husband and children. The sealing power that has made its way through the generations to me gives my ancestors the right and responsibility to watch over me forever. Along with others of my progenitors who sacrificed their wealth, land, and health for the gospel of Jesus Christ, they form an army of faithful men and women, strengthening me. My children, in their turn, are beginning to form an army of my descendants, whom I am responsible watch over and teach, hoping that the gospel of Jesus Christ will make all the difference in their lives, as it has in mine:

One army of the living God,

We love to sing hosanna,

Part of the host have crossed the flood

Who love to sing hosanna.

For we have but the one more river to cross,

And then we’ll sing hosanna,

For we have but the one more river to cross,

And then we’ll sing hosanna.

I sing with a choir every Sunday morning; I have always loved to sing. Singing, for me, is my truest way to worship God, and to testify of Him. Sometimes, when we sing the old Mormon pioneer hymn, “Come, Come Ye Saints,” I think I can hear an Irish or English brogue, singing the words alongside me. I imagine it is Alice Wickham, or one of the Katie McKowens, singing along. I sense that they, along with my Grandma Nora, are aware of me in my joys and trials of life. Someday I, too, will “cross the river,” and meet them in the world of spirits. There we will continue together to fight for God and for right, as we have spent our lives doing here. I look forward to seeing them there.

Amen, amen, my soul replies,

I love to sing hosanna,

I’m bound to meet you in the skies

Where we will sing hosanna.

Hosanna, hosanna,

And then we’ll sing hosanna,

For we have but the one more river to cross,

And then we’ll sing hosanna.

Mormonism 101

To help people understand more about Latter-day Saints, the Church recently published an article entitled “Mormonism 101: FAQ.” This article outlines Mormons’ basic beliefs, and answers some of the most common questions non-Mormons may have about the Church. It also addresses some of the more controversial topics related to the Mormon faith, hoping that accurate information can dispel some of the misconceptions and distortions about the Church that sometimes appear in the media. Questions addressed include:

• Introduction
• Are Mormons Christian?
• What do Mormons believe about God?
• Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
• What is the Mormon View of the purpose of life?
• Do Mormons believe in the Bible?
• What is the Book of Mormon?
• What is a Mormon temple?
• Do Latter-day Saints believe in modern-day prophets?
• Do Latter-day Saints believe that the apostles receive revelations from God?
• Do Mormon women lead in the Church?
• Do Latter-day Saints believe they can become “gods”?
• Do Latter-day Saints believe that they will “get their own planet”?
• Do some Latter-day Saints wear temple garments?
• Do Latter-day Saints practice polygamy?
• What is the position of the Church regarding race relations?
• Do Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?
• Why do you “baptize for the dead”?
• Why does the Church send out missionaries?
• Why don’t Mormons smoke or drink alcohol?

The Core Beliefs of Mormonism

The most important information contained in the “Mormonism 101” article is a concise outline of the core beliefs of the Church. Since media attention often focuses on controversial issues, sometimes the picture painted of Mormons’ beliefs can be warped, dwelling on less important doctrines while leaving out the beliefs that Mormons themselves consider to be the most important. The article, “Mormonism 101,” states the following:

The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, wrote, “The fundamental principles of our religion are … concerning Jesus Christ that He died was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

It further states that “Latter-day Saints believe unequivocally that:”

1.    Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of our loving Heavenly Father.

2.    Christ’s Atonement allows mankind to be saved from their sins and return to live with God and their families forever.

3.    Christ’s original Church as described in the New Testament has been restored in modern times.

Church services in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon Church” in the media) are divided into three segments. The first and most important segment is Sacrament meeting, where members meet together to partake of the sacrament of the Lord’s supper and hear talks given by various members of the congregation. The second segment is Sunday School. During the third segment, members split into various groups and attend separate meetings: Priesthood Meeting for the men, Relief Society for the women, and Young Men/Young Women meetings for the youth. “Primary”activities and classes are provided for children 18 months to 12 years of age during both the second and third segments.

Mormon Women As Leaders and Teachers

Women are equal participants as teachers and leaders in every one of these church programs except for Priesthood Meeting. Along with the men, they pray and speak in Sacrament Meetings, conduct music, provide piano and organ prelude and accompaniment, and participate in choir and music programs. Similarly, both women and men teach and lead Sunday school classes. Women alone preside over the Primary program, although both men and women teach Primary classes. Women are the teachers and leaders of the Young Women, while men teach and lead the young men. Most importantly, however, the women of the church lead, teach, and comprise the Relief Society – their exclusive domain.

What is the Relief Society?

The Prophet Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of Mormonism, organized the Relief Society on March 17, 1842. A group of women had met together, desiring to assist the poor and suffering in the community, and had come to the prophet so that they might be organized under priesthood authority. Joseph Smith taught that the Relief Society was organized for “the relief of the poor, the destitute, the widow and the orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent purposes” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 452). In addition, he taught that the Relief Society was “not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 453). Thus the Relief Society, which is by now one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the world, was born.

The Work of the Relief Society

In the Handbook of Instructions (Book 2) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it states that the purpose of the Relief Society today is to prepare women for “the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need.” These purposes are accomplished in various ways. Mormon women teach and learn the gospel from one another in Sunday Relief Society meetings and other Relief Society meetings and activities. Weekday activities focus on additional ways to strengthen families. Humanitarian projects are regularly organized. And Visiting Teachers make sure that the Relief Society is aware of any special needs in the congregation, and that those needs are met.

Visiting Teaching

Visiting Teaching is a Relief Society program where each woman in the Mormon congregation is watched over and visited regularly by a pair of Relief Society members. Visiting Teachers care for, remember, strengthen, and teach the women to whom they are assigned. The women of Relief Society refer to one another as “sisters,” and try to fulfill that role for one another. Visiting Teachers are aware of any special needs the sisters and families they visit might have from time to time, and call upon the resources of the Relief Society as needed. Each woman in Relief Society has a pair of Visiting Teachers, and most are also Visiting Teachers themselves. In this way, each sister’s physical needs are met, as well as providing the opportunity for friendship, support, and spiritual instruction.

Humanitarian Work

Welfare and compassionate service are central to the work of the Mormon Relief Society. In addition to caring for one another, Mormon women are heavily involved in organizing and producing goods for the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The motto of the Relief Society is ” never faileth.” It comes from the scripture found in 1 Corinthians 13:8, which reads:

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

gThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an effective welfare system in place to provide for the needs of members who are experiencing financial difficulties. Mormons throughout the world also contribute goods and services to the humanitarian efforts of the church, which provide for people throughout the world who are suffering from poverty, illness, or natural disaster. Mormon women, members of the Relief Society, are key in organizing and producing whatever is needed.

Becoming a Member of the Relief Society

All adult women in the Church are members of the Relief Society. Normally a young woman advances into Relief Society sometime during the year following her 18th birthday. By age 19, most young woman are fully participating in Relief Society. The leaders of Young Women and Relief Society work closely together to ensure that a young woman’s transition into Relief Society is successful.

Adult women who serve in other auxiliaries of the Church such as Primary, Young Women, or other callings that prevent them from attending Sunday Relief Society meetings continue to participate in Relief Society. They are assigned Visiting Teachers, and they themselves serve as Visiting Teachers. In addition, they may be given assignments to serve others and to teach classes at other Relief Society meetings, provided that such assignments do not pose any undue burdens on them.

As Sisters in Zion

As Sisters in Zion, Mormon women join hearts and hands to minister not only to members of the Church, but also to non-members whom they have contact with. Membersof the Relief Society serve, following Paul’s admonition:

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees (Hebrews 12:12).

Women of other faiths and denominations who visit and attend Mormon Relief Society are welcomed with open arms and are encouraged to be active participants. Come and join in as Sisters in Zion!

Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as the Ward Mission Leader in the Annapolis, Maryland Ward.

Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society

As Sisters in Zion

Visiting Teaching: Getting to the Heart