iMormon – Faith in Christ
A discussion about Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsWhat I think of the Mormon nickname
Mormon means a lot of things. Most commonly, it is the nickname given to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. It is also the name of a prophet, who made an abridgment of ancient scripture called The Book of Mormon.
All in all, it is not a bad name, except use of the nickname can muddy the waters of understanding about the church, its members and our beliefs. For example, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian church. The prophet Nephi in The Book of Mormon wrote:
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)
Jesus Christ is in the name of the church, and Jesus is at the center of all of our doctrines, yet journalists routinely omit His name when reporting about His church. They will either call it The Church of Latter-day Saints or the Mormon Church, ignoring the Associated Press Stylebook, which they all own. Unfortunately, the name Mormon is a common rhetorical device to separate Latter-day Saints from other Christians as if we worshiped some other Jesus Christ.
The church has added an excellent page to its online gospel library that is worth a quick read. Just click on the shot of the temple at the top of this post.
I will just add a passage of scripture from The Book of Mormon:
But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
(Ether 4:11-12)
Easter through the eyes of living apostle and disciple of Christ
Jeffrey R. Holland spoke last week in the worldwide general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I won’t add any commentary, because nothing needs to be added other than my own testimony of the Savior and His atonement. I know He lives and loves each one of us. I know Christ has restored His church to the earth in these latter days. Happy Easter everyone.
Not Big Love, but bigger love.
When HBO debuted Big Love, the show’s premise did raise some concern for me. I wondered how much viewers would assign their feelings and opinions of the characters and plot lines to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. It is common in our society to attribute polygamy to the one group which is most opposed to plural marriage or any marriage that is not between one man and one woman. Mormons don’t promote or practice plural marriage. Church members who would are apostates and violate God’s law and the law of the land.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sent out its own message through Mormon Messages on You Tube, teaching truth instead of engaging every adversary in rebuttal. It’s of greater value to share Christ’s message with the world. What was lost among mankind has been restored by the Lord. The totality of the gospel is once again on the earth in His Church. His priesthood authority and all of the gospel’s holy ordinances have been restored. The crooked paths of apostasy have been made straight by revelation. The Lord has call prophets and apostles to organize and lead His Church in the latter days. He has commanded these prophets to build temples as in times of old. He has fulfilled the prophecies found in the scriptures but denied or ignored by scholars and religious leaders of our day.
It is His house, His ordinances and His law; we are His beneficiaries. We do not enter into the House of the Lord by means of our own invention. The Redeemer of the world established an undeviating path toward Eternal Life for us to follow. We prepare ourselves through faith, repentance and obedience to his commandments. And when we enter the House of the Lord, it is to not for selfish reasons but to follow Christ. We go there to gain knowledge and power from the Lord. We go to the temple to seal our families together forever. We return to the temple to provide these same opportunities for our ancestors and to link our generations together as one eternal family, forgetting nobody, excluding nobody. Finally, we go to find peace from this world. One may want to explore further to gain a greater understanding of what takes place in God’s temples, but a sincere desire to know the truth reveals a beautiful doctrine of a bigger love that our Heavenly Father has for his children. Bigger than anything man can comprehend, except by revelation from God.
I invite everyone to the House of the Lord. If there is a temple near you, go for a walk on the grounds. If there is a visitors center there, go inside. Ask questions. Learn more. That one decision to seek for understanding from the Lord about His Church and His temples may prepare you to go into His temple and make sacred covenants with Him. You will find peace from every concern there. You will feel further from your problems and closer to heaven. At least, that’s been my experience. I hope it is your experience too.
If a man die, shall he live again?
Amidst his arduous trials, Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). He looked forward to the Lord calling him from grave; his faith in the resurrection was sure. He testified to all of us, “Though this body be destroyed, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:26). Job’s testimony joins perfectly with the Savior’s own teachings about His disposition and ours as a result of His resurrection. He understood the revelations of true prophets. The Savior himself would explain to the disciples:
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Special witnesses of Jesus Christ
Recently, I added a section to iMormon called, “Special Witnesses – Video.” You will find a link on the right side of this page. I mention the living prophet and apostles quite often in my posts. Wouldn’t it be great to see and hear them? Click on the link, and you will find video clips of these special witnesses. Each clip is very short, but what they say is meaningful. Tell me what you think.
Tulúm’s diving God.
LaRinda and Dan in Tulúm, Mexico
The image you see at the top of the iMormon blog holds a special meaning to me for a couple of reasons.
I took this picture at the Mayan ruins in Tulúm, Mexico on the coast of the Yucatan. The picture reminds me of one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life. Sometimes, you really need a vacation… And LaRinda and I really needed that vacation. We enjoyed a week in the Caribbean with some of our absolute favorite people on earth and good friends. It was our first time on a cruise. After shedding apprehension—I would either have a blast or feel trapped on board the ship for a week—we hopped on the Westerdam to discover that cruising was—in deed—our cup of cocoa. That covers reason #1. Read the rest of this entry »
A ten-foot poll.
No, it’s not a typo. I thought it would be fun once in a while to have a poll question and share the results with everybody. After you vote, the page will immediately display the current polling results.
One
The Conference Center in Salt Lake City
In that great intercessory prayer, the Savior prayed to the Father that the disciples would be one even as He and the Father are one. (John 17:11) Though Jesus knelt on the earth and Heavenly Father listened seemingly distant, their unity was apparent. Christ was focused on our redemption from death and sin. As we read this passage, I am impressed by the thought that aligning our thoughts and actions with Christ are requisite for receiving a remission of our sins and overcoming this world. I can’t imagine walking through the gates of heaven with our brothers and sisters with any measure of disaccord. No, those who return to live forever in the rest of the Redeemer will already be of one mind and of heart. Read the rest of this entry »
What’s Wrong With Mormons?
If you want to know what it's like to run a race, then ask the runner, not the spectator.
Like many Latter-day Saints, Jay Gladwell has noticed that many misconceptions about Mormons’ faith in Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are rooted in bad information dispensed by otherwise good people with a genuine love for the Savior. Read the rest of this entry »
An expression of faith.
Plato and Aristotle
One of my favorite works of art is Raphael’s The School of Athens in the Vatican. Surrounded by the heavyweights of philosophy and and art, Plato and Aristotle are going at it. You know they don’t agree, because Plato is gesturing to the heavens, and Aristotle is pointing at the earth. I’m with Plato. Man shows his arrogance and shortsightedness by trusting more in his own reason and rejecting what God knows—God knows all things. The brightest people I know aren’t so bright because of their scholarship; it is their willingness to trust the Lord. (Alma 32:21) They are true disciples of the Master. I admire their faith.
One of the simple blessings in my life is attending church on Sunday. I am strengthened by renewing the baptismal covenant when I partake of the sacrament. I am strengthened by the experience of worshiping with my family and neighbors. So many times, I take notice of the way others express their faith in Christ. I am frequently impressed by my brothers and sisters. Watching them exercise their faith has strengthened my own. A case in point… Read the rest of this entry »
