“V”is for Virtue

“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.¹”

I realize that most churches, Christian or not, basically claim this same belief. It is taught in most religious works, including the Bible, the Koran the Torah and Talmud and other religious teachings; it is not something claimed exclusively by the LDS.

Virtue is defined as: behavior showing high moral standards. synonyms: goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, integrity, dignity, rectitude, honor, decency, respectability, nobility, worthiness, purity, chastity, honesty.

It is our belief that being virtuous is not something that has gone out of style, like old clothing, hairstyles or music; nor do we believe it ever will. We also believe that being virtuous applies to both women and men, to the same degree. In other words, what’s good for the goose is also good for the gander, and vice-versa.  

Being virtuous is one of the main steps in determining a person’s worthiness to enter the temple. We must literally live according to the Thirteenth Article of Faith if we wish to be worthy of entering the temple and performing the ordinances that are reserved for the temple.

We also believe that obeying God’s commandments helps us to maintain our virtues and to therefore become more like God, or as stated above: If there is anything virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. We know we’re not perfect, but we’re working on it so that some day we can be with God.

¹Thirteenth Article of Faith

“N” is for the Ninth Article of Faith

“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.¹”

 It is a common belief these days that God no longer speaks to mankind, and yet the times we live in are more needful of God’s guidance and direction than any other time. I really wonder why people think this way? Do they think that God loves us less than before? Or that He has possibly lost his power? Perhaps they feel that we DON’T need his help, that all we need has already been written in the Bible. I’m not quite sure what people think regarding this important question, but I do know that none of the previously mentioned answers is correct.

One of the elements that distinguish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we are led by a prophet called by God; there has been a prophet on the earth ever since Joseph Smith was called to restore the Church back in 1820. The man that God has called to be his prophet at this time is President Thomas S. Monson; Thomas Monson receives the necessary revelations pertaining to our days for the more than 15,372,000 members of the Church. And the very good news is that these revelations are not just for the members of the church, but for every single person living on the earth today, regardless of who they are. The Lord is not a respecter of persons, but has the same love for all of His children, whether they want it or not. The first Saturday and Sunday of this month, the Church held its semi-annual Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah. During this Conference, the leaders of the Church gave talks on a variety of subjects, receiving inspiration from Heavenly Father. If anyone would like to read or listen to these talks, please click here.

Amos, one of the last prophets in the Old Testament said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”² There are still many things that were prophesied in the Old and New testaments that still haven’t happened yet. According to this verse, if there are no more prophets, then nothing else that was prophesied will happen, including the second coming and the Millennium. What do you think?

¹Ninth Article of Faith

²Amos 3:7

© Mary Purpari, April 17,2015. All Rights Reserved.

“F” is for Faith

Faith: a strong or unshakeable belief in something, especially without proof or evidence; a trust in God and in his actions or promises.¹ The Book of Mormon defines faith as not having a perfect knowledge of things, but having things means to have hope in things that can’t be seen, but which are true.²

The fourth Article of Faith declares: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ…”³ The reason behind this is stated quite clearly in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (has faith in) in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Therefore, faith is essential for anyone who wishes to enter God’s kingdom and gain eternal life therein.

But faith needs also to be nurtured, just like anything else. Faith that has not been nurtured will not grow, nor will it be able to withstand the difficulties and trials that life will throw at it if not nurtured. It is like a farmer who plants seeds in a field; he has faith that he will have a good crop, followed by a good harvest. But, if he doesn’t water the plants, pull the weeds, loosen the soil around the plants and eliminate parasites, his faith that the seeds will grow will probably avail him very little, because without proper care, the seeds will probably die.

James said, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and hath not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”⁴

¹Reverso Dictionary

² Alma 32:21; also see the entire chapter 32.(Book of Mormon)

³ Articles of Faith, 4

⁴ James 2:14-17 (New Testament)

“E” is for Easter: the Atonement and the Resurrection

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”¹

Easter is one of my two favorite holidays. It is the day that we, together with all Christianity celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, we believe that every person who has ever lived, because when Jesus rose from the dead, He triumphed over the physical death that was brought upon the world through Adam’s transgression, for all mankind, regardless of who they are.² The resurrection is the literal reuniting of our soul with our physical body, rendered immortal. As Job said, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”³

The part of Easter that is so important for believers in Christ actually began several days before Easter Sunday, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, knowing what was to come, withdrew to a solitary place, asking his closest friends to wait for him and to keep watch. There, he took upon himself the weight of the sins of the people of the world. The physical and spiritual pain that He alone could bear was so great that the scriptures say that he “bled from every pore”.⁴ And after he had finished praying, he went out and found that his friends had fallen asleep and that he had been betrayed by one of his own disciples into the hands of those who wished him no good.

Still bearing the weight of the world’s sins, mocked, derided, and whipped, a thorn crown pushed onto his head he was dragged from one illegal “kangaroo court” to another, until he was condemned to die on the cross by the same people he had come to save. And there, in the midst of thieves, he completed His atonement, for all those who would accept the gift of his sacrifice, with the words, “It is finished”.⁵

“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”⁶ 

 

¹John 3:16

²1 Corinthians 15:21-24

³Job 19:26

⁴Luke 22:44

⁵John 19:28-30

⁶The Articles of Faith

The painting in the upper left corner: The Crucifixion of Christ, by Harry Anderson

The statue on the Right: The Christus, by Thorvaldsen 

 

“D” is for Disciples and Apostles

“We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and so forth.”¹

Disciple: 1) a follower of a teacher or a school of thought; (2) One of the personal followers of Jesus Christ, including the twelve apostles.²

Apostle: One of the twelve disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel. The word comes from the Greek word meaning messenger.³

As can be seen, there is a difference between disciples and apostles, in that anyone who follows a certain person – in this case Jesus Christ – can be called a disciple, whereas an apostle is a person who has been specifically called and set apart to serve as a messenger or witness for Jesus Christ. Apostles are also disciples, since they are followers of Christ, but disciples are not necessarily apostles.

This is not to say that Christ’s disciples are unimportant; quite the opposite is true, for these are the people who take on the other roles essential to the Church’s structure. In the LDS church, these disciples take on the roles of pastors (branch presidencies or ward bishops), teachers in the various auxiliaries (primary, relief society, Sunday School, young men and young women and so on), evangelists (aka seventies⁴ and missionaries).

 

¹ Articles of Faith, 6; Ephesians 4 (see v. 11 in particular)

²  Reverso Dictionary disciple, definition

³ ibid. apostle, definition

⁴ Luke 10: 1-20

The painting on the left: The Sermon on the Mount, by Harry Anderson

The painting on the right: The Last Supper

“C” is for Christians? YES!

When I was a college student, I often participated in the meetings of some “born again” Christians; this particular congregation attracted me because of a certain vibrancy, but mostly because of the amount of music that was presented during the course of a meeting. One of the featured singers was a friend of mine at college; in fact, she encouraged me to play my trumpet a couple of times, which was great fun, although my shyness almost overcame me every time. I stayed on another year after graduation and at the end of that year I joined the LDS Church.

A year or so later, while waiting for the bus, this friend saw me and stopped and offered me a ride home; during the ride we spent some time catching up on each other’s lives. When I told her I had joined the Mormon church she gasped, but then  said, “Oh , well, I’m not worried about you, because I know you’re a Christian.” Surprised, I said, “All Mormons are Christians” to which she responded, “Oh no, they’re not; they just say they are; they’re really devil-worshipers.”

This is a very common mistake; I want to let everyone know that the LDS are indeed Christian. The first, and foremost, Article of Faith states: “We believe in God, the eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost.” When we are baptized, we are baptized in his name; when we pray, we close our prayers in his name

There are two hymns in the LDS hymnal that I particularly love. The first, written by Bruce R. McConkie says: ^♪♪ I believe in Christ, he is my King! With all my heart, to him I’ll sing; I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy, In grand amens my tongue employ. I believe in Christ, he is God’s son…^♪♪1

The second, based on Job 19:25 and Psalms 104:33-34 says: ^♪♪ I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives who once was dead, He lives my everlasting head. He lives, all glory to his name! He lives my Savior still the same. Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives.^♪♪2

Everything in the LDS church, including its name, is centered around our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. Everything we do, singularly or in groups is based on what He would want us to do.

Christians? Yes, indeed! 

¹LDS Hymnal, hymn number 134,  v. 1

² ibid. number 136, v. 1, 4

Painting “At Journey’s End” by LDS artist Derek Hegsted

“B” is for Bible AND Book of Mormon

One of the most common misconceptions that people have of our beliefs is that we don’t believe in the Holy Bible. This may be because of our belief in an additional book of scriptures, the Book of Mormon; those who are of this opinion are mistaken, however. As the Eighth Article of Faith states: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” This year, members of the Church are studying the New Testament as part of the Sunday School curriculum.

Some might argue, “A Bible, a Bible, we have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.”¹ But even the Bible itself speaks of the Book of Mormon: “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick and write upon it ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

“And join them one to another in one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.”²

We believe that the Book of Mormon is that stick upon which is written “For Joseph” and that its teachings, combined with those of the Bible contain the fullness of the Lord’s gospel.

Another important point to keep in mind is that Jesus himself said that “…in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”³ In fact, the full name of the Book of Mormon is: The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

The Bible speaks mainly of the relationship between God and the Jews, and Jesus’ ministry in Palestine, whereas the Book of Mormon speaks of the relationship between God and the people on the American continent, as well as Jesus’ ministry to that people.

As a child growing up in another faith, I loved reading and listening to the stories of the Bible, especially the stories of Jesus; as an LDS mother, I loved teaching my daughter the stories in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, because both books of scriptures teach us how to become like Jesus and how to return to him. And yes, I do believe that both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the word of God, and I’m thankful for their teachings.

 

¹ 2 Nephi 29:3 (Book of Mormon)

² Ezekiel 37:16-19 (Bible: Old Testament)

³ Matthew 18:16 (Bible: New Testament)

 

© Mary Purpari April,1, 2015

“A” is for Articles of Faith

In 1847 Joseph Smith wrote a letter to a certain John Wentworth in response to a letter he had written to Joseph Smith, asking for information regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This letter, known after as the Wentworth letter, contained a basic description of the Church’s history, including in the last paragraph a brief description of some of the basic beliefs of the Church, although not all of them. This summary is now known as the Articles of Faith. The following are the the thirteen Articles of Faith. I will be touching on most of them during the next month with my various articles on the Church.

1) We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2) We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3) We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4) We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5) We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6) We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7) We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8) We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9) We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10) We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11) We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12) We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13) We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

If anyone has any questions regarding this article, I will be more than happy to answer them.