“Y” is for Young (and not so Young) Missionaries.

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent the two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.¹”I’m pretty sure that most of you have probably seen at least one couple of LDS missionaries during your lifetime, unless you live in an area where proselyting is prohibited. And you can see them even in some of those countries where they depend mostly on information provided by members of the Church. The missionaries are those young men dressed in suits and wearing white shirts, ties, nametags and short hair.In most cities, they also ride on bicycles. In the first city I served in during my mission in Italy, Gorizia, back in 1977, they were known as the white flies because of the way they flew through traffic on their bicycles.

When I was a missionary the larger part of the missionaries serving around the world were young men, although there was also a small number of Sister missionaries and married couples. At the time, it was expected that young men served a full-time mission lasting two years, whereas sister missionaries and married couples were happily accepted, although not expected, to serve eighteen-month missions. Young men leaving on missions were usually nineteen years old, while sisters had to be at least 21 before they left. Married couples were eligible for serving as couples after they no longer had children living at home.

Now, young men can leave on missions after their eighteenth birthday, while young women can leave at nineteen. The percentage of young women going on missions has increased greatly, and I’m very  glad that there is a couple of sister missionaries here—they buoy me up when I feel like I’m about to sink under with despair. The married missionaries serve in a variety of areas. Right now, the couple serving in our center – both professional nurses (see “Women in the church”) – are in charge of the medical needs of all missionaries in our particular mission. They also serve in temples, in the Church Education System, etc.

Missionaries leave their families, friends, studies and their daily lives to serve the Lord for eighteen months to two years, to bring untold blessings in the lives of those they encounter, just as the missionaries that Jesus sent out when He was on the Earth.

¹Luke 10:1

© Mary Purpari. May 1, 2015. All Rights Reserved.

“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

“U” is for the United Nations

“Representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addressed the role of the Church’s global humanitarian outreach efforts at a meeting at the United Nations in New York City on 27 February 2014.¹”

I was present that day last year and it was a truly amazing experience to be in that meeting where the efforts of the Church in offering humanitarian was was unfolded. I knew that the members of the Church had been involved in many such efforts throughout the world, but just how widespread those efforts were and how great the manpower involved was, truly caught me by surprise, as it did many others, as well.

For instance, I was unaware that immediately following WWII the members of the Church in Holland had gathered together over 70 tons of new potatoes that were put into the warehouse to be exported to Germany. One must consider that at that moment of time there was not a whole lot of love lost between the Dutch and the Germans, but they willingly shared what they had, planting potato crops wherever they could find a free space to cultivate; some even turned the space used for flower gardens into potato patches. Were they their brothers’ keepers? You can bet on it!

When the Teton Dam waters overflowed in Idaho, more than 45,000 members of the Church also flowed in Idaho to assist in cleaning  and fixing up. The same thing happened here in New York City when Sandy hit us in 2012.

Italian members of the Church sewed rag dolls in cooperation with UNICEF in order to collect funds for vaccinations for children in Third World countries.

“Initiatives of LDS Charities in 2013 include clean water (560,000 people in 37 countries), neonatal resuscitation (28,000 people in 37 countries), vision care (89,000 people in 34 countries), wheelchair distribution (66,000 people in 55 countries), family gardens (35,000 people in 20 countries), immunizations (18 projects in 12 countries) and emergency response (103 projects in 54 countries).”²

The services rendered around the world are provided free of charge  to all people, regardless of nationality or religion.

I enjoyed participating in the meeting, and hearing about the way things are improving throughout the world, thanks to the services offered by the Church.

For those who are interested, there is a video at the link below that should play; it shows the entire meeting if you are able to get it going.

¹http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-representatives-united-nations-discussion

² ibid.

© April 23, 2013. Mary Purpari. All Rights Reserved.

“T” is for Temples

“For verily this generation shall not all pass away until [a temple] shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.¹”

Temples. I Love the temples of the Church. They are such beautiful places to go, to bask in the peace that is found inside, where nothing of the world outside can come in. At the moment, there are 144 temples in operation around the world, so that worthy members of the Church can go and worship the Lord and learn more about Him. There are several more that should be dedicated this year, including a temple in Rome.

Temples are sacred places for adoration, where only worthy members of the Church can enter. It is not like our regular meetinghouses where anyone, including nonmembers can enter. The Temple is reserved for sacred ordinances that can be done only in the temple.

When a member of the Church goes through the temple for the first time, they do the ordinances for themselves. These ordinances are varied, but the most beautiful are the marriages that are performed there. When a marriage is performed in the temple, we believe that that marriage is bound not only until death do us part, but also beyond the grave and for all eternity.²

In Malachi, we read “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.³” One of the main reasons that the LDS Church is so interested in genealogy is so that we might be a means for our ancestors to receive those blessings that come from being members of the Church. In my article on the Spirit World, I spoke of how the gospel is preached to those who didn’t have the chance to hear it when they were alive. In the temple, we act as proxies for our ancestors, giving them the chance to be baptized and sealed in the temple. Of course, they will have the choice of accepting these ordinances or not – they are not forced to accept. For those who might feel that this is a flight of fantasy of the LDS Church, I would invite you to read 1Corinthians 15:29.

Because of problems related to these ordinances being performed for the dead, the Church now allows this ordinance to be performed only if the member presenting the names is a direct descendant or has permission from the closest living relative, if the person being presented was born within the last one hundred ten years.

 

¹Doctrine and Covenants 84:5

²See Matthew 16:19 

The temples shown are:  (counter-clockwise) The San Diego, CA Temple, the London England Temple, The Los Angeles CA Temple, The Rome Italy Temple, The Bern, Switzerland Temple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Q” is for Questions

“Behold, I would exhort ye that when ye shall read these things…that ye shall receive these things and ponder it in your hearts. And when you shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.¹’'

 I was in something of a quandary last night, because I had absolutely no idea what my Q blog would be about. This morning, it came to mind that a question had been asked in a comment for another article, and so I have decided to answer it today: “Why did I choose this particular Church?”

The first thing I need to say is that I didn’t really choose this Church; it chose me. Most of my family had joined the Church when I was about 14 or 15, but I already belonged to another church and was very happy where I was, thank you. This situation continued for about six years, until a few months before my 21st birthday. I was in my third year of college and the Choir was on tour in Northern California. I had a number of very good friends who were LDS and when they asked me if I’d like to go to Oakland to see the temple there I thought sure, why not? A few other friends went along with us and we had a fun time.

After the tour, I asked the pastor of my Church what he thought about the Articles of Faith of the Mormon church (I had picked up a card that had them listed while visiting the temple). I found them thoroughly confusing, and I was hoping to find an excuse that would allow me to say “Thanks, but no thanks.” He did his best, but when we’d finished talking, I think he was as confused as I, if not more so. In fact, I decided that I would ask the missionaries what those things meant, because I found that many things coincided with what my church taught, while many other things seemed to be as believable as aliens from outer space.

The missionaries didn’t come to that first appointment, which ticked me off royally.

To be continued tomorrow. Look for “R” is for the Rest of the Story.

¹Moroni 10:3,4

The photograph is of the Oakland Temple

 

© April 20, 2015. Mary Purpari. All Rights Reserved.

“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.

“M” is for Mormons and Miracles

I remember when I was serving as a missionary for the Church that when we told people that we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they would look at us blankly and say “Who?” When we explained to them that we were also known as the “Mormons” they would look at us, their faces lighting up as they nodded sagely at us and asked why we hadn’t said so in the first place.

We didn’t say so in the first place because that’s really not who we are. “Mormons” was given to the members of the Church as a derogatory nickname, because of our belief in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon received its name from the prophet who compiled and abridged the sets of metal plates; his name was Mormon. My name is Mary, not Mormon, and I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I accept – hopefully with some semblance of grace – the nickname, as do most of the members, but we really prefer being called by our own names or by the appellation of LDS.

That being said, one of the things that distinguish us from many, if not most churches is that we believe in the continuing existence of miracles. We believe that they didn’t cease with the death of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, but that they continue to be performed even today. I sincerely believe in miracles, because I have seen them over and over again.

The first miracle took place about 39 years ago, when I had my first knee surgery. I suffered from bilateral chondromalacia patella, which is a softening and deterioration of the kneecap; it scrapes against the soft tissues in the knee and causes inflammation and great pain: in my case, it had also stretched the ligaments that held the kneecap in place; you can just imagine how much fun I was having. It should be remembered that this was before arthroscopic surgery came into existence, let alone replacements; so when the doctor told me that if I had both knees done at the same time – with open knee surgery – I would have less than 25% possibility of walking anymore. I had no choice at the time; I had a healing blessing¹ and a week after surgery, I was walking, albeit highly resembling Frankenstein with my full-length casts; six months later, I was running. The Doctor said I might go from 1-15 years before I would need more surgery—I went twenty. A miracle? I think so.

My daughter is a a second miracle. The doctor told us nine months before my daughter was born that we would never be able to have children, under any circumstances. We were given a blessing and the rest is history; that was almost 32 years ago. We had no more children, but we’re thankful for the one beautiful daughter we have. And yes, I believe in miracles.    

¹See James 5:14-15

© Mary Purpari, April 16, 2015. All Rights Reserved.

“L” is for Life

“My life is a gift; my life has a plan.My life has a purpose; in heav'n it began. My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth and seek for God's light to direct me from birth. I will follow God's plan for me, holding fast to his word and his love. I will work, and I will pray; I will always walk in his way. Then I will be happy on earth and in my home above.”¹

The LDS consider our life on this earth to be a wonderful gift, something to be cherished, despite the difficulties that find their way onto our path. We believe, and the scriptures support this belief, that we lived in Heaven with God as his spirit children, before being sent here into this life. We were given a physical body that would allow us to have experiences that were not possible with only a spirit body. We would feel physical pain, and so be able to appreciate the lack thereof.

We were sent here without the memory of what our life was like before, and we were given the chance to make choices in every situation, knowing we would be responsible for those choices and either reap the benefits of those choices, or pay the consequences when we made bad choices. This body, despite its weaknesses, is a great blessing, something we had to fight for to obtain. The scriptures tell us that a third of God’s spirit children did not obtain, and will never obtain, a physical body because they chose to not accept God’s plan. If we follow his commandments, we will be able to return and live with him again. I’m so very thankful for this.

Life is so sweet, despite the sadness we face, the pain that afflicts us, although we may not think so at the time. I know that I don’t always appreciate the pain and sadness; it’s a human failure, but these and other experiences make us strong, even though we may ask at times, “why me?” But you know what? Life is an experience that I’m glad to live, because I know that with God’s help, I can overcome any and all obstacles thrown in my path (even though sometimes I may not want to at the beginning )

An important part of life is death, because it is through death that we may return to live with our Heavenly Father.

 

¹I will follow God’s plan, Vanja Y. Watkins, © 1981

“K” is for King of Kings

“All kingdoms of the earth are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.¹”

When I began thinking about what I wanted to write for this particular article, the first thing that came to mind were the words of the scriptures used in the Hallelujah Chorus by George Friedrich Handel as written above. If you would like to hear this beautiful chorus sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, click here.

We believe that the Millennium, the thousand years that Christ will reign upon the earth, will be very similar to life as we know it, with one great exception: there will be complete peace and evil will be banished. But what does this mean in the sense of King of Kings?

There’s a story in the Book of Mormon that tells of a group of people called Lamanites. These people were divided into different groups with a king that ruled over each separate group of people. However, there was also a Head King that reigned over all the other minor Kings. The smaller groups had a certain degree of autonomy, but were still subject to the whims of the Head King. If he didn’t like the way one of the subordinate kings was acting, he had the power to remove the lesser king or interfere with the way he was running things. The minor kings didn’t have the collective right to remove the Head King. So it will be during the Millennial period, except that the King of Kings will rule in righteousness and will not rule with whims, but according to set rules that will not change, because they will be just. People will not have to change their religion, during this time, if they don’t feel the need, because no man or woman will be commanded to be what they don’t want to be.

 

 ¹Revelations 11:15; 19:16

See Articles of Faith 10 for further information

Painting: the Second Coming by Harry Anderson

“J” is for Joseph Smith

The first thing I’ll say here is that the members of the Church do NOT adore Joseph Smith; we revere him as the first prophet of this dispensation, the man to whom the task of reestablishing the Church of Jesus Christ, in its entirety, just as it was in the days when Jesus walked upon the earth.

In 1820, Joseph Smith was a young boy, a little past his fourteenth birthday, when he went into the woods near his home in Manchester, New York , to pray; the area was rife with religionists and evangelists of many denominations, each proclaiming that only they knew which was the true way to Heaven, and Joseph was very curious to know for himself which of these groups he should join. It was after reading James 1:5 which states: “If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” that Joseph made his decision to pray and ask which of the many churches was true. In answer to his prayer, Joseph was told in a vision that he should join none of the churches, but that he was to restore the original church.

Three years later, at the age of seventeen, he was visited by an Angel who told him that he would be given some metal plates that contained a history of the people who had lived in the new world and a record of their relationship with God. Each year, on the same day – September 21 – Joseph went to a certain hill; on the fourth year, he was told to dig up the plates and to translate them. He was also told to be careful and to protect them as many men would try to steal them because of their intrinsic value. He began the translation at the age of twenty-one, in the year1827. These plates were published under the title of The Book Of Mormon in 1830.

Joseph Smith was assassinated in 1844, at the age of thirty-eight, after having been unjustly arrested for trumped up charges. A mob of one hundred fifty to two hundred men shot both Joseph and his brother Hyrum to death and wounded one other person, each receiving four musket-balls.

 

“I” is for I am a Child of God

“I have said, ye are all gods; and all of you are children of the most high.”¹

One of the most misunderstood doctrines of the LDS Church is that we state that we ARE indeed children of God, with all of his blessings awaiting us as such. We lived with Him before coming to live on this earth which was created for us²; he knew each of us personally,³ and sent us here so that we could learn to be like him.⁴

We read in Genesis that we were created in his own likeness and image.⁵ He loved each of us so much that he was willing to let us come to earth, to learn and have experiences that would help us become more like Him. He knew that it would be difficult and that there would be pitfalls and detours that would tempt us, and he knew that we would lose our way at times; because of this, because of his love, he provided us with instructions that would help us get back on the road that leads back to his presence: the scriptures.

One of my favorite hymns states ^♫I am a child of God, and he has sent me here, has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear. Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.Teach me all that I must do, to live with him some day.^♪♪6

 

¹Psalms 82:6

²Job 38:7

³Jeremiah 1:5

⁴Psalms 8:4-9

⁵Genesis 1:26-27

⁶LDS Hymns 301; Naomi W. Randall

“H” is for Health—The Word of Wisdom

“Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—”¹

When I first started working for the L.A. Times, just shortly after I joined the LDS Church back in 1973, I was disconcerted to discover that I was followed by several of my co-workers whenever I went on break. This continue for several days until, exasperated, I turned around and asked, “Is there something I can do for you?” Taken by surprise, they stood mute for about two seconds, after which their response took ME by surprise, “We know you’re a Mormon, so why are you drinking Coke?” I put their dear little hearts at ease, by telling them (truthfully) that I was in fact drinking root beer, not Coke. I would like to point out that drinking Coke or other similar beverages is not prohibited, but only suggested that we not drink them.

Other foods and drinks that are warned against include alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, tobacco and stimulants. It is also advised to eat meat sparingly, in times of winter or famine. There are many foods which we are encouraged to eat including herbs, grains, cereals, fruit, etc.

A number of people have tried to get me, and others, to drink wine, saying that it is nothing more than fermented grape juice and that grape juice is good for you; they also like to point out that it was used all over in the Bible. I like to show them these verses found in the Bible:

“Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine or strong drink, and not any unclean thing.”²

 “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”³

As a result of keeping these commandments, we are are promised that we will be free from bonds, and that we will “find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures”⁴

 

¹Doctrine and Covenants 89:4

²Judges 13:4

³Proverbs 20:1

⁴Doctrine and Covenants 89:19

“G” is for Genealogy

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he will turn the heart of the fathers toward the children, and the heart of the children toward their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”¹

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has perhaps the largest collect of genealogical archives in the world, and it is in constant expansion. There are Family History Centers all over the world where all people (not just the LDS) are invited to visit and begin their research for their ancestors. And if you don’t live near a Family History Center – where personal assistance in learning all you need to know to find your ancestors is guaranteed – you can take advantage of the services offered online, all free of charge (both in situ or online).

While I was in Italy, doing my husband’s genealogy was tedious, and at times dirty and a bit iffy, but the heavy, delicate volumes were at my gloved fingertips – up to a point: while the tomes went back as far as the early 1500s, some of his ancestors only came to the city we lived in, in 1710. Now, a great deal of this information is available at http://familysearch.com. I am now working on my own family’s genealogy and am finding names that heretofore were unavailable.

Indexing is a project that the Church began in 2006 to further assist in searching for our ancestors. It consists of looking at original documents and entering the information found into the Church archives. This is done on a voluntary basis, and anyone who wishes to participate in this project may, whether they are members of the Church or not; just click on the hyperlink in the preceding paragraph and then click on indexing if you are interested.

The Church’s interest in genealogical research is based on the scripture introducing this article. If you are interested in knowing more about WHY it is so important to us, you will need to wait for the letter “T” in this series.

 

¹Malachi 4:5-6 (Old Testament)

© Mary Purpari 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.