“S” is for the Spirit World

“…the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they should rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow. The spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord;…shall be cast out into outer darkness.¹”

Most Christian churches agree that when a person dies there is a separation of the physical body and the immortal soul. Most also agree that the physical body remains in the tomb while our spirit returns to our Heavenly Father or goes down to Hell to stay with the devil. Many think that that is the way things remain, ignoring the importance of the Resurrection; but the LDS believe that the resurrection is the reunion of the soul and the physical body to be led before the judgment bar.

So then, what happens to our spirit in the time between the physical death and the resurrection? According to Alma, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, the righteous spirits are taken into a state of happiness, or paradise, whereas the spirits of those who have lived evil lives will be sent into outer darkness, or to a spirit prison, where they will be preached the gospel.²

And so, the spirit world is not our final destination, but it will be decided at the Judgment Day, which immediately follows the resurrection. People who have visited the spirit world have said that life there is very similar to how it is here, without pain and suffering, for those living in Paradise, but there is no idleness: all are employed in some continuing task, or continuing to learn. It is not a place or condition to be feared, but one where peace and joy abide.

¹Alma 40:11,12,13

²1 Peter 3:19; 4:6

 

© April 22, 2015. Mary E. Purpari. All Rights Reserved.

“P” is for Polygamy

When I was serving my mission in Italy, one of the first questions men would ask us was “If I join your Church, can I have more than one wife?” After staring for several seconds at the inquirer, we would shake our heads and tell him that there has been no polygamy in in the Church since the late 1880s, when it was declared illegal by the United States Congress.

Polygamy had never been a widespread practice among the members of the Church from the time it had been instituted in 1843; there were only about 3% of the male members who practiced polygamy and those who did had to be formally approved. Among the main requirements were that the men were financially able to support an extended family and that they were also spiritually worthy. The main reason for the institution of polygamy was that so many of the LDS men were being killed by angry mobs that many women, including the widows of the men that had  been killed, were in need of support, both financially and spiritually. It should be remembered that in those days, it was virtually impossible for women, especially women with children, to find a job, especially when members of the Church were being chased from their homes time after time. Despite what is commonly believed, most women were fine with plural marriage, or polygamy; if they were unhappy in their situation, they had the right to bow out with a divorce.

When the early pioneers finally reached Utah, they thought that they had finally found a place where they could live according to the dictates of the Church and their own conscience. It should be noted that there was no legal provision regarding polygamy in the US Constitution, but each State was allowed to define their rules on the subject, just as with marriage laws in general today. However, Congress declared at that time that polygamy was unconstitutional and that if Utah wanted to enter into the Union, they would have to cease to practice polygamy. In the end, this resulted in many families being torn apart, with many wives and children being left without husbands and fathers, inasmuch as the order was, unfortunately, retroactive. The practice of Polygamy officially ended in the Church on September 24, 1890 through a Manifesto signed by President Wilford Woodruff.

Today, the practice of polygamy is not accepted or promoted in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are a few fundamentalist groups which practice polygamy; they are not a part of the the Church, and when a member of the Church does contract a polygamous marriage, he is ex-communicated.

This is an Interestingly Fun Fact: despite the title of the supposed biography by Irving Wallace, The Twenty-seventh Wife, Brigham Young did not truthfully have that many wives. The below photo, entitled “The Empty Pillow” was published at Brigham Young’s death.

“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

“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

“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.