Gospel Questions: The Word of Wisdom

One question that invariably comes up when one is learning about the Church is that of the Word of Wisdom. In 1833, Joseph Smith received a revelation that coffee, tea, alcohol and other strong drinks are not good for man’s use, and that tobacco was also not healthy. The revelation also contained such advice as to eat meat sparingly except for during the winter or when there was little else to be had, relying instead on grains, fruits, and vegetables. The revelation was at first given as a suggestion, but during Brigham Young’s presidency, it was made a commandment. What … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What about Infant Baptism?

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe strongly in the ordinance of baptism. We believe that it is a necessary step toward returning to our Heavenly Father. We are taught that no unclean thing can enter Heaven, and it is through baptism and repentance that we become clean, and therefore, we must be baptized. There is no way around it. However, we do differ from some other churches in that we do not baptize our infants. We wait until the child is eight years old. We do this because we believe that baptism is more than … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Pure Religion

The lesson this week was taken from the book of James in the Bible and is focused on the topic of pure religion as defined in James 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. When we read the part about visiting the fatherless and the widows, this of course brings to mind the qualities of charity and compassion. This is pure religion indeed, to be the hands of the Lord on earth, to serve them as He would … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: Why Don’t Mormons Use Crosses?

When you enter an LDS church, you won’t see any crosses. They do not adorn our temples, we do not wear them around our necks or decorate our homes with them. Why not? Isn’t the cross the universal symbol of a Christian faith? Doesn’t this mean that Mormons aren’t Christians? Mormons are most definitely Christians, but we have a specific reason for not using the cross. We are so deeply, eternally grateful to Jesus Christ for His atoning sacrifice and subsequent crucifixion. We profoundly feel the impact of His saving grace in our lives and we contemplate the pain He … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What is the Purpose of Life?

The question is often raised, “What is the purpose of life? Why are we here?” As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we don’t believe that we are here randomly, through some sort of scientific anomaly. We believe that we were created by a loving Heavenly Father who sent us to earth to try and test us to see if we will prove worthy to attain the glory He has. In the Book of Abraham, in the Pearl of Great Price (which came from papyrus found in the 1800s) we read of the pre-existence, where we … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What is the Woman’s Place in the LDS Church?

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the righteous men are given the gift of the Priesthood. This means that they are able to give blessings to heal the sick, to bless the sacrament, and in other ways to use a small portion of God’s power for the benefit of their families and those around them. Because this gift is given to the men and not the women, some have questioned the woman’s place within the LDS church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reveres women. Each of the prophets has paid homage to women, to … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What Are Temples?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has built over a hundred beautiful temples all around the world. With spires reaching toward the heavens, these buildings look like mighty cathedrals. What is the purpose of the temple? The temple is a holy place where the Spirit of God feels free to dwell. Only the finest materials are used in the construction. The building is dedicated to the worship of God, and while there, patrons make promises to Heavenly Father and renew the promises they’ve already made. A feeling of peace pervades the atmosphere as the patrons put aside their … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What If I Want to Leave the Church?

Of course it saddens us greatly when a member of the Church decides they don’t want to be a member any more. We believe that the source of true happiness is from having a close relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that our religion most closely mirrors the Church as originally set up by Jesus Christ Himself while He was on the earth. When someone decides to separate themselves from the Church, we sorrow at all they might be missing. However, we do not force them to remain a member. I have heard stories … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: Are Mormons Polygamists?

I’ve tackled two of the big questions asked of Mormons already, and now it’s time to address another biggie – are Mormons polygamists? In a nutshell – we used to be but now we’re not. For the longer, more precise answer: Back when polygamy was practiced, it was at a time when many of the men of the Church had been killed by mobs and there were many women who needed protection. The Church would be moving to the Utah territory and all those women would be traveling without the support, physical and monetary, of a husband. Many of them … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: How Do Mormons Perceive the Godhead?

When people start asking questions about the LDS Church, they are often surprised to discover we believe that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate individual beings. This puts us in the category of a nontrinitarian religion, meaning that we do not believe that the three are one in body. When Joseph Smith had his first vision of the Father and the Son, he too was amazed to discover that they were separate. He had attended many churches in his search for religion and each of those churches taught that the Godhead was contained in one entity. … Continue reading →