Everyone has their own story, why they believe what they do. Maybe it was a life-altering event that made them stop and think. Perhaps they had always been searching and finally found what they are looking for. I thought it was time to tell my story. It’s not dramatic, may not give you goose-bumps or cause you to jump up and give me a huge “amen,” but I hope it will let you know exactly where I stand, and if it makes sense to you, then I hope you will check it out further and find out for yourself.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as “Mormons.” I was born in the Church, grew up in the Church, and deep down I have always known that it is true. Let me explain my last statement. Everyone goes through times in their lives when they wonder what is and is not true. Everyone wavers a bit. Opinions change, life always throws curve-balls and just dissidence in general causes one to wonder, “Is this really true?” Well, I can tell you that through all the ups and downs of my life, deep down I have always known that the Church is true. Now I will explain why.
It just makes sense.
It fits together. It really does. Of course there are always things I may never understand about the church, but I’m content with that. It’s all part of life learning in general. What I’m about to explain may not make sense to you, but I will tell you what makes sense to me.
The Earth:
Have you looked outside lately? Let me tell you about where I live. I can drive 30 minutes and look down from mountain tops, and then drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction and be in an amazing desert. Five more hours takes me to a beautiful red rock canyon. In looking at the wonders of this world, can one really say that it’s all fallen together by chance? My answer is a resounding NO. There are some evidences of evolution in this world, such as bacterial evolution to resist a certain kind of antibiotic, and other evidences on a larger scale, but I believe that things were put here on purpose. The Earth was not founded on chance. It just doesn’t make sense.
I believe that a loving Father in Heaven created this world for us. He wanted to give us somewhere beautiful to learn and grow in our earthly existence.
Us:
Why do we get up in the morning? Why do we age? Why do we learn? Is there a purpose behind this? The more I live, the more I know the answer. We were put here in this place and time to learn certain things. Have you ever been in a situation where you were able to help someone and felt that it wasn’t a coincidence you were in the right place at the right time? Life is not a coincidence. So…if our being here is not a coincidence, then there must be a reason for us to be here. Another thought: after all we learn here, would it make any sense for life to be completely over when we die? Absolutely not. Also, if there is life after death, wouldn’t it make sense for there to be a life before our earthly life as well where what is to come would be explained to us? I believe this to be true.
I believe that we lived before we came to this Earth and that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and wants us to learn and to become the best people we can be. We have a purpose. He loves us. When we die, we will have the opportunity of living with him.
You may wonder why I have started out with what I believe about the Earth and us. Well, these things are absolutely tangible to us at this time. They are concrete to us. We can see them, touch them. Sometimes, to those who struggle with belief, it’s easier to start with what they can see.
God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost:
I have already addressed the topic of evolution, so in light of that, I have already stated that there MUST BE A GOD. Since there is a God, what is he like? Many believe that he is a cold hearted, domineering being who exercises His will upon his children. We see so much pain in this world, how could one endure the sight of it? My thought is different.
I believe that our Heavenly Father is an all-knowing, merciful God who loves his children in such a way we are unable to comprehend. He allows us to use our agency, to make choices that will bring us joy or sorrow. He has a plan for this earth and for his children. Prayer links us to our Father in Heaven. He listens to us and blesses us according to what he sees is best for us.
Jesus Christ:
We all sin. We all do things we regret. As a prerequisite to living with Him again, God requires that we are clean and pure. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some things in my life that were less than choice; and if there were no Christ, then we would be doomed to live in darkness with Satan forever. That’s where the Atonement comes in.
I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth to be an example to us. He taught us the way to return to live with our Heavenly Father. He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then he died voluntarily to take away the bonds of death so we can live again. This one paragraph I have written doesn’t even suffice to describe in the tiniest way the Atonement affects our lives. I invite you to read the accounts in the Holy Bible to understand more fully the last days of our Savior upon this earth.
Christ is a very personal Savior. Since He has suffered all things, he knows our pains. He is the ONLY ONE, save Heavenly Father, who knows EXACTLY what we go through. He has felt our heart-aches, our grief, cancer, AIDS, starvation…He knows. Because of this, why would we not turn to someone like this? I know what some of you are thinking…He lived so long ago…I don’t even know if He existed. It’s just been passed down through written accounts. This takes me to my next topic.
The Holy Ghost:
This last member of the Godhead is also referred to as the Spirit, or Comforter. I’ve heard many people explain manifestations of the Holy Ghost in different ways: warmth, peace, burning, clarity, love. The Holy Ghost quickens our minds and helps us understand concepts. It is a catalyst. It helps our Heavenly Father communicate with us. I have felt it when I’ve been discouraged. The Holy Ghost brings me peace. He confirms when something I’ve been studying in the Gospel is true. To me, it brings clarity. Kind of like one of those “aha” moments, and then I feel in my heart that it is true. It’s hard to describe, really; but I know when it hits that those feelings are coming from an outside source.
Let’s talk about you for a minute….as you’ve been reading my posts about what I believe, you may have felt something. Maybe something is clicking in your mind. Maybe all of this is making sense to you. Maybe you’ve even felt warmth or calm. That is the Holy Ghost speaking to you, confirming to you that what I am saying is true.
I believe that the Holy Ghost comforts, inspires and confirms truth. He has the power to carry knowledge into our hearts. He is part of how our Heavenly Father communicates with us.
My previous topics are beliefs that are shared by many Christians. I enjoy talking with Christians of all denominations and rejoicing on the commonalities that we share. I embrace our diversity.
The following topics are those that are unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The Book of Mormon:
We believe the Book of Mormon to be the cornerstone of our religion. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the Church is true. If it is not true, then the Church is not true. It’s as simple as that and makes perfect sense to me.
The Book of Mormon is a record that started in 600 BC by Lehi. He lived in Jerusalem and sailed to the Americas. This record, which was kept on engraved plates, was passed down through generations until about 421 AD. It also includes the record of an ancient people who lived at about 2600 BC in the Americas. In approximately 400 AD, a Prophet named Mormon had possession of all these records that were passed down and he abridged the book, combining all of the most important and most sacred teachings. Now you know why we are called Mormons—because we believe the Book of Mormon to be true.
I believe The Book of Mormon to be true. I absolutely believe that the record was passed down from generation to generation and was then translated by Joseph Smith (my next topic). I will explain later why this makes sense to me.
Joseph Smith:
This is a tricky one for some to believe. I don’t know how many times I have heard accounts saying, “I think I might believe in the Mormon Church…if it weren’t for the story of Joseph Smith. That I just can’t believe.” To me, this is one parts of our religion I most easily believe. Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon Vermont. His family was poor, and Joseph had little opportunity for education. In fact, he only had the education of a third grader. In those times, a great religious revival was upon that area and surrounding areas. He and his family were torn between religious sects and Joseph wondered which church he should join. He did what many of us would do if we had questions about spirituality or where our lives should be directed. At the age of 14, he prayed. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. They told him that none of the churches upon the earth at that time were true. Of course many of the churches had some correct teachings, but they did not have the fullness of the Gospel. After this vision, he was mocked by neighbors and shunned. Many people would crack under this kind of pressure, but he did not. He states, “Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.”
After this vision, he was tutored by Angels and our Heavenly Father, and was given plates, or sheets of metal which were engraved upon. With the help of our Heavenly Father, he was able to translate the record. This is the Book of Mormon.
Many may believe that Joseph Smith was crazy. After studying details of his life, I know that he was telling the truth. There are details in the Book of Mormon that simply could not have come together at the hands of a man with a third-grade education. For example:
° The Book of Mormon contains Hebrew literary forms, such as Chiasmus.
° The geography in the Book of Mormon is consistent with possible geographical sites in Central America.
° Characters on the plates were authenticated by scholars of Joseph Smith’s time, and the translation verified. Professor Charles Anthon certified that the translation was correct and consisted of Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyraic and Arabic. When he learned how the plates were obtained, he revoked his certification. The translation was also verified by a Dr Mitchell.
° The events in the Book of Mormon could not have been fabricated by one with a third-grade education
I believe that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God. He translated the plates into the Book of Mormon and restored The Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth.
I could really go on and on. There are many who try to prove religious truth through logic, and I have presented what makes sense to me. This is only a part of it though. As individuals, part of our education on this earth is to put together puzzle pieces of knowledge, line upon line, and then to decide what we truly believe about these pieces of information. I know I mentioned this before, but that is where the Holy Ghost comes in. As I put together these puzzle pieces, occasionally, I will feel a spark of clarity in my mind, letting me know that something is true. At other times, I will feel peace and warmth. This is where common sense is verified and a foundation is laid for obtaining more truth.
I’m not going to go as into depth as I would like to, but I want to voice my opinion and share what and why I believe. I know that the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints contains the fullness of the Gospel today. I also know that if we are faithful and do the very best we can that our Heavenly Father will help us to become like Him. We will grow, and learn and by helping each other, become the best we can be. I know that because of the Atonement of our Savior, we can live together as families forever. Many of you reading this probably already know what I believe, but I feel that reading the testimonies of others always strengthens my own. Many of you may not be familiar with the topics I’ve covered, and if not I encourage you to think about them, or at least know how I feel concerning them. If anything I have mentioned makes sense to you, or if you would like more information, please visit www.mormon.org.
