The Sin of Adam

Last week in my Ask a Mormon series I began talking about the core beliefs of my Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I shared with you the First Article of Faith and what it means to me.  If you didn't read that post, you can read it here.

This week I want to continue in that vein and discuss with you the Second Article of Faith.

"We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Second Article of Faith
 

This Article of Faith is one that may be a bit different from the beliefs of many Christian denominations.  We believe that children are born innocent and perfect.  That is, we do not believe in Original Sin--the belief that because Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit each of us is born imperfect. 

This  belief leads to a few practices that are very different from many Christian denominations.  One such difference is that we do not practice infant baptism.  A prophet in ancient America recorded it this way in the Book of Mormon,

"For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law.  For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such, baptism availeth nothing."  Moroni 8:22
 

Our belief is that children are perfect, and therefore do not need to repent or be baptized.  To me, it is inconceivable that a 6 month old baby could be thought to know right from wrong.  And if he doesn't know right from wrong, how could he repent?  And if he can't repent, why does he need to be baptized for the remission of sins?

Because of this belief children in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are baptized when they reach the age of accountability--in other words--when they are old enough to be expected to know right from wrong.  The Church has stated that that age is 8 years old. 

We believe that because of the fall of Adam and Eve sin and death entered the world, but that it was a necessary part of God's plan, because we came to this earth to learn, grow and make the decisions that will lead us back to God.  There must be opposition in all things, good and evil. 

However, we do not believe that we are automatically sinful at birth because Adam made a choice.  We are sinful when we reach the age that we know right from wrong and we choose wrong (and we all choose wrong!).  Therefore, we believe we will be punished for our own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

This, I believe, is one of the greatest reasons that our Heavenly Father placed us in families.  It is our responsibility as parents to take the time when our children are young to teach them right from wrong.  To direct and guide them while they are innocent so when they are old enough to choose right from wrong, that they will choose correctly. 

Question: How important is it to teach and guide children when they are young to make correct decisions?




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Also, please visit the Ask a Mormon page of this blog and submit any questions you have about Mormons, our beliefs, culture.  I'd be happy to try to answer them!

Twitter: @Skropp2

We Believe in God...

As part of my Ask a Mormon series, I wanted to share with you the core beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

In 1842, Joseph Smith was asked to explain the beliefs of the Church by the editor of the Chicago Democrat newspaper, John Wentworth.  From this request we were given what is now referred to as the Articles of Faith.  A succinct overview of the core beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

There are thirteen Articles of Faith.  As we go through them here, you will, no doubt, find that my beliefs and yours (if you are not LDS) are different in many ways.  But I am confident that you will find that in several ways they are not as varied as you may have thought. 

This week lets look at the first Article of Faith. 

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

Pretty straight forward, eh?  I could probably end it right there, and it would be understood fairly well.  But lets look at it a bit.

For those who have heard that we do not believe in Jesus Christ, there it is.  Joseph Smith, when asked what we believed, the first thing he did was express our belief in God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.   

We refer to these three as the Godhead. 

We believe that God is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe and the Father of our spirits.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and the Savior of the world.  We believe that He was perfect and sinless and that through His atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection all of us are able to return to live with our Father in Heaven and our families eternally. 

We believe that the Holy Ghost testifies of all truth.  We believe that it is his influence that leads people to choose the right and follow the example of the Savior.  We believe that it is through the influence of the Holy Ghost that we are able to receive guidance and inspiration from a loving Heavenly Father.

We believe that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three seperate and distinct beings.  We do not subscribe to the view that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one being.  We believe that the Father and Son have seperate, tangible, perfected, bodies.  We believe that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, but is in the form of a man.  (D&C 130:22).

We do believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one, but we believe that they are one in unity and purpose.

I could cite dozens of scriptural examples that lead me to this belief, but allow me to share just a couple. 

Before His crucifixion, Christ prayed to the Father.  In this intercessory prayer recorded in John 17, He talks about being one with the Father.  He says,

"...Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. "  John 17:11
 

So, unless Christ was praying that the twelve apostles all become one blob, instead of twelve seperate individuals, we believe that Christ was talking about being one in unity and purpose. 

By this we mean that the purposes of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are the same.  They all desire the same thing, that we all gain immortality and eternal life (see Moses 1:39). 

James E. Talmage, a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the 1900's stated in his book, Articles of Faith,

"This unity is a type of completeness; the mind of any one one member of the Trinity is the mind of the others; seeing as each of them does with the eye of perfection, they see and understand alike.  Under any given conditions each would act in the same way, guided by the same principles of unerring justice and equity."  Chapter 2, "God and the Holy Trinity"
 

In conclusion, we believe in God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost.  We believe they are one in purpose, we believe they are perfect.  We believe the Father and the Son have seperate, distinct, perfected bodies.  We worship the Father as our Eternal Father and the Ruler of the Universe.  We worship the Son as our Savior, Redeemer and the only way whereby a man may be saved (Acts 4:12). 

I hope that sharing these core beliefs of my faith will strengthen your faith, as well as increasing that understanding that you and I have about our respective faiths.  In doing so we may become better friends, neighbors, and citizens! 


As always, if you have a question about Mormons--our beliefs, culture, etc, feel free to leave it in the comments section of the Ask a Mormon page on this blog!

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 Twitter: @Skropp2

Can You Explain the Undergarments?

This week's question comes from a friend of mine from high school, Billy.  Billy is currently serving in the military, so I'd like to begin by telling him, Thank you for your service my friend!

Here's Billy's question from Facebook:

"Please explain the undergarments.  And will they be making some with a Presidental Seal?"
 

The second part of the question I'm sure was said somewhat facetiously, and I will just quickly answer that part.  No they will not be making any of the garments with the Presidential Seal.

Quick Overview

For those of you who are not familiar with what Billy is talking about I will give you a quick overview.  Those members of the Church who are active and worthy to attend the Temple wear what we in the church refer to as Garments.  These are worn underneath our clothing.  You probably have friends who are members of the Church that wear these garments every single day and you never even notice it. 

An Analogy

 Allow me to give you an analogy to explain what the garments mean to those of us who wear them. 

Take a look at this picture of a minister.

Photo courtesy of hubertk, Some Rights Reserved

 

 

Now, I do not know to which denomination this minister belongs.  But what I do know, is that if you were able to ask him, I'm fairly confident he would tell you that the robe and other vestments he is wearing have important meaning to him.

 

I don't think he is wearing them simply for their fashion statement.  He would probably tell you that this clothing

 

 

1. Sets him apart from the rest of his congregation.
2. It is a uniform, of sorts, of his profession.
3. Reminds him of who he is and what his covenants and obligations are.
4. They are a constand reminder to him that he is a servant of the Lord.
5. They are a reminder that he is responsible to live in a way that is worthy of his ordination as a minister.

This is a great analogy to how we, as members of the Church, view the garment. 

 

What the garment means to us

Like the ministers of many demoninations across the country and the world, the garment is a reminder to us of the obligations and covenants that we have made in the Temple to live our religion.  These are sacred covenants to us, and the garments are a daily reminder of those covenants and how we have committed to live our lives. 

 

This good minister probably wears this robe during church services, but, if he is like the ministers I have known, he probably wears a white collar throughout the week. This is to remind him of his obligations as well as to distinguish him as a minister. 

 

Because our church has a lay ministry, almost every member serves within the Church in teaching and leadership roles.  We are not compensated for this work. Because of this, we all have full time employment in addition to our church duties.  The man who presides over our congregation may be a teacher, a carpenter, a farmer, or even a politician.  Because of that we, as members, wear the garment under our clothing, rather than outside our clothing. 

 

There are also some deeper spiritual meanings that are connected to wearing the garment, but because of their sacred nature, they are not discussed openly and I consequently, will not address them here. 

 

A Final Thought

As a final thought, the garments that I, and other active Mormons, wear are basically and outward expression of an inward commitment I have made to live certain covenants and follow the example of the Savior.  To me they are sacred and because of their sacred nature, I don't parade them before the world, but wear them beneath my clothing. 

 

I hope this answered your question, Billy, and I'm grateful to you and all of my other friends for the respect they show towards me and this personal expression of my commitment to my Savior and religion.

 

 

 

Question: What reminders do you have in your life of the commitments you've made to live your religion?

 

 

 

Thank you for reading, please share these posts with those in your social circles!  Also please visit the Ask a Mormon page of this blog to submit questions to be answered in this blog series. 

 

 

Twitter: @Skropp2

 

Do You Worship Joseph Smith?

Do You Worship Joseph Smith?

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked that question.

Short Answer: No, we do not.

Because of my sarcastic nature, my usual response is something along the lines of:

I don't know, do you worship Moses, Abraham or Isaiah?



Photo copyright Intellectual Reserve, Inc. 

I respond that way because to us, as Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith was the same as Moses, Abraham, Isaiah and every other Biblical prophet. He was a man, chosen by God to lead His Church. He received inspiration and revelation. But he was a man. He made mistakes, he was mortal, and he is certainly NOT someone to worship.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explained it well when he said:  

"We do not worship Joseph Smith. We do not baptize in his name. We do not pray to Joseph Smith. We do not administer the Sacrament in his name. To even SAY that carries the deep offense of such a suggestion. Our faith is in Christ. And salvation is in Him only. There IS no other name given under Heaven whereby a man can be saved." (New Mission Presidents Seminar, 2004.  Provo Missionary Training Center)

We revere Joseph Smith as a prophet, but only a prophet.

The Real Question

It seems to mean that when people ask me if I worship Joseph Smith, the real question they are asking me is: Do you worship Jesus Christ?

For Mormons, as with all Christians, there is only one one man that came to earth, lived a perfect life and atoned for the sins of all mankind, and that is Jesus Christ.

Here is what Peter said about how we are saved:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  (Acts 4:12)
 

King Benjamin, a ruler and prophet in ancient America said this of Christ over 100 years before His birth:

"And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17)
 

The Prophet Joseph Smith himself said:

"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it." (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chpt. 3)
 

Thomas S. Monson, Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today has said:

 "With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. “Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’” May the whole world know it and live by that knowledge" (General Conference, April 2007)
 

I hope this post, as well as the quotes from the scriptures and modern day prophets will serve to explain that not only do we not worship Joseph Smith, but we very clearly worship Jesus Christ.  I know that my salvation is in and through Jesus Christ as no one else!  I am eternally grateful for His atoning sacrifice that allows me the opportunity to be forgiven of my sins and return to live with my Father in Heaven after this life with my family!





Question: Which church leaders, ministers, saints, prophets, etc do you revere for their dedication to the cause of the Gospel?



Thanks for taking the time to understand my faith and how it influences me daily. Please share these posts with others.

Also, please visit the Ask a Mormon page on this blog and submit any questions you have about Mormons. I'd love to answer them!

Twitter: @Skropp2

Mormon Misconceptions

Well, its that time of the week again.  Thanks for reading another Ask a Mormon weekend post! As always, I invite you to visit the Ask a Mormon page and submit a question you have about Mormon doctrine, practices, and/or culture in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer it in an upcoming post!

Chris submitted this question that we'll answer this week:

How do you feel about shows like "Big Love" and how they make Mormons look? Also, what is your feelings about the recent I'm a Mormon commercials?

 Great Question Chris.  There are several shows that are less than flattering towards the LDS Church. How do I feel about them?  Quite frankly, I don't think about them much.  As a Mormon, it kind of comes with the territory that you will come across alot of misconceptions and that there are people who will look to capitalize on those misconceptions for financial gain and ratings.  Shows like Big Love allow the misconception to be perpetuated that Mormons practice polygamy, which is not true. It was practiced in the early days of the Church, but has not been practiced since 1890 and since that time any person that practiced polygamy has not been associated with the Church. 

What is sad to me is that shows like Big Love, Sister Wives, as well as movies, television reports, news stories etc often will not clarify that polygamy is against the teachings of the LDS Church and those individuals practicing polygamy (ie Warren Jeffs, etc) are NOT members of the Church but are offshoots of the Church and not associated in anyway. 

The bottom line is that, you and I, as people of faith, will always come across those that paint us in a less that favorable light. 

The question is, when we are faced with such attacks, lies, deceptions, etc, what will we do? 

Will we do as the Savior would do, and turn the other cheek? 

Remember, it was Christ that said,

"...Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..." (Matt. 5:44-45)

I'm a Mormon

Now, how do I feel about the recent I'm a Mormon commercials?

Short answer: I love them. 

The I'm a Mormon commercials are part of a marketing campaign by the Church.  The idea was to cut through a lot of the misconceptions that people have about Mormons because of how we are portrayed on TV, movies, etc. 

So as part of that, the Church has asked each member to visit the Church's site, www.mormon.org and create a profile.  This profile gives some background of a member of the Church, their interests, hobbies, etc.  It also gives you a list of frequently asked questions that they have answered. So when you click on a question, instead of just getting the Church's official response, you also get the real life answers of Mormons who are just like you.  You can check out my mormon.org profile here.

In conjunction with these profiles, the Church did video profiles of hundreds of members.  These videos make up the commercials that you see on television.  You can watch several of these in the "Our People" Section of mormon.org. Some of these people are regular people, some are professional athletes, entertainers etc.  Check out this video of Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the band The Killers.

 
I think its a totally innovative way to showcase what the Church and its beliefs mean to the members and how it affects their lives.  There are some AMAZING stories of faith in these videos.  I watch them just to strengthen my own faith!  I'd recommend them to you as well. 

Another great one is Stephanie Nielson's story.  If this one doesn't tug at your heart, I dont know what will!

The Point

The point is, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we may have some different beliefs than you do.  We may seem kinda weird, or peculiar.  But we are just like you. 

We are parents, spouses, siblings, neighbors, Christians.

And we seek the same joys you seek and we experience the same struggles and challenges that you do. 

We are all children of a Heavenly Father!

We all want to return and live with Him once more.  



Question: How do you deal with misconceptions people have about YOUR beliefs?


I am grateful to you for reading this post.  I hope you have found it beneficial.  Please share it with those you know! 


I'd love to hear what you think of these posts.  Please comment below, get ahold of me on twitter, @Skropp2 and as always, please leave a question on the Ask a Mormon page of the blog for me to answer!

The material in this blog post are my own opinions and not the official stance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Do You Have 20 Minutes?

Do You Have 20 Minutes?

As many of you probably have heard, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and world renowned leadership expert passed away July 16, age 79.

Photo courtesy of www.StephenCovey.com

Dr. Covey has meant a lot to me. As a young missionary, my mission president fed us a steady diet of Dr. Covey's teachings. When I returned home one of the first things I did was purchase "The Seven Habits" and read it. It has profoundly changed my life. Not only have I grown as a person, husband, father, friend by applying its principles, but it started me on a journey of self improvement that continues today. My insatiable appetite for growing and improving as a person is a result of Dr. Covey.

As I read Dr. Covey's obituary I was in awe of the man portrayed. Certainly he was a household name, and had trained hundreds of thousands of people, some very well known, but he was a man that was content to be a father, husband, friend and Christian. These areas are where, I believe, he gauged his success or failure as a person.

I want to share a quote from Dr. Covey that his children say he would often repeat to them:

"If you will spend twenty minutes each day with the Savior of the world in private worship, you will spend eternity in his presence." Stephen R. Covey

The obituary said his daily routine was to get up early, find a quiet spot and spend time in reflection, prayer and scripture study.

Think about that quote.

Think about the type and character of the man who said it.

Then answer this:

Question: Do You Have 20 minutes a day? How do/will you spend those 20 minutes?

I know that Christ lives and is the Savior of the World! I know that it is only through His sacrifice that we have hope of redemption.

If you enjoy these posts, please pass them along to those you associate with!

Twitter: @Skropp2