Mormons Archive

Joining Christ’s Church: “After Much Tribulation” (Part I of II)

Joining Christ’s Church: “After Much Tribulation” (Part I of II)

Janice Le Tellier is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and resides in Arizona. Looking For Jesus Christ’s Church And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. And…he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air…saying: Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them. (Alma 46:12, 19, 20) Surely the Lord requires that his church be insistent in defending freedom. The constitutional “principle of freedom…belongs to all mankind,” said the Lord. In the United States many feel impelled to speak out for and become active in promoting this great foundation principle... Read the rest of this entry »

Joining Christ’s Church: “After Much Tribulation” (Part II of II)

Joining Christ’s Church: “After Much Tribulation” (Part II of II)

Janice Le Tellier is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and resides in Arizona. Mormon Missionaries Bring the Truth Shortly after that second meeting two fine young LDS missionaries appeared at my door, and in desperation I decided to listen to their story. I knew instinctively that I must listen to them, yet I was on the defensive because I considered myself an “orthodox” Christian, a defender of the faith once delivered to the saints. (Actually, up to that point I hadn’t heard what I thought I was so knowledgeably defending!) I had not expected the truth to be delivered to me in this fashion. My schedule was crowded with our growing family, study, lectures, arranging and attending meetings, medical auxiliaries, teaching Sunday School, etc., so I was somewhat impatient with the black flannelboard lessons, as I wanted to ask my questions. I therefore proposed that the missionaries give me a book that would set forth the doctrines of their church... Read the rest of this entry »

LDS religious commitment high, Pew survey finds

LDS religious commitment high, Pew survey finds

Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion. This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian. “Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life... Read the rest of this entry »

Mormons Say Polygamy Morally Wrong

Mormons Say Polygamy Morally Wrong

By Amy Choate-Nielsen Deseret News Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?” Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public... Read the rest of this entry »

Mormon Beliefs and Attitudes on Immigration

Mormon Beliefs and Attitudes on Immigration

The Pew Foundation survey of Mormons released this past week confirms that U.S. Mormons are more conservative (66 percent) compared to the general public (37 percent), and on most issues, they closely track white evangelicals. But immigration is one issue that sets Mormons apart from their evangelical counterparts. Asked whether immigrants are a strength or a burden, 59 percent of white evangelicals said they were a burden, while only 41 percent of Mormons felt the same, compared to 44 percent of the general public. The result is surprising given how staunchly conservative Mormons are on nearly every measure. Interestingly, 50 percent of white mainline Protestants and 49 percent of white Catholics also tilt against immigration, though neither group is as uniformly conservative as evangelicals or Mormons on other measures. Dan Cox, Research Director at the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington, D.C. sees several reasons for the surprising result. He points first to demographics... Read the rest of this entry »

Mormons’ Focus on Marriage & Family Highlighted in Pew Survey

Mormons’ Focus on Marriage & Family Highlighted in Pew Survey

SMITHFIELD — After dinner, three baths, four bedtime stories and a half-a-dozen goodnight kisses for 2-year-old twins Brock and Isaac and 6-year-old Ellie, Erin and Brian Thompson finally sink into the couch with weary smiles. Being parents is just what they always wanted. And they love it. “Of course we have our crazy moments,” Thompson says, “but for the most part we just try to find the good things in the day and remember that they’re only going to be little for so long.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Thompsons believe that maintaining a strong marriage and raising and teaching children are essential keys to happiness and their most important responsibilities on earth. In fact, 81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in life,” according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life — the first survey of Mormons about Mormons,... Read the rest of this entry »

Pew Study on Mormons in America

Pew Study on Mormons in America

  As the “Mormon moment” extends into 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life today released a groundbreaking new survey, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences. Entitled “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,” the survey was conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 2011 among a national sample of 1,019 respondents who identified themselves as Mormons. The results validate a number of long-held stereotypes (most American Mormons are white, well-educated, politically conservative and religiously observant) while providing a few interesting surprises (care for the poor and needy is high on the list of LDS priorities, while drinking coffee and watching R-rated movies aren’t as taboo among the rank and file as you might think). “While this... Read the rest of this entry »