There is debate in Christianity as to the value of works.  Some Christians believe we are saved by our belief in Christ, and that His grace is sufficient to save us — works are unnecessary.  Both Catholicism and Mormonism (the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe in both faith and works, essentially that we are judged for our works, but saved by God’s grace.

What do the scriptures say?

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works (Revelation 20:12, 13).

Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they followafter.   Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid (1 Timothy 5:24, 25).

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:   Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer…(2 Thessalonians 1:4-5).

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3).

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love (John 15:10).

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Luke 1:6).

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments (1 John 2:3).

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).

And they went out, and preached that men should repent (Mark 6:12).

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you (1 Corinthians 11:2).

To members of the Church of Jesus Christ, “works” are repentance, the making and keeping of ordinances, keeping Christ’s commandments, doing good to all men (and women, and children, and all of God’s creations), and enduring to the end faithful in Christ.  That this is true is manifest in the above scriptures from the Bible.  We have more in other scriptures:

For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared (Doctrine and Covenants 76:11).

For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts (D&C 137:9).

And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—(3 Nephi 26:4).

And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works (3 Nephi 27:15).

And ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (D&C 42:7).

And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God (Alma 42:4).

Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me (3 Nephi 15:10).

Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God (Alma 12:32).

…for out of the books shall your dead be judged, according to their own works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona, or by the means of their own agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they have kept concerning their dead (D&C 128:8).

And this shall be our covenant—that we will walk in all the ordinances of the Lord (D&C 136:4).

These, then, are works…repentance, kindness, keeping Christ’s commandments, doing His will, becoming like Him, partaking of His ordinances, and keeping our covenants with Him, spoken clearly to us in the Bible, and reiterated and clarified in modern revelation.

We are judged by these works and the intent of our hearts.  But we are saved by grace:

And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works (Helaman 12:24).

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God (Moroni 10:32).

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved (2 Nephi 10:24).

Additional Resources:

Finding Happiness

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

Mormons and the Bible

Experiencing Living Waters: Jesus Christ Quenches Our Spiritual Thirst

While working as a seminary teacher–a religious youth instructor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to by the media as the “Mormon Church”)– I heard the analogy that in our fallen state, each of us is like a person stranded in a burning desert, dying of thirst. At the point of complete exhaustion and dehydration, we suddenly notice a pitcher of cold water sitting on top of a sand dune. If we choose to crawl to the water and drink it, we can be saved. In this example, what actually saves us? Is it our own efforts to crawl to the water, or is it the water itself? While our efforts to crawl to the water are necessary and essential, they alone cannot save us. only the water possesses the elements sufficient to sustain life. We can crawl to the ends of the earth, but without the life-saving elements contained in the water, there is no salvation.

My carnal-minded understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ had me crawling like a crazy person but never arriving at the life-saving refreshment only the Savior offers. I was desperately trying to do what I thought was necessary without experiencing that which was sufficient. Carnal-mindedness kept me from believing in Jesus Christ’s almighty power of deliverance. It kept me trying to resolve life’s problems on my own, and it caused me to forsake the fountain of living water. The Lord, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, said, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living water, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

While in mortality, we journey in a distant land. This fallen world is not our home; we are but strangers here. As the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) hymn “O My Father” says, “yet ofttimes a secret something whispered, ‘you’re a stranger here,’ And I felt that I had wandered from a more exalted sphere.”13

On this journey, many of us have lost sight of our dependence on the Savior to direct our way; many of us seek to quench our nagging thirst in ways that will never satisfy or sustain life. Our broken cisterns cannot sustain spiritual life because they contain no living water. They represent our false gods with no life-giving water to offer. We erect these barriers to grace as we seek happiness in and of ourselves and as we cling to vanity and unbelief. These broken cisterns can be anything from our personal aspirations to our man-made philosophies for happiness.

In our search for that which can satisfy our parched spirits, Satan may present fulfillment in the false god of self. This broken cistern will impede us from coming to our Savior and experiencing life in Jesus Christ.

For some of us, the modern god of self beckons us with programs for self-development, fulfillment, and achievement. We may feel that the next goal or the next diet will finally satisfy that for which we deeply thirst. Perhaps our personal ambitions or our hunger for personal achievement become the barriers that keep us from taking Christ’s yoke upon us and relying wholly upon Him. Maybe our hearts are set on the next bonus check, the incentive trip, or even the next promotion. Maybe it’s a certain income, an award, or an academic degree. For others it might be the showplace home, the new car, or the dream vacation. None of these things in and of themselves are evil, but when our hearts are set solely upon them, they become our gods and deprive us of living water.

As we continue on our wilderness journey toward realizing the privilege of beholding our Savior’s face, we will experience an emptying or hollowing process. Spencer J. Condie, an LDS Church leader, said, “ofttimes we must hollow our lives before the Lord can hallow them. . . . Emptiness precedes the fulness.”14

Rather than hallowing us and leading us to the deeper levels of humility, these false gods fill us with pride and self-centeredness. They are distractions from the hallowing process, and they will deter us from experiencing Jesus Christ. They will keep us living far below our spiritual privileges as they prohibit us from surrendering our lives to Christ. They will keep us from “com[ing] boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) and claiming the gifts and privileges the Lord is eager to grant us.

Our broken cisterns will never allow us the experience of coming directly to our Savior, that He may receive us into the arms of His love and quench our thirst with living water. His invitation to each of us is this: “Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely” (Alma 5:34).

We are all invited to come and partake freely of all our Savior has to offer. No one is forbidden. There is no other way.

Source:

R. Brown, Experiencing Living Waters: Jesus Christ Quenches Our Spiritual Thirst, (Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2009, pp 45-92.

Additional Resources:

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Learn more about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for us from an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the “Mormon Church” by friends of other faith).

Learn what you can do to Come Unto Jesus Christ.

Notes

1. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New york: HarperCollins, 2001), 165.

2. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, 181.

3. Robert L. Millet, Alive In Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997),112.

4. Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 71.

5. Colleen C. Harrison, He Did Deliver Me From Bondage, 8.

6. Don Colbert, M.D., Deadly Emotions (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 9.

7. Ibid., 20.

8. Ibid., 46.

9. Ibid., 101.

10. Shayne M. Bowen, “The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify our Lives,” Ensign, Nov. 2006.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. “O My Father,” Hymns, no. 292.

14. Spencer J. Condie, The Song of Redeeming Love, 1–2.

Elizabeth Hill has four children is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”) residing in Montana.

Have you ever wondered why there are never any small children helping on cooking shows like Rachel Ray and Emeril? Sources tell me the shows would have to be taped from a padded room because you would have to be clinically insane to attempt measuring, stirring and any -ing with the little guys.

Anytime you introduce highly powdery elements like flour, sticky ones like honey and slick ones like oil–exciting things are in store. So, why in the world do I allow, even welcome my three girls and one son to assist me in baking/cooking?

It has been a process…

I have been through phases where during dinner preparation I wanted to install those applause signs (maybe Rachel or Emeril could have one I could borrow!) but I would change the lettering to read, “Get Out!”. I have found myself saying phrases (not always in the Mrs. Cleaver voice) such as “Go play”, “Go watch a movie” or even just plain “shoo, shoo, shoo!”

I felt like it was time to have some peace and become one with my outdated appliances.

I felt that with being with them all day, this was my one respite before the craziness of bedtime and whiny children.

One night after a particularly “shooing” time had put all of us on the fast track to Prozac, I did some reflecting. At the end of the day (when I am good) I pray and read my scriptures and as I do I think about the choices I made, especially with my family. This is when I feel my Heavenly Father helping me be a better mom by nudging me to be a little better: say it this way next time, maybe not yell “shoo” five times in a row in a snarly voice. That sort of thing.

I was reading in the Bible of when Jesus blessed the 5,000 and did the whole miracle of the loaves and fishes. And as I was reading I realized in all the scriptures we have telling us words of the Savior his anthem is “Come”. “Come unto me…” “Come follow me…” Come. Come. Come.

No shooing. I cannot recall one instance when he tells folks to go away.

I was reading to what happens before the miracle and realized even more how far I have to go to become more like Him. Before the teaching and the miracle he is told about John the Baptist’s beheading and his disciples tell him to basically go where he can be alone, which he does. But the people follow him.

Now if this were me, I would tell these five thousand, “Listen, I am having a little ‘me time’ here. My cousin was just murdered and I need some space. Come back tomorrow and BYOFAB (Bring Your Own Fish and Bread). Don’t be early and don’t be hungry.”

Instead, he heals them, teaches them and feeds them. He welcomes them. He shows them this by allowing them to be where he is.

Do you see what I am getting at here? I am not saying I want to spend every waking second with my children all velcroed to my side. I just want them to remember me enjoying their company rather than putting up huge neon signs proclaiming the “Get Out Gospel”.

As I was reading this and feeling this enlightenment it also hit me how short a time I have until they really don’t want to be around me as much. Right now they believe (almost) everything I tell them. They are so eager! Eager to learn, to feel, to touch to be right next to me.

So, I change. I breathe. I let them in–welcome them, even. I take down my electric sign, grit my teeth and realize that it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. As it often is in mothering, it all lies in my attitude how the winds of emotions blow. My stove is still old and my counters are cluttered but I have a feeling the layers of sticky and floury substances show proof that I am trying a little more everyday to be more like Him—the one who always beckons, “Come.”

Additional Resources:

Christ always asks us to “come” and follow him. Learn more at the official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

We are not left alone on this earth. Jesus Christ was sent to this earth to give us the strength to overcome challenges, problems, and sin. To overcome sin. He asks us to look to Him with faith that He knows what is best for us. There is a pathway that the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us so that we might be able to find peace in this life and eternal life in the next life. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord prospers all those who follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. In The Book of Mormon, a record of the teachings of Jesus Christ that God gave to the ancient inhabitants of the American continent, it says:

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

In the Holy Bible Jesus Christ said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34).” I have found that some of my greatest joys in life come from serving other people. As I try to show the love for others as the Savior did for me, He blesses me with peace, and He helps me love others even more. I know that true happiness only comes to those who seek to love and serve God and all His children. Listen to these words of a modern day apostle of Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources:

Get a free copy of the Holy Bible.

Read a modern apostles words on becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ at the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”).

Learn about how a belief in Jesus Christ can help you.

Tinsel, garland, gifts under the tree, smells and scents that connote a beautiful time of year–these all are reminiscent of Christmas, a time for the joyous celebration of Christ’s birth.

The first real gift of Christmas is the Baby Himself, Jesus Christ.  He is ours to receive, to know, to love, to worship as Savior of the World, the Only Begotten in the flesh, the Son of God.  The second real Christmas gift, intimately connected with Himself, is the key to the knowledge of  Him which has been restored to the earth through the re-establishment of His own Church on the earth–The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”). These are two gifts in one: the Savior, and His Church in our day! These are the real gifts of Christmas!

Christmas Message: Jesus Christ Established His Church & Restored It In Our Day

From the creation of the world, the prophets foretold and the children of God anticipated the coming of the Redeemer, the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.  As He had promised, our Heavenly Father, the Father of our spirits, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth over 2,000 years ago.

Jesus Christ, now diluted, de-throned, sidelined by many pundits and blanched naysayers, lives! He is resurrected! He is real. He is the perfect, sympathetic, just, merciful, omniscient Savior who stooped in agony and hung in great condescension, to be able to lift us back into His presence. This is not a fable, as Paul said, who was one of many eyewitnesses, both of His suffering and of His glory. For those in doubt, we witness to you that He lives! Please read on, to learn more about the second gift of Christmas.

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He established His Church, taught His gospel, and performed many miracles. He chose twelve men to carry His authority, to be His Apostles, including Peter, James and John. He taught them and enabled them by the laying on of hands to perform certain ordinances or rites of salvation, such as baptism.

When Jesus Christ established His Church, He received instructions and revelation from the Father for the benefit of all. He then taught His followers and they, in turn, received a witness of the truths He taught, by revelation as well. Revelation–or things shared by the Spirit from God to man–was the rock on which the Savior built His Church.

At the end of His life, Jesus Christ suffered and died for each of our sins and infirmities–those of everyone who has lived or who will yet live on this earth. This sacrifice is called the Atonement. Through His suffering, death, and Resurrection, the Savior made it possible for us to be forgiven and to regain His presence–a presence which brings light, power, glory, joy into our lives, a presence which transforms us.  Those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and keep His commandments with His help, receive forgiveness of sins, greater light and truth, increased peace and joy in this life, and eternal life in the world to come.

The Great Apostasy: God and Jesus Christ Knew There Would Be A Falling Away From Truth

Following the death of Jesus Christ, evil schemers persecuted and killed many Church members. Others drifted from the truth by degree. The Apostles themselves were killed or martyred and priesthood authority–the ability to act in the Savior’s name to perpetuate His kingdom on earth–was taken from the earth. Because the Church was no longer led by those the Savior designated as authorities, error crept into Church teachings. The pure gospel truths that Jesus taught were mixed and diluted and changed. This period of religious history is called the Great Apostasy.

The Savior, knowing all things, anticipated this apostasy–or falling away from the truth. Through an Old Testament prophet, He said:

Behold, the days come…that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And people shall wander form sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it (Amos 8:11-12).

This apostasy resulted in the formation of many churches with conflicting and confusing creeds. During this time, many men and women sought the truth but were unable to find it in its fullness. Many good people believed in God and Jesus Christ and tried to understand and teach truth but they had neither the authority nor the complete gospel. As a result, each generation inherited partial and distorted beliefs from the preceding one, and were in a state of apostasy still.

Inspired reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, recognized that practices and doctrines had been changed or lost. They tried to reform the churches to which they belonged and to reconstruct the truth. Without priesthood authority, however, Christ’s gospel could not be returned to its original form. A restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ–not a reformation of the gospel of Jesus Christ–was needed.

The Second Christmas Gift!

Our Christmas message to you is that there are two gifts for you this Christmas, should you choose to accept them–one, the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, as Savior of the World–the One who provides all we need for a full life and for godliness; and two, the additional news that His Church–even the Church of Jesus Christ–has been restored to the earth!  It’s here, with all of the pure doctrines and priesthood authority needed for you and I to be freed from sin and sanctified to become more and more like Him, filling our eternal potential!  We invite you as friends of other faiths, to pray about this message for yourselves and to investigate its truthfulness further.

Christmas Message: The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

In 1820, our Father in Heaven chose a prophet to restore the gospel and priesthood to the earth! That prophet’s name was Joseph Smith. As a young man, Joseph Smith wrestled with questions about the teachings of many churches around his home, each seeking their own followers in a competitive way. Each preacher, moreover, taught something different about the Savior and the path to salvation. Joseph Smith wanted to know which church was right. Knowing he lacked wisdom, he followed James’ counsel in the Holy Bible: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

Joseph took that promise to heart. He found a spot in a nearby grove of trees, knelt and prayed in faith, submitting his question to God. Unexpectedly, Joseph found himself visited by glorious personages–even the Father Himself, who introduced His Son, Jesus Christ.  They instructed Joseph not to join any of the churches, suggesting that they held not the ‘power’ of godliness.

Joseph Smith was called by Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father to be a prophet of this last dispensation or gospel era, through whom the complete gospel of Jesus Christ would be restored.

In his words,

I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me, I saw two Personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air. one of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is My Beloved Son, hear Him!” (Joseph Smith: History 1:16-17).

We invite you to learn more about these two incomparable Christmas gifts this year. Don’t miss Christmas. The real gift is Jesus Christ. He is the Gift–the Author and Finisher of our faith.  He has restored His Church to the earth–that we may have all we need to know Him and to grow in glory to become more and more like Him, until the perfect day, when His glory shall be revealed in full and our joy perfected in Him.

Merry Christmas!

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ at mormon.org, an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Find a local church meetinghouse

Learn about the restoration from Joseph Smith’s personal account.

by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), student at BYU-Idaho studying communications, and freelance writer.

The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, was given to us by God in order to guide us and strengthen us here in this earth life. The Holy Spirit is an actual person, but he doesn’t have a physical body, He has a spirit. The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father are three separate beings that are all a part of the Godhead. They all have the same purpose, which is to help bring us back into the presence of God so that we might have eternal life.

There are two parts to understanding the Holy Spirit. There is the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is the gift of the Holy Spirit, or gift of the Holy Ghost. Before someone is baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, they can feel the power and influence of the Holy Spirit testify to their hearts of things that are true. It can help them feel peace and lead them to what is right and good. When the spirit leads others to truth, it prompts them act on those truths. For example, after finding out that Jesus Christ asks us to get baptized, the Holy Spirit would then prompt that person to make changes in their lives in order to get ready for baptism. After baptism, when given under proper priesthood authority, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is the right to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost whenever one is worthy. The gift of the Holy Ghost has a sanctifying effect on the body, and helps remove the desires to do evil and sin. It helps us literally become like Jesus Christ, and allows us to be cleansed from our sins.

One purpose of the Holy Spirit is to testify of all truth. In The Book of Mormon, a volume of ancient holy scripture which testifies of Jesus Christ, it says, “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is” (Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:5-6). The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our thoughts and feelings. When Heavenly Father sent us to this earth He did not want to leave us alone and lost without any way of knowing what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what isn’t, so He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through thoughts, feelings, and impressions. The Holy Ghost speaks to us more as a still small voice rather than a loud voice. An apostle of Jesus Christ said, “That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound” (Elder Boyd K. Packer). The book of Galatians in the Bible helps us recognize when we are feeling the influence of the Holy Spirit. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). When I feel the spirit it helps me want to be more loving, kind, patient and good. When I feel the spirit, I want to be more like Jesus Christ. I know that I am feeling the Holy Ghost when I feel calm and at peace, and when confusion and doubt clears away. When I feel this way, it helps me know what is true and good. I have felt that way about Jesus Christ and His restored church. I know that His church has been restored to the earth. Just as a blind man knows that the sun exists because he can feel its heat, I know that Jesus Christ lives because I can feel His love for me when I read about Him, and follow His counsel to love and serve others. I also know that there are living prophets and apostles on this earth who speak for Jesus Christ by revelation. I have felt the same feelings of the Holy Spirit testify to me that these things are true.

When I was a child of eight years old, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Commonly misnamed “The Mormon Church“) and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through the authority of God, which is called the priesthood, I was baptized, and then hands were laid on my head to confer upon me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I don’t remember everything that was said at the baptism, but I do remember the feeling I felt. I felt clean–clean spiritually. I felt happy and peaceful. I felt that the Lord was pleased with my decision of committing to follow Him. The Holy Spirit rested upon me and I felt the Lord’s love. The Holy Spirit has been a tremendous blessing in my life. Without it, I would be lost in this world of confusion. I know that it is real. I have felt it’s power and influence lift me, teach me, and testify to me of the reality of Jesus Christ. I know that the Holy Spirit can be felt by all who honestly want to do what’s right and find truth.

Additional Resources:

Obtain a free copy of The Book of Mormon

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Read more about the Holy Ghost from an apostle of Jesus Christ at the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Believe in Jesus Christ

To believe in Jesus Christ is to trust Him, rely on Him, depend on Him and His grace. The Savior’s grace is His enabling power that flows to us unmerited, and it  comes by virtue of the Savior’s solitary, singular, magnificent atonement.

What is His atonement?  How does He give His grace? Let’s talk about that for a minute, not comprehensively for that’s impossible in this or any space, but sufficiently to understand the simplicity and profundity of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death, Resurrection for us.

Jesus died to pay the price of our sins, weaknesses, poor judgments, and to suffer for our pains, sicknesses, injustices, and confusions.  He has already finished that atoning sacrifice!  He agonized in Gethsemane and on the cross for your sins and mine, to pay the debt that justice asks to erase the full penalty of sin. Through that payment, requiring His life, He met justice fairly and satisfied it, opening the door to mercy for each of us! Jesus Christ went willingly. His atonement was not an accident nor a diversion, nor an unintended event in God’s or His plan. It was foreordained. Jesus could have prevented it at any point along the way as the Son of God, but He chose to suffer it out of profound and personal love for each of us. He finished His course–His infinite sacrifice–and He did it for you. He did it for me.

The atonement, then, is already wrapped up and handed to you.  It’s just for you and I and each of us to accept it and to apply it by repenting or turning away from sin. We know what sin is. We have a sense of right and wrong with which we enter the world, as God’s children. Turning from it and toward the light, toward the Light of the World, brings us to a place of joy and resolution, a life that begins to expand in Jesus Christ.

To be baptized by immersion in Christ’s Church–The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, The Mormon Church)–is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion, and which John the Baptist called the repentant to undergo. While the outward sign or ordinance is required by the Savior Jesus Christ by one who hold His authority and power alone does not save, it sets forth and symbolizes to us and witnesses our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus. Like the Sacrament, or the Lord’s Supper, where we renew those covenants with Jesus Christ each Sunday in return for forgiveness and grace to serve, it is not to be neglected.

From baptism by one holding the authority of Christ (found only in The Church of Jesus Christ), you may begin your journey closer to Him, and find your real mission in life. Then, you will be able to dismiss your fears, find answers, feel hope, and see direction unfold out of the chaos you may be in, or the order of your present circumstances. And in the strength you will gain and that each of us gains from Him–His grace–we are fed, refreshed, filled and renewed to labour for Him and to His glory, which brings us great joy and allows us to reach our own potential.

Remember the promise, the invitation, the call to you and to each of us from Jesus Christ Our Lord:

by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), student at BYU-Idaho studying communications, and freelance writer.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, The Mormon Church), I have sought to gain a personal testimony of Jesus Christ. As a little child I was taught about Jesus Christ, I remember going to church and learning about Him. There is one particular time at church when I was being a little fussy and impatient. I remember my Mom telling me to do my best to think about Jesus Christ during sacrament meeting (similar and yet different from Catholic Communion). I remember asking my mother, “How do I think of Him?”;  my mother said that I need to remember the things He did for us. This memory stands out to me because it reminds me of a point in my life when I started developing a more serious and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Not too many years after that experience, I was sitting in my home watching a video about Jesus Christ with my family. The video showed the sufferings of Christ–His sufferings in Gethsemane for our sins and His subsequent sufferings on the cross. As I watched the video, I remember my feelings of awe and wonder that someone would go through so much pain. I wondered, “Why would anyone go through so much pain?” After watching the solemn scene of the video for awhile, I went into the kitchen where my mother was making a meal, and I asked her, “Why would Christ do that for us? Why would He go through so much pain?’ Her reply was simple but it affected me in a deep and powerful way. She said, “Because He loves us.” When she said those words, I felt a wonderful feeling of love that is difficult to describe. I felt the Spirit of the Lord testify to me that this was true–that Jesus Christ was real and that He loves us more than we can imagine. I felt a deep burning love so much that it made me cry. I know that this experience came from God. It was a testimony to me of the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ.

Throughout my life I’ve come to learn more and more about Jesus Christ and what His purpose was. I’ve learned that Jesus Christ came to this earth on a mission–a mission to pay a debt. This debt was to pay for all of our sins, as well as our sufferings and hardships. He did this to make it possible for all of us to return to God and have eternal life if we follow His gospel. He also made it possible to receive enabling grace to help strengthen us through life’s hardships, even small ones. Many people might wonder why they should have hope or how they can have peace. I testify that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can have a sure hope, and true peace. I have found that it is only by putting my trust in Jesus Christ and following His gospel that I find true peace. An ancient prophet named Moroni, talked about where we should put our hope. He said,

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. (The Book of Mormon Moroni 7:41)

Jesus Christ is the reason we can have hope and rejoice! Because He gave His life for us, we can find peace through the storms and challenges we all face. On the third day after His death, Jesus Christ arose from the grave as a resurrected being. He overcame death and made it possible for all of us to overcome death. This gives me great hope that I will be able to see my loved ones again that have passed away. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have learned that Jesus Christ’s gospel, as it was when He was on the earth, was restored to the earth through a living prophet. Today there are prophets and apostles who speak to us, and help us know what the Lord would have us do. I know that as we do our best to follow Jesus Christ and live the life that He lived, then we find peace. My mother has said to me many times, “Do your best, and the Lord will take care of the rest.” His grace is there for us. As we seek Him, we can be filled with His love and have our burdens lightened, hope strengthened, and peace restored. In the New Testament in the Bible Jesus Christ said,

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

I know Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us. Jesus Christ shows us what is truly important in this life. I know that when I follow Him and seek to serve others, there is a happiness that enters my life that can be found in no other way.

Additional Resources:

Find a meeting house to learn more about Jesus Christ.

Learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Learn more about Jesus Christ from mormon.org

Why is Jesus Christ called the Son of Man?  While others in the Scriptures (particularly the Old Testament) who are called “son[s] of man” (Jeremiah 49:18, Ezekiel 4:16, Psalms 8:4), the word “son” is uncapitalized.  Elder James E. Talmage, a Biblical scholar, sheds light on the answer in his renown work, Jesus the Christ.  He says,

“In applying the designation to Himself, the Lord invariably uses the definite article. ‘The Son of Man’ was and is, specifically and exclusively, Jesus Christ. While as a matter of solemn certainty He was the only male human being from Adam down who was not the son of a mortal man, He used the title in a way to conclusively demonstrate that it was peculiarly and solely His own. It is plainly evident that the expression is fraught with a meaning beyond that conveyed by the words in common usage. The distinguishing appellation has been construed by many to indicate our Lord’s humble station as a mortal, and to connote that He stood as the type of humanity, holding a particular and unique relationship to the entire human family.”

Others are called by the title “son of man,” but only the Lord Jesus Christ is called The Son of Man.  Said the Spirit of the Lord to the prophet Nephi, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” (Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 11:16; emphasis added).  But, as Talmage says,

There is, however, a more profound significance attaching to the Lord’s use of the title ‘The Son of Man’; and this lies in the fact that Jesus Christ knew His Father to be the one and only supremely exalted Man, whose Son Jesus Christ was both in spirit and in body—the Firstborn among all the spirit-children of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh—and therefore in sense applicable to Himself alone, He was and is the Son of the ‘Man of Holiness,’ Elohim, the Eternal Father.

Moses wrote,
Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57).

In other words, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

Joseph Smith, a prophet God raised up to re-establish Jesus Christ’s Church on earth in our day, 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 Prophet Joseph Smith, 121). Since ‘all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to [Jesus Christ],’ and since the Old Testament is something ‘which pertains to our religion,’then the Old Testament must somehow testify of Jesus Christ.1

Yet, the somewhat gruesome nature of blood sacrifice [in the Old Testament] has led some to ask, “How could such an activity have anything to do with the gospel of love?” We can better understand the answer to that question when we understand the two major purposes for the law of sacrifice. These purposes applied to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and the New Testament Apostles, and they apply to us today as we accept and live the law of sacrifice in a different way: through exemplifying a broken heart and contrite spirit. Its two major purposes are to test and prove us and to assist us in coming unto Christ” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7).

Jesus taught, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2.)

Heaven, in the most correct sense, is the place Jesus and God live, and it is where we may also go if we are worthy to enter into His presence. However, Mormons do not believe there are only two places a person can be sent after death. People live their lives with varying degrees of commitment to God and so there are several homes, or mansions, depending on the choices each person makes in life.

It is important to first understand that through grace and the atonement of Christ, all people who live on earth can be resurrected and live forever, without any action on their own part. Grace does not come with a price for those who made the choice to be born. Through grace, each person may be forgiven for his sins if he repents. Mormons are among the few religions that teach that grace is ours without works, not even the work of accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. Of course, for those who do accept the Savior, there are even greater rewards.

Each person who lives on earth is given the gift of agency. We used our agency to choose life on earth and throughout our lives, we continue to use our agency to decide many eternally significant things. We decide whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior if we’re fortunate enough to learn of Him in this lifetime. We also decide how much we love Him and how many of His commandments we’re willing to live. Obedience requires sacrifice, but also comes with great blessings and each person decides for himself whether or not he is willing to give up some temporal pleasures in order to gain eternal ones.

Mormon beliefs teach that each person is accountable only for his or her own sins and not for the choices made by Adam and Eve. Accountability means we are held responsible for the choices we make and will be judged accordingly. The Bible tells us no unclean thing can enter into Heaven, meaning into God’s presence, and so there has to be a judgment. This does not mean a person must be perfect. As mentioned earlier, the atonement allows us to repent and to be forgiven if we do so.

Mormons teach that those who accept Jesus as their Savior, take His name on themselves, and honor that name through righteous living will be allowed to return to God’s presence to live forever. This is the Celestial Kingdom, God’s own home. Naturally, every faithful Mormon has this as his goal, as does every other faithful Christian. It cannot be won by simply accepting Jesus once and then going on about your lives unchanged. The process of exaltation into God’s kingdom is a lifelong and even eternal pursuit, requiring the faithful to strive each day to draw closer to God and to bring his life more in accord with the teachings of God.

Jesus taught: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” (Matthew 7:21).

Naturally, those who can dwell in God’s kingdom will be good and valiant people.

Mormon beliefs include the promise that those who never heard the gospel but who would have accepted it if they had will have the opportunity to accept it after their death. This is not a second chance, but a first chance. A fair and just God would never punish someone for something entirely out of his control.

The second level of heaven is known as the terrestrial kingdom. While they may not live with God, they will be visited by the Savior. This kingdom is for people who were good people, but who allowed themselves to be misled by Satan and by other people. It will also include those who accepted the gospel but who didn’t live it to a celestial level. This demonstrates a reduced commitment to God and His teachings. Those who reject the gospel when they’re taught it on earth may dwell here if they accept it after they die. While this is a place for those who did not earn the highest reward, it will be a peaceful and happy place, even though tinged with grief over losing the presence of the father.

The third kingdom is the telestial kingdom. This kingdom will be a temporary place for those who did not receive the gospel or a testimony of the Savior during their lifetime. For these people, it will be a happy place if they lived their lives to the best of their knowledge and accept the gospel when it is presented. They will receive a greater glory in time.

There are, of course, some who will not dwell in any of these three kingdoms, known as kingdoms of glory. Those who have a sure testimony of Christ and then deny it and others who have forfeited their right to redemption will live in Perdition.

Generally, Mormons do not live lives of fear about their eternal state. They know what they need to do to be where they want to be, and they know that most people will live happy lives for eternity, even if there is some sorrow for missed blessings present.

Because Mormons believe in the gift of repentance, which comes through the Atonement of Christ, they do not live lives of fear. While they are accountable for their choices, and sin is serious, they understand they can repent. If that repentance is complete and sincere, they are forgiven.

For Mormons being saved is a lifelong process. Accepting Jesus as our Savior is only the first step in a life lived out of love for the Savior over any worldly concerns.