Over the years, I've had people ask me questions about what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I decided to lay out some basic doctrines of what we believe. Although I deleted the original sources from quotes, they are easily searchable on the Church's website. Almost everything was pulled from student manuals. There will be 13 posts on this topic total. Enjoy! 3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.Elder David B. Haight (1906–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:
“We believe that Christ came into the world to ransom mankind from the temporal and spiritual death brought into the world by the fall of Adam, that through the shedding of His innocent blood all mankind are raised in immortality and that those who believe and obey His laws are raised unto eternal life. “Salvation is administered on the same terms and conditions in all ages. Men must have faith in him, repent of their sins, be baptized in his name, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and remain steadfast to gain life eternal. “The Lord God has sent his holy prophets among all men in all ages to declare these things, even as he does today.” President James E. Faust explained: “There is a distinction between immortality, or eternal existence, and eternal life, which is to have a place in the presence of God. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, immortality comes to all men, just or unjust, righteous or wicked. However, eternal life is ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God.’ We obtain this great gift, according to the Lord, ‘if you keep my commandments and endure to the end.’ If we so endure, the promise is, ‘you shall have eternal life.’” Over the years, I've had people ask me questions about what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I decided to lay out some basic doctrines of what we believe. Although I deleted the original sources from quotes, they are easily searchable on the Church's website. Almost everything was pulled from student manuals. There will be 13 posts on this topic total. Enjoy! 2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency explained:
“Because of their transgression, Adam and Eve, having chosen to leave their state of innocence, were banished from the presence of God. This is referred to in Christendom as the Fall, or Adam’s transgression. It is a spiritual death because Adam and Eve were separated from the presence of God and given agency ‘to act for themselves and not to be acted upon. They were also given the great power of procreation, so that they could keep the commandment to ‘multiply, and replenish the earth’ and have joy in their posterity. “All of their posterity were likewise banished from the presence of God. However, the posterity of Adam and Eve were innocent of the original sin because they had no part in it. It was therefore unfair for all of humanity to suffer eternally for the transgressions of our first parents, Adam and Eve. It became necessary to settle this injustice; hence the need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus in His role as the Savior and Redeemer. Because of the transcendent act of the Atonement, it is possible for every soul to obtain forgiveness of sins, to have them washed away and be forgotten.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “In order to lay claim upon our Savior’s life-giving triumph over the spiritual death we suffer because of our own sins, we must follow the conditions he has prescribed. As he has told us in modern revelation, ‘I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. “‘But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.’” Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: “If there was ever a false doctrine that runs counter to the whole concept of the fall and the atonement, this is it (that all are subject to original guilt or birth-sin, and they will automatically be damned because Adam fell). Personal accountability for sin lies at the very root of the plan of salvation. Every man is accountable for his own sins, not those for another. Men are judged for the deeds they do in the flesh, not for those of another. Men work out their own salvation, not the salvation of another. This is what the plan of salvation is all about—every man being judged according to his own works and every man being awarded his own place in the kingdoms that are prepared. As to man's freedom from the transgression of Adam, the Lord said to the first man: ‘behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden.’ Adam himself was forgiven of this transgression; It no longer rested upon him, let alone upon any of his posterity. ‘Hence came the saying abroad among the people,’ the scripture continues, ‘that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world.’” (Moses 6: 53-54) Over the years, I've had people ask me questions about what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I decided to lay out some basic doctrines of what we believe. Although I deleted the original sources from quotes, they are easily searchable on the Church's website. Almost everything was pulled from student manuals. There will be 13 posts on this topic total. Enjoy! 1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “In common with the rest of Christianity, we believe in a Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. However, we testify that these three members of the Godhead are three separate and distinct beings. We also testify that God the Father is not just a spirit but is a glorified person with a tangible body, as is his resurrected Son, Jesus Christ.” God the Eternal FatherIn a 1916 doctrinal exposition, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated: “God the Eternal Father, whom we designate by the exalted name-title ‘Elohim,’ is the literal Parent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and of the spirits of the human race.”
President Brigham Young (1801–77) said: “I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our heavenly Father, or the great Eloheim. You are all well acquainted with him, for there is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you are seeking to become acquainted with him, when the fact is you have merely forgotten what you did know… “There is not a person here to-day but what is a son or a daughter of that Being [Heavenly Father]. In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and brought forth, and they lived there with their parents for ages before they came here.” Elder Ezra Taft Benson said: Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us. What is the ultimate goal in life? The ultimate goal is Exaltation—the highest degree of glory in the Celestial Kingdom.[1] It is the life our Heavenly Father lives. It is endless development, endless progression, and the chance to have spirit children of our own.[2] Joseph Fielding Smith has said this of exaltation and eternal marriage: “The gift promised to those who receive this covenant of marriage and remain faithful to the end, that they shall ‘have no end,’ means that they shall have the power of eternal increase [exaltation]. Only those who have this power will truly ‘know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.’ Others may see the Lord and may be instructed by him but they will not truly know him or his Father unless they become like them.”[3] Exaltation and eternal marriage are inextricably linked. You can’t achieve exaltation without eternal marriage. So, for this post, I’m going to focus on the key ingredient needed for eternal marriage. Without it, eternal marriage—even in the House of the Lord—is impossible.
I want you to think of the most exciting thing that has happened in your life—a new job, the birth of a baby, a new car. Hold that thought. Allow the memory to course through you until you can remember exactly how you felt at the time.
Whatever you’re thinking of, I’m sure it was a huge moment in your life…but was it the most important? You probably weren’t thinking of the topic of this post—the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ—as the most exciting thing to happen to you, but I want to assure you that it is just as exhilarating (even more, in my opinion) than that diamond tennis bracelet you received for your anniversary or the epic month-long vacation you took to England. Let’s start by talking about the fulness of times. It’s a great phrase, and I’ve often thought of using it for a book title. You may or may not know exactly what it means, so let’s discuss it as we talk about the restoration. Let’s begin with a story:
What if I don’t make it? The idea paralyzes me. I’ve prepared for this moment, this experience for so long, and the thought of failing, of losing everything I want and dream of, crushes me. My footsteps are soft, but worry weaves through me as I pace the polished wooden planks on the floor. My father is loving, generous, and has given me everything I need to prepare for the journey ahead. As I look around the opulent quarters—my own personal sanctuary—my eyes rest on the learning area. Would I ever study there again? My heart trembles at the thought. My journey will be long and difficult, but more than that…I know not everyone will return. Will I be one of the many who won’t make it home? Frustrated, I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, drawing in slow, deep breaths. I’m normally so strong, so resilient. I know who I am and have always been focused on the plan. But tonight, I can’t quiet my fears. Without realizing where I’m going, I leave my room. There’s one person who can comfort me, can give me the peace I seek. I wander through a labyrinth of halls and arrive at my destination. I toss a smiling nod to the sentinels stationed at the door to ward off visitors this time of night. But my brothers never stop me from my late-night visits, per His orders. What is a Cherubim?
That short—and rather random—question changed my life. Do you know what it is? Because, let me tell you, there’s a funny story behind it. I was researching a new fiction sub-genre when I came across this word. You’ve heard it before, of course…but what exactly is it? |
AuthorI am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am not a gospel scholar, but I hope to be one someday. While I’m learning and growing, I hope you join me on my journey for further light and knowledge. Archives
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