we follow christ exhibit panels (2)

7/31/2019 We Follow Christ Exhibit Panels (2)

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We follow Jesus Christ

esus Christ is central to The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints, which bears His

name. Members of the Church believe Jesus is the

Son of God, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh (John

3:16).

Latter-day Saints accept the prophetic declarations in

the Old Testament that refer directly and powerfully to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of all

mankind. Church members also accept the New

Testament accounts of the birth, life and ministry,

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Every prayer in the home and every sermon in a

chapel closes in the name of Jesus Christ. The

emblems of the sacrament (similar to communion)

that are taken weekly in worship services are symbols

of His Atonement.

As the only perfect man who ever lived, Jesus set the

example in His life for all to follow. Because humansfall short, Christ’s atoning sacrifice pays the price of

sin on condition of individual repentance. His

sacrifice also allows all humankind to be resurrected

into immortality. He is the Savior, and in a future

time will be the Judge.

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Are Mormons Christians?

es. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints is a Christian church but is neither

Catholic nor Protestant. Rather, it is a restoration of

the Church of Jesus Christ as originally established

by the Savior in the New Testament of the Bible. The

Church does not embrace the creeds that developed

in the third and fourth centuries that are now centralto many other Christian churches.

Latter-day Saints believe God sent His Son, Jesus

Christ, to save all mankind from death and their

individual sins. Jesus Christ is central to the lives of

Church members. They seek to follow His example by

being baptized (Matthew 3:13-17), praying in Hisholy name (Matthew 6:9-13), partaking of the

sacrament (Luke 22:19-20), doing good to others

(Acts 10:38) and bearing witness of Him through

both word and deed (James 2:26).

The only way to salvation is through faith in JesusChrist.



What do Mormons believe

about God? od is often referred to in The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints as our Heavenly

Father because He is the Father of all human spirits

and they are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). It is

an appropriate term for God who is kind and just, all

wise and all powerful.

God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy

Ghost constitute the Godhead or Trinity for

Mormons. Latter-day Saints believe God is

embodied, though His body is perfect and glorified.

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Do Mormons believe in

the Trinity?ormons most commonly use the term

“Godhead” to refer to what others call the

Trinity. The first article of faith for the Latter-day

Saints reads: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father,

and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

Latter-day Saints believe God the Father, Jesus

Christ and the Holy Ghost are one in will and

purpose but are not literally the same being or

substance, as conceptions of the Holy Trinity

commonly imply.

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Do Latter-day Saints

believe in modern-day prophets?

es. The Church is governed today by apostles,

reflecting the way Jesus organized His Church in

biblical times.

Three apostles constitute the First Presidency

(consisting of the president or prophet of the Church

and his two counselors), and, together with the

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they have

responsibility for leading the Church worldwide and

serving as special witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Each is accepted by Church members in a prophetic

role corresponding to the apostles in the Bible.



Religious Freedom

he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

believes in the importance of defending and

preserving religious freedom throughout the world.

We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that

men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the

exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt

them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a

right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to

bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for

public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate

should restrain crime, but never control conscience;

should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedomof the soul.

“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God

according to the dictates of our own conscience, and

allow all men the same privilege, let them worship

how, where, or what they may.” (11th

Article of Faith)

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Marriage

he Church’s Proclamation on the Family states

that “marriage between a man and a woman is

ordained of God and that the family is central to the

Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

“All Human Beings—male and female—are created in

the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or

daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each hasa divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential

characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal, and

eternal identity and purpose.”

The Church also believes and teaches that all children

of God should be treated with respect and dignity.

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Role of Women

in the Churchomen play an integral role in the work of The

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While women are not ordained to the priesthood in

the Church and do not therefore officiate in rites such

as blessing the sacramental emblems or baptizing,

they serve in senior leadership positions and as

missionaries and teachers, and they routinely preach

from the pulpit and lead congregational prayers in

worship services.

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Lay Ministry

he local congregational leader for Latter-day

Saints is the bishop (or branch president, for

smaller congregations).

A bishop holds the priesthood and is ordained to the

office of bishop by a more senior Church leader. He

earns his own living and receives no pay of any kind

for his service in the Church. Although there is nostipulated period of service, it is common for a bishop

to serve his congregation for about five years, after

which he returns to the body of the congregation or is

assigned another responsibility outside it.

The absence of a salaried ministry at the

congregational level may be one reason why the

tradition of volunteerism is so firmly established

within Latter-day Saint communities. Everyone is

expected to help, and there is no permanent senior

rank of local leaders. A person serving as a bishop

today may be sitting in a class next week, beingtaught by someone who was once his assistant.

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Humanitarian Service


provides relief and development projects for

humanitarian purposes in countries all over the

world. Projects operate without regard to the

nationality or religion of the recipients.

Humanitarian service may include emergency

response to natural disasters, such as an earthquakeor a tsunami, or man-made disasters, such as the

effects of war and famine. It may also be part of a

longer-term effort to meet serious and more

entrenched human needs, such as the need to

alleviate disease.

After urgent needs are met, the Church looks for

additional ways to help with the long-term needs of

the community. The Church’s approach is to help

people become self-reliant by teaching skills and

providing resources for a self-sustained life.

Donations, principally from Church members butalso from people around the world, are used to make

relief projects possible. One hundred percent of the

donations given to the Church’s humanitarian

services are used for relief efforts. The Church

absorbs its own overhead costs.

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Political Neutrality

he Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of

Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians. The Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral in

matters of party politics. This applies in all nations in

which it is established.

The Church does not:

• Endorse, promote or oppose political parties,

candidates or platforms.

• Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate

or party they should give their votes to. This policy

applies whether or not a candidate for office is a

member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

• Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.

The Church does reserve the right as an institution to

address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that it believes

have significant community or moral consequencesor that directly affect the interests of the Church.

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Immigration

s a worldwide church dealing with many

complex issues across the globe, The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints promotes broad,

foundational principles that have worldwide

application.

• We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The

Savior taught that the meaning of “neighbor”includes all of God’s children, in all places, at all

times.

• We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen

families. Families are meant to be together. Forced

separation of working parents from their children

weakens families and damages society.

• We acknowledge that every nation has the right to

enforce its laws and secure its borders. All persons

subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their

acts in relation to them.

As a matter of policy, The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints discourages its members from

entering any country without legal documentation,

and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas.

The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each otheras children of God. This should give pause to any

policy that contemplates targeting any one group,

particularly if that group comes mostly from one

heritage.



Proxy Baptisms

esus Christ taught that “except a man be born of

water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the

kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

For those who have passed on without the ordinance

of baptism, proxy baptism for the deceased is a free-

will offering. According to Church doctrine, a

departed soul in the afterlife is completely free toaccept or reject such a baptism—the offering is freely

given and must be freely received. The ordinance

does not force deceased persons to become members

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or

“Mormons,” nor does the Church list deceased

persons as members of the Church.

All Church members are instructed to perform proxy

baptism only for their own deceased relatives as an

offering of familial love to one’s ancestors.

A recent statement from the Church’s governing body

states, “Without exception, Church members mustnot submit for proxy temple ordinances any names

from unauthorized groups, such as celebrities and

Jewish Holocaust victims. If members do so, they

may forfeit their Church-sponsored genealogy

research privileges. Other corrective action may also

be taken.”

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believe they can become “gods?”

atter-day Saints believe that God wants us to

become like Him. But this teaching is often

misrepresented by those who caricature the faith.

The Latter-day Saint belief is no different than the

biblical teaching, which states, “The Spirit itself

beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the

children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of

God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we

suffer with him, that we may be also glorified

together” (Romans 8:16-17).

Through following Christ's teachings, Latter-day

Saints believe all people can become “partakers of the

divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

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believe they will“get their own planet?”

o. This idea is not taught in Latter-day Saint

scripture, nor is it a doctrine of the Church. This

misunderstanding stems from speculative comments

unreflective of scriptural doctrine.

Mormons believe that we are all sons and daughters

of God and that all of us have the potential to grow

during and after this life to become like our Heavenly

Father (Romans 8:16-17). The Church does not and

has never purported to fully understand the specifics

of Christ’s statement that “in my Father’s house are

many mansions” (John 14:2).

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Race Relations

he gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The

Book of Mormon states, “black and white, bond

and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God”

(2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints’ official teaching.

At some point in its history the Church stopped

ordaining male members of African descent to thepriesthood, although there were a few exceptions. It

is not known precisely why, how or when this

restriction began in the Church, but it ended more

than three decades ago.

The Church unequivocally condemns racism,

including any and all past racism by individuals both

inside and outside the Church. In 2006, then Church

president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that “no man

who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of

another race can consider himself a true disciple of

Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church.”

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Polygamy

he Church does not practice, nor does it condone

the practice of, polygamy.

Polygamists and polygamist organizations in parts of

the western United States and Canada have no

affiliation whatsoever with The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints, despite the fact that the

term “Mormon”—widely understood to be anickname for Latter-day Saints—is sometimes

misleadingly applied to them.

The Church’s position is unequivocal: “If any of our

members are found to be practicing plural marriage,

they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty

the Church can impose. Not only are those so

involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in

violation of the law of this Church.”

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Abortion


believes in the sanctity of human life. Therefore,

the Church opposes elective abortion for personal or

social convenience, and counsels its members not to

submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for

such abortions.

The Church allows for possible exceptions for itsmembers when:

• Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or

• A competent physician determines that the life or

health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or

• A competent physician determines that the fetushas severe defects that will not allow the baby to

survive beyond birth.

The Church teaches its members that even these rare

exceptions do not justify abortion automatically.

Abortion is a most serious matter and should beconsidered only after the persons involved have

consulted with their local church leaders and feel

through personal prayer that their decision is correct.

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Do some Latter-day Saints

wear temple garments?es. In our world of diverse religious observance,

many people of faith wear special clothing as a

reminder of sacred beliefs and commitments. This

has been a common practice throughout history.

Biblical scripture contains many references to the wearing of special garments. In the Old Testament

the Israelites are specifically instructed to turn their

garments into personal reminders of their covenants

with God (Numbers 15:37-41). Indeed, for some,

religious clothing has always been an important part

of integrating worship with daily living. Suchpractices resonate with Latter-day Saints.

Today, faithful adult members of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints wear temple garments.

These garments are simple, white underclothing

composed of two pieces: a top piece similar to a T-

shirt and a bottom piece similar to shorts. Not unlike

the Jewish tallit katan (prayer shawl), these

garments are worn underneath regular clothes.

Temple garments serve as a personal reminder of

covenants made with God to lead good, honorable,

Christlike lives. The wearing of temple garments is anoutward expression of an inward commitment to

follow the Savior.



Interfaith Relations

respect for the diverse beliefs and unique

contributions of all the world’s faiths is one of

the hallmarks of Mormonism.

From the earliest days of The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith elevated the

principle of religious liberty and tolerance: “We claim

the privilege of worshiping Almighty God accordingto the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all

men the same privilege, let them worship how,

where, or what they may” (Articles of Faith 1:11).

Church President Thomas S. Monson said, “I would

encourage members of the Church wherever they

may be to show kindness and respect for all people

everywhere. The world in which we live is filled with

diversity. We can and should demonstrate respect

toward those whose beliefs differ from ours.”

Latter-day Saints accept all sincere believers as

equals in the pursuit of faith and in the great work of serving humanity.



Joseph Smith

oseph Smith, Jr. was born 23 December 1805 in

Sharon, Vermont, to Joseph and Lucy Mack

Smith. Because his family could not afford the luxury

of public education, Joseph received only three years

of formal schooling. Along with his brothers and

sisters, he was educated mainly at home from the

family Bible.Confused about religion during a time of intense

religious revival in the state of New York where he

lived in 1820, 14-year-old Joseph read a passage in

the New Testament that, he wrote later, spoke to the

depths of his soul. It was an admonition for those

who lack wisdom to seek it from a divine source.Joseph found a place of solitude in a wooded area

near his home, and prayed vocally for the first time in

his life.

What followed forever changed Joseph Smith and

has become a central tenet of Latter-day Saint belief.Joseph records that God the Father and Jesus Christ

appeared to him. “I saw a pillar of light exactly over

my head,” he wrote, “above the brightness of the sun,

which descended gradually until it fell upon me.”

Within that light, he saw two personages—one of

whom spoke Joseph's name, pointed to the other,and said, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Church members refer to this experience as the “First

Vision.” It began the work of restoring the Church of

Jesus Christ to the earth.

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Priesthood

he priesthood is the power and authority of God

delegated to man on earth.

Worthy Latter-day Saint males are ordained to the

priesthood by the laying on of hands and are

thereafter said to “hold” the priesthood. The

priesthood is divided into two levels or orders—the

Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood.

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Do Mormons believe in

the Bible?es. The Church reveres the Bible as the word of

God, a sacred volume of scripture. Latter-day

Saints cherish its teachings and engage in a lifelong

study of its divine wisdom. Moreover, during worship

services the Bible is pondered and discussed.

Additional books of scripture—including the Book of

Mormon—strengthen and reinforce God’s teachings

through additional witnesses and provide moving

accounts of the personal experiences many

individuals had with Jesus Christ. According to

Church apostle M. Russell Ballard, “The Book of Mormon does not dilute nor diminish nor

deemphasize the Bible. On the contrary, it expands,

extends, and exalts it.”



Why does the Church

send out missionaries?he missionary effort of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints is based on the New

Testament pattern of missionaries serving in pairs,

teaching the gospel and baptizing believers in the

name of Jesus Christ.

More than 52,000 missionaries, most of whom are

under the age of 25, are serving missions for the

Church at any one time.

Missionary work is voluntary, with most missionaries

funding their own missions. They receive their

assignment from Church headquarters and are sentonly to countries where governments allow the

Church to operate. In some parts of the world,

missionaries are sent only to serve humanitarian or

other specialized missions.

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