Mormon Bloggers

This weekend, the Twelve Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ will be speaking to the world during the worldwide General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the Church, who are also known as Mormons, will gather in meetinghouses and homes to watch and listen via TV, radio, satellite, and internet. The broadcast originates in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Church has its headquarters. It is a unique opportunity to learn from the living representatives of Jesus Christ on the earth today. Jesus Called Twelve Apostles to be Special Witnesses During His mortal ministry, Jesus called twelve apostles to bear witness of Him to the people. He chose, from among His disciples, Twelve to whom he gave special priesthood authority: And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease (Matthew 10:1). Jesus then... Read the rest of this entry »

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes referred to as the “Mormon Church” by the media, are well-known for their interest in genealogy. Mormons actively research information about their ancestors, and keep records themselves to pass on to their children. In Mormon temples, members of the Church perform ordinances, such as baptism for the dead, for their ancestors, making it possible for those who have passed on to accept and follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mormon Genealogical Research Ever since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830, members have actively sought information about their ancestors. One of the main missions of the Church is to work toward the fulfillment of the following scripture, which was repeated several times by an angel to the young Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, in 1823: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of... Read the rest of this entry »

When I was a little child I was baptized by a Catholic priest without my permission. Obviously I had no clue of what was going on. Similarly, the day I die, perhaps some of my relatives in Italy will decide to ask another Catholic priest to perform a mass for me. I can already see some of them very concerned that because I am now a Mormon, and I am still planning on dying as one, I may not go to heaven, and so they will want to speed up my stay in purgatory (hopefully they will not think that I deserve a worse place than that) and pay a priest to do a mass for me. What should be my attitude or the attitude of my children toward them? I think that we should apprreciate their effort and offer, instead of complaining. I do not believe that a Catholic Mass when I die will do me any good, but why getting upset over that then? I should appreciate that in their mind they are trying to help me. Similarly, I do not understand why people get so upset when they discover that... Read the rest of this entry »

by Nora Hess Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, frequently nicknamed “Mormons,” are avid followers of Christ. A scripture from The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which is the religious record of an ancient native people who lived in the Americas for thousands of years both before and after Christ’s birth, puts it this way: And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:26) A typical Mormon does indeed spend much time every day talking of Christ, studying His words, expressing gratitude and praying to the Father in Christ’s name, thinking about Him, and teaching children and others about Him. Every week during Sunday meetings, committed Mormons partake of the sacrament, where they promise God... Read the rest of this entry »

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church” by the media) teaches that homosexuality is contrary to the plan of God for His children. A modern-day revelation titled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” explains further why homosexuality is in opposition to God’s plan: Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. . . . The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. . . . Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital... Read the rest of this entry »

    Study by Topic The Study by Topic section of LDS.org is a great resource when preparing a lesson, answering doctrinal questions or simply studying the gospel. Each topic contains an overview of the principle, as stated by the Church, as well as additional resources such as General Authority talks, gospel lessons and Church websites. Testers needed for new LDS Maps The Church needs volunteers to try out the new Maps tool on LDS.org. Some of the new features in the 3.0 version include a new map layer for seminaries, announced temples and tabernacles, as well as high resolution image display for Church temples. Learn how you can help on the LDS Tech blog. Seminary 100 Year Celebration Archives The video files for last week’s 100 year Seminary celebration are now available through the Seminary website. Files are available in ASL, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. New Mormon Message for Youth Sister Elaine... Read the rest of this entry »

There is a video out there that tries to make a case for hating religion while at the same time loving Jesus. There is nothing necessarily new in that message, just the way it is presented is captivating and many people probably like it. However, the message is wrong, because to say that we hate religion does not produce good will among men, and complete lack of religion never created a happy society. Moreover, the author of the video does not understand that Jesus in fact established a church when he lived on this earth, and Jesus does not hate religion. If it is true that in the name of religion many atrocities have been committed, it is also true that many great things have been done because of religion. So, the problem is not “religion” but what we do in its name, and I think that the good things done in its name still outweigh the wrong one (but they are usually less glamorous). The following video is a Mormon or LDS reply to that video, Why I Hate... Read the rest of this entry »

100 Years of Seminary Celebration President Boyd K. Packer, modern-day apostle of Jesus Christ (Mormon leader), spoke last evening at a special broadcast to youth, teens, Mormons and friends of other faiths at what was called the “Seminary Centennial Broadcast.”  Seminary is a high-school course of religious instruction for youth, equipping them to face their daily challenges and draw nearer to Jesus Christ.  Church youth, Mormon/LDS leaders, parents and the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–the First Presidency–attended and addressed the gathering. Over 350,000 youth are participating globally in a scripture study course with their peers during their high school years.  It produces a youth fortified by the word rather than the world, and enables them to understand the divine doctrines of Christ’s gospel and atoning sacrifice and to apply them personally.  President Eyring addressed the youth, sharing the history... Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results. Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant. In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true... Read the rest of this entry »

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... Read the rest of this entry »

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 »