by Charlotte Wilson | Nov 21, 2013 | Do Mormons Celebrate Holidays?
Mormons in America love Thanksgiving. (And Mormons in other parts of the world also celebrate any national holidays centered on gratitude.) Thanksgiving is a time where Mormons gather with friends and family to make pies and roast turkey and drink Martinellis. It’s a time where they unite with their country in giving thanks for all they have. Mormons are thankful for the usual good fortunes, and they also give thanks for some unique blessings that come only through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church).
1. Eternal Families
One of the most central doctrines to The Church of Jesus Christ is that families can be together forever. This possibility for families demonstrates much about Mormons and what they do and teach. Families can become eternal families through special ordinances performed in temples. Temples are houses of special worship open only to worthy members. This discretion is not because temple ceremonies are secret, but because they are sacred. In temples Mormon couples can be sealed for eternity, meaning that their marriage and family will be bound together even after physical death. This is such a great blessing to God’s children. (more…)
by brady | Dec 1, 2011 | Do Mormons Celebrate Holidays?, Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
Karen Trifiletti, MA is a Philadelphia-born convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, single mother of two, writer, and non-profit business professional.
Yes, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) living in the United States and also in Canada, do typically celebrate Thanksgiving, which is regarded as a national holiday. (It should be noted that Mormons are a diverse, global religious people, of all ethnicities, and that the majority of Mormons—7,963,489– actually reside ‘outside’ of the United States).
Latter-day Saints (nicknamed “Mormons” as a result of belief in a volume of scripture titled, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ— recording God’s interaction with ancient inhabitants of the Americas), do celebrate many traditional holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. They are a people, like those of many faiths, who are Christ-centered, family-centered, and who enjoy the communion of friends, a good meal, social gatherings, and opportunities to reflect and renew the most important relational and ultimately, divine, aspects of life. Life in Christ is the life of a striving Latter-day Saint; gratitude. They believe that men and women are “that they may have joy” and have it “more abundantly” through the provisions of Jesus Christ, the results of His Sovereign work in our individual and national and international lives (John 10:10, 2 Nephi 2:25). (more…)
by brady | Nov 18, 2011 | Do Mormons Celebrate Holidays?
Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as a the Ward Mission Leader in the Annapolis, Maryland Ward.
Thanksgiving Daily in Our Hearts
Traditionally, every fourth Thursday in November is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day. However, Edward Sanford Martin, a graduate of Harvard University and a founder of the Harvard Lampoon, and also the first literary editor of Life Magazine, had a totally different perspective about Thanksgiving Day. He said, “Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”
For a majority of people, Thanksgiving Day is a joyous time when family and friends from both near and far gather together for a day of feasting and celebration. As they enter the home of their hosts they are greeted with the savory aroma of the delectable victuals that have been prepared for the banquet that will soon be set before them. In addition to the bounteous meal, there will be Thanksgiving Day parades and football games to watch, and of course, a time for catching up on all of the latest family gossip. But amidst all of the joy and excitement, do families remember to take the time to bow their heads and give thanks for the many blessings, both small and great, that the Lord has bestowed upon them? Or, is this just another family gathering and an opportunity to partake of a delicious meal and sit back and watch football games? In other words, is Thanksgiving Day truly a day of Thanks Giving? (more…)
by brady | Nov 16, 2011 | Do Mormons Celebrate Holidays?
Valerie Steimle, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman) has been writing as a family advocate for the past 20 years. She is the mother of nine children living in southern Alabama and is the author of four books and a weekly newspaper column, Thoughts from the Heart.
Do Mormons Celebrate Thanksgiving? Reflections on Gratitude
As the season of Thanksgiving is upon us, contemplating Thanksgiving causes me to reflect on what I am thankful for in my life. As I ponder the Thanksgiving season, these thoughts help me to be more thankful. Thanksgiving helps me remember to be thankful for living in a country with hard fought freedoms including the freedom to express ourselves in the written word, on radio or television. I am thankful for the opportunity to choose where I live and what church I attend. My choice of church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”) and part of our belief system is that we need to be thankful for the lives we live.
A thought on thankfulness from President Thomas S. Monson who is President, and Mormon prophet, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints says: “We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.” (October 2010) (more…)
by | Nov 4, 2011 | About Mormons
THANKSGIVING: Mormons Celebrate Thanksgiving
Yes, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed “Mormons”) do celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an opportunity for families to gather and acknowledge the blessings God has given us, particularly in providing religious freedom to America and an abundance of His daily grace. Of course, as we recognize His hand in our lives, we become thankful every day for the blessings provided, in addition, Thanksgiving is a day set aside a day specifically for that purpose.
The Book of Psalms, in The Holy Bible tells us to “give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalms 118:1).” The Book of Mormon, a volume of scripture which complements the Bible, teaches us to “live in thanksgiving daily (Alma 34:38).” Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to do just that. (more…)
