by byustudent | Feb 13, 2013 | About Mormons
BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” BYU students take nearly a semester of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.
In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.
In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America. (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names. We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.) (more…)
by byustudent | Feb 13, 2013 | About Mormons
BYU Students Share Reflections on Scripture
BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” BYU students take nearly a semester of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.
In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.
In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America. (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names. We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these reflections). (more…)
by Lisa M. | Jan 16, 2013 | About Mormons
“Mormon? What’s a Mormon?” I have been asked that question many times throughout my life. When I was younger, I could never quite think of what to say, so I’d stumble over the answers: “Well, we don’t drink coffee, tea or alcohol. We don’t smoke. We don’t use foul language. We believe in the Book of Mormon…” I’d like to say that as an adult I’m much better, but I am not sure that’s true. The short answer is that a Mormon is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called the Mormon Church because we believe in a book of scripture called the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and a companion to the Bible.
The long answer, like most long answers, is more complex. Often people would comment that our faith is very restrictive…a sentiment probably aided and abetted by my statements. The truth is just the opposite. Being a Mormon is all about choices, and learning how and why to make the right ones.
LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson said, “ I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for His gift of agency, or the right to choose. President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, said, ‘Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man’” (President Thomas S. Monson, “The 3 Rs of Choice,” October 2010 General Conference). (more…)
by brady | Mar 15, 2012 | About Mormons
Mormon Beliefs: Living Frugally, Being Prepared, and Avoiding Debt

Living frugally is not a strictly Mormon belief or concept, but it is one that is heavily stressed and taught within the Mormon culture and is included in several instructional books for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the Mormon church by friends of other faiths). Members who follow the advice and counsel of church leadership to live frugally are often considered thrifty and prepared.
A big part of frugal living is emergency preparedness, and there are often seminars, classes, and activities dedicated to learning how to prepare 72-hour kits and food storage. Such preparedness offers peace-of-mind should there ever be a natural disaster, and we believe it is also an important part of preparing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, this isn’t the only benefit. Such preparations leave members prepared to handle smaller personal “disasters” such as facing unemployment in these hard economic times. My parents went through a short period in which my father was unemployed between jobs, and they became heavily reliant on their year supply of food storage. (more…)
by | Mar 13, 2012 | About Mormons
Mormons Not FLDS
The general term “Mormonism” can be used to represent members of three different Mormon branches. The largest and most familiar branch is known as the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and members of this church often have strong adverse feelings with being associated with the other two branches known as the Reorganized Latter-day Saints and the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints due to their rejection of the prophets and practice of unseemly traditions. We are, however, connected in our history- (more…)