by ashley | Oct 26, 2012 | About Mormons
Are Mormons a Cult? No.
For decades people have bashed on the Mormons, or more properly labeled members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by calling this Christian religion a cult. Fortunately the truth is coming out, and many are coming to learn the truth of the LDS religion—simply put, that they are normal people living normal lives, aka not a cult. Yet still there are many under the delusion that Mormonism is a cult.
James T. Summerhays wrote an article in Meridian Magazine titled, “Seven Reasons Why the Mormon Faith is Not a Cult” published on 12 Oct. 2012. Summerhays explains the stigma behind the term cult, and teaches the reader why Mormons do not deserve the title. Below are excerpts from his seven reasons: (more…)
by janm | Oct 3, 2012 | About Mormons
When a group of new stake presidents from outside the United States attended the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1961, they were able to hear words directly from the prophet and other general authorities in their own language–Dutch, German, Samoan or Spanish—for the first time.
Now, fifty years later, a worldwide audience will hear inspired messages in their own language during the October General Conference. Thanks to technology and efforts of LDS Church employees in the Translation Division and a huge volunteer force, at least one session of the two-day event will be available in 93 languages to more than 98 percent of church members. In contrast, the United Nations interprets to dignitaries in six official languages.
Even with a highly trained volunteer force and impeccable technology, interpreting sacred words becomes a matter of relying on the spirit of the Holy Ghost, according to Brad Lindsay, manager of Interpretation Services for the Church who was interviewed for a Newsroom article at lds.org. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Sep 18, 2012 | About Mormons
There is a lot of “buzz” going on about the Mormons as of late. Some people learn about Mormons from sources that aren’t reliable—aka not the source itself. I am here to give you some statistics and facts; and I am a Mormon, so you can consider what you learn here “from the source.” To begin, we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—we are commonly called Mormons because of our belief in the Book of Mormon. Now for some interesting facts:
Facts on How Mormons Worship
Mormons are Christians. Mormons believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of God—both testifiers of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon actually mentions Jesus Christ 3,925 times, which is an average of every 1.7 verses. Other interesting facts about Mormons:
- 100% of sacramental services focus on Jesus Christ.
- 9 of 10 members pray weekly and over 80% pray daily.
- According to an independent study, Mormons are among the most knowledgeable of the Bible.
- The LDS Church is the 4th largest religious body in the U.S.
- A recent PEW study showed that 77% of Mormons attend church weekly, as opposed to the 39% U.S. average. (Mormon Newsroom)
What does the LDS Church offer its Mormon members?
With a membership of 14,441,346 (end 2011) and total of 28,660 congregations, you can formally worship as a Mormon most anywhere in the world—in fact the Church is found in 185 different countries, nations and territories. You can also find more members outside of the United States than within. Some congregations are small, sometimes only a family or two; these congregations are called branches. Most congregations, however, range from three hundred to eight hundred members; these are called wards. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Sep 12, 2012 | Black Mormon
There are many people who know very little, if anything, about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormon Church), and quite a bit of what they do know about the LDS Church and its teachings and beliefs has come from critics of the Mormon religion. One of the main issues that critics of The Church of Jesus Christ tend to focus on is the relationship that exists between Blacks and Mormons, and whether or not the LDS Church is racist.
The fact that Latter-day Saints of African American descent were not permitted to be ordained to the Priesthood for a long period of time has triggered, and continues to trigger, uncertainty in the minds of some people, in particular, those of the Black race, who view this action as a sign of prejudice or racism on the part of the LDS Church. This one fact becomes even more complex for some to understand and accept as there has never been an official statement released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as to why those of African American descent were not permitted to be ordained to the Priesthood, which in turn also restricted them from participating in the sacred ordinances of the Holy Temple. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Sep 3, 2012 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
A simple phrase that is used with some regularity in mainstream Christianity is, “What Would Jesus Do?” There are Christians of all ages who wear wristbands and apparel that have the familiar slogan WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) embroidered on them. These emblems of their faith remind them of not only who they are, but as Christians – whose they are, and how they should govern their conduct as they go throughout their daily lives.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a very similar slogan. Realizing that the real question is not so much, “What Would Jesus Do?”, but rather, “What would Jesus have me do?”, the all-important answer to that question is found in the three word phrase, “Choose the Right!” (more…)
