by dwhite | Jan 29, 2013 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
There has been a good deal of discussion lately, even in scientific forums, about what makes Mormons (more accurately, Latter-day Saints—members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) stand out physically from other people. Some people are quite skeptical that this difference exists at all, but in the November/December 2012 issue of Psychology Today, the cover story (“What’s in a Face?” by Jena Pincott) referenced this issue. The story’s abstract said, “From spotting the ‘Mormon Glow’ to intuiting sexuality, criminality, and leadership ability, we make snap judgments about people that are remarkably accurate. It’s one of the brain’s oldest tricks –a matter of self-protection.”
Nicholas Rule, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, decided to put his experience in the study of judgments people make based on appearances to the test on this issue and was surprised when he found that Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) could pick out other Latter-day Saints from headshots more often than chance would allow. How could these people spot the “Mormon glow”? (more…)
by Lisa M. | Jan 25, 2013 | Do Mormons Celebrate Holidays?
Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His victory over the grave. Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believe that the Savior’s victory over death extends to all of us— thus the “sting of death is swallowed up in Christ” (Mosiah 16:8).
President Ezra Taft Benson, then prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also mistakenly called the Mormon Church, said in 1992:
“The greatest events of history are those that affect the greatest number of people for the longest periods. By this standard, no event could be more important to individuals or nations than the resurrection of the Master. The literal resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a certainty…. Nothing is more absolutely universal than the resurrection. Every living being will be resurrected.”
Mormons believe that we are spirit children of our Heavenly Father, that He has a plan for us and that we lived with Him before we were born. Jesus Christ’s resurrection is an essential component to Heavenly Father’s plan.
“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22, online Bible). (more…)
by anitas | Jan 24, 2013 | Through a Mormon's Eyes
It’s now been more than seven years since I lost my brother to suicide. Some memories have become much easier with the passing of time, partly because I have trained my mind to simply not think about certain things that can’t be changed, and therefore they have no purpose. Some memories will always be completely fresh when they come into my mind even against my strongest efforts to hold them back. But whatever my mind might hold onto, the peace I have come to feel over losing my brother so tragically has deepened with my ever-growing and certain knowledge that all is well with him, and therefore I can think of him and feel nothing but peace.
I find it strange to note how I have very clear memories of things that happened for hours preceding my being made aware of his death—as if the trauma of getting the news created a reverse effect in holding onto the time that led up to it. It had been a day busy with mostly trivial things, and in the evening I sat down with my laptop to work on my current novel. My young daughter came in at one minute after seven to tell me that someone was at the door for me. I know the time because I saved the file at that very moment. Of course I was surprised to come down the stairs to face two police officers. I quickly tallied the whereabouts of my children and knew they were alright, so I couldn’t imagine what they might want. When they mentioned my brother’s name, I first wondered if he’d gotten into some trouble. When they told me his body had been found, that he’d apparently taken his own life, I wasn’t surprised at all. But shock made me weak and unable to fully take in what this meant. (more…)
by Lisa M. | Jan 11, 2013 | About Mormons
Young men and women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are still responding in unprecedented numbers to the call to serve missions after the Church’s October 6, 2012, announcement lowering the age of eligibility to 18 for men and 19 for women — and bringing the number of Sister missionary applications since October to equal that of the Elders, according to an LDS Newsroom article.
“I’ve never seen anything affect a generation of young people like what President Monson announced the Saturday morning of General Conference,” says Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department and member of the Seventy. “What we’re seeing is just an absolute overwhelming response from this generation to the invitation of the Lord and His Prophet to rise up and go and serve your fellow man and preach the gospel.”
Following the announcement there was a surge in the number of missionary applications from 700 per week to 4,000, according to the article. More than half of these applicants were women, whereas before the announcement only 15% of Mormon missionaries were women. The number of applicants is still double what it was before the announcement, and the total number of men and women who have applied for missionary service since October is now equal, according to the article. (more…)
by ernie | Jan 9, 2013 | About Mormons
In 1978, and nearly two years into their marriage, my mother and step-father felt a void in their lives. They had decided eating out for Sunday brunch and shopping with their only child wasn’t the best way to spend the Sabbath day. Both had grown up in different faiths and agreed that religion needed to be a part of raising a family.
Over several months, the three of us visited several churches and literally sought after what my mom called “the true Gospel.” My parents discussed attending The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and soon after, the Mormon missionaries began visiting our home.
While I wasn’t opposed to them coming, I was initially annoyed and really preferred watching my favorite TV shows. But something amazing happened on their third visit. (more…)
