A short video celebration of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Continue reading →

This is the fourth in a series of posts that examines the topic of Mormon spirituality, or how we respond to the Divine in personal living. Readers can find the first here, the second here, and the third here. There will be one final consecutive subject covered. The purpose of the series is to explain why Mormons are the way they are and what that has to do with religion and doctrine. It was inspired by critics who seem to misunderstand or question the inner spirituality of Mormons as materialists or shallow.

Many people who hear that “Families can be together forever” recognize it as an important Mormon teaching. It has been said that Mormons were concerned about the concept of “family values” before it became a political catch phrase. There is the vague notion that we are all related to God as sons and daughters, and therefore brothers and sisters to each other. This amounts to an expectation of large familes. What is less thought about is exactly how central the family is to the Mormon theology of Salvation.

The idea of family is not just about some kind of cosmic emotional connection to a Higher Power. Rather, the family cements each person to God in a way that goes beyond simple relatedness. The power of the Atonement is fully crystallized when humans become part of a structure patterned after an eternal organization. To not become part of that pre-existing community is to keep from reaching the full potential of the individual. Damnation is to be single and without family. Continue reading →

This is the third in a series of posts that examines the topic of Mormon spirituality, or how we respond to the Divine in personal living. Readers can find the first here and the second here. The purpose of the series is to explain why Mormons are the way they are and how it has to do with religion and doctrine. It was inspired by critics who seem to misunderstand or question the inner spirituality of Mormons as materialists or shallow.

When people think of Mormons, among the perceptions are a group of people who are mindlessly obedient to whatever they are told. Critics of a particular Evangelical Christian perspective believe that Mormonism teaches that we save ourselves. They often reject any idea that Jesus Christ is the center of all the Latter-day Saints do in their lives. Some of what they say is valid without understanding the contexts of those teachings. It can often seem that the Savior takes a limited role in the lives of Latter-day Saints where the emphasis is on obedience, Priesthood, tithing, Temple work, and families. Since the word “Grace” is not a word that has permeated the religious lexicon of Mormonism, it is assumed that it has little value. There becomes a war about “faith” or “works” saving the soul. Sadly, some Mormons are drawn into that argument needlessly. They don’t realize that Grace makes possible the individual salvation in those teachings.

Over the years the concept of Grace has become more prominent in church lessons than in the past. However, it has always been there as a package that Mormons call The Gospel. It is only one part of the whole that is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To concentrate on that one word is to lose greater blessings possible to those with Faith. The life of a Latte-day Saint is, if done in the right religious spirit, the activation of Grace for the believer. Obedience to the Commandments and teachings of Apostles and Prophets is not and should not be about faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but faith in the saving power of Christ.

Brigham Young had this belief in mind when he stated:

The moment the atonement of the Savior is done away, that moment, at one sweep, the hopes of salvation entertained by the Christian world are destroyed, the foundation of their faith is taken away, and there is nothing left for them to stand upon. When it is gone all the revelations God ever gave to the Jewish nation, to the Gentiles, and to us are rendered valueless, and all hope is taken from us at one sweep. (Young, Brigham. Discourses of Brigham Young. Selected by John A. Widtsoe. 1941. Pg. 27. Emphasis mine.)

Continue reading →

This is the second in a series of posts that examines the topic of Mormon spirituality, or how we respond to the Divine in personal living. The purpose of the series is to explain why Mormons are the way they are and how it has to do with religion and doctrine. It was inspired by critics who seem to misunderstand or question the inner spirituality of Mormons as materialists or shallow.

Reading the many blog posts I do each week, I came across answers to some strange questions. Often it seems that those who don’t know Mormons, and some who do, have this idea that the faith has too many rules and regulations. Most importantly is that somehow the religion is different from all the others in the approach to ethics and commandments. Some critics have said there are over 100 commandments that Mormons must follow. There is some truth to these opinions because culture has changed over the years. What is expected of people modern society today is far less than what was taught before the social revolutions back a generation. Yet, understanding the required behaviors and reasons for a believing Mormon isn’t that hard.

The first recognition is that Mormons are not Eastern Quakers or Catholic Nuns and Monks. It is taught that a person should live in the world, but not of the world. That means participating in life; going to work, getting married, going to school, raising children, etc. Life is not about a cloistered existence. That leaves a lot of room for what a Mormon can do in this world. As one blog said about living the standards, “There may be lots of rules and guidelines but these aren’t rocket science. Its simple things like get enough sleep, wear appropriate clothing. If you ask me…. Being Mormon is easy. The world is hard!”

What are the Mormon standards they are asked to live with as a believer? It starts with a basic list that can be found in the Bible of all places. Continue reading →

In “honor” of comments made by the creators of the blasphemy that is the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, I am reprinting a Straight and Narrow Blog post. This is also one of a few posts that I consider deals with the topic of Mormon spirituality, or how we respond to the Divine in personal living.

Many commentators have stated recently that Mormons have weird beliefs, but they are nice people. At least one said that, compared to other religious people, Mormons they have known were mostly nice with fewer “Jerks” to be found. This may be high compliments, but there is something behind the words that hasn’t been properly evaluated. It begs the question of why Mormons, if this is indeed the case, are nice to a fault that some have even found spooky.

It can be frustrating to hear such good praise and yet at the same time have deeply held beliefs dismissed. There seems to be a disconnect in commentator’s minds between behavior and theology. At least there is consistency with those who say that Mormon theology is bad and therefore Mormons are bad people. The good news is those who have a distorted view of Mormons aren’t taken seriously by the open-minded who actually know some as more than a headline.

How Mormons behave and treat others is not merely a social construct. It doesn’t spring from nowhere. There are very specific beliefs and theological concepts that shape the Mormon community. Understanding those can bridge a gap between the religion and people that many ignore or simply dismiss as unrelated. Continue reading →