Do Mormons Believe in the Bible?
Mormons use several volumes of scripture, including the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Book of Mormon gave rise to the nickname often given Mormons, but the actual name of the religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first part tells us whose church it is. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus explains that a church belongs to whoever it is named after, so His church must be named after him. The second part distinguishes the early Saints from those in the restored church today.
Do Mormons Pay Tithing?
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Gospel & Doctrine, Gospel Principles, Practices & Precepts, LDS Practices, LDS Q&A
Mormons follow the Biblical command to tithe.
The Bible teaches the law of tithing beginning early in the Old Testament. The word tithing means tenth and so Mormons, as do others who follow the Bible, pay one-tenth of their increase (see Deuteronomy 14:22). Increase refers to income. It is left to individual Mormons to decide what income involves. Various Mormons interpret it in different ways, but we are asked only to take it to God for clarification.
The first mention of tithing is in Genesis, when Abram paid his tithes to Melchizedek. From that time on, if not before, God’s children have been asked to pay tithes. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord (Leviticus 27:30).
Although it can feel challenging to suddenly begin turning over so much of your income to God, it is important to remember that without God, we have nothing at all. When I teach little children, I often tell them I will give them ten pennies. I then ask if they would be willing to give one back—but not to me. I ask them to give it to God. We spread the pennies out and each child sees that he gets to keep a lot more pennies than God does, even though it is because of God they have the pennies. (I wouldn’t be giving them out if I weren’t teaching God’s commandment.) They consider that quite fair. Read more
Christmas is a Season for Giving
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Becoming More Christlike, Bible, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Family Traditions, Gospel Principles, Practices & Precepts, Jesus Christ
Mormon Prophets and Mormon Scriptures
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Book of Mormon, Book of Mormon, Church Organization, Counsel from Church Leaders, Doctrine & Covenants, Doctrine & Covenants, Finding Truth, Gospel & Doctrine, LDS Practices, LDS Q&A, Leaders, Prophets
This is the third installment in a series of articles on Mormon prophets. The series is based on a talk given by Ezra Taft
Mormon girl studying the Bible
Benson, who was then a Mormon apostle. In the article, he outlines Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet. The second principle is: The living prophet is more vital to us than the Standard Works. The standard works is a Mormon term for scriptures and includes all approved Mormon scriptures: The Old and New Testament of the Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Read more
Why Do Mormons Know The Scriptures So Well?
Filed under: Bible, Book of Mormon, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Gospel & Doctrine, LDS Practices
A recent Pew Forum study showed that Mormons know their religion and the Bible better than do Protestants. Only atheists, agnostics, and Jews scored higher, and statistically, each of those groups was a tie. This is one of a series of studies that have demonstrated Mormons know their religions better and practice them more, both in adulthood and in the teen years.
High Moral Standards
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Becoming Perfected in Christ, Bible, Counsel from Church Leaders, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Fruits of gospel living, Making Decisions
Mormons are known for their high moral standards. Some people think those standards are old-fashioned or out of touch, but Mormons know those standards protect them from many of life’s challenges and help them to live up to standards God himself has set. Read more
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Book of Mormon, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Gospel & Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Judge of all Humanity, Mortal Ministry & Mission, Plan of Salvation, Premortal Life
When Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane, He embarked on one of the most powerful experiences in human history. As He took on our sins, He suffered extraordinary pain. It was an experience that was essential for our own salvation but also one essential for His own calling in life. By experiencing the pain of sin, He became able, despite having never sinned Himself, to completely understand what we go through when we sin. This makes Him uniquely qualified to be our Savior and judge. What we’ve experienced, He has also experienced. In this article, and the one that follows, we will explore the nature of the atonement and what it means for us personally.
The Atonement is Personal
Atonement is a gift of love. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, said, “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love, (2 Nephi 1:15) Doesn’t that scripture help you understand the extraordinary gift of atonement? Picturing ourselves encircled in the arms of Jesus’ love is what the atonement does for us, and it’s why the atonement was done at all. Read more
The Spiritual Gift of Faith in Jesus Christ
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Recognizing Truth, Teachings of Christ
Have you ever seen a mustard seed? It is extremely tiny, but Jesus taught us that if we have even faith the size of a mustard seed we can do miracles.
When Jesus was asked why He had been able to cast out devils from a child when His disciples had not, He answered, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20, King James Translation of the Bible.) Read more
Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Blessings, Church Organization, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Jesus Christ, The Prophet
In 1 Corinthians 12:10, we learn that one spiritual gift God gives to some people is the gift of prophecy. A spiritual gift is given to people in order to do God’s work and to bless others, and must not be used for personal gain. The gift comes through the Holy Ghost to those who are worthy and obedient to God’s commandments.
Although the Mormon church is headed by a prophet, the gift of prophecy referred to here is not referring to that prophet. The office of the prophet is held by the president of the Mormons. Only one person holds that office, but many people can have the gift of prophecy. Read more
Improving Your Bible Study
Filed under: Bible, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Scripture Study Techniques, The Bible
It is very important to read the Bible every day, but sometimes we can find ourselves in checklist mode—read the number of chapters on our to-do list efficiently, cross them off our list, and move on to the next item on the list. While this does ensure we will read the scriptures daily, it doesn’t really serve much purpose. Reading the Bible is a commandment because God wants us to learn more about Him, to ponder what is inside, and to apply the lessons to ourselves. They help us develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and to build our testimony. Read more
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