One day, while attending a vacation Bible School in my neighborhood, we learned about Old Testament prophets. I was extremely excited to find out God could talk to a prophet and tell him what was true and what we should be doing for God. I had been visiting various churches with family members and friends and even at a very young age, I’d been puzzled by the way they all contradicted each other. Despite these contradictions, they all either claimed to be the true church or they claimed all churches were equally true. Even a child could see they couldn’t all be true. Sometimes the things they disagreed about were very important. I just didn’t think God intended for us to spend our lives confused about important things.

I asked the teacher who the prophet was now and was told there wasn’t one. God didn’t talk to us through prophets anymore. She suggested I could just pray myself if I wanted to tell Him something, but I thought that if that was enough, there would only be one church, because I presumed all those ministers I’d met were praying. I tucked it away in my heart and kept my eyes open for a prophet. There had to be one somewhere.

When I found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes nicknamed Mormons, I had a head start. I already believed many of their teachings, not just the mainstream Christian beliefs, but also some of the more unique teachings. I was sixteen now, but still searching for the prophet I knew had to be out there somewhere.

Until this point, I had been looking for a prophet in a generic sort of way. The Bible talks about prophets and even says God’s church must be built on a foundation of prophets and apostles. It says God will do nothing without first revealing it through his prophets. But I wasn’t entirely sure how people in the Old Testament had known  these men were prophets. The people in Noah’s time had entirely rejected their prophet, with deadly results. Moses’ people accepted him as their prophet but tended to ignore what God told him to say when the teachings weren’t to their personal liking, which, to my mind, suggested they weren’t entirely convinced he was a prophet. I didn’t want to be one of those people who bumped into a prophet and didn’t recognize him for who he was.

Soon before I got invited to attend church with a Mormon, I became aware of a famous women who was called a prophet. Her predictions were published in the newspaper every New Year’s Eve and she got a lot of attention for them. They were interesting predictions, but they were too often on unimportant things, such as celebrity gossip. I didn’t really see God caring to announce through a prophet who was going to win a big award that year or even which movie star would get divorced. I started a list of what I wanted in a prophet—I love making lists. The first thing was that the prophecies had to matter enough for God to announce them. That was pretty much all that was on my list. I wasn’t sure what else went there.

When I began learning about Spencer W. Kimball, the current prophet of the Mormon people, I wondered how I was supposed to know if he was a prophet. Learning to believe in prophets had been easy; recognizing that prophet was not. I knew from reading the Bible that prophets didn’t have to be perfect. Some in the Old Testament had made some big mistakes in their lives. As I learned about President Kimball, I saw that he lived a more Christ-like life than many of the Old Testament prophets had. If behavior belonged on the list, President Kimball passed the test.

I started reading the things he taught. He was especially fond of talking about the need for repentance and the blessings that came from it. He never watered down doctrine or said what was popular. He was firm in his teachings. I felt those things were to be expected in a prophet. Most of the things God had taught in the Bible had been unpopular, but true. I was pretty sure a false prophet would be more inclined to tell people what they wanted to hear and to make the gospel easy. In the Bible, it wasn’t presented as easy.

I began to learn how the Holy Ghost teaches us. I learned that if I lacked wisdom, I could pray and God would tell me what I needed to know. (See James 1:5 in the New Testament.) I began praying for things that couldn’t be answered by actions, such as causing me to remember a forgotten test answer, and praying for new informationI learned to study an issue out spiritually and intellectually, make a choice, and then pray to know if my decision was correct. . In time, I learned to recognize the calm, peaceful feeling that told me the Holy Ghost was there with me, approving the decisions I had made.

In the end, this was how I came to know Spencer W. Kimball was a prophet. I my lists, my studies, and the other methods I used were part of the preparation process, but the only way I could actually know he was a prophet was by asking the only one who knew for certain—God. Anyone else could be wrong. The Bible held the answer to my question when it instructed me to ask God and promised me He would answer. I prayed, he answered, and I knew.

When President Kimball died, I felt I needed to start over again, studying and praying. I did, but what I realized was that if I belonged to the true church, God would make certain it was led by a true prophet. I didn’t need to pray about every individual doctrine once I knew I had found the gospel. Of course, from time to time I would learn of a doctrine I just didn’t feel sure about. Then I was encouraged to pray again to know whether or not it was true. To my surprise, my leaders and teachers told me I must never take their word for it. I must only trust God. That was certainly something I’d not encountered before. Everyone wanted me to take the word of an infallible human in the other religions I’d studied. Knowing I was to find my own answers gave me confidence. In time, a new prophet could be sustained and I could raise my hand to support him even without praying—but I could pray if I wanted to.

I was certain that was how God would want it to be.

On March 20, 2012, Jeffrey R. Holland spoke to Harvard Law School at their request. He was invited to lecture on Mormonism 101, a very basic introduction to Mormonism for those who are not Mormon. After the lecture, he took questions from the students.

Mormon is only a nickname, one which can be properly applied to the members of the church but not to the church itself. The proper name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons generally refer to themselves as LDS (Latter-day Saint), not Mormon.

Jeffrey R. Holland, whose proper title is Elder Holland, is an apostle. When Jesus Christ established his church, he called twelve apostles to assist Him with His work and to testify of Him. Today, a prophet heads the earthly church since Jesus is no longer on the Earth, but Jesus Christ is still considered the head of the Church. You may recall that in Old Testament times a prophet always led God’s people. Since the Bible states that Jesus’ church must be built on the same platform as established by Jesus Christ Himself, the Mormons have a prophet and apostles to lead them.

Elder Holland began by describing the origins of the church, which began when a fourteen-year-old boy was confused about which church to join. When he read James 1:5 in the Bible, he knew he had found a solution—ask God when you need wisdom on a subject. As he prayed in the grove near his home, he received a visit from God and Jesus Christ, who told him none of the churches had the complete truth and so he must not join any of them. Later, when he was a few years older, an angel named Moroni came to tutor him in preparation for restoring the complete gospel.

There has been no question that doctrine altered and changed over the centuries and that people are in disagreement over very basic principles. Throughout history, church members would disagree over a point of doctrine and one group would leave and start a new church that operated on their own beliefs about how the Bible must be interpreted. This led to thousands of churches even within the Protestant tradition. As the Second Coming draws near, it is clear there is a need for a definitive voice and in the Bible, we learn that this voice must be that of a prophet of God. The Bible does not say there would be no further prophets after the Bible ended. It says, in fact, that God will do nothing except through His prophets.

Early in church history, there was a Protestant reformation. Many good people saw that corruption and misunderstanding had arisen in the existing church. These leaders were not prophets and never claimed to be. They were good men doing the best they could in a time of apostasy. They fought hard for their beliefs and helped to pave the way for freedom of religion in modern times, and for this, Mormons celebrate them. However, Mormons teach that a mere reformation is not enough. A restoration of all things must occur in order to get God’s church back on the proper path, and this is what the Mormons offer.

Elder Holland addressed the accusation that Mormons are not Christians with a straight-forward explanation of the topic:

“We are not considered “Christian” by some, I suppose, because we are not fourth-century Christians, we are not Athanasian Christians, we are not creedal Christians of the brand that arose hundreds of years after Christ. No, when we speak of “restored Christianity” we speak of the Church as it was, not as it became when great councils were called to debate and anguish over what it was they really believed. So if one means Greek-influenced, council-convening, philosophy-flavored Christianity of post-apostolic times, then we’re not that kind of Christian. Peter we know, and Paul we know, but Constantine and Athanasius, Athens and Alexandria generally we do not know. (Actually, we know them, we just don’t follow them.)”

A careful study of the complete Bible, not just selected verses, will demonstrate that many parts of modern Christianity are not found in the Bible. When one does not believe God is still speaking and clarifying, one must rely only on the Bible for information about truth. However, to use one common example, the word Trinity is not in the Bible. Nor is the formal definition of Trinity. This was added later in the fourth century councils to appease certain aspects of the growing religion and derived from philosophers, not the Bible. The Bible has too many instances in which it clearly demonstrates that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are entirely unique beings, unified in purpose, not physical aspect.

Elder Holland offered the following examples that demonstrate that God and Jesus Christ are separate beings:

“We take literally at His word that Christ ‘came down from heaven, not to do [His] own will, but the will of him that sent [him]‘ (John 6:38). Of His antagonists Jesus said, they have ‘hated both me and my Father’ (John 15:24). And along with scores of other references, including His pleading prayers, Jesus repeatedly subordinated Himself to His Father, saying regularly in one way or another, ‘My father is greater than I’ (John 14:28). However, having made the point of Their separate and distinct physical nature, we declare unequivocally that They were indeed and are ‘one’ in every other conceivable way—in mind and deed, in will and wish and hope, in faith and purpose and intent and love. They are most assuredly much more alike than They are different in all the ways that I have just said, but they are separate and distinct beings as all fathers and sons are. In this matter we differ from traditional creedal Christianity, but we do feel we agree with the New Testament.”

Elder Holland concluded his talk by outlining some of the basic principles Mormons believe are part of that restoration, including the knowledge that we are sons and daughters of a loving God, that God planned for the atonement in order to make it possible for us to repent and to return home someday, and that what we do in our lives matters.

“Lastly, this plan, this divine course outlined for us—including the fortunate Fall in Eden and the redemption of Gethsemane and Calvary—is universally inclusive. All are children of the same God and all are included in His love and His grace. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Everyone is covered, though it remains to be seen whether everyone cares. But if there is a failure to respond, it won’t be because God didn’t try and Christ didn’t come. That is at the heart of what I have been introducing to you as the restored gospel.

Read Mormonism 101.

Mormons, a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrate Easter as a very sacred day. Each Christmas, members are reminded that Christmas is a holiday because Easter is a holiday. Without the atonement of Jesus Christ, there would have been no Christmas and our eternal lives would be lost.

Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and of Mary. They have no doctrine on how this parentage came to be and rumors concerning Mormon beliefs on this subject are not true. It is considered unimportant to our eternal salvation. What is important is that this duel mortal and divine heritage allowed Jesus Christ to do things we could not do for ourselves. While His mortality allowed Him to experience and understand the challenges and temptations we face, His divinity allowed him to overcome death to be resurrected. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took on all the sins ever created, an extraordinarily selfless and painful act, one that required the ministering of angels to get through. Then he suffered on the cross, another painful experience. However, after three days, He rose from the dead and broke the bonds of death for all of us.

What do these events mean for us? Mormons believe that justice required that we live perfect, sinless lives here on earth. This, of course, would be impossible for anyone but Jesus Christ. Fortunately, God loves us so much He chose to balance justice with mercy. He authorized a proxy ordinance in the form of the atonement, which means that Jesus Christ would suffer for our sins and atone for them in a way we could not. His atonement, death, and resurrection made it possible for us to be saved.

To a Mormon, being saved means more than making a one-time statement of faith. It is an ongoing process. The idea that being saved is a way of living and not just an act derives in part from the following scriptures in the Bible and the Book of Mormon:

Bible:

Not every one that saith‍ unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth‍ the will‍ of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

Book of Mormon:

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen (2 Nephi 10:24).

What this means is that Mormons believe we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and be baptized. But if we simply stopped there, going on to live any life we wanted without regard to the commandments, we would be demonstrating that our statement of faith was false and without commitment. Our lives must be an outward demonstration of our internal faith. God gave us commandments and like any good parent, He expects us to keep them, as shown in the Biblical scripture above. The greater our faith, the easier it is to keep the commandments. For those with perfect faith, obedience is not a burden.

We might remember that in the Bible a young man came and asked Jesus what he should do. Jesus mentioned several commandments and the man said he’d been doing all those things since he was a child. Jesus raised the bar—he challenged the man to give away all his possessions and to follow Jesus. This the young man was not able to do. His possessions were more important to him than Jesus Christ at that time. His choices and his acts demonstrated the validity and depth of his conversion.

Mormons understand that although we must keep the commandments, keeping them alone is not enough. A person cannot make a list of commandments and then work down the list without an inner commitment. The commandments must be kept for the proper reason—not to receive a reward but as a natural outgrowth of our deep faith in and love for Jesus Christ. Only when our hearts and motives are pure are we doing exactly what Jesus Christ asked of us when he said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Mormons believe that because of the atonement, everyone will rise from the dead and live forever. We each have the right and ability to repent, something not fully possible prior to the atonement. At baptism, we understand that we are saved, but that we must do our part and live a Christ-like life. Then, when we have done our part, the part Jesus Christ personally required of us during His mortal ministry, He will do His part—a part we cannot possibly do for ourselves. We are saved only through Jesus Christ because we could not have saved ourselves had He chosen not to come to Earth and atone for our sins. Our eternal salvation is a partnership of love between God, Jesus Christ, and ourselves.

Learn more about whether or not Mormons believe in being saved by grace.

Thomas S. Monson, the current Mormon prophet, has spoken often on Easter. Following is one testimony he shared of the very first Easter:

“Next week the Christian world will celebrate the most significant event in recorded history. The simple pronouncement, “He is not here, but is risen,” was the first confirmation of the literal Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The empty tomb that first Easter morning brought comforting assurance, an affirmative answer to Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live again?”^…

With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. “Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’” May the whole world know it and live by that knowledge, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, amen.” (See I Know That My Redeemer Lives!” Ensign, May 2007, 24, 25.)

Thomas S. Monson is the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of prophet is one of the few full-time religious positions available to Mormons. (There are, of course, ordinary jobs such as secretaries to do administrative-type work.) Only the prophets and apostles, among all the church’s religious leadership, work full-time. The remainder are volunteers. For instance, when Mitt Romney served as a bishop (a lay pastor) he held regular employment in his community and this supported his family. The extensive work of a bishop was all done after work and family responsibilities were met.

Although the prophet, his two counselors, and the twelve apostles (the counselors are also apostles) serve full-time, they do not receive a salary. This is due to biblical warnings about priestcraft—the ability to become wealthy doing the work of the Church. Since most who serve in these positions are older, they often have pensions or other sources of private income, even though they can no longer hold outside employment. Those who do not receive a modest stipend which allows them to live at a reasonable standard of living, but not to become wealthy. While most religions pay their ministers and many leaders of popular churches become wealthy, a Mormon leader can only achieve wealth prior to his call to full-time service. No matter how much money the Church makes, leaders do not personally profit from that money.

Due to privacy, the church does not reveal who is receiving financial help from the church, whether it is an ordinary church member receiving charitable assistance or a leader receiving a small stipend. Thomas S. Monson became an apostle at the age of 36, an unusually young age for such a call. (He was also an unusually young bishop.) Prior to his call, he had worked in the printing industry as the General Manager of Deseret News Press. It is possible he receives a stipend, due to how young he was when he gave up paid employment, but it’s also possible his children and other relatives support him instead. He may even have savings invested that support him. How he supports himself really isn’t important. However he does so, he does not receive a paycheck or a share of the money brought in by the church.

 If a stipend is given, it does not come from tithing money. Unlike many churches, which count all their businesses as part of their ministry, the Mormons operate a for-profit arm for their businesses. These businesses pay taxes at the same rate as any other businesses. They are operated under a holding company. It is the for-profit arm that provides the stipend, so that the money donated by members is not used for salaries. The prophet does not own these businesses, nor does he receive a share of the profits from them. The profits are used to fund church work, including things like salaries that must not be paid from tithing funds.

Mormons love being part of a volunteer system. It allows them to serve God entirely unselfishly. They don’t accept service to gain a paycheck; they accept it entirely because they love God and want to serve Him and to be a part of His work. There are, of course, rewards that go far beyond anything a paycheck could provide.

Mormons normally don’t choose their callings. When a leader of an organization needs someone to fill a position, he or she considers possible names of people she knows or who might be available. She then evaluates those names, praying for inspiration, and then chooses one. She prays to find out if this name is acceptable to God and if it is, she submits it to the bishop for approval. This is done because he knows more about the person and whether or not that person is actually available for the position. When everyone has prayed and is in agreement, the chosen person is invited to accept the call. Knowing it is from God, most Mormons will accept even if they feel unqualified for the position. Of course, if there is information he or she might have that is pertinent, such as a serious family situation requiring priority, the person will ask to have that considered.

People generally change positions every few years. This allows them to serve in a wide range of positions over the years and to gain many skills. It also improves their understanding of the organization of the church because they see it from many different viewpoints. There is no promotion, so a person might be the president of the children’s Primary one week, and helping a toddler nursery leader the next and not consider it a demotion in any way. It is simply another responsibility.

The skills learned through church service often force people outside their comfort zones. A shy follower may find herself asked to lead a large women’s organization. A man who doesn’t feel organized might be asked to be the secretary—a position requiring extensive organizational skills. A person new to the church can be asked to teach a class, even though she will first have to learn the doctrines she will be teaching. As people accept positions they would never have volunteered for, they become more than they imagined they could be. Mormons believe God knows them perfectly and knows all they are capable of becoming. When He chooses a calling for them, He is often putting them into a situation that requires the growth needed to become the person God knows they can be.

From a practical standpoint, some church-learned skills later become job skills. A teenager who discovers she has a knack for teaching might decide to major in education. Someone invited to teach literacy may find it very rewarding and go on to major in adult literacy or decide to volunteer to teach it in the community once it is no longer her church work. Many who gain public speaking skills or leadership skills in church go on to become leaders in business or government. This too is part of God’s plan to help us create the life He wants us to lead.

Mormons at all level of the Church serve God happily and lovingly, thrilled to be a part of His gospel.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes nicknamed Mormons, believe the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, is the third member of the Godhead. The Godhead consists of God, the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Mormons do not accept the trinity, a post-Biblical belief that the Godhead is not made up of three separate and individual beings.

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me (John 17).

These verses are taken from the King James translation of the Great Intercessory Prayer given by Jesus Christ. In other places, Jesus had said that He and His Father were one, and in these verses, we are given an understanding of what He meant by this. He is saying He wants His apostles to be one in the same way God and Jesus Christ are one—unified. It is obvious He did not mean to add them to the trinity.

Mormons believe that God and Jesus Christ have physical, but perfected and glorified bodies, but that the Holy Ghost is a spirit without a body. Stephen’s vision demonstrated that both God and Jesus Christ are physically visible and are separate beings:

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7)

It is important to note that Stephen was murdered for daring to testify of this.

However, the Holy Ghost does not have a body, in order to better fulfill His role in the Godhead. One responsibility of the Holy Ghost is to testify of God and Jesus Christ, as well as of other gospel truths. When we want to know what is true, we can pray and ask God. The answer will be given to us through the Holy Ghost.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

We understand from this verse that we can trust the promptings of the Holy Ghost because He never offers His own opinions. He tells us only what God tells Him to say. God has promised us that if we ask Him for wisdom and knowledge He will give it to us.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

Mormons consider this to be a critical scripture. It helps us understand that the only way to know what is true is to ask God, who will answer us through the Holy Ghost. Mormons are taught not to trust the testimony of other mortals. While hearing the testimony of others is helpful and important, it must not be our final source of truth. If we pray and ask God what is true, we will never be misled. Although there are some who reject the Mormon teaching to pray about truth, suggesting we can’t tell where the answer is coming from, Mormons trust the Bible and they trust God. Mormons know that God keeps His promises. If He promises He will answer our religious questions, then He will also ensure the Holy Ghost can present those answers in a way the person praying can recognize as coming from God. One way this happens is that when a person tells God he believes something to be true, and asks for confirmation of this—the proper way to approach a request for wisdom—the petitioner will have a feeling of peace and joy. Satan cannot bring about peace and joy. Many people feel a stirring in their heart that feels warm and comforting. Satan cannot bring comfort. The more often we turn to God for advice, the better we become at recognizing how He answers us. These answers always come through the Holy Ghost.

Another role of the Holy Ghost is to provide comfort. The Savior called the Holy Ghost the Comforter for this reason. He can comfort our hearts when we are frightened, worried, or struggling. This comfort reassures us that God is in charge and is helping us through our trials.

A third role of the Holy Ghost is protection. When we are trying to do the right thing, the Holy Ghost will accompany us and warn us of danger or that we are about to sin. When we listen to these promptings, we have increased safety, sometimes physically, and always spiritually.

It is through the Holy Ghost that we’re sanctified when we repent. This sanctification also occurs when we receive special ordinances, such as baptism.

Everyone, from birth, is entitled to the influence of the Holy Ghost. Otherwise, we would be unable to learn what is true. However, to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which is to have Him with us every moment if we are worthy, we must first be baptized by someone who has the appropriate priesthood authority and confirmed a member of the Church. At the time of confirmation, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is given. Mormon children are baptized at the age of eight, which is considered the age of accountability—the age when they are old enough to understand right from wrong if taught.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).

 With this gift, a person has the right to receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. However, this is contingent on worthiness. If we are living unworthily or if we ignore the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we lose His companionship. If we intentionally put ourselves in danger—particularly spiritual danger—and ignore the warnings of the Holy Ghost to flee—we will lose His companionship because He can’t accompany us into evil settings we have chosen for ourselves. It is our responsibility to live in a manner that is worthy of His companionship and to obey His promptings.

Following are some thoughts Thomas S. Monson, president and prophet of the Mormons, has offered concerning the Holy Ghost:

When you, my dear young friends, frame your life with faith, you will merit the companionship of the Holy Ghost. You will have “a perfect brightness of hope” (2 Ne. 31:20). (From “The Lighthouse of the Lord: A Message to the Youth of the Church,” Ensign, Feb. 2001, 2–7.)

 

Long years ago a divine command was given by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as He said to His beloved eleven disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”¹ Mark records that “they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them.”²

This sacred charge has not been rescinded. Rather, it has been reemphasized. The Prophet Joseph Smith set forth the purpose of the Church when he declared: “It is the bringing of men and women to a knowledge of the eternal truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world, and that only through belief in Him, and faith which manifests itself in good works, can men and nations enjoy peace” (That All May Hear, General Conference, April 1995).

Precious young people, make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not “What will others think?” but rather “What will I think of myself?” Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice that testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised, “Thine ears shall hear a word … saying, This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21) (Standards of Strength, New Era, October 2008).

 

A Mormon apostle testifies of the Holy Ghost in this video:

When Jesus Christ organized His church, He chose twelve men to assist Him in His work. He called them apostles, which means, “one sent forth.” (See Luke 6:13.) In John 16, He taught them their role in His ministry:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

From this we learn that a man cannot call himself to be an apostle—the call must come from God. Their assignment was to be a special witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ and to be missionaries to the world. Later in the chapter, he warns them the world will hate them, not because of who they were as people, but because of Jesus and His teachings.

We can see the Savior considered it important to have twelve apostles, because when Judas turned on Jesus Christ and was removed as an apostle, he was replaced by Matthias.

The structure of the early church, then, was to have Jesus at the head of the Church, with twelve apostles serving under Him. From the Old Testament, and the earliest days of the New Testament, we see that God placed a prophet as the earthly head of the church. Jesus Christ, of course, was always the head of the church, with the prophet serving as His representative.

The apostle Paul outlined how the Savior’s church was meant to operate. In Ephesians 2:20, he said, “20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” In Ephesians 4:11 he enlarges his explanation of how the church is to be built:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Since this was meant to be the form for God’s church until we were all unified in the faith, it is clear there is a still a need for that structure. We are not yet unified as a world in the Christian faith.

However, most churches have abandoned the original, Christ-chosen method of leading God’s church. They have abandoned the concept of prophets and apostles for newer structures. Many churches reject the idea that God will continue to provide prophets today to help us navigate these complex religious times, and some believe prophets were not needed once Jesus came. That, of course, is not found in the Bible. In fact the Bible reports that at least two of the apostles were considered prophets after Jesus died:

And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them (Acts 15:32). This chapter helps to illustrate the reason apostles and prophets were still needed after Jesus died. In this chapter, we learn the Saints at Antioch were arguing over the need for circumcision. The apostles made the decision. In times in which there were no apostles and prophets, people simply had to guess and these types of dissentions led to the formation of many different churches.

Because God understood the wisdom of having a church structured with prophets and apostles, when He restored the church in modern times, He instructed Joseph Smith to use this same structure. Since Jesus is no longer on the earth, a prophet takes the place of earthly head of the church, under the direction of Jesus Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are nicknamed Mormons, structure their church under the ancient pattern described in Ephesians 4:11. They demonstrate the truthfulness of God’s promise to do nothing except through His prophets. (See Amos 3:7.)

Today, the apostles are the second highest presiding body of God’s modern restored church. The highest presiding body is the First Presidency, consisting of the prophet and two counselors. Together, these fifteen compose a group of full-time servants of God, who travel the world testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ. They also manage the work of the church.

The apostles hold the keys to the kingdom of God. This term means they hold the authority to preside over the church. We read of these keys of authority in the Bible, in Matthew 16:19, when Jesus tells Peter:

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We saw that the Bible described two of Jesus’ apostles as prophets. All apostles are called as prophets, seers, and revelators, although only the prophet, who also acts as president of the Church, holds all the keys and can receive revelation for the entire church. He must then take that revelation to the apostles and allow them to receive personal revelation on the subject for themselves. Finally, the prophecy is given to the entire church for a sustaining vote, meaning the members promise God they will live by the revelation and support it. Revelation is never received and then kept private. It is given for the purpose of helping God’s children understand what God wants them to do or to know, just as it was in Biblical times.

Having a church built on prophets and apostles protects us. During the long apostasy that began when Jesus and the apostles were dead and ended when Joseph Smith was chosen as the first prophet of the restoration, the Christian faith survived, but it lacked a foundation. Just as the apostles found church members arguing over circumcision, throughout history, churches have debated a wide range of critical doctrine. These debates could not be resolved by having the prophets and apostles ask God for the truth, because there were none. Church leaders could search the Bible, but often interpreted it in different ways. When they could not agree, they had to either put the doctrine to a human vote or divide the church. Over the years, many churches have formed due to disagreements over important saving doctrines.

A foundation of prophets and apostles avoids this. Just as in ancient times, Mormons can turn to the apostles and prophets to guide them when they don’t understand a scripture reference or don’t know how to apply Biblical teachings to decidedly modern issues. In those who have prayed to God to know who today’s prophet really is, there is security in knowing God is at the head of the Church, still guiding, directing, and teaching His children through his apostles and prophets, just as He promised to do in the Bible.

We can draw lessons from prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church“).

I believe a prophet’s example is one of the strongest sermons given over the pulpit of life.

VISUAL ACUITY

In John 1:35-36, John the Baptist discerned Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

I hope to increase my visual acuity of the Savior, discerning who He really is and what He means to me: His divinity, His doctrine, His Atonement He alone could only perform, and His work shouldered by prophets and apostles even to this day.

John’s special witness of Jesus did not fall on deaf ears either.

In verse 37, we read, “And the two disciples heard him speak …”

Revelation is communication from God to mankind. From the very beginning of time, God has communicated with His children on earth, helping them to learn what is true and how to live. This revelation happens at many levels, from the revelations given to prophets for all mankind to the quiet communication of God to an individual child with a personal problem.

Most people think of revelation in terms of the Biblical prophets, who spoke directly to God and received great visions. Only a prophet can receive revelation for the entire church. When a prophet of God speaks, we are all accountable for what he teaches, even if we choose to ignore what is taught. A common example of this would be when Noah called the people to repent. When they did not, the flood came and they paid the price—choosing not to accept the revelation didn’t make it invalid or free them from the need to obey. This helps us to understand the importance of finding out what is true and what source provides truth. When a prophet speaks, God expects us to listen, so first, we must find out to whom He is speaking.

God gives revelation to those who have stewardship or responsibility over the subject of the revelation. This is why only the prophet can receive revelation for the entire church. He is the person with that stewardship. A leader of a religious congregation can receive revelation for his congregation, because that is his special stewardship. When he ends his service to that congregation, he is no longer entitled to revelation for that position. A parent can receive revelation concerning his children. All of us can receive revelation for our own lives, as well.

Even in Biblical times, important revelation meant for everyone was fairly rare. Most of the time, the prophets simply reminded people of what they’d already been taught and still needed to act on. Most revelations did not come through visions and visitations, but through quiet revelation. Prophets normally receive revelation in exactly the same way everyone else does.

That said, how do ordinary people receive revelation for their own lives?

To receive recelation from God, we must prepare ourselves to receive it. We need to build a relationship with Him so that we understand how His gospel works and how He interacts with us. This involves reading the scriptures to study how God has interacted with us in the past and what He expects of us today. Then we need to live the way He has asked us to live.

It means spending time in real prayer—not reciting prayers, but speaking to Him from our hearts about our worries and fears. We need to tell God how thankful we are for what we’ve already received because that helps us become more aware of our blessings and God’s role in them. Then we need to sit quietly and wait to see what happens. In time, we’ll come to recognize a peaceful, warm sensation in our hearts that tells us God is nearby and listening. Satan cannot bring peace or joy. These feelings are always from God.

Once we’ve learned to recognize these feelings and are living in a way that shows respect for God and His teachings, we can receive personal revelation. Revelation will most often come in quiet ways, so we have to be patient and listen with our hearts. We need to turn off the music, the television, and other distractions, especially when we are just learning to recognize what revelation feels like.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, are taught to first study an issue out in their minds. For instance, if a student wanted to know which college to attend, she would research a variety of them and select the one she feels is best for her. Then she would take her choice to God and ask Him if she’s chosen well. A warm and peaceful feeling is God’s reassurance that she has made a good choice. (It might be that several schools would meet with His approval.) A confused or negative feeling tells her she needs to start again.

Sometimes revelation comes in the form of a thought of impression. It will take practice to know which impressions are revelations and which are just thoughts. As you act on those thoughts, you will learn how to know which are from God. A thought from God might be a simple suggestion: “Lisa is lonely. Go visit her today.”

On rare occasions, a revelation will come in actual words you can hear. This is usually in the case of an emergency, where there isn’t time to analyze whether or not the thought was an impression or a mere thought. “Go to the baby. She’s in danger.”

Modern prophets, like prophets of old, receive revelation from God, most often in the same form we do. God considers revelation important, and we, as ordinary children of God, can receive personal revelation just as Moses received it in his day.

Who is God’s prophet today?

Have you ever finished reading the Bible and sighed in disappointment because there was nothing else? God’s words are so important, so wonderful, you wish you had more of them to read. Have you ever searched the Bible for an answer to a modern problem that simply wasn’t covered by the Bible, and wondered what God would want you to do about it?

When we study the Bible, we see that the needs of God’s people changed often. Noah needed to build an ark, but Moses didn’t. He needed to lead people through the wilderness safely. Each prophet had specific challenges he faced, based on political and social conditions and the specific behaviors of people in that time. New challenges arose, new temptations, and new ways of thinking. In the New Testament, when Jesus died, his apostles struggled to keep people from adapting false or slightly false beliefs based on their cultures, the rise of Greek philosophy, or simply a misinterpretation of teachings. Sometimes the new Christians simply had questions that hadn’t been answered, so they guessed, and often they guessed wrong. The apostles struggled to keep these from arising, but often without success. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is found chastising members for believing there would be no resurrection of the dead. He also scolded the Galatians for their lapse into false teachings. (See Galatians 1.) Paul spoke strongly to the Colossians about their rising faith in Gnosticism, a false belief that was invading early Christianity.

Read more about early signs of the Apostasy.

After the apostles were gone, no one else had the authority to receive revelation from God. Most Christians today accept that prophecy ended either with Christ’s death or after the death of the apostles. Mormons (a nickname informally used to describe those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe the apostles were called as prophets, entitled to seek truth from God and to proclaim it officially. Acts 15:32 says, “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.” Judas and Silas, of course, were apostles ,demonstrating that apostles are also prophets.

During the long years in which there were not prophets, times changed dramatically. Issues that were not a concern—or not even invented yet—became challenges for Christians world-wide. Although the early church struggled, brave men and women worked hard to keep it alive and growing. However, they often struggled to know what was true. Although they studied the Bible, they often disagreed over essential doctrines. When this happened, it often led to the creation of new religions.

During the reformation, courageous men spoke out, boldly proclaiming that Christianity no longer existed in a pure form that matched what was taught by Jesus Christ. They believed corruption and false doctrine had crept in over the years. Many died for their courage. These leaders did the best they could to resolve what they considered to be incorrect doctrine, but even within the Protestant movement, there was not always agreement about what was wrong, and today there are many different Protestant sects, all teaching conflicting doctrine, even on subjects that are eternally critical.

Many people today, anxious to find the truth, look at these many churches and their conflicting doctrines, and then turn to the Bible. They note that in Amos 3:7, we are promised, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” They wonder if this means God is doing nothing important today, and yet, the last days are here and the Second Coming is approaching. Surely God is doing important things to prepare for that time. How can they know what those things are and what their own responsibility is in these last days?

Thinking people yearn for a prophet. They ask, “Does God speak today? Does He love us enough to guide us through the complexities of a world that is entirely different than the one in which the Bible was written? Is there a way to know what is true in an ever-growing complexity of competing ideas?”

Mormons say yes, God does speak today. He does love us enough to help us work through these last days knowing exactly what is true. Mormons do not believe that when Jesus died, God retreated and now refuses to speak to us, or that He is disinterested in helping us find the truth. Mormons do not believe God doesn’t want us to pray to Him to find out what is true.

In 1830, a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph Smith had many of the same questions  with which people today struggle. In view of the contradictions taught by the various Protestant churches in his area, he wondered how he could possibly know which church to join. While reading the Bible, he came across James 1:5:

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

He decided this was the obvious solution to his problem. God was really the only sure source of truth—anyone else could be wrong. He went into the woods to pray and received his first vision—a visit from God and Jesus Christ. Jesus instructed him not to join any of the currently existing churches. The lack of prophecy had caused too many errors to slip into the doctrine.

Once he was an adult, God sent an angel named Moroni to train him for his future role as the first prophet of modern times. In Biblical times, God often took the prophets from the earth, but He always returned them in time, and He had done so once again.

Today, our complex world holds many challenges for those who want to obey God’s word. Essential doctrines on family, the road to salvation, baptism, and other doctrine are being debated with fervor and sometimes even described as unimportant or subject to modern fads. Since Joseph Smith assumed his place as the first prophet of the restoration, there has continued to be a prophet at the head of the Church. Today’s prophet is Thomas S. Monson.

Does God speak today? He does. Through his prophets and apostles, He helps us to understand the choices available to us and the consequences for each choice. When new situations arise, God can help us know how to approach them. Instead of having to pray individually about every possible doctrine—a time consuming and complicated process that essentially involves creating your own religion—you are able to pray to know if President Monson really is a prophet. God will tell you—He has promised to do so. Then, having that assurance from God, you will know you can trust him. However, if at any time he were to say something you were not sure about, you would again be free to pray to know for yourself.

Mormons believe in personal revelation. They believe God speaks to the entire church through the prophets, but they also believe God speaks to us individually if we ask Him to do so. We may not hear actual words, but our hearts will assure us the answer really is from God. Although there are some who warn people not to pray about truth, the Bible tells us we should and that God will answer—Mormons believe the promise of James 1:5. Satan cannot fill our hearts with peace and joy, so it is very easy to tell who is answering your prayers.

Do you want to know more about Thomas S. Monson? Try these websites to learn about him:

Thomasmonson.com: An unofficial website by ordinary Mormons

Biography of Thomas S. Monson

Speeches by Thomas S. Monson

Often, people who want to keep others from researching The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do so by telling others it is a cult. They use the nickname of its members—Mormons—to suggest the members follow a moral named Mormon or perhaps the first president of the Church, Joseph Smith, instead of Jesus Christ.

Labels like cult or non-Christian are common techniques designed to play on the emotions. Those who encourage name-calling don’t want their own followers to think. An emotionally loaded term like Mormon cult helps many people to simply feel something and stops them from taking the time to research or even think it through. Some who were taught this admitted they didn’t know why they used the term or even what it really meant.

If you’ve never looked up the word in a real dictionary, take a moment to do so. A quick visit to the Oxford Dictionary shows us what a cult is. In real dictionaries, the most common usage for a word is the first one. The further down the list the term is, the less common the definition is.

The first definition—the most common usage—is: “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” Does this describe Mormonism? Mormons do not worship objects. They worship God and Jesus Christ. If those people are accepted as particular figures, then they are part of a cult, but so is every other Christian religion. Contrary to popular gossip, Mormons do not worship either Mormon or Joseph Smith. Both these men were prophets, just as were Moses and Noah in the Old Testament. They are treated the same way we treat Biblical prophets—we honor and respect them, but do not worship them, anymore than members of other Christian and Jewish religions worship Noah.

The most common definition of a cult, then, either does not apply to Mormons or it applies to all Christian religions, depending on what you accept as the figure a cult worships. Mormon cult” is an inaccurate term according to this definition.

The second definition of cult is, “a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.” With more than 14 million people worldwide, the religion of the Mormon people is hardly small. There are approximately as many Mormons in the United States as there are Jewish people. The first part of this definition also makes the term “Mormon cult” invalid. The second part of this is that the cult must have beliefs that others consider strange or sinister. This, of course, is a subjective statement that can be applied to any religion—or any person. What seems very normal to one person seems weird or sinister to another. Every religion has aspects others see as weird or sinister—communion, tithing, angels, even belief in a Savior. Many religions have martyrs who chose to die rather than to deny their faith. Non-religious people often find it sinister that religious people are taught this is a worthwhile decision, while religious people find it inspirational. Many social issues accepted as natural to some religions seem weird or sinister to others—issues related to abortion, immigration, or the definition of marriage for instance. This definition is generally useless in terms of defining a cult.

The final and least common definition of a cult in this dictionary is: “A misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.” Mormons don’t worship things, so this definition does not apply. As for the misplaced or excessive admiration, this again is a generic statement and subject to personal opinion. This statement would only create a Mormon cult if the person referred to is Jesus Christ, but of course Mormons—and other Christians—don’t consider their belief in Jesus Christ excessive or misplaced.

In an article on the CNN website, Richard Mouw, president of the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, addressed this subject. Fuller is an evangelical Christian seminary. He explained that he has studied cults extensively and also meets regularly with a closed-door group of Mormons, including Mormon apostles and an equal number of evangelical leaders. While Mormons and evangelicals have many theological differences, he has found the differences aren’t as large as he once thought.

Mouw does not believe there is a Mormon cult. As one example, he says cults do not participate in respectful discussions of religious issues and feel only they benefit from God’s favor. His participation in the religious group is, he says, one sign Mormons are not a cult. They enjoy learning about other religions and discussing the issues. They also quote and study religious leaders of other faiths. (If you read through speeches by Mormon leaders, you’ll see quotes from rabbis, Mother Theresa, and leaders from many religious faiths.)

He says cults do not promote scholarship or have universities and law schools that allow them to participate in the world’s discovery of information. He reminds his readers that Brigham Young University, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a world-class university. In addition, many of the church’s top leaders have advanced degrees from ivy league universities. They are not afraid of knowledge and education.

Mouw showed some of his students a video of a Mormon apostle speaking on the last week of Jesus Christ’s life and on the atonement. (The video can be viewed at the end of this article.) The students admitted that they would have thought he was an evangelical minister had they not known he was a Mormon. There was nothing uncomfortable, strange, or referring to a “different Jesus” in his speech.

Read My Take: This evangelical says Mormonism isn’t a cult.

When researching a religion, it is important to follow Jesus’ counsel to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Mouw said he has been asked if evangelicalism is a cult. No one wants his or her religion referred to that way, especially if it’s not true. We need to treat the religions of others the way we want others to treat our own religion.

One step to doing this is to do accurate research. Learn how to validate sources and recognize bias. If you read an article that says Mormons worship Joseph Smith, for instance, and then you discover that isn’t true (it isn’t true!), then you know the author is not a knowledgeable or trustworthy source. If someone were going to learn about you, would you ask them to go only to your enemies and those who want to destroy you for their information? Of course not. You’d want them to talk to you. When researching any religion, go to the religion’s own sources, ones its members would consider valid. This is, presumably, how you research your own religion, so it should be how you research other religions.

Visit Mormon.org or LDS.org for official information. Mormon.org is designed for people who are not Mormon and want to learn the basics. LDS.org is for Mormons, although nearly everything is accessible, including the student and teacher manuals for the actual classes taught at church and the official magazine. Only congregational websites are excluded, to protect the privacy of the members, and sections for people who hold a specific church job—but even Mormons can’t get into those unless they currently hold those positions.

Another step is to use inclusive language. Using insulting nicknames or terms is un-Christ-like. Speak using respectful terminology and show the kind of respect to others about their beliefs you want others to show for yours. Accept the way others describe themselves. Deciding who is and is not a Christian is God’s prerogative and so our job is to simply accept the self-definition of each group. We don’t have to agree with each doctrine, but we do need to respect how they see themselves.

“Mormon cult” is an inaccurate term, as a review of dictionary definitions shows. It is nothing more than a way to manipulate emotions and prevent listeners from doing what God has told us to do in order to find out which church is God’s church: Pray (James 1:5, New Testament.)

Watch the video that looked like an evangelical sermon to some evangelical theology students.