Throughout his life, Jesus Christ performed many, many miracles. He healed men and women from leprosy, restored sight to the blind, cast out unclean spirits from mortal bodies, and even infused physical life back into the dead. Accompanying many—if not most—of these tangible miracles was the pronouncement, “Thy sins be forgiven thee” (Luke 5:20; Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5). We are to understand that the true miracles Christ enacted were those of forgiveness and redemption. Why is that forgiveness important, and what are we to do with it?

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church) believe that we must take the Savior’s mercy and actively apply it in our own lives. The Lord’s willingness to forgive us our countless imperfections is evidence of His belief in our spiritual and eternal quest to become more like Him; and if we are to truly become as He is, then we must learn to freely forgive as well.

The Savior’s Forgiveness

Jesus Christ established a pattern of mercy and forgiveness that we should strive to emulate. Peter the apostle asked Jesus about this forgiveness: “Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21–22). In applying this doctrine, we certainly are not required to keep a running total of the number of times we forgive an individual of his or her offenses. Rather, we are required to forgive so many times that we couldn’t possibly keep a tally. This pattern of forgiveness directly emulates that of our Savior’s. Jesus Christ wants to give us every opportunity to repent and change; He cares about the state of our hearts more than about a final number. As long as our hearts are pure and honest, the Lord will continue to forgive us over and over and over.
The Savior’s forgiveness is also not constrained by the severity of the offense. The path of repentance is affected by the gravity of the sin, but the end goal—forgiveness—remains constant and reachable. (Repenting of sexual sin, for example, requires more time and effort than repenting of minor dishonesty.)

We need to apply this pattern of mercy in our own lives

I feel that no one knows my faults and shortcomings as I do. Almost daily I see my flaws glare at me, daring me to try and beat them. When I turn to my Savior’s mercy, however, I see my faults as He does, which isn’t nearly as bad as when seen through my own earthly eyes. I feel the possibility of change well up inside me, and I think, I can do this. The way Christ’s forgiveness makes me feel is loved and valued; when I feel it, I’m more prone to let it into my heart and combat my demons with me. Once we allow the grace of Jesus Christ to change us, we need to seek out others and extend our own mercy to them.

The grace of Jesus Christ is intended to change our natures, and what good would that change be if we didn’t allow it to affect our relationships with others? As we each develop relationships with those around us—with family members, friends, and coworkers—we will inevitably run into hurt feelings and offenses. If we truly accept the mercy offered by the Savior, then we will seek to forgive rather than begrudge.

While the full measure of the grace of Christ cannot be realized through us as mortals (we ourselves do not have that redemptive power or authority), we can forgive others their offenses against us, intended or otherwise. Jesus Christ is our ultimate and most loyal advocate, and we should extend that advocacy where we can; we need to give those around us the benefit of the doubt, believing in their potential for good. Elder Craig A. Cardon, a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ, spoke about this in the semiannual worldwide Mormon conference in April 2013[1]:

We are counseled to “show confidence in the individual and not be judgmental. . . ” (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service [2004], 189). Could we do less with our own children or family members who struggle? . . . Surely they merit our steadiness, patience, and love—and yes, our forgiveness. (“The Savior Wants to Forgive”)

The prophet for the world today, President Thomas S. Monson, speaks to the world frequently, and in the worldwide conference held in October 2012, he said the following: “We need to bear in mind that people can change. They can put behind them bad habits. They can repent from transgressions. . . . We can help them to overcome their shortcomings. We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present but as they may become” (“See Others as They May Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2012, 68, 69).

As we learn to forgive we become more like Christ

As we accept Christ’s mercy in our own lives, seeking and accepting His forgiveness, we are obligated to likewise forgive others, even if they do not express regret or extend apology. When we freely forgive others, we allow our souls to become more like the Savior’s, allowing our will to align with His. Forgiveness—both in the giving and receiving—is freeing. We need to seek it in all forms and allow it to transform us.[2]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church) builds temples throughout the world for worthy members of the Church to enter and participate in sacred ordinances and to make sacred covenants. Mormons consider each temple to be the House of the Lord Jesus Christ. Women play significant roles in the work done in temples.

When the Prophet Joseph Smith, the first President of the Church of Jesus Christ, organized the Relief Society, the women’s auxiliary of the priesthood, he said: “The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.”1 Fifth Church President Lorenzo Snow said of the women of the Church: “You have ever been found at the side of the Priesthood, ready to strengthen their hands and to do your part in helping to advance the interests of the kingdom of God.”2

In the early days of the Church, members, rather than construction companies, built the temples. Women supplied whatever was needed by the men—and their families—who constructed the temples, including clothing, bedding, and provisions.

Their involvement did not stop once the temple was completed and dedicated. For example, in 1842 thirty-six women were asked to serve as temple ordinance workers in the newly completed Nauvoo Temple in Illinois. One of those women wrote: “I gave myself, my time and attention to that mission. I worked in the Temple every day without cessation until it was closed.”3

Women have accepted callings to serve in every temple the Church of Jesus Christ has subsequently built. Throughout the world, 139 Mormon temples are in operation, with 29 more announced or under construction. Temple work could not occur without women. Not only are women called as ordinance workers, Latter-day Saint women work in the temple in other capacities or attend the temple each day. Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President of the Church, said, “It is within the privilege of the sisters of this Church to receive exaltation in the kingdom of God and receive authority and power as queens and priestesses.”4

Inside temples, Latter-day Saints make covenants, receive ordinances, are taught, and are promised blessings. Because the work done inside temples is considered sacred, members do not talk about the details casually or outside of the temple.

Ordinances that are received in the temple include endowment and sealing. The purpose for these ordinances was explained in the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple in Ohio: “We ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).

Ordinances are received by worthy members as individuals—women and men—and they have the opportunity to act as proxy for their deceased family members so that they too may receive temple ordinances.

“The endowment is preparatory . . . ; it is a course of instruction; it is a step-by-step ascent to God’s presence; and it is an enrichment of power given by God to mortals.”5

A sealing binds husband and wife and their children together eternally. As noted in The Family: A Proclamation to the World: “Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”6

Mormon women also teach and prepare their children, friends, or ward members to attend the temple for the first time and encourage each other to go to the temple often.

One woman described her call to work in the temple:

“Standing at the kitchen sink several months ago, with the spring sun warming my face, I had an epiphany. It was a flash of insight: a sudden understanding of my contentment, gratitude, and wonder at being a woman in the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had walked in the back door a few minutes earlier, returning from the Salt Lake Temple, where I had just been set apart as an ordinance worker. Absently, I turned off the faucet. Wow. I had just been set apart to officiate in sacred ordinances—to help those on both sides of the veil receive God’s power through priesthood authority! Short, slightly pudgy, inconsequential me—a middle-aged widow and ordinary mortal—would be in the temple several hours every week, an authorized player in the great drama of the Restoration! How could this be? My wonder could not be contained.”7

All members of the Church of Jesus Christ who go to the temple regularly consider it a place where they are uplifted and fortified to face their daily challenges. They feel closer to their Heavenly Father there, and receive insights and answers to their prayers. They rejoice in their privilege to serve each other, and seek to go back frequently.

Notes:

1. Daughters in My Kingdom – Relief Society: A Restoration of an Ancient Pattern

2. Daughters in My Kingdom – Relief Society: A Restoration of an Ancient Pattern

3. Daughters in My Kingdom – Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood

4. Daughters in My Kingdom – Blessings of the Priesthood for All: An Inseparable Connection with the Priesthood

5. Andrew C. Skinner, Temple Worship: 20 Truths that Will Bless Your Life (Salt lake City: Deseret Book, 2007), 60.

6. The Family: A Proclamation to the World

7. Virginia H. Pearce, “Angels and Epiphanies,” in The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012), 3.

This article was written by Paula Hicken, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.

Additional Resource:

Mormon Temples

I have never read the best-selling book by Pastor Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life.  It’s never been on my reading list, probably because I’m too busy living my purpose-driven life to feel the need.  My life is bursting with purpose, and it has been since I was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the Mormon Church.

At the time that I found the Church, I was hungering.  I felt an emptiness and yearning that had to be filled, and I was attending various churches with friends and neighbors.  I enjoyed them all but one.  But when I crossed the threshold of a meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ, I had an amazing spiritual experience, something I had never encountered before, that witnessed to me that I had found what I was seeking.

There was nothing special about the building.  I had visited many gorgeous works of architecture during my seeking for spiritual truth.  So it certainly wasn’t soaring ramparts or ethereal music that touched me.  It was the joy.  If the Mormons there wanted to share with me, it was because of their overflowing joy and gratitude for the gospel that drove it.  This cannot be faked, I assure you.  These are the most loving, fun, grateful people on earth.

My first lesson from the missionaries was about the Plan of Salvation.  I was at the point where I was because I had already arrived, at a young age, where one asks him- or herself, “Is this all there is?”  Something inside kept saying, “No, it’s not; there’s much, much more.”  But what?  The missionaries explained that I have always existed, and that before I was born to earthly parents, I lived for eons as a spirit-child of Heavenly Father.  My heart, mind, and spirit seemed to expand infinitely with this revelatory information.  It changed everything.  So did learning that I would live eternally after this brief, mortal existence, and that it was possible that I could actually dwell in God’s very presence and become a co-heir with Christ.

If this doesn’t create purpose, I don’t know what does.  Mormons are anxiously engaged in building up the kingdom of God on earth in order to receive the Savior when He comes to establish His millennial reign.  Families are at the center of this effort.  Ah, families.  At the time I met with the Mormon Missionaries, I was really hurting at home.  My parents had been near divorce for years, and I was sure my mother was mentally ill.  It was a very unhappy place.  As soon as I began meeting with Mormon missionaries, I started to watch Mormon general conference on television every six months.  It seemed like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang “Love at Home” at every session back then.  My desires distilled down to two:  I wanted to be numbered with the Latter-day Saints; and I wanted a happy family.

Both of these goals are imbued with purpose.  With a missionary force that now numbers over 64,000, and a membership that voluntarily fills every position in the Church from top to bottom, Mormons are always busy doing good.  It seems that I am well-suited to teaching gospel doctrine, and for these types of callings, I have had to learn the scriptures and church history.  Each calling has increased both my abilities and my compassion.  Through them, I have learned to recognize the promptings and inspirations from the Holy Ghost.  These personal revelations have not only helped me serve but have led our happy family (my husband and six children and I) on many adventures I would never have imagined possible.

I am writing this missive from East Asia, from one of the five countries we have lived in, and one of the thirty I’ve visited.  We are just finishing a “service mission” for the Church of Jesus Christ, since our children are grown (and 13.5 grandchildren are flourishing).  We are serving as leaders in a small branch of the Church where lay members need to be trained to fulfill callings of leadership and teaching.  We have watched uncertain spirits bloom.  It is very exciting.

My husband and I were married in a Mormon temple for time (mortality) and eternity.  That eternal covenant means we treat marriage as a different sort of thing than many modern couples.  We were not looking for a “soul mate” as much as that person Heavenly Father thought was right for us — right in a way that the person would help us along the road back into Father’s presence.  This has been that sort of union.  We are still trying to be soul-mates.  Lovers, best friends, mentors, confidants, co-workers, parents, grandparents, and companions we already have down-pat.  An eternal covenant means you don’t bail out at the first sign of trouble; you stick with it.  My husband and I are very different.

A teacher of a Sunday School class once described marriage as a yoked-pair.  I filled with dread when I considered how useless it would be to be yoked to someone just like myself.  We’d get a lot of thinking done, but we’d never really go anywhere.  I’m so grateful my husband is not like me.

We have raised our children around the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We’ve taught them the highest moral values, and to be humble, grateful, and service-oriented (and self-reliant, hey, we’re Mormons!).  We have had so much fun, unburdened by any sort of addictions or bad habits.  Our own failings were enough without those sorts of things to hold us back.  Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to develop my talents and even enjoy a career.  But most important, my two greatest wishes have been fulfilled — I am numbered with the Saints; I have a happy family.  And I owe it all to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Christ has gently guided me step by step.  He found me; He bought me with a price.  I love Him so much.

Additional Resource:

Worship with Mormons

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the Mormon Church, have sometimes been accused of not being Christian, because they reject the idea of a trinity (3 beings of one essence) as being biblical.  Indeed, Mormons know that the “Godhead” comprises three separate personages — God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.  While God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are glorified, resurrected beings, the Holy Ghost is a person of spirit whose influence can be anywhere; he can dwell within us, or at least his influence can.

Mormon belief in the Godhead is not “Modalism” (with Jesus fully God, but all three members of the Godhead as three modes of one God).  Modalism does NOT accept three co-eternal persons within the Godhead, while Mormonism absolutely preaches three co-eternal persons in the Godhead.

Mormon belief in the Godhead is not “Arianism” (which subordinates Christ to God and denies that Christ is an eternal being).  Mormonism teaches that God and Christ are co-eternal; although Christ always does the will of His Father, He is God, as His Father is God, and is the Creator and Savior of the world).  Mormon doctrine is rich and full of revealed knowledge not had by other Christian faiths.  Modern prophets have been instructed by the Lord that we ALL are eternal beings.  We existed as unique intelligences before Heavenly Father organized our spirits.  Thus, we are all co-eternal with God.  Christ can be His firstborn in the spirit, while still being eternally with the Father.  Mormon doctrine teaches of the pre-mortal realm where we were all spirit children of God the Father.

Mormon belief in the Godhead is not “Trinitarianism” (three beings of one essence, in which God is a spirit, and Christ is God incarnate).  Mormons view Trinitarianism as non-biblical, an invention of the councils of bishops several hundreds of years after Christ.  Men cannot legislate the nature of God by voting on His attributes.  God Himself can reveal His attributes to men, and He has done so on many occasions.

The Witness of Moses

When the prophet Joseph Smith was working on a translation of the Bible, he received revelation regarding lost information from the Book of Genesis.  We can glean much from Moses, who was transfigured and instructed by God face to face:

The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain,

And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.

And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease (Moses 1:1-4).

And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine OnlyBegotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all (v. 6).

…Moses lifted up his eyes unto heaven, being filled with the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son;

And calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for it was upon him; and he heard a voice, saying: Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God  (v. 24, 25)

And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten (v. 33).

And from the Book of Abraham, also found in the Pearl of Great Price:

Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made (Abraham 3:11).

And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all (v. 19).

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones (v. 22).

The Book of Mormon is a second witness, along with the Bible, that Jesus is the Christ, that all that has been created by and through Him, and that His is the only name through which we can be saved.  Upon the crucifixion of the Savior in Jerusalem, there were terrible, destructive storms and earthquakes in the Americas, where the Book of Mormon peoples lived, followed by three days of total darkness.  Through this darkness, the survivors, who were the more righteous of the people, heard the Savior say the following:

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

I  came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.

And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.

I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (3 Nephi 9:14-18).

This is an exact definition of the Christ.  And to emphasize it, there is the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, who saw the Christ in vision in 1832:

We, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two—

By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God—

Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning;

Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision (Doctrine and Covenants 76:11-14).

And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness;

And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God (v. 20 – 24).

Additional Resource:

More about Mormon Belief

The missionary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church) is remarkable in all the world.  Recently, the LDS Church lowered the qualification ages for Mormon youth who desire to serve missions from 19 to 18 for young men and from 21 to 19 for Mormon young women.  As soon as the announcement was made, applications jumped nearly five-fold and now remain double what they previously were.  At the time of the announcement, in October 2012, there were over 50,000 Mormon missionaries serving full-time around the world.  The increase in applications means that the LDS Church may soon have 80,000 young people serving globally.  Fifty-eight new missions have been created (in February 2013—carved out of existing missions), training time in Missionary Training Centers has been shortened, and a new Missionary Training Center created in Mexico from a former LDS school.

Except for their transportation to and from their field of service, Mormon missionaries pay their own way, with a Mormon mission costing about $10,000 for supplies and living expenses.  Church funds (donated by ordinary Mormons) help missionaries too poor to pay their own way.  Families set aside funds for their children to serve.   Leadership in the mission field, such as Mission Presidents, are also non-professional volunteers.

By contrast, the United States Peace Corps program has about 8,000 volunteers, supported by a 374 million dollar budget.

Mormon missionaries submit applications to the missionary department of the Church of Jesus Christ.  Although potential Mormon missionaries may indicate language abilities and locations of preferred service, where they will be sent is decided by Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ through direct revelation and approved by the Prophet, currently Thomas S. Monson.  It takes a few weeks for the packet to arrive, indicating where the missionary will serve and what language he or she will be speaking.  Mormon missionaries go where they are sent and soon learn the Lord had their best interest in mind when assigning them.  When a potential missionary opens his or her packet from the LDS Church, it is an exciting event, usually attended by extended family and close friends.

Missionaries first receive their endowments in a Mormon temple, making covenants of consecration to the Lord.  Then they report to their assigned Missionary Training Center, where they learn the gospel, how to exercise leadership and work with a companion, how to teach, and how to read and speak their new language.  When in the field, missionaries keep a rigorous schedule and are isolated from the usual frivolous activities of normal life.  Mormon missionaries listen only to classical or religious music, watch only approved Christian-themed videos (and only on the assigned “preparation day,” once a week), email their families once each week, call home twice a year.  They arise early and go to bed early, scheduling time for exercise, language study, scripture study, meetings and proselyting.  Girlfriends (or boyfriends for the young women), sports careers, education, are all left behind for the period of the mission.  Many missionaries work hard and save their money in the years leading up to missionary service in order to pay their own way.  All begin to prepare spiritually when they are young.  When in the mission field, they take on responsibilities far beyond their youthful counterparts in the world.  Some are even called upon to administer whole congregations of Latter-day Saints.

Mormon missionaries are not trained to “sell the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  They are not trained in the art of persuasion.  Their calling is to find those whom Heavenly Father has prepared to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.  These people often encounter the missionaries in miraculous ways, being led by the Holy Spirit.  Being close to the Spirit is the central goal of Mormon missionaries.  Through prayer and revelation, they are led to those who are searching for the truth, searching for spiritual guidance.  It takes real dedication to Christ’s commandments, and especially the commandment to love God and Man, to serve a Mormon mission.

This period of dedicated service and the maturity it requires does something wonderful for a Mormon missionary to prepare him or her for the future.  Many articles in the press cite Mormon missions as the basis for the burgeoning success of remarkable Mormon businessmen, athletes, performers, and politicians.  Notable are Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.  Romney is fluent in French, having served in France, and Huntsman is fluent in Chinese, having served in Taiwan.  Both are highly successful businessmen and both have been governors.  Romney was the GOP presidential candidate in 2012, and Huntsman was the U.S. Ambassador to China.

That Mormon young people leave for missionary service at age 18 or 19 is exactly opposite to trends in the U.S. and elsewhere, where young people are maturing more slowly than ever.  College graduates are living with their parents, and young men are playing video games with their friends instead of getting married and starting families.  Studies claim that 30 is the new 20, and in doing so, are not talking about health or appearance, but maturity.

The Mormon missionary program is indeed remarkable in a myriad of good ways.  It is a huge work performed by tens of thousands of people donating their time, effort, and money to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, and with it, happiness and comfort.

Meet with Mormon Missionaries

Since the Mormon temple is literally a house of God, one must prepare as if he or she is actually entering God’s presence.  In holy temples Mormons consecrate themselves to the service of God.  If a person cannot abide by the commandments in everyday life, then how can he or she expect to live an even higher law?  In the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, we read about Abraham, who was commanded by God to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice.  Since human sacrifice, practiced in some pagan religions, was abhorrent to the true faith, and since Isaac was Abraham’s only hope to fulfill God’s promise of seed, this request must have struck Abraham as incomprehensible.  But he still followed through.  God promised to bless Abraham, “…because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son” (Genesis 22:16).   A person who consecrates himself to God holds nothing back.

Looking at the keeping of God’s commandments in this light, then, the commandments Mormons are required to follow sound easy.  Along the way, the keeping of these commandments brings a multitude of blessings.

Faith in God the Father, Jesus, His Only Begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost.

This is the foundational belief for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the Mormon Church.  We know whom we worship.    We worship no natural man–not Adam, not Joseph Smith, not any saint, nor the mother of Christ.  Christ is our Creator and Redeemer, our Savior and our Mediator with God.  We pray to the Father in His name, and know that there is no other name through which we can be saved.

Moral Cleanliness

A person who is not morally clean may not enter a temple of God.  Moral worthiness is determined in an interview with one’s bishop (head of a congregation) and then with one’s stake president (leader of a group of congregations).  Sexual activity, according to the laws of God, is reserved for marriage, which is the legal union of a man and a woman.  Moral worthiness also includes honesty in one’s dealings with other people, and good relationships in the home.

Physical Cleanliness

Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a canonized selection of modern revelations, is a revelation from God forbidding the use of alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea.  Recently, using recreational drugs or abusing prescription drugs has been added to the list of things in which we should not indulge.  Staying away from these things enables us to really treat our bodies as if they were temples (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).  Once Mormons are baptized by immersion, they qualify to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands from a qualified priesthood holder.  The Holy Ghost cannot dwell in an unclean place.  When he does dwell within a person, the person becomes a vessel able to receive revelation constantly.  This is especially valuable in the Mormon temple, which is a place of learning.  Revelation expands our knowledge past what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears.

Keeping the Sabbath Day

Keeping the Sabbath holy has been a commandment for God’s people since the beginning of time.  Its importance is impressed upon us over and over again in the Bible. (See Exodus 20:8-11.)  In Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-12, we read,

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;   For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;   Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;   But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

Mormons do not have specific rules for Sabbath, but a few.  The Spirit guides us through the details.  Refraining from work, recreation, and shopping are musts for the Sabbath.  Attending Sacrament meeting is a commandment, since this is where we partake of the emblems of Christ’s sacrifice for us, thus renewing the covenants we have made at baptism.

Paying of Tithing

The paying of tithing — 10% of one’s income — to the Church is an ancient law, and we are promised in the Book of Malachi, that the Lord will pour out blessings upon us if we keep this law.  Naysayers sometimes say that Mormons must pay to enter their temples, but this is an entirely topsy-turvy way of viewing this law.  Since Mormons are entering the temple in order to wholly consecrate themselves to God’s service, would they be worthy if they withheld the 10% that has always been required by God as a basic sacrifice?  God has said,  “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8).   That’s the negative side of things, since God promises to curse those who withhold their tithes.  The positive side is the promised blessings for keeping the law of tithing:  “…prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).  Mormons who pay tithing can testify that they receive innumerable blessings for doing so, many even miraculous.  These blessings are over and above the ability to enter the Lord’s temple.

Service

Mormons serve.  Since the Church of Jesus Christ has no professional clergy,  members are called to serve in many various temporary positions in a lifetime.  Being actively engaged in church service is a first step in being ready to make temple covenants.  After Mormons make temple covenants, among the many callings Mormons are able to fill, working in the temple is among them.

Repentance

Reading this list can boggle the mind of a person who hasn’t gotten started along this path.  That’s what repentance is for.  The Lord teaches us line upon line and precept upon precept.  We gradually become more and more dedicated to Him, and in that process, the world seems less attractive.  We become more and more centered upon the atonement of Jesus Christ and more and more worthy for temple worship.

The Mormon temple is not a secret place, but a holy one.  Since it is literally the House of the Lord, a sanctuary dedicated to God’s service, no unclean thing can enter it.  This is logical.  Even Mormons must qualify.  Temple-worthy Mormons wish all would qualify themselves to receive the blessings of the temple and invite all to do so.

Read about Jesus Christ in Mormonism

“Endowment” means gift, and the Mormon temple endowment is a gift from God of power and knowledge.  Worthy Mormons, those who are keeping the commandments of God, including keeping the Mormon health laws, the law of chastity (no sex outside of traditional marriage), paying a full tithing (10% of one’s income), and being honest in all one’s dealings, may seek to enter the Mormon temple to make higher covenants.  The endowment ceremony takes about 90 minutes and consists of instruction and covenant-making with God, leading up to the desire to be wholly consecrated to God, the desire to do His will continually.  The endowment ritual takes place in an auditorium-like room in the Mormon temple.  These rooms, however, are beautiful in the most pristine way, and utterly peaceful and bright.

The instruction in the Mormon endowment centers around God’s plan for His children, which is centered upon the greatest gift He has given us, the atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Plan of Salvation as revealed by ancient and modern prophets and Christ Himself, shows us that we are eternal beings, who existed for eons before this mortal existence.  We will continue forever after this mortal existence, and God’s plan is to help us become more like Him, in order to enjoy eternal life, the kind of life He lives.  The fall of Adam was actually part of God’s great plan, and it brought to pass the mortality of man, but also the ability to procreate and form families, which are meant to be eternal.

The atonement of Christ was planned from before this earth was created, to save us from this inevitable fall.  At the center of this plan is the “free agency” of God’s children.  God goes to extreme lengths to guarantee our ability to choose right from wrong.  The whole plan is a support to our free agency.  God allows opposition in order to give us choices.

Sacrifice was ordained by God from the beginning, so that we can acknowledge His hand in all things, that all our many blessings come from Him.  He tests our willingness to give Him a small part back, and when we are willing to do so, He pours out more blessings upon us.  This is acknowledged in the Mormon temple endowment as a basic tenet of the gospel from the beginning.  However, we progress to a higher law, which is surrendering wholeheartedly to God all that we are.

Repentance is also basic to the gospel.  As we understand the laws of God and commit to live them, we progress and become more like Him.

As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:40-42, there are three kingdoms in heaven — the Celestial, the Terrestrial, and the Telestial, and they differ in glory.  The Mormon temple covenants are meant to prepare us for the Celestial Kingdom, where there is a fulness of God’s glory, for He abides there.  Mormons call this “exaltation,” or “eternal life,” and it is not the same thing as “salvation.”  Mormon doctrine teaches that most people who have lived on this earth will be saved into some mansion in heaven, but exaltation is something different and requires just living and the making and observing of ordinances.  Mormons want everyone to have access to the Celestial kingdom, another blessing of which is to be sealed to one’s family and to God.  That’s why Mormons perform work for the dead.

After we die, our spirits go to a place called the Spirit World.  We can see our loved ones there, but we can also learn and repent. Those who have never heard the gospel of Christ will have a chance to hear it in the Spirit World.  If they accept it, repent, and desire exaltation, they will need the ordinances necessary for celestial glory.  Those are performed for them in Mormon temples by proxy.  So Mormons go to the temple first for their own endowments, and then on behalf of their dead.  Notice I didn’t say “the dead.”  Mormons do family history work for their own ancestors in their direct line of ancestry and do the temple work for them.  Mormons are strictly told that work is not to be done for people outside their family line, for celebrities, or for Jewish Holocaust victims.  This work culminates in the sealing of families together for eternity, and this is desirable for our own family lines.

At the conclusion of the endowment ritual, Mormon temple patrons leave the endowment room of the temple and enter the “celestial room.”  This is the most beautiful room in the temple, and here one can meditate, pray, and read scriptures, commune with God, commune with family members.

Remarkably, Mormons attend the temple as often as possible, even though the 90-minute endowment ritual is always the same, word for word.  Because the Mormon temple is the House of God, it is a place of revelation, and most Mormons find they learn something new every time they attend.

LDS Temples (Mormon Temples) – The House of the Lord

In May our senior mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church) will end.  Retired couples in the LDS Church are needed not for proselyting (the young Mormon missionaries do that) but for all sorts of other necessary service.  My husband and I have been involved with “member-leader support.”  Because the Church of Jesus Christ has no professional clergy, members run things as they are called to do so.  New members need help in fulfilling their callings and increasing in their abilities to perform as they increase in gospel knowledge and testimony.

On our way home, we will stop by a Mormon temple some hours from here to take several women to the temple who have never been there before.  These sweet “sisters” (as Mormons call the women in the Church) are devoted to their faith and keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ, our Creator, Savior, and Redeemer.  They have been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.  Now they are ready to make temple covenants.

I will teach a “Temple Preparation Class” in a series of seven lessons, so that these women will be able to understand their temple experience and enjoy it fully.  The first thing they will notice about the Mormon temple is how beautiful it is.  Mormon meetinghouses are used for Sunday worship and mid-week activities.  They are plain and utilitarian, although artwork depicting the life of Christ graces hallways and entryways.  Temples are designed around their use, but the finest materials are used to build Mormon temples, handiwork and attention to detail are remarkable, and Mormon temples are filled with symbolism hearkening back to Old Testament times.

Temples are light, bright, and peaceful.  The spirit of God fills Mormon temples to the brim.  They are places set apart from the world where Latter-day Saints can learn and meditate, pray and find answers to prayers.

The first time a member of the Church of Jesus Christ goes through the temple, he or she makes covenants which are milestones on the path to exaltation — eternity in the very presence of God.  After that first temple session, each patron performs work and makes covenants on behalf of ancestors who are deceased.  The decease may accept or reject those ordinances performed for them, since they have the ability to do so in the spirit world before they are resurrected.

In our temple preparation class, we will teach about temples of old and how God’s kingdom on earth has always been centered on temple worship.  The Book of Mormon, whose first recording prophets left Jerusalem in 600 B.C., built temples in the Americas as they continued to follow the Law of Moses, looking forward to the Messiah Jesus Christ.  Various ordinances can be performed in temples, and while some of those ordinances pertain to the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, others pertain to the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood.  Aaronic priesthood ordinances revolve around personal sacrifice and repentance, while higher ordinances revolve around purity and consecration.

The “endowment” is the centerpiece of Mormon, modern temple worship.  It takes about 90 minutes and is always word for word the same.  It is centered on instruction about God’s Plan of Salvation, which itself centers on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Plan of Salvation teaches that we lived before mortality on earth with our Heavenly Father as His spirit children.  Mortality is the next step in God’s plan for us.  Here, we can learn compassion, develop faith, and obtain a physical body.  After death, our spirits go to the spirit world, and there, difficulties not of our making on earth, can be overcome, as we prepare for resurrection and salvation and exaltation.

In temple preparation class, we will learn that the temple is a spiritual school.  We are not only educated by what we see and hear there, but by what we receive in the way of revelation from God as we participate.

Worthiness is very important for entering a holy temple.  Since covenants of consecration are made there, a person must naturally be desirous of consecrating him- or herself to the Lord, to do the Lord’s will in all things as the person comes to understand God’s will.  It is interesting that some friends of other faiths think temples should be open to the public, and that there should be no qualifications to enter.  These ideas make no sense, when the purpose of temples is understood.  People must prepare themselves for this holy experience and be ready to make these covenants.  There is great power in making temple covenants and growing closer to God through doing so.  God’s presence is more evident in every aspect of our lives, and we partake of more spiritual communion with Him on a daily basis.

An ordinance is an outward, physical, enactment representing a covenant between God and man.  Because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s kingdom on earth, priesthood bearers (comprising most worthy men in the Church) have the power and authority to bind in heaven what is bound on earth.  So temple covenants are not to be taken lightly.  We become bound to God, when we make temple covenants.  After we make those covenants, we must be faithful to them by continuing on in righteousness.  By returning to the temple again and again, we can be reminded of the covenants we have made.  Each time we return, we learn more because of the spiritual promptings we receive while there.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Temples

History of Mormonism

Worship with Mormons

Why Noah Cursed Ham

So, Noah got drunk and Ham saw him naked.  Why did Noah curse Canaan (one of Ham’s sons), if Ham saw him naked?

In the Book of Jasher (Sepir Ha Yasher or Book of the Upright), we find an interesting reason. When Adam left the Garden of Eden, he was given a coat of skins, or a special garment of authority.  This garment represented Adam’s current plight on earth, but was a connection to Eden.  It would symbolize the heavenly garment that Enoch, Isaiah and others would be dressed in during their heavenly ascensions.  Adam’s garment allowed him to be able to speak with the animals and give each of them names.  When he wore the garment, animals were not afraid to approach, because they saw him as the representative of God. The tradition states that Adam’s garment was a special treasure and keepsake for the sons of God. It was handed down from righteous father to righteous son (Jasher 7:24). This garment would be passed down from generation to generation, until Noah received it.  Using the sacred garment of Adam, Noah would be able to call forth the animals and have them enter the ark.

And in their going out (of the ark), Ham stole those garments from Noah his father, and he took them and hid them from his brothers.

And when Ham begat his first born Cush, he gave him the garments in secret, and they were with Cush many days.

And Cush also concealed them from his sons and brothers, and when Cush had begotten Nimrod, he gave him those garments through his love for him, and Nimrod grew up, and when he was twenty years old he put on those garments.

And Nimrod became strong when he put on the garments, and God gave him might and strength, and he was a mighty hunter in the earth, yea, he was a mighty hunter in the field, and he hunted the animals and he built altars, and he offered upon them the animals before the Lord.

And Nimrod strengthened himself, and he rose up from amongst his brethren, and he fought the battles of his brethren against all their enemies round about.

And the Lord delivered all the enemies of his brethren in his hands, and God prospered him from time to time in his battles, and he reigned upon earth“ (Book of Jasher 7:27-28).

According to the Book of Jasher, after leaving the ark, Ham stole the garment from Noah.  This probably happened while Noah was drunk asleep in his tent.  Anciently, the father’s tent was considered an important gathering place, like a temple or tabernacle.  It would be in his tent that Lehi would see the Vision of the Tree of Life, and receive the Liahona.  For Ham to sneak into his father’s tent unannounced would be to interrupt his father in his sacred place, perhaps while receiving a vision.  In this instance, Ham took advantage of the situation of his father being naked and asleep in the tent, to steal the garment of Adam.

Shem and Japheth covered their father with a linen garment, walking in backwards so as not to see their father’s nakedness.  In the ancient Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, the priests would walk backwards into the Holy of Holies so as not to look directly into the face of God and perish from viewing his full glory.  A veil covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies to protect others from peering directly into the face and glory of God.  It seems Shem and Japheth may have treated their father or the tent in this same manner, a sacred place that required special care.

The Book of Jasher tells us that Ham gave Adam’s garment to his son, Cush, who passed it down through his own lineage. Cush gave the garments to Nimrod (the same one mentioned in the Book of Abraham), who used the garments to create his hunting prowess and power.  It is possible that Noah cursed the descendants of Ham because of the theft of Adam’s garment.

This event sets up some interesting events in Bible and ancient Jewish history/lore. Nimrod would become a mighty hunter in the earth, using the garment to entice animals to him.  He would also use its power to gain earthly power.  He would build the kingdom of Babylon and the great Tower of Babel. His desire in building the tower would be to overthrow God from his throne, making Nimrod the king of the universe!  Perhaps owning and wearing the garment made him feel he was as powerful as God, as the garment represented God’s power and authority.

And all nations and tongues heard of his (Nimrod’s) fame, and they gathered themselves to him, and they bowed down to the earth, and they brought him offerings, and he became their lord and king, and they all dwelt with him in the city at Shinar, and Nimrod reigned in the earth over all the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and counsel.

And all the earth was of one tongue and words of union, but Nimrod did not go in the ways of the Lord, and he was more wicked than all the men that were before him, from the days of the flood until those days” (Book of Jasher 7:45-46).

Nimrod desired to rule not only the earth, but as with Satan, to overthrow heaven. He would create a tower (Ziggurat temple) that could reach heaven. In so doing, he sought to kick God off his throne. Not only did he wish to rule the world, he also wanted to rule the heavens. How did Nimrod suppose he could reach heaven if he could not see it?

Or maybe he could see it. LDS belief is that Enoch built a city, named Zion.  It became so righteous that before the Flood, the Lord lifted it up from the earth to safety.  According to George Laub’s autobiography, Joseph Smith said,

Now I will tell the story of the designs of building the tower of Babel. It was designed to go to the city of Enoch for the veil was not yet so great that it hid it from their sight, so they concluded to go to the city of Enoch. For God gave him (Enoch) place above the impure air for he could breathe a pure air and him and his city was taken (George Laub Autobiography, pg 14).

Enoch’s city was taken up to heaven. If George Laub’s account is correct, it was still in the process of being taken up, probably floating in the earth’s stratosphere. Nimrod could see it. He knew it was Enoch’s city, as his great-grandfather Noah and grandfather Ham would have taught them. This was Nimrod’s chance to overthrow the holy city and ascend with it into heaven, where he believed he could toss God out on his ear. After all, Nimrod did possess the powerful garment of Adam, and had so far been invincible against his enemies.

God had no option but to scatter the people at the tower, for “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Genesis 11:6).

Isaiah would prophesy centuries later against Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon in 600 BC, who would seek to restore the glories of Nimrod’s Babylon:

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High (El Elyon). Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15).

This perfectly describes Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, AND Satan. Each sought to overthrow God and his kingdom. The stars of God were the divine sons of God. The “mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” represented the divine council in heaven, all divine sons of El Elyon, God Most High. In overthrowing the city of Enoch, Nimrod sought to do exactly as Satan tried to do in the Grand Council in heaven. He gathered his strength and armies, and sought a war in heaven. Only God could end each rebellion.

It seems that after failing to dethrone God with the Tower of Babel, Nimrod turned his focus on God’s earthly representative, Abraham.  Abraham grew up in Ur of Chaldees, and there are many traditions pitting him against Nimrod.  In the Book of Abraham, the prophet notes seeking the priesthood from the fathers Noah and Shem, rather than just claiming it from lineage or a stolen garment, as did Pharaoh and Nimrod.  His travels would lead Abraham down among the Canaanites, an area still influenced by Nimrod, but far enough of a distance to protect him.

Jacob had a special relationship with his grandfather Abraham, according to the ancient Book of Jubilees.

Jacob was pious and righteous and Esau was a rough man, a tiller of the field and hairy, but Jacob dwelt within tents. And the youths grew, and Jacob learned writing; but Esau did not learn it, for he was a man of the field and a hunter, and learned war and all rough deeds. But Abraham loved Jacob, but Isaac loved Esau. And Abraham saw the deeds of Esau, and he knew that his name and seed should be called for him in Jacob, and he called Rebecca, and commanded her concerning Jacob, for he saw that she too loved Jacob much more than Esau. And he (Abraham) said to her: “My daughter, watch my son Jacob, for he shall be in my stead upon the earth as a blessing among the sons of men, and to all the seed of Shem, and for an honor, and I know that the Lord has chosen him for himself as a people secluded from all those upon the face of the earth.

Note that Jacob dwelled in tents, an important concept for ancient Israel.  The tent was a symbol of God’s future temple and Tabernacle (which was a tent).  Abraham insisted Rebekah ensure that Jacob receive Isaac’s blessing and becomes Abraham’s promised line.  He then blessed Jacob in front of Rebekah with the blessings of Adam, Enoch, Noah, Shem and Abraham (Book of Jubilees XIX, p47-48).

Jacob would spend much time with his grandfather. In fact, when Abraham was old, Jacob often stayed the night with him, listening to him speak of Adam, Noah, Shem and the other patriarchs and seeking the blessings they received.

Abraham] ceased speaking and commanding and blessing. And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, the father of his father, and his (Abraham’s) thoughts kissed him seven times, and his love and his heart rejoiced over him (Jacob)….And he (Abraham) laid two fingers of Jacob upon his eyes, and he blessed the God of gods, and he covered his face and stretched out his feet and slept the sleep of eternity….” (Jubilees XXII-XXIII, p53).

The differences between Esau and Jacob are very important. Jacob is described to be the beginning of civilization, dwelling in tents and learning to read and write. He is the spiritual being, who will see the staircase ascending into heaven, with God’s throne at the top.  Meanwhile, Esau represented the lifestyle of the hunter-gatherer. Interestingly, Esau is noted as tilling the earth, much like Cain. Jacob becomes the new Abel/Seth. Just as Cain was rejected of God for his rebellious spirit, so too, Esau will lose his standing before God.

According to tradition, Nimrod feared Abraham’s family, as he saw in a dream they would kill him. He especially developed a jealousy of Esau’s hunting prowess. There was enmity between the two of them. In one chance meeting in the wild, Esau slew Nimrod and took the garment of Adam from him. Nimrod’s men heard the fighting from a distance and chased Esau.

And when Esau saw the mighty men of Nimrod coming at a distance, he fled, and thereby escaped; and Esau took the valuable garments of Nimrod, which Nimrod’s father had bequeathed to Nimrod, and with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land, and he ran and concealed them in his house. And Esau took those garments and ran into the city on account of Nimrod’s men, and he came unto his father’s house wearied and exhausted from fight, and he was ready to die through grief when he approached his brother Jacob and sat before him (Jasher 27).

It seems that Esau feared being caught with Nimrod’s garments, for he knew Nimrod’s men were after him. Had they caught him, he would have been killed, and so selling his birthright (the garment) for a mess of pottage seemed like a very good deal when Jacob offered it. Selling the birthright also gave Jacob a spot to be buried next to his dear grandfather in the cave at Machpelah. So the garment of Adam returned to the rightful lineage and owner, Jacob.

From this story of Adam’s garment, we see the importance of authority and power for both those who seek to be the true followers of God, and for those who would wish to usurp God’s power.  In the end, the authority never really can be stolen from the rightful heirs of God’s promises.  However, there will always be those who seek to take God’s power and authority to use in their own way, often to gain power, wealth and glory on earth.  To this day, there is a battle on earth for mankind to find out who really is God’s chosen servant, given that many wicked people, like Nimrod, seem to have limitless power and authority.  It is by their fruits we can know them.  Adam, Noah, Abraham and others sought to use God’s power and authority in the way God wanted it used.  Joseph Smith explained that “many are called, but few are chosen” because there are many to try to take upon themselves the authority of God, but use it for selfish and wicked purposes (Doctrine and Covenants 121). Such are the wicked, who would claim the priesthood authority of God today. The true representatives of God use charity, kindness, and humility.  They use the power of God to serve others, not to control or enslave them. We can see such attributes in the true followers of God, even today.

This article was written by Gerald Smith, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bibliography:

Book of Jasher
*The Book of Jasher is not considered scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Book of Jubilees
*The Book of Jubilees is not considered scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascents, Jacob vs Esau

Additional Resources:

Pearl of Great Price

The Book of Abraham

The Holy Bible in Mormonism

Real Mormons

Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church“) tend to have large families.  They are encouraged by their leaders (a living prophet and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ) not to put off or refrain from having children for material or worldly reasons.  Because of this, you will see young Mormon families, with dad in medical school or graduate school, who already have two or three young children.

The Plan of Salvation shows us that we are all eternal beings, created spiritually by our Father in Heaven.  His desire is for us to become like Him, and receiving a mortal body and experiencing mortality on earth is an important step in that eternal progression.  Mormons are encouraged to receive these spirits into their home, knowing they can give God’s children an abundant life because of their spiritual knowledge and righteous living, stable families, and loving natures.

This said, birth control is considered a subject that is private to a husband and wife, as they counsel personally with their Father in Heaven.  Personal revelation guides Mormons in their decisions regarding child-bearing.  However, there are parameters.  Abortion is considered in Mormonism to be a grievous sin, next to murder in its seriousness.  It should only be considered in cases of incest, rape, or danger to the mother’s life, and then with counseling from church leaders.

True to the Faith is a guidebook for members to help them understand the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the policies of His Church.  Here’s what it says about birth control:

When married couples are physically able, they have the privilege of providing mortal bodies for Heavenly Father’s spirit children. They play a part in the great plan of happiness, which permits God’s children to receive physical bodies and experience mortality.

If you are married, you and your spouse should discuss your sacred responsibility to bring children into the world and nurture them in righteousness. As you do so, consider the sanctity and meaning of life. Ponder the joy that comes when children are in the home. Consider the eternal blessings that come from having a good posterity. With a testimony of these principles, you and your spouse will be prepared to prayerfully decide how many children to have and when to have them. Such decisions are between the two of you and the Lord.

As you discuss this sacred matter, remember that sexual relations within marriage are divinely approved. While one purpose of these relations is to provide physical bodies for God’s children, another purpose is to express love for one another—to bind husband and wife together in loyalty, fidelity, consideration, and common purpose. [1]

The wisdom in this counsel is apparent.  Intimacy between husband and wife is approved by God.  There are parameters for this, too, but a husband and wife determine those by using their conscience, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, to tell them when sexual intimacy might become lustful, abusive, selfish, or improper.

Note how simple is the directive from the Church of Jesus Christ.  Much is left up to our own discretion as we counsel with the Lord.  We are privileged to receive personal revelation to guide us in these choices.  Once children come into the home, both husband and wife receive the same counsel—”No success can compensate for failure in the home” (Prophet David O. McKay).  Both husband and wife should fine-tune their investment in work and hobbies outside the home in order to provide a secure sanctuary for their children.

Additional Resources:

LDS Church Policy on Abortion

Mormon Families

Worship with Mormons