Browse >
Home / Archive by category 'Mormon Life'
Mormon Life Articles
Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.
This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian.
“Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life... Read the rest of this article »
A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.
Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.
In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion... Read the rest of this article »
SMITHFIELD — After dinner, three baths, four bedtime stories and a half-a-dozen goodnight kisses for 2-year-old twins Brock and Isaac and 6-year-old Ellie, Erin and Brian Thompson finally sink into the couch with weary smiles.
Being parents is just what they always wanted. And they love it.
“Of course we have our crazy moments,” Thompson says, “but for the most part we just try to find the good things in the day and remember that they’re only going to be little for so long.”
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Thompsons believe that maintaining a strong marriage and raising and teaching children are essential keys to happiness and their most important responsibilities on earth.
In fact, 81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in life,” according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life — the first survey of Mormons about Mormons,... Read the rest of this article »
By Jhumer.
The Church where I grew up taught me to seek the Lord first in all my endeavors. I am referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is often called the Mormon or LDS Church. At a young age, my parents taught me about the Law of Tithing which is the giving of the tenth part of one’s income to the Church for the purpose of expanding the work of the Lord here on earth. Such a law was practiced anciently by Prophets like Abraham and others. In the Mormon Church, we are taught that this is a very important commandment coming from the Lord.
At a young age while studying in Elementary school, I found myself selling candies to my classmates and eventually earning additional income aside from my allowance. I would set aside the 10 percent of my profit and give it to the Bishop during Sundays. My parents were happy to see me practice giving my tithing as a young boy. As I grew up, giving my tithing never became a burden but a blessing. It... Read the rest of this article »
By Roy.
I’m sure some of you have imagined yourself as a certain character in a story and may have wished to be that person or at least you wanted to be in the venue of the story. It is more exiting to read a novel when you do that, because it helps you feel what the character is feeling. Putting myself into the person’s place in scripture stories helps me understand and appreciate the scriptures, and reading them becomes more exiting.
I wished to be present when Moses parted the Red sea, then feel God’s power with awe as I walked in between the walls of water to the other side. It would be so cool to attend the dedication of King Solomon’s temple and see the wonderful decorations inside it. My heart longed to be near that peaceful manger when the Jesus was born and how glorious it was to see the angels as they sang and praised Him as the Savior of the world.
Although I was blessed with a vivid imagination, there is one thing I could not perfectly understand, and that is the life... Read the rest of this article »
By Roy.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma (in about 70 B.C.) once encountered a man who was claiming that there is no God. When he asked the man for his evidence for claiming such notions, he could say nothing clearly. Prophet Alma said,
“Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know that there is a God, and also that Christ shall come. And now what evidence have ye that there is no God or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true” (Book of Mormon, Alma 30:39-41).
And then the man was asking for a sign that would convince him that there is God.
“But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; Will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show me a sign, when ye all the testimony... Read the rest of this article »
By Martin, a convert from Spain.
One of the most spiritual times in my life was during the months it took me to read the Book of Mormon. I could not help but feel overwhelmed by the Spirit every time I read the book. I am not the type of person to read, and I never read, but for some reason, I felt compelled to continue to read the Book of Mormon everyday; the book drew me in. I felt an emptiness inside on the days that I did not read, like there was something missing. I only started reading one chapter a day and then I felt like I needed more than that one chapter, because I felt unsatisfied with just one. I moved up to 3 chapters a day, and when that was not enough, I increased to reading 5 chapters per day, and then maxed out at 7 chapters in a day. The spiritual fulfillment I received from reading the Book of Mormon could not be explained; it made my day a lot easier, and made me understand the commandments much better than I ever had before. Following the commandments also became easier.
Prior... Read the rest of this article »
By Kimberly.
Being a member of the Church almost a year, I have thought long and hard about whether to become endowed and enjoy all the true blessings that the temple brings. Having the temple on earth in our day and time has been such an amazing part of my life. I am fortunate enough to be just a walk across the parking lot from one of these beautiful houses of the Lord. Every Sunday as I arrive at church, I take a minute to marvel and admire the beautiful structure of this gorgeous building, within which I was able to participate in baptisms for the dead.
When I became a member of the Church I remember thinking, “I wonder exactly what all the hype of the temple was about”? Then I had the chance to go in for the first time, just a week after being confirmed a member of the Church. I was told things like it would be a place where I would be safe from all my worries, where Satan could not enter, that it was as close to feeling in life that I was in a glorified state of “heaven” as... Read the rest of this article »
By Kimberly.
Missionary work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths The Mormon Church) is probably one of my most favorite principles of the gospel. Doctrine and Covenants 4:2 says “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.” Mormon missionary work is not something we just do as part of our plan to eternal salvation, but it is a duty to our father in heaven. Joining the church in my older years, I had to make a quick decision on whether to strive to serve as a full time missionary, while my prayers were answered that there would be time for that in life, the time for my education was now.
In the meantime, missionary work is still something I enjoy. From the time I joined the church, I knew that while full-time missionaries spread the knowledge of the gospel for the 18-24 months they serve, it... Read the rest of this article »
By Samantha
The Mormon Health law is called the Word of Wisdom.
When I was a little kid, I heard the story about the stagecoach driver more than any other. It’s a parenting classic — like the boy who cried wolf (heard that one a lot, too) — used to teach a life lesson of some sort. It goes like this:
A man is looking to hire a stagecoach driver to deliver some important cargo. The route the driver must travel goes on along a windy road up a steep mountain. The first driver the man interviews says that he can prove what a skilled driver he is because he can drive along the edge of the cliff the entire way without falling off. The second driver interviewed says he can prove what a good driver he is, because he drives the entire way staying as far away from the edge of the cliff as possible. The man hires the second driver.
I have never had an alcohol or nicotine or heroine addiction. I don’t know whether or not I have a predisposition, mentally or physically, to be controlled... Read the rest of this article »
