Melissa’s feelings about tithing and fasting:

Fasting is a familiar term among Christians. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which church is sometimes mistakenly called the “Mormon Church”) make it a regular practice to participate in a twenty-four hour fast on the first Sunday of every month. Not only is this fast beneficial to us as individuals because it helps us draw closer to the Spirit and cleanse our bodies, but also we find that fasting with a purpose can work like a prayer in seeking out particular blessings for those in need. We help further that purpose by paying a fast offering each month.

Churches are run on donations, and in most denominations a collection plate is passed around for people to place their donations. Latter-day Saint members are encouraged to pay a tithe of 10 percent of their income to The Church of Jesus Christ, but this is not collected publicly during meetings. Those who wish to pay tithing can pick up envelopes with tithing slips from our bishop’s office and hand our offerings to a member of the bishopric.

The fast offering is a special offering seperate from our tithing, and there is a spot on the tithing slip to specify the amount we are paying for a fast offering. We are adviced to have the amount of the offering be the amount of money we saved on food by participating in the monthly twenty-four hour fast, making it roughly the cost of two meals. Those with the means are encouraged to be generous and pay more, but the actual amount members pay for a fast offering is entirely up to the individual.

Because Latter-day Saints have a lay leadership (which means they volunteer their time rather than being compensated monetarily), all our payments and offerings are used to further the four-fold mission of the church: to “proclaim the gospel, perfect the saints, redeem the dead, and care for the poor and afflicted.” Fast offerings, specifically, are used for this last purpose—the care of the poor and afflicted. Fast offerings help stock what is known as the Bishop’s Storehouse with foodstuffs and basic necessities. Members in need can speak to their bishop about receiving church welfare which can include visits to this storehouse.

I have personally been blessed by the fast offerings of members when I went through a period of about a year where all the food and basic needs for my family was provided by the Bishop’s Storehouse. It was a difficult and humbling time that has heightened my own dedication to the payment of fast offerings and volunteering at the storehouse.

Fast-offering funds are also used to provide relief in troubled areas after natural disasters, in third-world countries, and other places in dire need. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is typically one of the first responders after disasters, and we have several locations for the preparing of basic food provisions that go to third-world countries. It is a blessing to know that my offerings go straight to such a good cause, and that I can help in providing relief to those who are suffering by paying my offerings and volunteering my time to aid in this great work.

Alison’s thoughts on fast offerings:

Once a month members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fast for two meals. They then donate the money those meals would have cost to the church. Fast-offering funds are used at the bishop’s discretion to help the poor and needy. The funds are used first at the local level. If there isn’t a need within the ward, then the money goes to the Stake. If there are funds left after the needs are met in the Stake, the money then goes to the Presiding Bishop of the church. From there, the funds are used wherever in the world they are needed.

From a personal perspective, I’m grateful for the opportunity to pay a fast offering. I know that 100 percent of the money goes to help people in need. The blessings of giving a generous fast offering are wonderful. Being able to help people I don’t know about is a great feeling.

Alison

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 and what you do, but also how you feel about your life and what you are doing,” said Michael Purdy of the LDS Church Public Affairs office.

For the vast majority of Latter-day Saints surveyed, those life choices have much to do with their religious beliefs. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents indicate that religion is “very important” to them, 83 percent say they pray every day and 77 percent say they attend church at least once a week. Beyond that, a stunning 69 percent of respondents fit all three descriptions, saying that religion is very important to them, that they pray every day and that they go to church every week.

“By this measure,” the report says, “Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Christians.”

Part of the explanation for these high numbers may be that the survey focused only on those who self-identified as Latter-day Saints.

“The method they used tended to identify people who are strongly committed,” said BYU sociologist Marie Cornwall, who advised the Pew Forum on the new survey. “They don’t have the people who are kind of marginal. But that’s okay; we just have to be careful with the way we interpret the findings.”

One such finding is the relationship between religious commitment and education among Mormons.

David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame associate professor and another adviser on the survey, noted that the more educated respondents were, the higher their levels of religious commitment.

“I was a little surprised by that,” said Campbell, who is LDS and who has extensively studied on the role of religion in the public square. “The more educated a Mormon is, the more likely they are to be wholehearted in their commitment to the church and its teachings.”

That is different from other churches, he said, where more education tends to lead to more religious skepticism.

Pew Research Center officials also noted “a significant gender gap in religious commitment, with more Mormon women than men exhibiting a high level of religious commitment (73 percent vs. 65 percent).”

According to the Pew report, a similar “gender gap” is seen among the general public. A 2007 survey found 36 percent of U.S. women exhibited a high level of religious commitment, compared with 24 percent of men.

One series of questions asked about what it means to be a good Mormon. According to the respondents, in order to be a good Mormon it is “essential” to believe Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (80 percent), work to help the poor (73 percent), hold regular family home evenings (51 percent), not drink coffee and tea (49 percent) and not watch R-rated movies (32 percent).

Combining those who said “essential” with those who said “important but not essential,” the order changes a little bit: working to help the poor (97 percent), holding regular family home evenings (96 percent), believing Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (93 percent), not drinking coffee and tea (81 percent) and not watching R-rated movies (79 percent).

“I think that result is rather interesting,” said Cornwall. “Mormons are known for not drinking coffee or tea and not watching R-rated movies. But compared to believing that Joseph Smith saw God and working for the poor, Mormons don’t seem to focus on the coffee and tea as much as people probably think.”

Other manifestations of religious commitment in the survey included:

The number of respondents (65 percent) who say they hold a current temple recommend (a certificate from local ecclesiastical leaders, issued every other year, indicating that an individual has permission from the church to enter LDS temples and participate in temple rites and sacraments)

The number (79 percent) who say they pay tithing (donating 10 percent of their income to the church)

The number (27 percent) who have served full-time missions for the church (this number includes 43 percent of men and 11 percent of women and varies significantly according to the age and education of the respondent, as well as whether or not the respondent was raised Mormon)

The number (82 percent) who keep food in storage for emergencies or disasters, as they have been counseled to do by LDS Church leaders (This number includes 23 percent who say they have three months’ worth, 35 percent who say they have more than three months’ worth and 23 percent who say they have less than three months’ worth)

The percentage who pay tithing is especially interesting to break down. According to the survey tabulations, “tithing is most common among Mormons with the highest levels of religious commitment (96 percent) … fully 91 percent of college graduates say they pay tithing … compared with 66 percent of those with a high school diploma or less education. And among those whose family income exceeds $30,000, 83 percent say they pay tithing, compared with 69 percent of those with incomes of less than $30,000.”

While previous surveys have clearly established LDS agreement with certain key Christian doctrines — 90 percent of Mormons believe in God, 91 percent believe the Bible is the word of God and 98 percent believe in life after death — the new survey explores Mormon confidence in points of doctrine that are unique to LDS theology. And in these points of doctrine, Mormons proved to be unified and believing. They believe overwhelmingly that God and Jesus Christ are separate physical beings (94 percent), that the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God (94 percent), that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies (95 percent) and that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and translated by Joseph Smith (91 percent).

Overall, 77 percent say they believe “wholeheartedly” in all of the teachings of the LDS Church. That number increases to 82 percent among Mormons ages 18-49, and to 85 percent among Mormons who are college graduates.

“Ultimately, I suppose other Americans will judge our church — and perhaps all churches — by their relevance in how they touch and improve human lives right here on Earth as well as what they offer in the life to come,” wrote Michael Otterson, Public Affairs director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in his “On Faith” blog in the Washington Post. “Meanwhile, we welcome the friendship and regard of all groups, even as we retain our commitment to a unique identity. In the end … Latter-day Saints will strive to be good Mormons, true believers, kind neighbors and faithful friends.”

Pew Study Reflects Mormons’ Religious Commitment to Christ, Mormon Beliefs in Tithes and Temples

Mormons in America

By Amy Choate-Nielsen

Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST

David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life.

According to the study, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally reject polygamy — only 2 percent said the practice is morally acceptable — evidence of a yawning gap in what Mormons believe and how they are perceived. Mormons’ opinions are overwhelmingly conservative, the study shows, but in many ways, their views are also surprising — especially when it comes to opinions on moral issues, divorce, homosexuality and polygamy.

Morality

Mormons also take a significant stance on moral issues in other areas, such as divorce, sex outside of marriage and consumption of alcohol.

Although teachings from the LDS Church emphasize the importance and eternal nature of the family, only 25 percent of Mormons surveyed said divorce is morally wrong, according to the study. That means Mormons are slightly less morally opposed to divorce than the general public.

“For Catholics, divorce does not exist. They think it is not only wrong but it is impossible,” said Matthew Bowman, member of a board of expert advisers to the Pew Research Center for the study and author of “The Mormon People,” a book on the history of the LDS Church. “That has not been true for Mormons. There is theological space for divorce within Mormonism. It is undesirable, but Mormons recognize it is sometimes necessary and sometimes the right thing to do.”

Other moral views revealed in the survey — 54 percent said drinking alcohol was morally wrong, compared with 15 percent of the general public — set Mormons apart, Bowman says. The assumption on the part of non-Mormons is that if Mormons think drinking alcohol is wrong, then they must think everyone who imbibes is morally flawed. That apprehension can make people suspicious of Mormons, and wary of an elitist attitude, he says.

Differences in moral viewpoints can create a stumbling block for Mormon acceptance — not only in high-profile arenas, such as a presidential election, but also in communities.
“What you find throughout the report is a tension,” said David Campbell, assistant professor at Notre Dame and an adviser on the study. “Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ They are certainly living their lives in the world. They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes there is conflict.”

Homosexuality

Mormons have some of the most conservative opinions when it comes to homosexuality. The survey asked Mormons if homosexuality should be accepted by society or discouraged by society, with an option for neither, both or “don’t know.” The response — 26 percent said homosexuality should be accepted, 65 percent said it should be discouraged — puts Mormons as the least likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society. But a 26 percent acceptance rate, with roughly 1 in 4 Mormons saying homosexuality should be accepted, might be surprisingly high to some.

Of particular interest is the fact that only 8 percent of Mormons surveyed identified themselves as liberal, and 66 percent said they were conservative. That means some of those who said homosexuality should be accepted also identify themselves as politically conservative, Bowman says. That distinction illustrates the complexity of Mormons’ opinion on sexuality — that it is rooted more in religious precepts than politics.
Still, it’s difficult to draw a conclusion about Mormons‘ views on homosexuality based on the study, says Pew Research Center adviser Terryl Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.

“Results need to be viewed cautiously,” Givens says. “Official LDS pronouncements insist there is a distinction between (sexual) orientation and behavior, but the survey blurs that difference, probably leaving many Mormons unsure how to answer that question. What is clear, however, is that Mormons are trending toward greater acceptance of same-sex relationships, just as society as a whole is, although by a much smaller percentage.”

Polygamy

At one point 120 years ago, some Mormons practiced plural marriage, hence the association between Mormons and polygamy. The practice was discontinued in 1890, but the cultural association persists, perhaps in part because Mormons are sometimes confused with members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, a polygamist group not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the October-November 2011 study of a national sample of 1,019 Mormons, 86 percent said polygamy is morally wrong. That’s a number that surprises Bowman.

Were it not for the confusion surrounding Mormons and the FLDS Church practice of plural marriage, Bowman says that statistic might not be as high.

“It’s my experience that Mormons have a fraught relationship with polygamy,” Bowman said of the study results. “There is a sense that rejecting polygamy identifies a member of the LDS Church and distinguishes us from the fundamentalists. That is a cultural signifier as much as a theological statement.”

Some who responded to the survey, 11 percent, said polygamy is not a moral issue.
Email: achoate@desnews.com

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 on the subject. Mormon views closely mirror these statistics. 45 percent of Mormons also believe immigrants strengthen the nation, although a smaller number, 41 percent, consider them a burden on society. The number of Mormons who accept both or neither or who have no opinion is higher, at 14 percent.

These numbers put them at odds with evangelical Christians, one of the few political areas in which they disagree. Within the white evangelical population, 59 percent believe immigrants are a burden, and 27 percent believe they strengthen the country. Like Mormons, 14 percent answered both, neither, or no opinion.

The statistics for Mormons shows a strong divide based on age, income, and education, as well as on religious commitment. Only 36 percent of highly committed Mormons see immigrants as a burden, while 50 percent of those who are less committed see them as a burden. This largely correlates with economic status. 84 percent of Mormons who are highly committed to their religion are college graduates. (The church strongly encourages education, which may be a factor in this.) Only 50 percent of those with high school educations are strongly committed to their faith. This statistic is very unusual in the religious world. For most religions, the least educated are the most religious.

49 percent of Mormons under age 50 see immigrants as a strength. 39 percent of Mormons over 50 see it as a strength.

Beyond the study’s statistics, several other factors influence the Mormon view of immigration. Many Mormons serve missions for their church. For two years, they live wherever they are sent, learning the language and living as the people in that community live. They go into the homes, attend the churches, and do service work in addition to their missionary work. Many of those serve in Spanish countries and have a realistic view of the hardships faced by those people. They come home with a compassionate view of the world and an understanding that Americans have much easier lives than most. The love missionaries almost invariably develop for the people they served influences their views on immigration.

Finally, the church has taken very specific stands on the subject of illegal immigration in recent years. Mormons believe God has sent a prophet to lead His church, just as He has always done in ancient times, and so, Mormons are asked to sustain the prophet as the leader of the Church. Official statements from the prophet or the Church are considered to be from God.

The Church officially endorsed the basic principles of the Utah Compact, a law working to create a balanced legal approach to immigration. In November, 2011, L. Whitney Clayton gave an official statement from the church in honor of the first anniversary of the bill. The statement said in part:

The Utah Compact is consistent with three principles we believe should be carefully balanced when considering immigration:

• We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The meaning of neighbor includes all of God’s children, in all places and in all times.
• We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
• We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders.

We continue to encourage lawmakers everywhere to consider laws that properly balance love of neighbors and the importance of keeping families together, within the framework of just and enforceable laws.” (See Utah Compact One-Year Anniversary Marked by Utah Community Leaders.)

The official Mormon position is to encourage its members to stay in their homelands or to immigrate legally, but once they are here, however they came, they are to be treated with love, dignity, and respect, and laws should not separate families.

For a more in-depth look at the issue of Mormons and immigration, read the Deseret News article: Mormons’ immigration attitudes set them apart, by Eric Schulzke, Deseret News, published: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 8:12 p.m. MST.

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, by a non-LDS research organization.

The survey of more than 1,000 self-identified Latter-day Saints from across the country asked how accepted Mormons feel in American culture, as well as their thoughts on religious practices, political issues and family roles.

The survey showed that Mormons are more likely to be married than the general population, 67 percent of the sample size compared to 52 percent of the general public.

And 85 percent of married Mormons married other Mormons. Protestants marry other Protestants 81 percent of the time and Catholics marry each other 78 percent of the time.

With an emphasis on marriage, it should come as no surprise that the Mormons surveyed also had, on average, more children (2.6) than the general U.S. population (1.8).

Thompson grew up wanting to have a large family and be a good mother, but she and her husband have struggled with infertility for nearly nine years — a trial punctuated by the joys of two different adoptions, Ellie, then the twins.

“We said when we finally get to be parents, we’re going to actually sit down and take a little more time to focus on our kids,” Thompson said, who lives in northern Utah. “I’m not saying that other people don’t do that — the perspective we have is just a little different.”

Other Latter-day Saints share the Thompson’s enthusiasm to put family first.

“Family is at the core of our faith,” says Jane Clayson Johnson, a Latter-day Saint and former anchor of CBS’s “The Early Show” who prefers the title of mom to two young children and stepmom to three older ones. “There are so many distractions today that all force us outward, away from core relationships. What our faith does is turn us back toward deep, rich, meaningful relationships in families.”

“It teaches us that families are where we find meaning,” continued Clayson from her home in Boston. “The work I do in my family is the most important work that I’ll ever do.”

Among the general public, 50 percent list being a good parent as “one of the most important things in life,” with 44 percent listing it as “very important but not most important.”

That shouldn’t be taken to mean that the average American doesn’t value marriage or family, just that they don’t “go to church every week and get told that’s what they’re supposed to do,” says Marie Cornwall, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University. Cornwall advised the Pew Center for this survey.

“There’s nothing to suggest that family life is less valued in the United States over time,” she said, “but there’s more that suggests that people are feeling like it’s not possible for them to attain that.”

The pressure comes when a “successful” marriage is defined as having a good job, a hefty retirement account and a lovely home with a white picket fence, Cornwall said. So when people can’t achieve that in today’s tough economy, many feel like they’ve failed.

“For Mormons, there’s a spiritual aspect brought to that (definition of success),” she said, “an effort, in terms of sermons, to try and downplay the material and place more emphasis on the relationships.”

When the survey asked Mormons about working arrangements in families, nearly six out of 10 Mormons indicated they would prefer a marriage where the man works and the woman stays home to care for the home and the children.

LDS college graduates liked this marital structure more than any other subgroup, with 71 percent of them preferring the man to work and the woman to stay home.

In the general population, only 30 percent of Americans would prefer a marriage where the husband works and the wife stays home. Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, it drops to 15 percent who would pick such a scenario.

Almost four-in-10 Mormons would prefer that both parents work and both parents help with child rearing and housework.

For American Fork mom Ruth Ann Dupaix, 37, it’s not a black-or-white decision. Throughout her marriage she has both worked and stayed at home.

“The way we look at it, we try to make it a partnership,” Dupaix says. “It’s more who’s able at the time to do it best. It’s working together, a give and take.”

When she and her husband, Geoff, were first married, her job helped pay for his school. When he finished, she kept working because her employer would pay for her to complete her degree, and education was important to both of them.

Dupaix stopped working when her sixth child was born but has recently gone back to work at a local grocery store three nights a week to help fulfill a family goal to reduce their debt load.

It’s a big pay cut from the job she used to have at a bank, but it’s a more family friendly schedule.

“As part of a family you make sacrifices,” she said. “I’m gone when the kids are asleep, but I’m still here during the day when they need me.”

Additional Resources:

For original source Deseret News article: Mormon family marriage focus Pew.

As the “Mormon moment” extends into 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life today released a groundbreaking new survey, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.

Entitled “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,” the survey was conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 2011 among a national sample of 1,019 respondents who identified themselves as Mormons. The results validate a number of long-held stereotypes (most American Mormons are white, well-educated, politically conservative and religiously observant) while providing a few interesting surprises (care for the poor and needy is high on the list of LDS priorities, while drinking coffee and watching R-rated movies aren’t as taboo among the rank and file as you might think).

“While this survey comes amid a contentious election campaign, it is not solely or even chiefly about politics,” said Luis Lugo, Pew Research Center director, in the published survey’s preface. “Rather, we hope that it will contribute to a broader public understanding of Mormons and Mormonism at a time of great interest in both.”

For example, in one very interesting section of the new survey, respondents were asked several questions about what is essential to being a good Mormon. According to the survey, 80 percent said “believing Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ” is essential to being a good Mormon, 73 percent said “working to help the poor,” 51 percent said “regular Family Home Evenings,” 49 percent said “not drinking coffee and tea” and 32 percent said “not watching R-rated movies.

“To be honest, I found the strong sentiment that ‘working to help the poor’ is essential to being a good Mormon refreshing and a little surprising,” said David Campbell, an LDS Church member who is an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame and who consulted with the Pew Research Center on the new survey. “As a Mormon, I would hope it would be that way, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s good to see the church’s genuine compassion for the poor and needy reflected in these numbers.”

People outside the church may or may not be aware of the LDS propensity for compassionate service and other . According to the survey, 62 percent of Mormons think that Americans are generally uninformed about Mormonism, and 68 percent feel that they are not viewed as part of mainstream American society. But they remain optimistic, with 63 percent expressing the belief that Mormonism will eventually become part of mainstream society and 56 percent saying that the American people are ready for a Mormon president.

In fact, optimism is one of the themes to emerge from the survey relative to Latter-day Saints. Some 87 percent say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their own life, and 92 percent say their respective communities are excellent (52 percent) or good (40 percent) places to live (this is especially true among Mormons in Utah, of whom 71 percent say their communities are excellent).

But evidently, optimism only goes so far with Mormons.

“I think it is interesting that the respondents are overwhelmingly positive about their communities. They love their communities and everything’s fine there,” said Marie Cornwall, professor of sociology at Brigham Young University and another advisor to the Pew Research Center on this study. “But when you ask them about the way things are going in the country today, they are overwhelmingly (75 percent) dissatisfied. You would think that their satisfaction with their personal lives would factor into their feelings about how things are going in the country, but there seems to be a total disconnect there.”

It should be noted that the Mormon view of how things are going in the country today closely resembles the view of the American public as a whole, among whom 78 percent said they were dissatisfied in an October 2011 Pew Research Center survey.

Generally speaking, the new survey looks at Mormons and their perspectives in four key areas: politics and ideology, religious beliefs and practices, cultural and moral issues and family life.

Politically, there are few surprises. Most Mormons (66 percent) describe themselves as politically conservative, and 74 percent of Mormon voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. Philosophically, 75 percent of respondents said they prefer a smaller government providing fewer services to a bigger government providing more services.

Among a number of politicians currently in the spotlight, Mitt Romney is a favorite, being viewed favorably by 86 percent of all Mormons and 94 percent of Mormon Republicans. Even among Mormon Democrats, 62 percent rate Romney favorably.

The other Mormon running for president, Jon Huntsman, is viewed favorably by 50 percent of Mormon voters, while President Barack Obama is viewed favorably by 25 percent — slightly ahead of the rating Mormons bestowed upon another one of their own: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (22 percent).

Interestingly, Latter-day Saints seem to be somewhat divided on the issue of immigration. They are fairly evenly split on whether immigrants strengthen the U.S. because of their hard work and talents (45 percent) or burden the U.S. by taking American jobs, housing and health care (41 percent).

Campbell, who is an expert in the field of religion, politics and civic engagement, said he wasn’t surprised by that result.

“Although Mormons are caricatured as being really right wing, on the issue of immigration they are not,” he said. “The church itself has been quite a voice of moderation on this issue, and that has resulted in Mormons being more positive toward immigrants than other conservative religious groups tend to be.”

Campbell suggests that the LDS Church’s missionary program has something to do with that, with Latter-day Saints tending to develop a broader worldview as a result of their missionary service around the world. In any event, he said, “this result really does cut against the stereotype.”

In terms of religious beliefs and practices, the survey makes it clear that Mormons are highly religious — again, not a big surprise. Eighty-two percent say that religion is very important in their lives, and 77 percent say they believe wholeheartedly in all of the church’s teachings. Fully 83 percent say they pray every day, 79 percent say they donate 10 percent of their earnings to the church in tithing and 77 percent say they attend church at least once a week. According to Pew, “Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Protestants.”

Looking at basic, core religious beliefs, 98 percent say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 94 percent believe the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God, 95 percent believe that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies, 94 percent believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate, physical beings and 91 percent believe that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets.

Clearly, Mormons are believers.

But are they Christian? Ninety-seven percent of Mormons think so. And when asked to volunteer the one word that best describes Mormons, the most common responses were “Christian” and “Christ-centered.” By way of contrast, a November Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half (49 percent) of non-Mormon U.S. adults say that Mormonism is NOT Christian or that they are unsure whether or not it is Christian. In that same survey, when respondents were asked for one word that best describes the LDS Church, the most commonly offered response was “cult.”

Culturally, Mormon conservatism extends to a wide variety of moral issues. Polygamy (86 percent), sex between unmarried adults (79 percent), abortion (74 percent) and drinking alcohol (54 percent) are viewed as morally wrong. Divorce, on the other hand, is largely considered “not a moral issue” by respondents (46 percent).

Similarly, 65 percent of respondents said that homosexuality should be discouraged by society, compared with 58 percent of the general public who say homosexuality should be accepted by society.

“Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world,’” Campbell noted. “They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes that creates conflict or tension. [Homosexuality] is one of those issues where, rightly or wrongly, Mormons just have a different position than most of the rest of America.”

The survey also illustrates how important family life is to most members of the LDS Church. Among life’s priorities, being a good parent (81 percent) and having a successful marriage (73 percent) place higher than career concerns, having free time or even living a religious life. Some 67 percent of Mormon adults are married (compared with 52 percent of the general public), and 85 percent of them are married to another Mormon.

“As the Church and its members are increasingly the focus of media attention, we’re eager to participate in conversations that help the public get to know us better,” said LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy. “Even though the recent Pew study did not survey any of the Church’s eight million members who live outside the U.S., it highlights some important aspects regarding who we are and what we believe.

“For example,” Purdy continued, “the study found that Church members subscribe to traditional Christian beliefs, have high moral standards, are overwhelmingly satisfied with their lives and communities, are active in serving others and have a profound dedication to family. These results reflect the Church’s message that a deep commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ brings lasting happiness.”

Speaking for the Pew Research Center, Lugo said the idea for the survey was born last summer, “around the time that a Newsweek cover story and a New York Times article declared that the United States was experiencing a ‘Mormon moment.’”

“That got us thinking,” Lugo said in the survey’s preface.

Over the years, numerous polls have gauged public attitudes toward Mormons, who make up about 2 percent of all U.S. adults. But what do Mormons think about their place in American life? With the rising prominence of members of the LDS Church in politics, popular culture and the media, do Mormons feel more secure and accepted in American society? What do they think about other religions? What do they believe, how do they practice their faith and what do they see as essential to being a good Mormon and to leading a good life?

An advisory panel was recruited to help the Pew Forum staff create the survey. The panel featured a number of Latter-day Saints who have professional experience in Mormon studies and research, including Campbell, Cornwall, Matthew Bowman of Hampden-Sydney College, Terryl Givens of the University of Richmond and Allison Pond of the Deseret News.

“We helped them to formulate the questions, and to frame them in the kind of language that Mormons use,” Campbell said.

After a period of testing, the survey was conducted among respondents who identified themselves as Mormons (it also included qualifying questions that made it clear that respondents were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as opposed to other churches whose members may refer to themselves as Mormons).

“Since Mormons represent about 2 percent of the population, you’d have to call 98 people before you’d get a Mormon, and that would be very expensive,” said Cornwall, who is also editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. “But they had a fancy way of finding Mormons, including going back to Mormons they had found in the course of doing previous surveys, so they were able to get their sample in a cost-effective way.”

Care was also taken to make sure the survey included those who had land lines as well as those who have only cell phones — a growing area of concern among those who conduct public opinion research today.

Among other interesting findings of the Pew Forum’s survey of Mormons:

• 71 percent of respondents reside in the American West, including 53 percent who live in the Mountain states and 34 percent who live in Utah;

• 88 percent are white, 7 percent Hispanic, 1 percent black and 4 percent other racial and ethnic backgrounds;

• 50 percent say that evangelical Christians are generally unfriendly to Mormons;

• 54 percent say that the way their religion is portrayed on television and in movies hurts society’s image of Mormons;

• 57 percent of Mormons said that most or all of their close friends are other Mormons (this number was significantly higher in Utah, where the number climbed to 73 percent);

• 65 percent of respondents say they hold a current temple recommend;

• 27 percent say they believe in yoga not just as exercise but as a spiritual practice;

• 11 percent say they believe in reincarnation;

• 74 percent were raised in the LDS Church;

• 59 percent of converts cite the church’s beliefs as the main reason they joined the church;

• 59 percent of converts joined the church between the ages of 18 and 35;

• 27 percent have served a full-time mission, including 43 percent of men and 11 percent of women;

• 82 percent say they have a supply of food in storage, and 58 percent keep at least a three-month supply.

The margin of error for the survey is =/- 4.5 percentage points.

“I think this survey is a really good summary of the hyper-committed Mormon community that shows up at church every week,” Cornwall said. “I’m not sure it captures Mormons on the margins very well, but that’s OK — hopefully we can do that the next time. Meanwhile, this is a pretty good picture — and an interesting picture — of Mormons.

By Joseph Walker, Deseret News

Additional Resources:

Full original source Deseret News article: Pew Study on Mormons in America.

Learn more about the results of this survey of Mormons in America.

See infographic from the Deseret News article.

Pew Mormon Study Highlights Christianity.

By Mel Borup Chandler.

In most churches, people volunteer for a particular ministry or cause.  They work underneath a paid clergy, who are professionally trained or educated, or who have established a ministry based upon their charisma or spirituality.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes erroneously called the Mormon Church) has no paid clergy, but is manned top to bottom by people “called” to perform needed tasks and offer leadership.  The organization of the Church is supervised by Jesus Christ and is modeled after Christ’s ancient church, with 12 apostles called from their worldly pursuits, seventies, and all the other offices described in the New Testament.

Some critics of the Church point out that the prophet, his counselors, and the twelve apostles are paid.  These men have relinquished their worldly pursuits to serve the Lord full-time for a modest subsistence.  No one in their right mind would look at Mormon apostleship as a way to get rich.  Most of these men were successful before they were called into the ministry, and rely on their own accrued funds to get them through — their callings are for life.  Mission presidents, called for three years to lead the missions of the LDS Church, take that time away from their vocations.  They receive help with room and board.

Mormons’ Church Service

Serving is part of membership in the Mormon faith.  Mormons do volunteer to do extra service, such as disaster cleanup or welfare projects, but they do not volunteer for  nor do they aspire to positions in the LDS Church. They are “called” to serve by revelation to those who administer leadership over them.

The fifth article of faith, states:  “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”

Once a Mormon is called to a service role, he or she can accept or refuse the call.   Family is paramount, and family considerations can lead a person to refuse a call, but most active Latter-day Saints accept callings given to them.  Not to accept a calling is bad form, but occasionally there are acceptable reasons.  All but the highest leadership positions in the Church are temporary, and there is no guaranteed or typical progression to more and more responsible callings.

All the Lord requires of us is our availability.  After accepting a call, a person should prayerfully seek the Lord’s help in magnifying that calling.   LDS Church members are not perfect, but they are working on it. It is the gospel learning curve. The Lord does not require that we are perfect, but we must be in the process and seeking purity.

If a person is  called to serve, he or she will be consecrated to do his or her particular calling or job and the person’s name will be presented to the congregation for a sustaining vote.  This is not an election, wherein members vote for or against a person called to a position.  Instead, it is agreeing to sustain or support that person in his or her calling.  Dissenting votes are called for, but they rarely appear.  Someone who dissents can privately express his concerns to leaders, and action might be taken, if there are good reasons not to move forward with the calling.

For many church members these callings  help them learn and develop new talents, and their Mormon church service serves as a training ground. Additionally, they learn how organizations work and often become more valuable to employers in business and education as a result of their participation in the Church. We are all expected to assist in building God’s kingdom here on earth.  One important aspect of the gospel is to stretch our faith and these callings are an opportunity to exercise and stretch out faith with action, even when we are not comfortable.    In some respects church service is similar to The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-28), wherein the wise servants use their talents and thereby multiply them with the Lord’s help.

Most Mormons have served in many capacities in the Church.   Nearly every church member has some type of regular assignment and opportunities abound to serve in the Church. Sometimes,  it is as a Sunday school teacher, or to  set up chairs in classrooms or even working periodically on a church farm harvesting or processing food for the needy. But whatever it is, God and the Church have need of willing hands. Usually members end up with callings because someone in the bishopric decides your services are needed and asks if you would be willing to serve. Even the Bishop (like a pastor) is a volunteer.  He essentially works two full-time jobs, one in his worldly vocation, and one as an unpaid pastor.  Most everyone continues to work their regular job and completes whatever their “day job” is, as usual.

Mormon Paid Workers

There are people whose professions are within the workings of the Church.  The LDS Church has an educational system with paid teachers (the pay is notably low); there are grounds keepers, accountants, IT experts, etc., who work for the Church.

Mormon Missionaries

Mormon missionaries pay their own expenses when they serve.  Many young Mormon missionaries begin working and saving as children to afford to serve a mission.    It can cost thousands to supply a Mormon missionary for service, and as of 2011, the monthly expense was $400/month.  Some Mormon families have more than one missionary out in the mission field at once.  The LDS Church has a missionary fund members can contribute to in order to help less affluent missionaries afford to serve.   The Church also has a “Perpetual Education Fund designed to enable “returned missionaries” from poorer cultures to go to school so they can get a better or professional job. Once they are employed, they pay back the amount so others can also avail themselves of the same opportunities they had.

Mormons Serve Happily

Most church members are exceptional people who are happy to be in the Church, happy to volunteer when called and are ideologically driven because they love God and the gospel. They try very hard to abide the teachings and precepts and appreciate the guidance the Church offers. They are in the process of becoming perfect, and it is no easy task.   Notwithstanding, they are not perfect, and they are the perfect example! Finally perfect! Now that is an accomplishment.

Mel Borup Chandler is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, currently works in real estate investment and property management with his wife Sandra.

Additional Resources

Basic Mormon Beliefs

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

The Meaning of Life

LDS Church Organization

Callings in the LDS Church

By Richard.

The doctrine of grace and works is undoubtedly one of the most debated topics among teachers and masters of religion. Some churches claim that grace alone is sufficient to save a man, disregarding “good works”, and technically rendering obedience to some, if not all, of God’s commandments, unnecessary for salvation. Others argue that works are necessary for salvation; that without works, faith is dead (James 2:17). To those who believe that grace alone is sufficient, the addition of works as a requirement for salvation is deemed as an insult to God’s grace and his power to save.

Salvation and Justification

Justification means being vindicated or made righteous. It means being reconciled with God. When a person commits sin, he distances himself from God and cuts off from the relationship he had with Him. The reason for this is the fact that no unclean thing can dwell in God’s presence. The only way for him to reestablish that relationship is by being made righteous or justified.

Salvation often takes several meanings when used in the scriptures. Sometimes it refers to deliverance from death, which is available to every person, both righteous and wicked, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also means redemption from sin made possible through the atonement, which can be activated through sincere repentance. However, ultimate salvation or exaltation comes only to those who have received the Lord’s saving grace, and have proven themselves worthy to receive eternal life with God and their loved ones through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and obedience to His commandments.

While salvation means being saved from physical death and inheriting a heavenly realm of glory, exaltation means being saved in the highest kingdom of heaven, where God Himself dwells.  When members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Latter-day Saints, or Mormons) are asked if they are “saved,” they might hesitate, because they might still be striving to be worthy of exaltation to the highest kingdom of glory.

Understanding the doctrines of salvation and justification can help a lot in understanding the relationship between grace and works.

Grace and Works Bring Salvation

Latter-day Saints hold that both grace and works are necessary for the salvation and exaltation of man, and that the grace of God can be accessed only through the exercise of faith, repentance, and following the examples set by the Savior by doing righteous works. This belief is consistent with many scriptural references found in the Bible.

For instance, after hearing Peter’s testimony of Jesus Christ, the people “were pricked in their heart” and asked the chief apostle what they should do to obtain salvation. Peter’s response demanded much more than just verbal confession or lip service. He said:

“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.” (See Acts 2:37-38.)

Peter clearly taught that in order for a person to receive salvation, he must not only believe in Christ; he must also repent and be baptized, which require some degree of personal righteousness. In addition, the Savior’s warning to those who only draw near to Him with their lips is more profound:

“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).

Unfortunately, many teachers and masters of religion are using the scriptures self-interestedly, not looking for answers, but instead, twisting the doctrines contained therein to conform to the kind of belief that they embrace. For example, Paul’s statement in Romans 3:28 which talks about “justification by faith without the deeds of the law” has been used by unauthorized teachers of religion to teach their followers that mere confession of belief in Christ avails them a place in heaven.

However, it is worth mentioning that Paul also declared that “not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Romans 2:13). While it may appear to some that Paul was contradicting himself in front of the same audience, careful consideration of the words of this great apostle and understanding the context in which those words were spoken can help a lot in understanding the relationship between our works and the grace of God.

The Teachings of Paul

Much of Paul’s teachings about the doctrine of grace were written in his epistle to the saints in Rome. His strong emphasis on the grace of Christ was misinterpreted by some who considered personal righteousness simply as a choice of lifestyle – something with no saving value. Misunderstanding of his statement on justification by faith alone has led the whole sectarian world to believe that men are not required to work out their own salvation. It was the same passage that led Martin Luther to justify his departure from Catholicism and make significant reforms that led to the birth of Protestant churches.

Peter and James, and John, and the rest of the apostles were very explicit in their teachings about the importance of works and personal righteousness to salvation. Peter exhorted the saints to be obedient and holy and to prepare themselves from the judgments of God, who judges every man according to his works (1 Peter 1:13-25). James taught the people to lay apart all filthiness, receive the word of God, and become doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:21-22). John declared that people who have done good shall be resurrected unto life (John 5:29). Even the Savior Himself had repeatedly warned the people to repent or they shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:1-5).  Repentance is work.

Considering these and many other scriptural accounts questioning the value of works in salvation, one might say that Paul was teaching a different gospel from that which was taught by Jesus Christ and the rest of His apostles. However, wouldn’t it be utterly inconsistent for a man who, for more than two decades, had devoted his life to good works to say that good works are not a requirement for salvation?

Again, the key to understanding the meaning of Paul’s statement about justification by grace alone is understanding the context in which it was spoken. Before Paul wrote his epistle to the Roman saints, he received reports that members of the Church in Galatia were being ravaged by the Judaizers, teaching that true salvation is in the Law of Moses. In response, Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia and sharply condemned the false teachings (Galatians 3:1). Afterwards, he wrote a similar letter to the saints in Rome in which he impressed upon them the superiority of exercising faith in Christ over the performance of dead works as prescribed by the Law of Moses. Hence the statement: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law”, that is, the Law of Moses. (See Romans 3:28.)

Latter-Day Saints’ Perspective on Salvation by Grace

Members of the Mormon Church believe that while the atonement of Jesus Christ is sufficient to save all men, merely relying on grace alone without being justified or made righteous does not lead to ultimate salvation in the God’s kingdom. Man cannot be saved without being righteous, nor can he be justified through his own personal effort only. In order for him to receive eternal life, he must do all he can to follow the examples of Jesus Christ and trust in His saving grace.

Mere confession of belief in God is not enough, for “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). If faith was all enough, the devils would likewise be saved, for they also believe in Christ, and tremble (James 2:19).  But salvation comes not by faith alone, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23).

Some people think that Mormons believe they can work their way to heaven.  This is not true.  The scripture above does not say that.  We cannot do enough to earn heaven.  We will ever fall short of the purity necessary to dwell in the presence of God.  Only through the saving atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, which provides the grace necessary, can we be saved and exalted.  Mormons simply believe in repentance, and they believe that faith is an action word.

Temple Square is a thirty-five-acre plot located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was no accident that the city was built around Temple Square. When members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormon Church) arrived in 1847, Brigham Young wanted the Saints to put the focus of their lives on the temple. He set aside a plot of land for the temple built the city up with the temple at its center. Today, Salt Lake City roads are built on a grid system with Temple Square at the center. From there, roads branch out as 100 N, 100 S, 100 W, and 100 E.

The fourteen buildings which are housed on Temple Square today include the:

• Tabernacle
• North Visitor Center
• South Visitor Center
• Assembly Hall
• Beehive House
• Lion House
• Joseph Smith Memorial Building
• Relief Society Building
• Church History Library
• Church History Museum
• Church Office Building
• Conference Center
• Family History Library
• and, of course, the Salt Lake Temple.

The Tabernacle, completed in 1867, was home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for scores of years, and served as the location of the LDS Church’s General Conferences for more than 130 years. The North Visitor Center houses a replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s sculpture the Christus, and the South Visitor Center has many interactive displays about Jesus Christ and the history of the LDS Church. The Joseph Smith Memorial Building (the remodelled Hotel Utah) is home to two restaurants, several Church offices, special-event rooms, a theater (used for Church-made informational and inspirational films), and a distribution center for Church materials. The Family History Library contains the world’s largest collection of genealogical records, which is available for public use, as well as the Museum of Church History and Art.

The Conference Center, completed in 2000, seats 21,000 (compared to the 6,000 seating capacity of the Tabernacle), and is used for General Conferences as well as high-quality community performances such as plays, concerts, and lectures.

The new Church History Library, which opened in June 2009, used special design and construction to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings. This building houses a unique collection of journals, artifacts, photographs, and other records which pertain to the history of the Latter-day Saints and the Mormon Church.

Temple Square is a popular tourist attraction and with 5 million annual visitors, is more visited than either the Grand Cany0n or Yellowstone National Parks. In 2009, Forbes listed Temple Square as the 16th-most visited attraction in the United States.

Temple Square is now even its own geographical mission in the Mormon Church, with missionaries from 51 countries speaking 30 different languages to greet guests and share with them more about the Mormon Church. This is due to the wide variety of attractions for different interests as well as its beauty. The grounds at Temple Square are breathtaking. The landscaping is beautiful, and the Christmas lights and programs at Temple Square are legendary.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearses in the Tabernacle every Thursday, and these rehearsals are generally open to the public. All museums and centers on Temple Square are open free to the public.

See Temple Square in a virtual 3-D tour!

By Richard.

Article 10:

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

The Lord has designated Israel as his own people, as the “firstborn” of the world. With Abraham, He entered into a covenant and said: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This everlasting covenant was confirmed upon Isaac and in turn, upon Jacob who was renamed Israel, whose posterity would become a mighty nation.

However, because of their iniquity, Israel was smitten by numerous oppressors, and the twelve tribes were scattered throughout the earth. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in the lands of their inheritance, while the 10 remaining tribes were dispersed and were since called the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Latter-day Saints believe that the blessings the Lord has promised to the people of Israel through Abraham shall all be fulfilled, and that He shall gather once again his covenant people and bestow upon them the blessings which He has promised to their fathers. This glorious promise was declared by the prophet Isaiah:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (See Isaiah 11:11-12.)

The Work of Gathering has Already Commenced
Speaking to the Elders of the Church in the last dispensation, the Lord declares the hour for the gathering of Israel has come:

“And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts.

Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:7-8).

In order to fulfill this declaration from the Lord, the Church continues to send out missionaries to gather the dispersed of Israel from all four corners of the earth. Latter-day Saints believe that the gathering will include not only the original covenant people, but also the gentiles who have taken upon themselves the Abrahamic Covenant through baptism. The Lord promised that “He will gather His elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in Him, and hearken unto His  voice” (D&C 33:6).

Christ Shall Reign Personally Upon the Earth
When the people of Israel are prepared to receive Jesus Christ as their King, He will come to reign personally over them. The new kingdom will be established, with Jerusalem as its capital in the east and Zion in the west. Isaiah saw the glory of this kingdom, and rejoiced therein. (See Isaiah 40:9.) When that day comes, the Earth shall die and shall be quickened again (Doctrine and Covenants 88:26). Soon, there will be a “new heaven and a new earth”, and the righteous shall dwell in it (Revelation 21:1).

Article 11:

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

Freedom of worship is one of the inherent and inalienable rights of every human being. It has been conferred upon man by his maker, thus, no earthly power can take it away from him without violating a divinely instituted law. While God could disapprove of some forms of worship (i.e. idolatry, spiritualism, etc.), He allows everyone to worship according to his conscience in the spirit of love and forbearance.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds that religious intolerance is unscriptural. It violates man’s freedom to choose for himself. While Mormons know what they worship and boldly proclaim that theirs is the only true Church of Jesus Christ with all its authorized doctrines and ordinances, they are taught not to regard other faiths as inferior or unworthy of respect.

Joseph Smith once reproved some members of the Church for intolerance toward the beliefs of others. He told them that even idolaters ought to be protected in their worship; that, while it is a Christian’s duty to lead such darkened minds to the truth, he would not be justified in depriving even the heathen of their freedom to worship. In the official declaration of the Church’s belief regarding governments and laws in general, Joseph Smith gave the following statement which has been included in the Doctrine and Covenants – one of the standard works of the Church:

“We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt but never suppress the freedom of the soul.” (See Doctrine and Covenants 134:4.)

Religious tolerance has been demonstrated by the Savior in numerous instances throughout his mortal ministry. Nevertheless, He has also warned the saints on many occasions to beware of antichrists and false teachers (Matthew 16:6, 7:15). His message to those who belong to the Church was to “love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you… And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”(See Luke 6:27-31.)

Article 12:

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

A revelation received by Joseph Smith written in the 58^th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants perfectly defines the relationship between the Laws of God and the Laws of the land:

“Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.

Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet” (Doctrine and Covenants58:21-22).

As followers of Christ, Latter-day Saints believe that governments were instituted of God for the good and safety of society. It is the government’s duty to enact laws that will secure the interest of the public and provide protection to its citizens. In return, each individual is bound to sustain the government and the laws of the country in which they reside. Disobedience to these laws is tantamount to disobedience to the laws of God.

The apostles of Jesus Christ taught the same principles to Church leaders and members during the early days of the Church. In his letter to Titus who was a bishop of the Church in Crete, Paul encouraged the Church leader to teach the saints to “be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1). Peter exhorted new converts in the Church to do the same (1 Peter 2:12-19). Even the Savior Himself recognized and observed the law of the land by paying taxes (Matthew 22:17-22).

In keeping of the covenants they made pertaining to allegiance to civil laws, Mormons do not participate in anti-government protests and similar activities. For them, obedience to the laws of the land means obedience to the laws of God.  Mormons have been counseled through modern revelation to support and promote representative government by righteous men.  Sometimes, conscience and the Holy Ghost move them to stand for the right against wicked government.  (Read about Helmuth Hubener of Nazi Germany.)

Article 13:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Virtue and good works are among the fruits by which true Christians may be known and distinguished from unbelievers. Latter-day Saints hold that true Christianity is more than the mere profession of beliefs and godliness. Without works inspired by genuine love for God and other people regardless of their social or economic status, profession of religion is but (as Paul said) “sounding brass and tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). James, in his epistle to members of the Church described the characteristics of pure religion:

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

Gordon B. Hinckley, former president of the Mormon Church, once said that the symbol of Mormonism is the lives of its members. True to this statement, Latter-day Saints conduct their lives according to the standards set by the Lord through his servants. Some of these standards may even appear strange or funny to those who are “in the world,” but could also build faith to those who want to draw closer to God. Latter-day Saints who follow the counsel of Paul to be “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity” are a light to a world where the true meaning of pure religion is unclear.

Sources:

“The Articles of Faith” by James E. Talmage
Church History in the Fulness of Times
LDS Standard Works

http://www.bible.ca/ef/topical-are-we-born-sinners.htm

http://lds.org/manual/members-guide-to-temple-and-family-history-work/chapter-1-the-purpose-of-temple-and-family-history-work?lang=eng

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/primary/aa_articles_of_faith_4.htm

http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/godhead/holy_ghost.html

http://lds.about.com/od/organizationsauxiliaries/p/church_callings.htm

http://lds.org/ensign/1973/07/what-is-a-living-prophet?lang=eng