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Becoming a Member Articles
One’s testimony of the Church and the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a static thing. It can grow or fail, depending on how one nurtures it. The following is a reflection on the nature of testimony, written by Aaron. At the time Aaron wrote this, he was a student at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies:
A remarkable feat of engineering is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. The bridge was part of an initiative to alleviate ferry traffic and make the flow of people and materials easier to get around the San Francisco area. It was first opened in 1937, and at the time was the largest suspension bridge in the world, measuring 2.7 kilometers.. It was painted a beautiful vermillion orange to enhance its visibility in the fog as well as protect it from the high salt content in the air. Festivals commemorating the opening lasted for 7 days with speeches from city leaders, music, dancing, and parades.
For the next... Read the rest of this article »
Becoming active in the Mormon Church
One of the purposes of this site is to help you become acclimatized to your new life as a Mormon. After you are baptized and become of member of the Church, it is important that you continue to take an active part in the Church’s services and activities.
New members of the Church face a number of challenges. This can be a difficult transition for many, since it may mean changing old habits (such as smoking) as well as learning new beliefs, traditions and customs unique to Mormonism. Activity in the Mormon Church brings us great blessings. Attending church meetings and activities enables us to socialize with those who hold our same values. This can be especially important for young people and children. Your example will help your children live gospel principles. By bringing them to church, you can help them make friends with other children of high standards.
Many people find going to a Mormon... Read the rest of this article »
What Can I Expect When I Go to Church With the Mormons?
Going someplace new for the first time can be a scary experience, especially when you don’t know what to expect. The purpose of this page is to help you know what to expect when you go to Sunday worship services with the Mormon missionaries. You may have a lot of questions about what Mormons do at their worship services or what is expected of you. The following will give you a tour of a typical Sunday service at a Mormon Church. To get directions to the Mormon chapel nearest you, see the chapel locator on the LDS Church’s website. This will also give the time that the local congregation meets.
Preparing for Church
Because church is a special time set apart from the rest of the week to worship God and learn more about His Gospel, Mormons believe that it is important to dress appropriately for church services. This is typically referred to as Sunday dress and includes a suit or slacks... Read the rest of this article »
Your Baptism
What baptism means:
Once you have accepted the missionaries’ invitation to be baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can begin to prepare yourself spiritually for your baptismal service. Mormons practice baptism by immersion for the remission (or removal) of sins. Baptism is a symbol of your covenant, or promise, with Jesus that you will take His name upon you and keep His commandments in return for which, He will forgive you of your sins and bring you back to live in Heaven with Him.A Book of Mormonprophet named Alma taught us about what baptism means.
Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort,... Read the rest of this article »
How Do I Prepare for Mormon Baptism?
The fourth Article of Faith says:
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This teaches us the basic steps we must follow in making Jesus Christ’s sacrifice active in our life. Mormons believe that baptism represents the gate to Eternal Life and these four steps represent the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Faith
First, search your heart in personal study and prayer so that you will be sure you have faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is more than believing Jesus exists, it means believing Him when He says that you will be forgiven of your sins and saved in His Kingdom. Another Book of Mormon prophet, also named Alma, taught us how to develop faith (see Alma 32:18-43, pgs 289-291). We begin by being humble... Read the rest of this article »
Changing Hearts and Habits
Repentance is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to mankind. Through the repentance process, hearts can be made whole, relationships can be healed, and you can find peace for your heart and soul. True repentance brings peace, joy, and the knowledge that you are approved of God. Sometimes, repentance is easy, but sometimes it can be a great struggle. What matters is the sincerity of your heart and your willingness to put right what went wrong and to change.
We repent as we grow in faith. The more we learn about God, the more we will want to improve our lives. The Apostle Paul said:
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that... Read the rest of this article »
The [block]0[/block] and You
The modern Church of Christ exists to help you and your family draw closer to God through ordinances such as baptism and the sacrament and through support and activities in the local congregations. The threefold mission of the Church centers on drawing all people closer to Christ:
Perfect the Saints
A saint is a member of the Church, meaning one who has or will be sanctified (made a saint) by Jesus Christ; perfecting the saints means working to help every member establish a closer relationship to God through service and fellowship.
Proclaim the Gospel
The Mormon Church does this through missionary work, which includes over 55,000 missionaries in over 160 different countries.
Redeem the Dead
This is done through genealogy and temple work
Perfecting the Saints:
Time, Talents, and Service
Each of us has a duty to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We need to be improving... Read the rest of this article »
Young Men/Young Women in the Mormon Church
Young Men/Young Women:
Boy and girls ages 12 to 18 are going through one of the most difficult and important transitions in their lives. For this reason, the Mormon Church has special classes and programs to help them. These should always be a support to the family, where the most important teaching will occur. These programs are called Young Men’s and Young Women’s. They frequently do activities together or separately.
Young Women
The Young Women’s program exists to help teenage girls navigate the perils and struggles of adolescence and to keep them strong in their faith and in their values. The theme of the Young Women program is:
We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith, Virtue
Divine Nature
Individual... Read the rest of this article »
Activity in the Mormon Church
Activity in the Mormon Church means attending worship services on Sunday and partaking of the sacrament, attending Sunday School and other activities in your local congregation, and accepting responsibility by getting a calling, and fellowshipping with the other members of your local congregation.
The following is advice on staying active in the Mormon Church. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet, seer, and revelator to the Church, has said that three things are necessary to help a new convert feel welcome and comfortable in the Mormon Church. They are a responsibility, a friend, and nourishment by the good word of God.
A Responsibility
One of the most unique features of the Mormon Church is its lay ministry. When you join, you should receive a calling or job in the Church. If you do not receive one right away, talk to the missionaries or the bishop. Taking on a calling in the Mormon Church can be scary, but... Read the rest of this article »
Your First Calling In the Mormon Church
In the Book of Mormon we read:
And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Jesus Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus (Moroni 6:4-6).
All newly baptized members of the Mormon Church need to be remembered, nourished by the good word of God, and aided in staying on the right path. Part of the way that the Mormon Church helps these people... Read the rest of this article »
