Why I Believe

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons as the rest of the world calls us, are part of one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. Ever since it was organized in April 1830, membership across the globe has shot to 16 million members exponentially.

We're famous because of the missionaries that preach the restored Gospel, and of the addition to our scriptural doctrine, The Book of Mormon, which is an account of the prophets in ancient America before, during, and after the time of Christ in Palestine. We believe a man called Joseph Smith translated this ancient record, written on thin plates of gold, and published it for all the world to read and be enlightened. We believe the Book of Mormon does not replace, refute, or discredit anything in the Bible, and we hold both as true scripture.

Modern-day members are known to be "virtuous, lovely, and of good report or praiseworthy." We do not drink alcohol, smoke, consume drugs, and even go so far as to not drink addictive substances like tea or coffee. We wear modest modern clothing, prohibit premarital sex, and try to not even date until we're sixteen (Which is a smart move; middle school sweethearts never last, and besides, they're just awkward.) All young men, if they are capable and worthy, are urged to serve a two-year mission preaching the Gospel.

Some modern-day Christians say that we are not entirely Christian at all. Well, we believe in Christ, so I would say we are. We have His name in the name of our Church. But what I believe they're saying is: you don't conform with Protestant beliefs, so you're not mainstream Christian.

For example, I believe that the Godhead is made up of three separate beings. Many other churches think they're all one and the same. Or they say that because we have an addition to our scriptural canon, we aren't true Christians. I could disprove those claims, but that's not what I'm here for. We shouldn't look for differences in our religions. We should find what is common amongst us all, and build off that. So what if you believe that there's only one person in the godhead? What should matter more is the morals you stick to and the promise you believe in. You're still Christian to me. Splitting hairs over a single piece of doctrine and inciting contention sounds like something the pharisees would do. We're better than that. The spirit of contention is not of Christ, but is of the devil, who stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger one with another. (Found in the Book of Mormon.)

Speaking of which, the Book of Mormon is the most important book in my life. Many, many times, I've found myself returning to its well to drink from its waters. It says for me to build a foundation on Christ so the fiery darts of the adversary will not overpower me unto blindness and lead me away to destruction. It tells me to feast upon the words of Christ, for the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. It tells me that the Lord gives no commandment that we can't keep. It tells me that the Lord gives men weaknesses so we can be humble. Wickedness never was happiness. The Lord's tender mercies are over those who he's called. God is a God of miracles yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God loves his children. He sent his son to atone for us because he wants us to return to heaven and live with him as heirs of all he has.

How can a book that's done so much good for me be evil? And more than that, how could it be a fake? There are many other questions to consider. How did an illiterate farm boy compose such a book, in its unchanged first draft, over 530 pages long, in sixty working days, without notes? Why is it that it doesn't feel like a work of fiction from the 1820s when compared to other works at the time? Why does the book have multiple narrator's voices and noticeable quirks for each author that was proven by computerized literary algorithms? Why didn't Joseph Smith ever admit that it was a fraud, even to his closest friends in private? Why did the witnesses to the golden plates never deny their testimony that they were real, even though all three of them left the church at different times? Why does it still bless hearts of millions today? Why has every attempt to disprove the book's scientific reality come up empty? How did Joseph possibly know that ancient civilizations wrote on metal sheets a century and a half before the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and with them, a batch of metal plates with a historical record on them?

But I'm sure there are logical answers to all of them. Let's move on.

I also dip into its treasure to gain inspiration for my own storytelling. There are people I admire in this book, and their actions are heroic and noble. I've often tried to emulate their characters in my own books. How alike is Nephi to the righteous Noble Blade? How is the redeemed Alma like the scarred and broken Freedom Fighter? The sequence of events in my story right now is eerily similar to when Nephi had to retrieve the ancient record from the wicked Laban in Jerusalem. The renowned author Orson Scott Card, who penned the award-winning Ender's Game, also takes inspiration from the Book of Mormon. He wrote an entire sci-fi series based on the opening chapters of the book, it inspired him so much.

I believe that theough the aronement of Christ, all mankind can be saved in different kingdoms of glory. The firstborn of God, the true members of his work and glory, those who were pure in heart, mind, and spirit, who have faith, hope, and charity, will go to the Celestial Kingdom. Those who died and haven't had the chance to experience the Gospel, such as small children and natives of faraway lands, and would have recieved it if they had heard of it, will also go to the Celestial kingdom. Baptism by proper authority will get you in; Jesus said so himself. And this is what we do in our temples: proxy baptisms for those who have passed away. I've done dozens of them by the power of the priesthood.

I really, truly do believe this church is true, mostly because it's the only one that makes sense and is most like the one found in the New Testament. The organization is the same: prophets, apostles, deacons, teachers, priests, elders, the priesthood, the laying-on-of-hands, the missionaries preaching the gospel to the furthest ends of the earth. The doctrine makes the most sense; it clarifies mysteries in the Bible that has left some people puzzling for decades. And it's also what has touched my life and gained me a testimony of the truth of God's nature. He's our heavenly father. We are his sons. He put us on this earth to grow and develop, to get from point A to point B, because he sees the potential in us that we don't. He loves us. He is no respecter of persons, and he wants the same from all of us: to achieve our fullest potential. His church, once lost when the apostles were killed and the priesthood was taken away, is restored again, and the Lord is gathering his people like a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. This is the final dispensation, and now is the time for me to act in the name of his church.

Very soon, I'll leave on a mission myself. For two years, I'll preach the gospel to any willing to listen. And for two years, I won't be here.

(I know what you're thinking: finally, he'll be gone! Now we don't have to be bothered with this idiot! He's crazy! Stupid! Why is he believing in a falsehood? He doesn't see the light! I'll pray for him, he's so lost, hopefully he'll see the light. Praying emoji.)

When I'm gone, I'll do my best to serve as many as I can. That's really what Christ can hope for from us. His work is to help bring his children to salvation, and when we help them, we're moving the job along. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) I really do believe that this church is true, and that this will fill the earth with goodness like a flood. All I want is to be a drop of water in that flood.

Comments

[gorillarmy]

"some say we arent true Christians " fun fact , christian was originally a derrogatory term given to jews who followed the teachings of christ , so no ; nothing "unchristian " about mormons

[gorillarmy]

"Why is it that it doesn't feel like a work of fiction from the 1820s " there are many many many reasons why this is not the case . Promeninently , the book of mormon severely missportrays it's setting in ways that are bafflingly obious now , but not back then . That was par for the course for works released before the developemont of modern mass media ( eg : plays Shakespeare era plays portrayed pharaons as if they we're medieval Kings )

[BoredAuthor817]

5097080
that's some "How to Deal With a Bully 101" right there XD

[Applegirl]

I’m so proud of you for you going to the mission and I’ll be going too. At the end of this year or the beginning of next year, I’ll be leaving. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the church. I really appreciated.

[BoredAuthor817]

I'm sorry, I saw this and I just couldn't leave it alone. This is not meant to bash (though it may seem it at times), but there are things here that I felt compelled to comment on.

Some modern-day Christians say that we are not entirely Christian at all. Well, we believe in Christ, so I would say we are.

The same could be said for Jehovah's Witnesses, but yet there are aspects of their doctrine that would suggest them to be otherwise.

But what Ibelieve they're saying is: you don't conform with Protestant beliefs, so you're not mainstream Christian.

Catholics don't conform with protestant beliefs, yet both groups have no problem calling the other Christian.

...they say that because we have an addition to our scriptural canon, we aren't true Christians.

I wouldn't explicitly say that--it's not really for us to know or judge who is or who isn't. But I would consider the Book of Mormon similar to such texts as the Gnostic Gospels (widely regarded as false) and the books of the Apocrypha (widely regarded as non-canonical, but hold great historical and contextual value) and discern whether or not it is true.

We shouldn't look for differences in our religions. We should find what is common amongst us all, and build off that... What should matter more is the morals you stick to and the promise you believe in.

Uhm... no. You need to test and defend your beliefs against others otherwise you can, and will, bring in false doctrine.

But, I don't believe that is what you are saying. And I would agree that we shouldn't disassociate with each other over theological issues, but we should try to understand where the other is.

That said, if one Christian sees another failing, it is their duty to, lovingly, correct them. If it turns out they are in the wrong, and are they themselves corrected, then both come out stronger.

How can a book that's done so much good for me be evil?

Just because it's evil doesn't mean its harms you in ways you in ways you can quickly and immediately recognize.

If I, an otherwise good person, stole a penny from you every day, you may not notice. Over a year, you might wonder what happened to that $3.65, but probably not think much about it. How about ten years? $36.50. How about a hundred years? $365.

This is how the devil works. He slowly takes you away from God. He appears as a shepherd, and eases you away from the fold.

How did an illiterate farm boy compose such a book, in its unchanged first draft, over 530 pages long, in sixty working days, without notes?

The illiterate brain works differently from a literate one. Their memory capabilities are astounding! This is how you can get Muslims who can recite the Quran with perfect accuracy, but when you put the book in front of them, they can't read a word.

Why is it that it doesn't feel like a work of fiction from the 1820s when compared to other works at the time?

Well, 1. He pulled inspiration from the King James Bible and, 2. If he was truly illiterate, then he would not have read the fiction of his day and, thus, not be influenced by it.

Why does the book have multiple narrator's voices and noticeable quirks for each author that was proven by computerized literary algorithms?

I would argue Joseph Smith was really good at creating characters, or he suffered from multiple personality disorder (highly unlikely).

Why didn't Joseph Smith ever admit that it was a fraud, even to his closest friends in private?

Assuming he was lying, why would he admit it? If he was not intentionally deceiving, then he either was spreading falsehoods he wholeheartedly believed to be true, or he was spreading the truth.

Why did the witnesses to the golden plates never deny their testimony that they were real, even though all three of them left the church at different times?

I'm not going to speak as to the motivations of these people, but I would ask why these golden plates remain to be hidden away.

Why does it still bless hearts of millions today?

Why does anyone follow a given religion? People will practice what makes them feel good.

Why has every attempt to disprove the book's scientific reality come up empty? How did Joseph possibly know that ancient civilizations wrote on metal sheets a century and a half before the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and with them, a batch of metal plates with a historical record on them?

I'm not knowledgeable of the science in the Book of Mormon, but I will ask why there is no archeological or historical evidence to support it?

We have excavation sites and extra-biblical texts that confirm the new and much of the old treatments. Why has nothing been found for the Book of Mormon?

I have no problem if after His ascension, Jesus came to the Americas to jumpstart what missionaries would do nearly a millennia and a half later. It's not out of the realm of possibility as we hear stories of people who claim that Jesus came to them and told them that someone was coming who would share the gospel with them.

I'll keep an open mind and say maybe there is evidence for these people and events and we just haven't found them yet. But, even still the history portrayed in the Book of Mormon is in stark contrast to our known history of the Americas.

I also dip into its treasure to gain inspiration for my own storytelling. There are people I admire in this book, and their actions are heroic and noble. I've often tried to emulate their characters in my own books.

There's nothing wrong with that, and I'm glad that you have something that inspires you.

I believe that theough the aronement of Christ, all mankind can be saved in different kingdoms of glory. The firstborn of God, the true members of his work and glory, those who were pure in heart, mind, and spirit, who have faith, hope, and charity, will go to the Celestial Kingdom.

No real issue here. Jesus said those who were His would follow Him and His commandments. I'm gonna leave along the "different kingdoms of glory" as that's akin to arguing with a Catholic about Purgatory.

Those who died and haven't had the chance to experience the Gospel, such as small children and natives of faraway lands, and would have recieved it if they had heard of it, will also go to the Celestial kingdom.

Again, no problem. Jesus makes reference to this in Matthew 25, when He speaks of the sheep and the goats.

Baptism by proper authority will get you in; Jesus said so himself. And this is what we do in our temples: proxy baptisms for those who have passed away.

Help me out here. Given what we know of above, proxy baptisms seem unnecessary and redundant. If you've already died and gone to heaven (the Celestial Kingdom, specifically), then why do you need to be proxy baptised to get in?

I really, truly do believe this church is true, mostly because it's the only one that makes sense and is most like the one found in the New Testament. The organization is the same: prophets, apostles, deacons, teachers, priests, elders, the priesthood, the laying-on-of-hands, the missionaries preaching the gospel to the furthest ends of the earth.

By what you described, it also sounds Roman Catholic.

The doctrine makes the most sense; it clarifies mysteries in the Bible that has left some people puzzling for decades.

Only decades? There are things the early church fathers referred to as "mysteries" because they are. These are things we can not fully understand and may not till we get to heaven.

And it's also what has touched my life and gained me a testimony of the truth of God's nature. He's our heavenly father. We are his sons. He put us on this earth to grow and develop, to get from point A to point B, because he sees the potential in us that we don't. He loves us. He is no respecter of persons, and he wants the same from all of us: to achieve our fullest potential.

No, we are here to bring glory to God through having a relationship with Him. Growing, developing, and reaching our full potential is a part if it, but is secondary.

His church, once lost when the apostles were killed and the priesthood was taken away, is restored again...

I would question just what the church was doing for 1800 years.

Very soon, I'll leave on a mission myself. For two years, I'll preach the gospel to any willing to listen. And for two years, I won't be here.

Regardless of how we may differ theologically, I do admire how you can set aside two years to do something like this. There is a lot of sacrifice involved I hope it's as beneficial to you as much as it will be to those you are ministering to. Good luck and safe travels.

(I know what you're thinking: finally, he'll be gone! Now we don't have to be bothered with this idiot! He's crazy! Stupid! Why is he believing in a falsehood? He doesn't see the light! I'll pray for him, he's so lost, hopefully he'll see the light. Praying emoji.)

Honestly, I don't think I've seen your previous posts. I also wouldn't call you an idiot, crazy, or stupid. Mis-guided? Maybe.

Look, Brady, in the end, this is your salvation, your decision. Like you, I have researched and tested various aspects of my faith. In many ways, I'm still trying to figure things out--as I hope you are too. You have your reasons for believing things as I have mine. But, if our goal is the same, we must try our best to make sure we get there together.

For reasons I have shown above, I can not prove that the Book of Mormon is true scripture, or at the very least, in the same murky category as the Book of Job. I have no precedent to accept Joseph Smith as a prophet. For these reasons, I must reject him.

I may be wrong, I'm always open to that. But I follow what I have witnessed and where the evidence lies.

I pray that you continue to do the same.

See you in two years? If I'm still here, I'd be interested to hear what you'd been up to.

[Final fantasy forever]

I rather like your view and description of this.
If you go on that mission, please stay safe. I know it likely won't be dangerous, but please stay safe.