General Information
Faith,
Family, Facts, and Fruits, by Elder M. Russell Ballard, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The growing prominence of the Church and the increasing inquiries from others
present us with great opportunities to build bridges, make friends, and pass on
accurate information.
Brothers and sisters, [recently] there has been a dramatic increase
worldwide in inquiries about the Church. This growing interest is fueled by our
rapid growth, by events like the Winter Olympics here in Salt
Lake City, and by the prominence in their chosen
professions of many of our individual members.
I am sure that these questions come not only to the Church but to you as
individual members. It is not easy to explain something as vast as the Church
or as wonderful as the restored gospel to people who know little or nothing
about us. Even questions on one specific aspect can be difficult to answer
because every question seems to be connected to other questions. The most
common request we hear is a fairly simple one that goes something like this:
“Tell me a little about your Church.”
We, of course, welcome people’s interest, and many will want to be
taught more about our doctrines and beliefs. This is why we have over 53,000
full-time missionaries serving at their own expense throughout the world.
But we need to remember that there is a difference between interest and mere
curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church is. Those who are
curious in this general way deserve clear and accurate information that comes
directly from those of us who are members so that they do not have to rely on
the incomplete answers, half-truths, or false statements that may come from the
media or other outside voices. The many misunderstandings and false information
about the Church are somewhat our own fault for not clearly explaining who we
are and what we believe.
Here are four subjects that will help someone today to gain a basic
understanding of the Church. Under each of the four headings, there are some
simple statements I have found helpful. The four main subjects deal with facts,
faith, families, and fruits of the restored gospel.
Facts
Some facts about the church include:
- First, “Mormon” is a nickname
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often
referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint”
means “member.”
- Second, the Church was
restored in 1830 in upstate New York
with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is
headquartered in Salt Lake City,
with President Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet.
- Third, there are now over 13
million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these
are in the United States,
making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America.
As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a
new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of
their income, making this and other programs possible.
- Fourth, local congregations
are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned
leadership positions.
- And fifth, Mormons are well
represented in politics and government. (In the United
States, for example, there are 16
members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in
high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine,
law, education, media, sports, and entertainment.
Faith
[As Latter-day Saints], our faith includes being committed Christians
with strong traditional values. We emphasize that:
- We believe in the eternity of
the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to
Him after death.
- We believe that Jesus Christ
is our personal Savior, and we try to model our lives after Him and His
teachings. We commemorate Christ’s atoning sacrifice in our Sunday worship
services, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as
fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the
Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much
common ground with them. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the core
of our belief, and everything else is an appendage to it (see Elders’
Journal, July 1838, 44). The name of the Church is The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- We believe the original
church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our
day. The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God,
with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored as have all
necessary ordinances of salvation.
- We believe in and we use the
Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.
- And we believe in the Book of
Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the
Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God’s
ongoing revelation to man. Indeed, the Book of Mormon is “Another
Testament of Jesus Christ.”
Family
[As Latter-day Saints], our theology and our lifestyles are family-centered. Here are some simple statements about the
importance we place on families:
- Mormons place particularly
strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society.
We have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man
and one woman). Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of
the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago.
- Families and individuals,
whether members of our faith or not, can attend Sunday services in our chapels.
Here we worship together, instructing one another from the scriptures.
- Latter-day Saint families are
encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights.
This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values
to their children and to have fun together. We invite those not of our
faith to adopt this practice with their own families.
- The Church has auxiliary
programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family. These
programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for
Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting.
- And there is also much focus
on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing
young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The
highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families,
both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our
temples.
Fruits
The Savior said “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20; emphasis added). A church, or any way of
life, should be judged by the fruits or the results that it generates. Here are
a few examples based on United States
statistics. But these would be similar throughout the world among practicing
Mormons (by which we mean those who attend church and the temple regularly):
- One of the fruits is a
longer life. Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and
therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed
to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is the way to live in order to
enjoy a long and healthy life.
- Second, those who are
married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below
the national and world average.
- Third, we achieve an
educational level that is higher than the national average.
- Fourth, over 70,000 members
volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in
humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary
service throughout the world.
- And fifth, we place strong
emphasis on self-reliance and a solid work ethic. We encourage active
involvement in our communities and in providing service to others. The
Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to
humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor
donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.
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