The Gospel, Pure and Simple, Part 3: Fallen

I wrote a post a few weeks ago because of something I read on another blog. The main reason for the first post was to point out the different perspective Latter-Day Saints have about sin, hell, etc. Our positive spin, if you will. After reading some comments I decided to study this subject a little deeper. I learned about, or refreshed my understanding of, a very central concept: the Fall of Adam and Eve.

I don't really understand what most Christians call "Original sin". If I misrepresent it, I apologize. I do understand what we call "the Fall", when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. I will try to explain the difference between the two. (For an in-depth explanation follow this link. It is worth your time!)

The Second Article of Faith says "We believe that man will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression." This is the shortest and easiest to remember. For a long time I didn't grasp the significance of this claim. My recent study has reminded me just how much this simple sentence really says.

As I said, I don't fully understand the idea of Original Sin. It seems to be that because of Adam and Eve we are all evil, wicked, sinful, etc, from birth. It seems that "fallen" and "wicked" are the same. I have struggled at times to find the line between our two perspectives. The best I can do is this: Being fallen is not a sin (we are not punished for it) but we sin because we are fallen. Let me explain further.

This belief that we are wicked from birth implies (at least to me) that a child who dies the day they are born will go to hell. Without ever making a choice or having knowledge or having a chance to repent.

I have friends who believe this, in theory anyway, but they also believe that God makes exceptions, that he doesn't actually send purely innocent children to hell. (Maybe to purgatory but not hell.) And that when they are old enough (one friend said by 2 years old!) to do something wrong they are then sinful and going to hell unless they are saved.

REALLY?!?!?! How can they become saved (in the since that most Christians view it) at this age? How can they understand what is right and wrong and accept the Atonement in their lives at this age? They can barely speak!

I find this very disturbing. But I had to ask myself why I find it so upsetting.

My initial response is that children are innocent until they are 8 years old. This is what Mormons know as "the age of accountability". Before this time children are considered innocent.

And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. (D&C 68:25-27)

This might suggest that the children are sinful but they are not punished. This passage explains more.

But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me; (D&C 29:46-47)

This is quite a contradiction to the Original Sin concept. It says that little children can not be tempted or sin. But there is more going on here than just innocence.

D&C 29:46 says  "little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten". That means they are covered by the Atonement without repenting. They are saved from their fallen state. This passage also says "begin to become accountable" which suggests to me that at some point children can be tempted but are not yet accountable.

President Boyd K. Packer explained "They do not come into the world with any taint of impurity whatever. When our scriptures say that “children are conceived in sin,” they are using words in an entirely different way than when the same language is recited in the creeds of the world. The scriptural meaning is that they are born into a world of sin so that “when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.” (Moses 6:55.)" He went on to explain the age of accountability. "Accountability does not burst full-bloom upon a child at any given moment in his life. Children become accountable gradually, over a number of years. Becoming accountable is a process, not a goal to be attained when a specified number of years, days, and hours have elapsed....There comes a time, however, when accountability is real and actual and sin is attributed in the lives of those who develop normally. It is eight years of age, the age of baptism." (Ensign, April,1977)


Moroni explained this in great detail, specifically infant baptism. (I won't quote the whole passage here. I will give a few highlights. Go here to read the entire passage Moroni 8:8-26)

Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them;...

teach repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism.

Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism! Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell....

And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation.... Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy....

But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works. Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law. 

In summary, children who are too young to understand the law are not accountable and are innocent of breaking the law before God. We might compare this to our own parenting. We do not punish an infant for scratching us or a toddler for hitting. But we do correct them. We teach them that their behavior is wrong. Later, when the lessons have been repeated we might punish them because they now know better. Their actions are no longer innocent because they have knowledge and understanding.


Now I am going to go in a different direction.

In my first post I explained that we Latter-Day Saints have a different focus than most Christians. Since the issue of our sinful natures has come up, I would like to explain more about the Fall and how we view it. Hopefully you have read Part 2 of this series.

Moses5:9 And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.


10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.

2 Nephi 2:22-26 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
 


23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.


24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.


25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.


26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

The Gospel, Pure and Simple, Part 2:The Plan

This is in response to my original post and the comments and questions that came as a result. Although it was not my intention to get into these deeper subjects, I realize that I was quite vague. I also realize that some subjects need to be addressed to clarify. I am splitting these up into more manageable portions.

Do you know what this is? I could draw this on any chalk board in any LDS meeting house and everyone would know exactly what this is.  It is the Plan of Salvation.

For those not "in the know" here is what this image represents.

In this image we see a broader glimpse of our existence. First, we lived with our Father in Heaven. We were all there, his spirit children. We wanted to be like him. He wanted that too. He presented a plan to help us achieve this desire.

We would be given mortal bodies. We would be given agency. We would be tried and tested. We would suffer but we would also learn and grow.

Part of this plan was the "fall". This is when Adam and Eve partook of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. If this had not happened none of us could be born. But in this fallen state we would not be able to return to our Father.

To redeem us from our fallen state, there would be a Savior, Jesus Christ. He would atone for us and make it possible to return. But not everyone would be saved. Through our choices, we might become separated from our Father forever.

To make a long story short, Lucifer offered a different plan, a plan of force with him taking the glory. There was a war and he and his followers were cast out of Heaven. They will never have bodies or progress. They are limited. But they are allowed to tempt us.

Lucifer became Satan and tempted Eve, hoping to destroy the plan. He failed, of  course. Now we are here, mortal and struggling. But we are never alone. Help is always available if we have the faith to ask for it.

When we die, we move to the Spirit World. This is divided into Spirit Prison and Paradise. Here we await Resurrection and the Final Judgement. All those who had bodies will be resurrected and will never die. This is immortality.

When we are judged we will receive a "degree of glory". Those who have proven themselves most worthy will be in the Celestial Kingdom with our Heavenly Father. Here we will be able to live as families, continue to have children, learn, progress, etc. This is eternal life.

Satan and his followers will go to Outer Darkness.

(A few Biblical references: Rev. 12:7-17, Jer. 1:5, Acts 17:28-29, Jude 1:6, Gen 3:22, John 10:34, 2Cor 3:17-18, 1John 3:2, John 5:25, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 1Peter 4:6, Luke 23:43, Rev 14:13, 1 Cor 15:40-58, 2 Cor. 4:17   a few Modern-Day Revelations: D&C 88, D&C 138)

This is a very simplified crash-course for background reference. I realize it does not directly answer the original questions. But it is relevant. And it helps explain why I didn't like the anecdote that inspired my first post.

I will post the follow-up to this also.

The Gospel, Pure and Simple

I have been messing around on Pinterest lately. Instead of quickly repining something and moving on like I used to, I have been taking the time to go to the original website and explore a little. This has been interesting and I often find more cool ideas and information.

Earlier today I was doing just this when I found myself on a homemaking/mothering blog written by a "pastor's wife" as she described herself. (I am sorry I don't remember the name of the blog or even what brought me to it!) Anyway, as I scrolled through the posts and looked over the blog I noticed a tab at the top that said "I believe". Being fairly interested in what people believe and why I clicked it and found myself reading a very disturbing account.

The author begins by explaining that she knew at the age of 4 that if she died she would go to hell. She goes on to explain how her mother used several verses from the Bible to explain to her how sinful and evil she was and begged her to become saved. She said she believed her mother and "became a child of God". She ends by saying if she can recognize her wickedness at age 4 so can anyone reading her post and invites them to ask her how to become a child of God like her.

I have to say that I was surprised with my own reaction to this. I was horrified, disgusted, and saddened. This, to me, showed the corruption of the gospel in it's simplest form. And I really couldn't imagine ever telling my sweet, innocent child that they were going to hell!

I have long pondered the differences between Latter-Day Saints and...well,  everyone else. I realize we have much in common with people of faith. One trait stands out to me. Today this characteristic became much more significant to me.

The gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a message of hope and happiness. We focus on what we can become. We invite others to learn what we have learned. We focus on the positive instead of the negative, the reward instead of the punishment. Even when a church leader is reprimanding or calling to repentance it is in a spirit of love and concern.

For example: many in the Mainstream Christian community might say "You are evil and you are going to hell if you don't accept Jesus." Mormons would say "You have great worth and your Heavenly Father loves you. Accept the atonement of Jesus Christ so you can live with him again."

It isn't that we don't believe in punishment for the wicked. We do. It's just a different attitude. I attribute this to the Book of Mormon and the knowledge that came through the restoration of the gospel. With this understanding and perspective the Bible often takes on a more uplifting and encouraging tone. I know there are some that share our positive perspective. There are many who do not. This focus on the punishment strikes me as depressing and distructive. There can also be pride and arrogance from thinking that we are better than others because of our understanding of God.

I know that every person ever born is a beloved child of God. It doesn't matter if they are wicked or obedient, Mormon, Christian, Muslim, or Athiest. He loves and blesses ALL of his children. He also grants us the freedom to choose what we will believe. He wants us to love him and obey him. He wants us to love one another. He is disappointed when we do not do these things. But he loves us still.

Why Do We Need Revelation?

I recently had a reader ask some questions/make some comments about the subject of revelation.

Here are 3 talks from General Conference, all by Apostles of Jesus Christ, that give very clear information about what personal revelation is and how we receive it.

Boyd K. Packer http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/guided-by-the-holy-spirit?lang=eng

David A. Bednar http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng&query=revelation

Richard G. Scott http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/to-acquire-spiritual-guidance?lang=eng&query=write+down+(name%3a"Richard+G.+Scott")

I would like to respond to a few points from an article that this reader shared. The link is here if you would like to read it for yourself. While this is obviously a well thought-out presentation, it is the work of a man. However well-intended and educated this man may be it is not from God in an official sense. I think the writer would have to agree that his work is not revelation, based on his conclusions.

As I thought about this question and how to respond, I was naturally led to ask "Why do we need revelation? Why do we have it?" I have concluded that the the answer lies in another uniquely LDS doctrine, that of our relationship to God. We believe he is our Father, literally the father of our spirits, and that he loves each of us as any father loves his child.

My impression of non-LDS beliefs about God is that he is a distant observer, sometimes interacting with us, sometimes not, depending on his whims. There is a sense that God might be too busy for us or that he will create and destroy according to his impulse. It seems that we are all merely subject to him as servants or pawns and nothing more. I even had one person tell me that God loves those who obey as anyone would love a creation that turned out the way they planned. Many seem to reject the idea that God's love is unconditional and that our relationship to him is significant.

In the book of Moses, part of the Pearl of Great Price, our Heavenly Father has said  "This is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Moses 1:39 God has nothing better to do. Everything he has created is for us, his beloved children. (Moses 3:9) Does he get angry with us? Yes. Does he punish the disobedient? Yes. Does he weep for our wickedness? Yes.

 "And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?"  (continue reading Moses 7:28-40)

I have come to understand, at least a little, how much we really depend on God from moment to moment, just as King Benjamin explains. "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants." (Mosiah 2:21) I suspect he is more present than most of us can even imagine.

So, what does this have to do with revelation? Everything! If He is our Father and loves us and wants what is best for us then he will guide us. That doesn't mean that everything we are guided to do will be successful, at least in the worldly sense. The article uses the example of being inspired to start a business. If that business fails then maybe you weren't inspired after all. My thought was that maybe you were inspired to do that so you could learn something or be humbled or interact with someone who you otherwise would not have met. The possibilities are infinite!

This thought led to another concept that differs from many of our Christian counterparts; that we are eternal beings. Some believe we don't exist until conception or birth. While most Christians believe in an afterlife there is much confusion about what it is like and what we will do/be after we die.

LDS doctrine is not so vague. We believe that we lived before we were born as spirit children of God and we can continue to learn and grow and even reproduce for eternity.Our view of "Heaven" or "eternal life" is not floating on clouds playing harps. Nor is it running errands for God. The things in life that bring the most joy -working, learning, being with loved ones, serving one another and serving our Father- are the activities that will continue to bring us joy throughout eternity.

This relates to the question of revelation in a very practical way. "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." (D&C 130:18-19) In the case of the business, learning valuable lessons that include overcoming failure and trying again will only bring that person blessings in the long run.

Both the article and the reader asked how we can claim divine revelation if we are wrong sometimes. From my personal experience I have learned a few lessons about this.
A) Sometimes I do what seems like the best idea without asking Heavenly Father for guidance. I have had experiences where I didn't see any other option at the moment but I later realized there was a better option. If I had prayed and been guided to act in that way it would have required great faith but it had the better outcome.
B) Sometimes I feel prompted to act a certain way and I don't. Sometimes I later see that I should have done it and  regret my choice. Sometimes I don't see what might have been. A few of those moments have left significant impressions on me.
C) I have had some very intense, undeniable moments when I received a very strong prompting to do or not do something. Again, some of these seemed fruitless or inconsequential. Is that because I misunderstood? NO.  As I said, the impressions were unmistakable. I can't know what the Lord had in mind. I even felt the peace of knowing that I did what the Lord required and it is out of my hands. Most of these are so significant that I can not speculate about other possibilites. That would mean denying the voice of God.

The article said that if a person isn't 100% accurate 100% of the time they can't trust anything to be from God. The longer I think about this the more it makes me sad. Revelation is a process. It also takes practice and effort in the way it might take effort to know and understand our own parents. We learn through study and experience. As our relationship with our Father matures, we come to see his will more clearly and recognize his voice.

This subject has left one very unsettling question in my mind: if this is true, why are so many kidnapped, abused, deceived, even murdered? If God speaks to his children why doesn't he warn them?! This is a tough one! 

Through revelation to his chosen prophet, God has restored the priesthood authority to perform vicarious work for those who died without knowledge of the truth. In a nutshell, those little girls in Asia who are killed for being girls will be able to receive all the blessings of God even though they were not raised in Christian nations. Those young men who are killed in tribal wars in Africa or the Middle East will have a chance to hear and accept the gospel in the Spirit World.

The Lord has also said "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost." D&C 50:40-42 , emphasis added. (see also Neh. 4:14; Ps. 56:4 (4, 11); 118:6; Jer. 1:17 (17–19); Luke 12:5 (4–5); 2 Ne. 8:7 (7–12); D&C 3:7; 98:14; 122.)

God also looks after each of these as his children. The Atonement of Jesus Christ not only erases sin but erases pain. I like this story best. I was privileged to hear Brother Hoffman tell his story in person. I am including a video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing this song. (Now tell me you don't feel the Spirit when you hear this!)

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11)

I know that there are things in this world we can not understand fully. I know that God's ways are higher than our ways. He knows things we don't. He gives commandments we struggle to understand and not only does he forgive us repeatedly, he works with us to change and become what he knows we can be. He is our greatest cheerleader and truest friend. We can rely on him to ALWAYS guide us to what is best for us.

Why Joseph Smith Didn't write the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a remarkable book. It is filled with spiritual commentaries, explanations, revelations, personal conversions and an account of the Savior's visit to some of his "other sheep". I really am lost to understand why so many people get so offended by it. It is beautiful!

I have always had an appreciation for the Book of Mormon. I never doubted its authenticity. One reason I have such conviction is because I have read it. I am baffled that a person could read this book and not be inspired by the Holy Ghost. How could anyone find fault with a book that so thoroughly teaches us to follow Jesus Christ? 

Why Do You Believe?

"Why do you believe the Book of Mormon is scripture? It's to recent to possibly be scripture. Only a relatively few people accept it so it must be pretty out there. There is no evidence that people traveled to the Americas across the ocean. There is no proof of written languagesdating back to the time the records were supposedly written. There is no correlation between the cities named in the Book of Mormon and those identified in ancient America."

These are questions many may ask. They might site scholarly studies and historical research for reasons why the Book of Mormon can't possibly be true. They will likely use the Bible as evidence that the Book of Mormon can't be true. I have come to find this especially ironic.

Anyone questioning the Book of Mormon by using the Bible should ask themselves a few questions.

Superwoman VS Personal Apostacy

Before I get started, let me explain what "apostasy" means.

Answers.com gives the definition as "Abandonment of one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause."

lds.org says "When individuals or groups of people turn away from the principles of the gospel, they are in a state of apostasy."

Simply put, personal apostasy is when a person turns from the things they know to be true. Why does this happen? This subject has come up many times in the past few weeks. One reason I decided to write about it is because I have been feeling that nagging warning that I might be at risk. Now DON"T PANIC!!!! I will explain why I feel that I am in need of correction.

Superpowers 101: Iron Sharpening

A few years ago, a friend of mine shared this verse with me: "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17 I think about that phrase from time to time. It is important to note that this friend is not LDS. She is, however, very devoted to her own religion. Over the past few years I have come to realize that her influence in my life has been powerful. Her perspectives have given me new insights and understanding into my own religion. Her devotion has left me feeling ashamed of  my own spiritual laziness. She isn't the only friend who has done this for me.

When I look back at some of the turning points in my testimony growth, I see several members of other faiths. Why? Why are non-LDS playing such a pivotal role in my spiritual growth?

For one thing, Latter-Day Saints don't corner the market on testimony. I have been really humbled to realize how strongly devoted many other Christians are despite their "limited knowledge and understanding". And they are richly blessed for it! No wonder they find Mormons arrogant and insulting when we try to tell them they are wrong!

Superwoman VS "Being Saved"

I grew up in the South; The Bible Belt; Evangelical Christian Conservative Country. People in this part of America are passionate about their beliefs. They are feisty and even obnoxious at times. Anyone who has been in the Southern US for more than a few minutes has no doubt encountered someone willing to share their religious beliefs and invite them to be saved.


This phrase "being saved" had been the cause of much contention and misunderstanding between these zealous Christians and Latter-Day Saints. I have spent much time pondering the difference between the LDS concept of salvation and that of my protestant peers.

Priesthood, order, revelation, etc.

I have lately been following a blog written by a man who is Messianic/Torah Observant Christian. I find this new strain of Christianity a bit fascinating, probably because it is new(Although they say they have been around since Christ's time. It's new to me!)


Anyway, this guy tends to ask questions and I can't help but offer an LDS perspective. I made a few comments on one such question and then Blogger started being dumb and I haven't been able to add to the conversation since then. (I suspect it has to do with my security settings but I haven't taken the time to investigate.) So the points of this conversation have been percolating in my head for a few weeks. I finally decided that I would make a general explanation here instead of trying to figure out the finer points of the blogging tech. Please feel free to comment or add your own thoughts.


Very brief recap: The initial question asked by the author had to do with whether or not the oral traditions should be followed, specifically those forbidding the teaching of Gentiles. I first commented about the Abrahamic covenant and the LDS perspective of a spiritual gathering of Israel. Later I gave the example of Peter receiving the revelation to teach the Gentiles. He responded that the Sanhedrin were in charge of ruling on the Law and that Peter was subject to them. This is where the conversation ended.

Superwoman VS. Mormon Snobbery

Are you a Mormon Snob?

No! Of course not! How dare you suggest such a thing!

Really?

Ask yourself these questions and give really, honest, true answers. (If you aren't a Mormon, just replace "Mormon" with whatever you are.)

Words That Changed The World

In Sacrament Meeting the other week we sang hymn 26, Joseph Smith's First Prayer. I have always loved this hymn. But for some reason, this particular day, it touched me in a very powerful way.

How the Church Works

For some time I have been thinking of how to explain the practical functioning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to people outside of my faith. The scattered, unorganized nature of "Christianity" leaves many scratching their heads at the idea of a structured religion like ours. I have read more than one news article making comparisons to the Catholic church. Since I don't really understand the structure of that church, it usually goes over my head, as I assume it might for anyone who isn't part of that faith.

The purpose of Church

I have been thinking about this for a while. I know it really has nothing to do with my "theme" but I think it is something I should share. The comment that started me on this road is "Your church can not save you." I have been told this several times in the past few months. I find it to be one of the most bizarre statements anyone has ever said to me. I really don't know what it means so my response is a blank stare (or the online equivalent). So, I decided to explain what "church" means to me and it's purpose as I understand it.

Super Powers 101: spiritual learning

October 3-4 is General Conference, when the leaders of the church will speak to us. In light of this, I decided to share the following experience with you.

Growing up Mormon in the Bible-belt is like being a giraffe in a pride of lions. When people find out you're "one of them" they get this wide-eyed, gasping sort of look on their faces and run away...possibly telling you you are going to hell as they race for the nearest exit.

Being different was a way of life for me and the members of the little congregation I attended. Most of the adults had been raised in other faiths and converted to the LDS church as adults, my mother included. These good brothers and sisters had come to the church armed with knowledge of and faith in Jesus Christ. In the LDS church they had found more. They embraced their new-found religion with zeal and passion, teaching me the wonderful new things they were learning. Although I remember hearing Bible stories and learning about Jesus, those things seemed to take a back seat to the Book of Mormon and modern revelation.