What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part IV

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part IV

Article of Faith #4

This is Part Four of my series on what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sometimes called "Mormons", believe. Please remember that though I am an active member of the church, my disclaimer is that I do not claim to provide the official view from the church; I'll leave it to the church to do that (see, for example, www.mormon.org).

The intent of these articles is not to attack or demean other faiths or to cause any kind of contention or argument. They are written to simply outline the beliefs of church members in as straightforward a way as possible. I have no intention to convince, trick or deceive anyone. Indeed, this is far from the mind of anyfaithful member of the church. We realize full well that spiritual matters are deeply personal and can only be accessed through study, reflection, and with the aid of the Divine.

The Articles of Faith were written by Joseph Smith Jr., whom church members take to be a prophet and the first leader of the church in our time. They were written to clarify the church's position about many fundamental issues.

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Article of Faith #4
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.

Principles of the Gospel are basic teachings. Ordinances are those actions (rituals, really) of special significance that involve making or renewing a covenant with God. So in this Article of Faith are laid out the principles that are "first," or most important, and also those fundamental ordinances that are "first," or most important. As with all of these articles of faith, entire books can, and have been, written about each of these items. This really is just the tip of the iceberg. Some of the following comes from the church's website, www.mormon.org, and was adapted or fit in to work in the context of Gather.com.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Faith is a marvelous principle! Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11: 1). It must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation (Acts 4:12). Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ includes having a firm belief that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. It also means believing that He is the Son of God and that He suffered for our sins, afflictions, and infirmities. When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings into our lives (Timothy 4:10).

It is important to note that faith in God is more than a theoretical belief in Him; it is a principle of action and power. It is not enough merely to believe that he is the Son of God; the church teaches us that we must ACT on that belief and proactively use His teachings in our lives and follow His example (see Heb. 11). For myself, I have found that realizing that faith is a principle of action has been very helpful in inspiring me to do good works.

As we look to the Savior as our examplar, we realize how perfect he is and how miserably imperfect we are. Since our faith in Him causes us to act, we seek to become more like him. Though we are not perfect, we can realize that we must repent and be cleansed from our sins. In fact, if we truly have faith in Jesus Christ, we will crave forgiveness and seek to repent with all our might.

To read "Finding Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales, a modern day apostle, click here.

Repentance

We often hear the word "repent" in the context of religious things. It is no accident! Not only is it a commandment to repent (Isaiah 1:16), through repentance, the second principle of the gospel, we can change thoughts, desires, habits, and actions that are not in harmony with God's teachings. He promises that when we repent, He will forgive our sins (Isaiah 1:18).

In Germany, where I was a missionary, the church preferred to use the term Umkehr for repentance rather than the other term Büsse. Umkehr simpy means to "turn around." I like that term, for when we repent, we are quite literally "turning" from those things that we are doing that keep us from building a relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Repentance requires changes. It requires an increased commitment to live according to God's will. As we change, we will each recognize that we are a child of God and that we need not continue making the same mistakes. If we sincerely repent, our desire to follow God will grow stronger and deeper. We will feel God's forgiveness and His peace in our lives, and guilt and sorrow will be swept away, allowing us to feel the influence of the Holy Spirit in greater measure.

For a wonderful sermon/talk on repentance, "Point of Safe Return", by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a modern day apostle, click here.

Baptism

Once we repent of our sins, we can be found worthy to be baptized. In the church, we baptize by total immersion (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Col. 2:12). Jesus Christ taught by example that everyone must be baptized of water and of the Spirit (the Holy Ghost) for the remission, or forgiveness, of sins. Through baptism by one who holds priesthood authority and through receiving the Holy Ghost, we can be spiritually reborn. I like how the Apostle Paul put it: we become a "new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17). We make a covenant with Heavenly Father that we will keep His commandments. As part of this covenant, our Heavenly Father will forgive us as we repent and will bless us as we try to follow the example of His son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus set the supreme example of baptism. Though He had never sinned, he was willing to show His obedience to the Father by being baptized of John in the River Jordan (Matt. 3).

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

All good people can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, but only those who are baptized and who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by priesthood authority have the right to His constant companionship throughout life (Acts 2:38). While baptism symbolically washes us of our sins, the Holy Ghost cleanses, sanctifies, or purifies, us. It is one of His most important tasks (John 3:5; Acts 1:5).

Jesus taught that baptism by water must be followed by baptism of the Spirit or it is incomplete (John 3:5). Only when we receive baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost can we receive a remission of our sins and become completely spiritually reborn. We can then begin a new spiritual life as a disciple of Christ.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of Heavenly Father's most precious gifts. The Holy Ghost can have a sanctifying, cleansing effect upon us and will provide peace of conscience and assurance that our sins have been forgiven when we truly repent. Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can feel God's love and direction for us (Acts 9:31). Ours is a church of revelation. We truly believe that God speaks to prophets today as He did in days of old (Amos 3:7). But along with these great revelations to His prophets, He can also speak to us to guide us in our own responsibilities and lives (Eph. 1:17; James 1:5; Matt. 7:7) . It gives church members great comfort to receive such personal revelation, and we are encouraged by church leaders to see the guidance of the Holy Ghost in all important decisions we make.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is given to one by someone with Priesthood authority, and it is done by resting the hands on someone's head and pronouncing a blessing--which is the reason for the phrase "the laying on of hands." Many ordincances are practiced in this way (see Gen. 48: 14, 17; Mark 10:16; Luke 4:40; Acts 19:4-6).

A recently deceased church leader, Elder James E. Faust, presented a very engaging talk about baptism and the Holy Ghost. You can read it by clicking here.

The Process

The above four elements can be used in our lives, even after we are baptized. Quite simply, as we have faith in Jesus Christ, we seek to repent. After we repent, we do not get baptized over and over again. Instead, the Lord himself instituted an ordinance similar to baptism that reminds us of Him and His sacrifice and atonement for us. We call it the sacrament, and this is similar to the eucharist or holy communion in some other churches. We feel that the bread and wine (we use water now), are merely symbolic and do not ascribe transsubstantiation to them. The sacrament allows us to renew the covenants we made at baptism. So in essence, it is just like baptism in many ways. After we've repented and have used the sacrament to renew our baptismal covenants, the Holy Ghost can come to us and cleanse us of those sins of which we've repented, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is made stronger and more full in our lives. As we feel the Holy Ghost, our vision of Jesus Christ is made more clear, and we have a desire to become like him, starting the process all over again: Faith, Repentance, saving ordinance, Holy Ghost--a joyful and proactive process to help us become happier and better disciples of Christ.

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Next stop: Article of Faith #5

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Contents to articles:

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Introduction

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part I (Article of Faith #1)

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part II (Article of Faith #2)

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part II (Article of Faith #3)