What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part VII

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Part VII

Article of Faith #7

This is Part Seven 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 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 any faithful 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 #7
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

The greatest gift God has ever given to His children is the gift of His Son. The apostle, John, wrote "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). However, God has given His children many, many, many other gifts. Our homes, our families, the food we eat, the very air we breathe all ultimately comes from God, our Heavenly Father. Our agency--the ability we have to choose good or evil in our daily lives--is also a very special gift.

Paul the apostle of old outlines a few other very special gifts: the gifts of the Spirit. He writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12):

1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2. ...
3. ...
4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Here is a tidy list of gifts that the Holy Ghost can bestow. I do not think we differ too much from other Christian faiths regarding these gifts. They are given to God's children to enable them to bless others and help build the Kingdom of God. Just as each of us has various talents that allow us to help and strengthen one another, so may we also have different gifts of the Spirit. Paul continues later: "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way" (vs. 29-31). It takes all of us working together and using our gifts and talents to get things done and help the world be a better place.

One of the great tasks of the Holy Ghost is to guide us to all truth (John 16:13). He is especially called to testify that our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ live and that they love us and that Jesus Christ atoned for us. He can do this in many ways, and one of the ways he is able to bless Heavenly Father's children (us), is to give us these spiritual gifts so that we may search for the truth and then help strengthen others when we have found it.

We are told that we can ask for the best gifts. We feel that one of the most important gifts we can ask for and then nurture is the gift of charity. Mormon, a prophet in the New World who served as editor of what is now the Book of Mormon, defined charity as "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47) and "everlasting love" (Moroni 8:17). Paul the apostle himself notes directly after speaking of spiritual gifts that even above all the gifts, charity is the thing most desired to develop (1 Cor. 13).

Ending on a personal note: I have found, and I know, that when I feel ill will toward anyone I can pray and ask for more charity. As I develop this great gift, and as God sees fit to bestow it upon me, I can love my fellow humans more effectively, enabling me to live a much happier life as I use my gifts to give of myself to the world.

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Next stop: Article of Faith #8. It's about the Bible and the Book of Mormon, so it'll be a good one! Stay tuned!

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Contents to articles:

What Do Mormons Really Believe?: Introduction

Part I (Article of Faith #1)

Part II (Article of Faith #2)

Part III (Article of Faith #3)

Part IV (Article of Faith #4)

Part V (Article of Faith #5)

Part VI (Article of Faith #6)