A Little Bit about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Recently as I was traveling in Washington State, I was momentarily pleasantly surprised to find an LDS section in a large bookstore. I was only momentarily surprised because as I started looking at the books I noticed religious fiction, anti-Mormon literature, and of course, Religion for Dummies. Not finding any of these very good sources of information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I thought I would post just a very little bit of information about the Church.

Here are a few facts:

* The numbers have grown since October 2007 when I obtained these numbers, but as of then there were over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these were in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America.

*It is one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world. A new chapel is built each working day. Members pay tithing, which is 10% of their increase. These funds help to build chapels, temples, and to make other programs possible. The Church is very involved in humanitarian efforts.

* All church positions are served on a volunteer basis. Both men and women serve in various positions.

Here is a little bit about our faith:

*We believe 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. Our goal is to model our lives after Him and His teachings. We commemorate His atoning sacrifice in our worship services each week, similar to taking communion.

*We believe the original church that Jesus Christ established on the earth was lost and has been restored again. 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. We also believe in the Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ) and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and God's ongoing revelation to man.

Here are the articles of faith:

1We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4We 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.

5We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preachthe Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers,evangelists, and so forth.

7We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reignpersonally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

For more information you can go to mormon.org.