"I know that he loveth his children"

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints often quote 1 Nephi 11:17 which says, "I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."  We do not always understand why certain things happen, but we can be sure that God is in control and that He loves all of His children.

Yesterday morning I saw an article saying the Church had stated that children of homosexual couples are not eligible for membership in the Church.  I must admit, I was surprised at first, and didn't believe it was real.  I was sure it was just some anti-Mormon rhetoric, taking something that Church leaders said out of context as usual.  After doing some checking however, I found it to be accurate.

I thought about it for a little while.  If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my first impressions of controversial topics are seldom reliable, and that judgement shouldn't be passed until I've taken the time to understand the issue from both sides.  Now as of this writing the announcement is still only a couple days old, so I won't be attempting an in depth look at this time.  But I do feel I've come to understand the decision a little bit, and just wanted to share a few of my thoughts.

Is the Church closing its doors to children of same-sex couples?
No.  The only thing this statement makes clear is that children of same-sex couples are not to receive the ordinances of a baby blessing or baptism until they are no longer living with said parents and have demonstrated that they understand and agree with the Church's stance on same-sex relationships.  This does not mean that such children are not allowed to participate in Church meetings, activities, or organizations, nor that they should be treated with any less love or respect than those who are members.  Jesus loves all children regardless of their membership in the Church, and we cannot doubt that those striving to follow His example will do the same.

Is the Church saying that to be baptized these children need to disown their parents?
Of course not.  They must disavow the practice of same-sex marriage, but that doesn't mean they must stop loving their parents or even stop considering them to be their parents.  The Church has made it clear time and time again that even when we do not condone a person's actions, we must still love and be kind to that person.

But why would the Church exclude those children from baptism?
First and most importantly, contrary to what those who are less familiar with or openly hostile towards the Church or its doctrines have implied, it isn't to make said children some kind of "second class citizens."  Rather, it is to ensure that before they are baptized, they are prepared to make the accompanying baptismal covenant.  Baptism is more than just a family tradition or initiation into a new social circle.  It is a covenant.  A promise or contract if you will between the individual and God.  If an individual is not ready to keep their end of that promise, they should wait until they are ready before being baptized.  I recall several times on my own mission when we decided or were advised by our leaders to postpone the baptism of an investigator until they demonstrated they were ready to keep the commandments, which is an important piece of that covenant.

Okay, if the baptismal covenant is so important, why are other children baptized so young in the first place?
This question deserves its own discussion.  But the short answer is because in the case of young children, it is their parents' responsibility to teach them the commandments and the importance of keeping their covenants.  In fact, that is the reason the Lord instituted families in the first place:  to be the best setting for the teaching of Gospel principles so we wouldn't have to learn them all by ourselves, but have a loving environment in which we can learn and grow together.  Through no fault of their own, the children of homosexual couples are not being taught those correct principles.  By their actions, if not by their words, the parents of those children are teaching them that homosexual behavior is acceptable, which is contrary to the Church's teachings.

If these things are really the case, then why didn't the Church just say so?
I can't say for certain.  But there's been speculation that this was never intended to be a public announcement, but rather simply making official what has long been the advice given to local Church leaders.  Perhaps the Church will make a statement soon, clarifying some of the misinformation that has arisen from it being made public.  (Edit:  The Church just released a video interview with Elder Christofferson which addresses these and other questions.  It is an excellent source of clarification that I recommend everyone watch:  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/handbook-changes-same-sex-marriages-elder-christofferson)  In the meantime, we should avoid jumping to conclusions, and always, always treat everyone with love and respect regardless of their opinions or upbringing.

In closing, I'm aware that this and other decisions of the Church have caused much anger and sadness to many both within and outside of the Church.  If that is the case with you, I just wanted to say that while I stand with the Church and its teachings, I am sorry for your pain.  I know this is a deeply sensitive and personal issue for so many people.  I love and care about you all, and I testify that God does too.  As in all things, please strive for understanding.  I have hope that things will all work out for those who do.

The preceding statements include my own opinions and understanding.  While I believe them to be true, those sections that simply reflect my opinion should not be viewed as official Church doctrine.  I'll try to update this post with official and relevant sources when/if they become available.

Semitic Language Attributes

According to Mormon 9:32-34 The Book of Mormon was originally written in a language called Reformed Egyptian, which was adapted from Egyptian.  Egyptian is now a dead language, meaning nobody speaks it as their primary language.  The written language of Egyptian was primarily used as a scribal or shorthand language, meaning one could convey more or less the same amount of information in much fewer characters.  This, Mormon indicates, was the reason they chose the language, because they were writing upon plates of gold, meaning space on these plates would be very precious.  Not only was the ore hard to come by at times (Mormon 8:5) but writing the history in their native language of Hebrew would have greatly expanded the size of the plates and thereby reduced their practicality.
Mormon also said that nobody but they used Reformed Egyptian, which was why the Lord provided a means of translation (the Urim and Thumim).  But, since we know it was based on Egyptian and Hebrew, we also know that it was a Semitic language, which is one of the major families of languages in the world, of which Hebrew and Arabic are the only ones still spoken today.  Now, the first language that the Book of Mormon was translated into in our day was English.  However, it is often evident when a text is translated from one language to another, especially when great care is taken to preserve the exact meaning of the original.  So if the Book of Mormon was really translated from Reformed Egyptian, we should see some evidence of this.

The Question:
What evidence is there that the Book of Mormon was originally written in a Semitic language?

Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

In matters legal, historical, scientific, and religious, we recognize the significance and the importance of first-hand accounts, also known as testimonies or witnesses.  The scriptures frequently tell us that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (see 2 Corinthians 13:1 for example), and the Lord's Church and His Gospel are full of instances in which this pattern is followed.  Among these are the testimonies of the witnesses of the truthfulness and divine origin of the Book of Mormon.

The Question:
Were there witnesses who saw the Gold Plates that the Book of Mormon was translated from, and are their testimonies dependable?

The other sin of Sodom

When it comes to homosexuality, the Church has been accused of having a double standard.  The Church very clearly denounces homosexual behavior and defines marriage to be "between a man and a woman" (The Family).  And yet the Church has also reached out to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, especially recently with the website mormonsandgays.org.  It saddens me when I hear about members of the Church who have come out as LGBT and were immediately shunned or ridiculed by members of their own ward; people who should have been their friends.  It saddens me because I know that's not how the Savior would treat that person, and it's not how the General Authorities of the Church have taught that they should be treated.

The Question:
How does the Church teach that LGBT individuals should be treated?

Where is the "Choice"?

For decades now, the right of a woman to have an abortion has been a hotly contested issue, and more and more lately politicians have been using it to garner votes.  The liberal media has been resorting to shameful slander in an attempt to vilify those who oppose abortion, claiming that they want to keep abortion illegal in order to keep women in subjugation.  I do not claim to know all that motivates both sides of this issue, but we are capable of observing the effects that it has on individuals and on society.  The issue of abortion raises troubling questions about how we view and value human life.  As a member of the Church, and also as a human being, I am diametrically opposed to the doctrine that a life can be ended as soon as it becomes inconvenient.  And nowhere is this doctrine more prominent than in the issue of abortion.

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about abortion?  Is it ever justified?"

Nature: Divine or Fallen?

We as humans seem to be of varied opinions of ourselves.  To some, human beings are viewed as God's greatest creation.  To others, humans are despicable, sinful creatures.  And still others say humans are just another species of animal that through evolution and dumb luck became the dominant creature.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches that we are literally children of God, and yet even within the Church there seems to be differing ideas about humans and human nature.  On the one hand, we are God's children and as such have within us the potential to become like him.  In other words, we are said to have "divine nature."  On the other hand, we are subject to sin and imperfection, or subject to our "fallen nature."  So which is it?  Are we inherently good or bad?  And how do our instincts, evolution, and our environment play into what we are?

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about human nature?  Are we inherently good, or evil?"

LGBT: Fostering Understanding

As a child, I hardly ever heard anyone talk about homosexuality.  Now hardly a day goes by when I don't hear about it.  So many issues are now constantly front and center that many of us rarely had to think about years ago.  But we can't ignore them.  Individuals at opposite ends of gay rights issues cannot afford to go on not understanding--let alone hating--each other.

I've been meaning to talk about my own feelings about homosexuality and LGBT individuals, but haven't been sure where to start.  This is by far the hardest topic I've ever tried to write about because of its sensitive nature.  I finally decided that there's no way I'll get all my thoughts into one post.  There are so many things to talk about.  But as usual, the best place to start is on common ground.  I will not be delving too deeply into the issue in this post, but wanted to start by setting the tone.  Please note that while I've had gay and lesbian friends, I'm not gay myself, so what I say here is according to my best understanding.  If I say something that is not right, I hope that you will kindly correct me.

The source of all problems (and solutions)

In my South American culture class, I recently read in my textbook a section about drug trafficking.  What I found interesting was that drug trafficking didn't really take off as such a booming business until the "drug culture" of the 60's and 70's took off.  Ever since then, the US government has struggled to stem the flow of cocaine, heroine, and marijuana across our border.  But trying to intercept drugs at the border isn't attacking the problem at its source.

Faith and/or Works?

Fewer topics have sparked more religious debate among Christians than the age-old "Faith verses Works" question.  As I understand it, one side believes that faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as our Savior is the only thing that is required for Salvation, while the other side believes that certain works, rights, or ordinances must be followed in order to be saved.  This seemingly simple question can get very involved, and there have been many wonderful discussions and talks given on the subject.  Instead of answering the question, "Are we saved by our works, or by faith alone?" I will focus specifically on what members of the Church believe.

The question:
"Do Mormons believe we are saved by works or by faith alone?"

In or At Jerusalem?

This is one of those little details that many anti-Mormons still cling to, despite it having been explained many times:  the Bible clearly states that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2, for example).  But in the Book of Mormon, Alma prophesies that "he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers" (Alma 7:10).  Is this a contradiction?  Many claim that it is, but it is not.

The question:
Does the Book of Mormon contradict the Bible concerning the birthplace of Jesus?

Are Mormons Christian?

I've been surprised by the ferocity with which others have attempted to define what I believe in.  It just doesn't make sense to me that someone not even acquainted with me would try to tell me what I do or don't believe in.  This is how I feel when non-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claim that we are not Christian.  I think the reason many say this is to attempt to vilify the Church.  After all, many Christian denominations believe that it doesn't matter what Church you belong to as long as you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Savior; so if they can convince themselves and others that Mormons do not, then in their minds they are free to denounce the Church as false.

Often people confuse the question of "Do you consider yourself a Christian?" with "Do you satisfy my definition of what a Christian is?"  Isn't a person's Christianity a question of his or her own personal convictions and beliefs?  And if that's the case, who really has the right to define those beliefs besides that person and God?

The question:
Are Mormons Christian?

If thy brother offend thee...

The Doctrine and Covenants contain a lot of counsel on how to handle situations in which we are offended.  It is an issue that has concerned members of the Church ever since its foundation in ancient times.  D&C 64:8 says that even the Apostles of Jesus Christ were occasionally offended at each other and "sought occasion against one another," and reading the New Testament we can see several instances of this.  However, allowing ourselves to take offense and holding a grudge halts our spiritual progression.  If you think about it, by holding a grudge against someone, we are effectively putting our own happiness and spirituality into their hands rather than taking responsibility for it ourselves.  What then should we do in these situations?  The Lord has actually given fairly specific instructions:

Candle Status

Remember the scripture mastery Matthew 5:14-16?  In it, Jesus says, "Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  In a recent BYU devotional, the speaker identified four conditions that our "candle" could be in, where our candle represents our testimony.

Foolish and Vain Imaginings

I just finished reading Helaman 16 in the Book of Mormon.  In it, Samuel the Lamanite has just finished prophesying about the signs that will mark the birth and the death of Jesus Christ on the other side of the world.  Those who didn't believe tried to shoot arrows at him, but could not hit him.  Instead of  being convinced by the power of God however, they claimed that Samuel was being protected by the devil.  Furthermore, in verses 13-14 it says that many signs and wonders began to manifest themselves to the people, yet still the unbelievers were unconvinced.
The chapter then proceeds to list some of the unbelievers' arguments against the prophesies of Christ, all of which are illogical and/or unfounded, yet which closely resemble arguments that face true believers in our day.

Faith is a Gift

My ward recently had a Stake Conference, and a member of the Stake Presidency said something that really impressed me.  He said that "faith is a gift from God bestowed as a reward for obedience.  The greater the degree of righteousness, the greater the bestowal of faith."  I don't think we often think about it that way.  We sometimes act as though having faith were a deliberate act; that we can consciously choose to have faith.  But that's not the case.  We can't force ourselves to have faith any more than we can force a seed to grow.  But what we can do is plant that seed (Alma 32:28).  We plant the seed and then Heavenly Father promises us that if we nurture the seed, it will grow.  Taking the parable even further, the more we nurture and take care of a plant, the more healthy it will be and the more fruit it will produce.  So if we ever feel weak in our faith, perhaps we should try increasing our obedience to God's commandments.  We may be doing a pretty good job already, but we can always improve in some aspect of our lives.  And if we humbly ask God to help us to improve in the areas in which we are weak, we will not only see improvements, but also an increase in our faith.

Metal Plates

I just started listening to a talk by Brenton G. Yorgason entitled Little-Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon.  In it he mentions Franklin S. Harris Jr. who conducted a study called "Old World Writing on Metal Plates."  According to this study, there have been 62 different sets of metal plates unearthed since the time that Joseph Smith claimed to have found the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon was originally written.  Of these 62 sets of plates, 19 were written on plates of gold or gold alloy; the rest were silver, copper, or bronze.  Many of these sets of plates were found in large stone boxes that had been cemented together, just as the box in which the Book of Mormon was hidden was described by Joseph Smith in Joseph Smith--History 1:52.

Mormons are Christians!

It seems there will always be those who are not in any way affiliated with our faith, and yet will attempt to define our beliefs.  On "Fox and Friends," the host, Ainsley Earhardt, was talking politics and claimed that Mitt Romney, "obviously not being a Christian," wouldn't appeal to Christian voters.  I honestly don't know why he thinks it's so obvious that Romney isn't a Christian, but if it is simply because he is a Mormon, then perhaps Earhardt just isn't that familiar with our faith.
Whatever Earhardt's motives for saying what he did however, I think it's important to make it very clear what we believe to anyone who has any doubt.  We do not have to attempt to convert everyone we meet, but there should be no question to them concerning our Christianity.  Yes, we are Christians! We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. We believe that there is "no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 3:17).

The Science of Peace

A speaker in church today was assigned the topic of Patience.  He brought up a very interesting observation.  The word "patience" in Spanish is "paciencia."  If you split that up into two words, it becomes, "paz" and "ciencia" which in English are "peace" and "science".  Therefore, patience is "the science of peace"!  If you think about it, it's really true! When we are patient, we feel at peace; we don't feel like we're running around worried and frustrated by life.  If all the world were more patient, there would be less crime and fewer wars.  Being patient encourages peace!

This is real!

I went on the ward temple trip today.  As always, it was a wonderfully peaceful experience.  Something else happened today though.  It was only for a moment, but I remember just getting an interesting feeling... it wasn't super strong, and it's kind of hard to describe...  In the Church we frequently talk about life after mortality, but I think we don't very often think about what that life is going to be like.  What will it be like to live for an eternity surrounded by our loved ones and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ?  The brief feeling I had was almost like comprehending for the first time in a long time that it really is going to happen one day.  We live our lives, constantly thinking about what we should or shouldn't do, but I realized that I don't think nearly as often about how my choices are going to affect my life after mortality as I do about how they will affect my mortal life.  But the temple, the commandments, and the entire Gospel are not just for our benefit during this life, but also the hereafter!

BYU Devotional: Derek Marquis

Derek Marquis spoke to us last Tuesday.  He's had quite a bit of experience in broadcasting, and shared a great message about the media and the influence it has had on society over the years.  He especially talked about its influence for good.  After all, thanks to miracles such as radio, television, the internet, and texting, it has become easier than ever to spread the Gospel to all the world as has been commissioned by the Savior.  He played for us a sound clip of a recording by President Wilford Woodruff  of him bearing his testimony of the Savior and Joseph Smith, recorded onto a wax cylinder clear back in the 1800's!  And since then, technology has continued to progress in leaps and bounds.  The Lord's servants have always used these advances to advance His work, and Bro. Marquis encouraged us to do the same.  We should take a look at the technologies available to us and determine what more we can do to use them to spread the Gospel and participate in the conversations going on about the Church!