The point of this post is to give you just a little bit of insight on what I believe, know, live, and love. (If you're connected with me on Facebook, you might have seen my post from a few weeks ago--the link to my mormon.org profile. Here it is, in case you missed it: http://mormon.org/me/BY1G/KristaN. If you click on that link, it might behoove you to check out the Personal Stories, as well as the FAQs at the bottom of the page.)
By the way, up in that first paragraph, you might notice that I said I am "a" Mormon--not just "Mormon." Seemingly small detail, right? (See what I did there? Buh doom tsz.) That's because "The Mormon Church" isn't actually the real name of my religion. In fact, it's a lot longer and prettier sounding than that:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I used to feel like I had to rush through the name when I was telling people which church I belong to ("belong to"--no, the Church doesn't own me; it's more like a team that I'm a part of, y'know? We're all trying to reach the same goal, and helping each other out). When I told people the name of my church, a lot of times, it would come out like this:
"TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints."
Now, I slow it down and smile when I say the name of the Church. Because I'm proud of it! (If you're interested in how that became the official name of the Church, you might like to read Elder Russell M. Nelson's article found at this address: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1990/04/thus-shall-my-church-be-called?lang=eng. He breaks it down word by word.)
The nickname "Mormon Church" derives from our belief in The Book of Mormon, an ancient book of scripture comparable to the Bible. You know how the accounts (because "stories" often has an imaginative connotation, and [as aforementioned] I don't believe The Bible accounts were derived through creative imagination) in The Bible took place in cities like Israel, Jerusalem, and that general area (I am HORRIBLE at geography; you must not expect me to be able to point to these places on a map)? Well, the accounts in The Book of Mormon took place on the American continent. Just like The Bible, The Book of Mormon is comprised of writings of ancient prophets of God.
There's another thing that sort of sets us apart from other Christian sects. We believe that there is a living prophet on the earth today! (Awesome segue, Krista. Thanks! *High-five myself*) Thomas S. Monson is the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (of which, by the way, there are well over 14 million members from aaalll around the world, as of December 31, 2012) and God's chosen prophet to lead and guide us. (Remember great Biblical prophets like Moses, Abraham, and Isaiah? Their people needed strong leaders to guide them in their paths back to God, and so do we--that's what a prophet is for.)
You know something? I've gotten nearly everything from sincere curiosity to weird looks to unkind remarks about my belief in The Book of Mormon. I've had my religion bashed to my face and people try to discourage my conviction in The Book of Mormon.
You know something else? People can say what they want. They can insult, tease, deride, belittle, and criticize until the grass turns blue. But they cannot take away my testimony. I KNOW the Book of Mormon is God's word. Alongside The Bible, it answers ALL of life's questions. (Like, seriously. Everything.) I know that because I've read it and prayed about it and tried out its teachings. And I love what I've found.
When you love something, you wanna share it with others, especially those individuals you care for, right? That's why I'm writing this. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love The Bible. I love The Book of Mormon. I love President Thomas S. Monson. And, like it says in John 13:34, we are to love one another. ("One another"=Everyone. Everyone incl. you and me.) So, I'm sharing what I love with all of you.
Please bear in mind that this is only a brief overview of some things that I believe, know, live, and love. For more information, go to mormon.org. In the words of some meme genius...
--> (http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith) <--
I'd like to...
Learn more about Jesus Christ: http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Learn about God's commandments: http://mormon.org/beliefs/commandments
Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Request a free copy of the Bible: http://mormon.org/free-bible
Meet with Mormon missionaries: http://mormon.org/missionaries
Locate a meetinghouse: http://mormon.org/worship
Find a family history center: https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator
Chat with Church representatives: http://mormon.org/chat
Read frequently asked questions: http://mormon.org/faq
Love it Krista! I honestly felt the spirit and truth of what you're saying as I read it! You're going to love the religion classes here at BYU, you're already so ahead!
ReplyDelete