What the heck is a Mormon?

                     

Hey ya'll! The longer I'm out here on my mission, the more confusion I see associated with the title "Mormon."
Well let's clear something's up!
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints aka., I'm a Mormon.
-Do Mormon's believe in Jesus Christ?
YES!!! Hence the name The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints.
-Do you believe in the Bible?
YES! The King James version!

-What's the Mormon Bible?
Well the "Mormon Bible," is the King James Version, although I'm sure the question is referring to the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ- not to add too, take away, or replace the Holy Bible. The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel, as does the Bible. It is a record of the prophecies of Christ and history of the people of the ancient Americas.
-Do Mormons believe in grace?
YES we do! Because of the grace of Jesus Christ, we will all overcome physical death by being resurrected and live forever.
-Do you have faith?
YES! Faith is another word that can be confused by how each person defines it. Faith to a Latter Day Saint (aka mormon) is believing in something you can't see and acting on the things that you believe.
-Do you worship Joseph Smith?
Heavens NO! We have a lot of respect for Joseph Smith as an instrument in the Lords hands, as we do for all the prophets of old or the Virgin Mary, but we do not worship him or anyone else except God the Father and Jesus Christ.

-What's so different about your church?

• The difference is this, our message is that Christ has literally restored His gospel back on the earth, exactly how He originally established it when he was on the earth- same authority, organization, principles, etc. So the differences is that:
• God called another prophet to the earth and gave him the same authority the prophets and apostles of old had to do ordinances such as baptism and giving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• God has blessed us with another set of scripture, The Book of Mormon, to stand with the Holy Bible.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today.
• We know the true identity of the Godhead- God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings unified in one purpose.

-Are you Christian?
YES! Christian- someone that believes in Jesus Christ.
-What do you do as a Mormon missionary?
A mormon missionary is someone who leaves their family for a period of time to go preach and teach the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We leave our families for awhile so others can be with their families forever!!
-What do you do after a Mormon mission?
We go home and resume life as a normal every day member of the church. Generally because of our age we go home and finish school or start work and have families.. not always in that order ;)
-Are you polygamist?
Nope. Wrong "Mormons."
-Did your church practice polygamy?
Yes, dating back to father Abraham. But more recently, yes the early saints of the restored gospel did practice polygamy, but it is no longer a part of our church. As seen through out The Bible and Book of Mormon, God has his people practice polygamy and then commands that it be stopped. I guess He can do that since he is God.
-Are mormons racist?
Absolutely NOT! We love, invite, and accept all people! We are all children of God!

-What is a temple? And why can't all people go in?

Temple Marriage

Temples are a place where sacred ordinances are performed. Many people confuse the world sacred and secret in regards to temples. All people are invited to come to a temple when they choose to be baptized and live worthy. We must keep our bodies pure and clean before entering into a temple.
1Cor. 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
"The sacredness of the temple anciently can be seen in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, Moses had the children of Israel carry with them the Tabernacle (a large, portable temple) as they wandered in the wilderness. King Solomon built and dedicated the great temple that was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. It was rebuilt and later substantially expanded, but again destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The great Western Wall can still be seen in Jerusalem today, and even after millennia, remains a sacred site for Jews. The New Testament gives an account of Jesus Christ clearing the

Eternal Marriage

temples when its sacredness was violated by people using its courts as a common market.
Latter-day Saint temples are considered houses of God, a place of holiness and peace separate from the preoccupations of the world. They provide a place where Church members make formal promises and commitments to God. They are also the place where the highest sacraments of the faith occur — the marriage of couples and the “sealing” of families for eternity". -(http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/temples)

-Do you believe your works can save you?
Works alone is not enough save anyone, Christ does that. We believe that Christ's atonement is our saving grace.
-Are you saved?
Yes, but there is more to this question, the definition of saved is key to this question. We believe that when you truly love Christ you give your life over to him and with that, you want to do what he has asked us to do. We want to follow His example.
In the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the terms “saved” and “salvation” have various meanings.
To answer this question of being "saved" and whether we believe we are or not, keep watching for my .saved. post. I will do my best to explain what we believe being saved means!
I'm grateful for the opportunity to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and to answer questions from those searching to know truth! I love my Savior!
If you have any questions about Mormon beliefs ask a Mormon, Me, or visit lds.org!!