I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Day Forty-One: Your religious beliefs.

I know most people who read my blog are probably of the same faith as I am, but I'll do a little outline of my religious beliefs anyway. The blog challenge's wish is my command, after all.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The members are sometimes also known as Mormons because we believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. We believe that in 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees to pray about which church to join. As an answer to his prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him that he should join none of them, for none of them had the full truth of the Gospel. Throughout the next ten years, Joseph Smith received revelations, obtained and translated the golden plates that contained the Book of Mormon, and restored the true church upon the earth once again.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. This is the most important aspect of the Gospel. Christ is the center of it all. He was sent to earth by our Father in Heaven to atone for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane. He was to die on the cross and then be resurrected three days later so that all men might conquer death. Because of Christ's atonement, everyone can repent and turn unto Him, and thus receive eternal life. Christ is the great Mediator, and it is through His grace that we are saved, but only after we do all that we can do in this life to follow Him. 

God the Father is my Father. I am His child, and I am therefore of divine worth. He loves me. He knows who I am. He wants me to return to Him. He has a plan for me, and as long as I remain faithful, He will guide me through that plan and I will gain all that He has in store for me. 

I believe that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct and separate individuals. They are one in that they all share the same purpose, but they are physically separate beings. In that aspect, Mormons very much differ from traditional Christianity.

As a Mormon, I also believe in personal revelation. God speaks to me through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have felt that power in my life multiple times. Through this same power, Heavenly Father speaks to modern-day prophets, who are called in this day and age to guide the modern Church through these turbulent times. 

There is so much more that I believe in as a Latter-day Saint. There are temple ordinances, the power of the priesthood, eternal families, the three kingdoms of heaven, resurrection, so much more to the Atonement, tithing and fast offerings, and so on. I could write pages and pages about what exactly I believe, but I simply don't have time. If anyone who doesn't understand my beliefs already comes across this blog, go to mormon.org. All the information you need is there. 

Another thing that I want everyone to know: I believe with my whole heart that I belong to the true church. Jesus Christ is my Savior. He died for me, for my individual sins and sorrows and infirmities, which means He is the only person who can fully and completely understand everything I go through. He is the one who knows best how to succor me and comfort me and help me. He is the best friend I could ever have, and I can't tell you how incredibly grateful I am for the knowledge I have of Him, and most especially for the personal relationship I have developed with Him. I love Him, and I love His Gospel.