Do Mormons worship a wrathful God or a loving God?

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worship a God who is both wrathful and loving. When Mormons say God, they usually mean our Heavenly Father or the father of our spirits. But God can also be Jesus Christ. We believe that the Godhead consists of three separate beings: God, the Father (or Heavenly Father), God the Son (or Jesus Christ), and the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies like we do but perfected. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament. He spoke to Moses and introduced Himself as “I Am” (Exodus 3:14).  At times, Jesus Christ was and is a God of wrath. When He flooded the earth, when the Israelites were rebellious in the wilderness, when He cleansed the temple. And sometimes with us. But mostly I think of Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father as loving Gods who are ready to bless me.

 

I carry a lot of guilt for not keeping the commandments or doing my duty: for serving begrudgingly, not doing family history and attending the temple, not doing my visiting teaching, not attending Relief Society, not sharing the gospel with my friends and neighbors, not speaking kindly to my husband and children, not saying sincere prayers. Sometimes I wish my church leaders wouldn’t ask me to do those things so I wouldn’t have to feel guilty. But God gives us commandments because He loves us and He knows we’ll be happier if we keep them.

 

Over the years, I made valid excuses for not doing family history work. Finally a couple of months ago I prayed, took the time to do some research, and found family names through Family Search. In the past few weeks at church and general and stake conference, I have felt no guilt when counseled to do family history. It’s great! Even greater than no guilt are the other blessings I’ve received. I feel a greater connection to my ancestors. I’ve shared stories with my children so I feel closer to them. I’m more eager to attend the temple so I can do the work for the names I’ve found. My children have a greater desire to go to the temple. It’s not that God hates us if we don’t keep His commandments. He knows that if we do keep His commandments, we will experience the results of keeping those commandments. If I don’t do family history work, I’m not going to have those greater feelings and connections with my ancestors and my children. God knows that if I do family history work I will grow and be happier. “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of the world, upon which all blessings are predicated–And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20-21). It’s a law. God is bound. If we do what he says, we will have the blessings of keeping that commandment. If we don’t, we won’t.

 

At the General Women’s Meeting on September 27, President Uchtdorf, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explained that we need to put away our umbrellas so God can rain blessings on us. He said “Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.”

 

Collapse your umbrella of sin, fear, or doubt. Keep the commandments. Let God bless you. You will be happier.

Gospel Ironies or how to have more time in your day

I have more to do in a day than I can possibly get done. Mormons or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no freedom because of all their rules and restrictions. The last thing I want to do when I’m depressed is help someone else. These are three ideas of men that have the same solution. When we follow Christ, we are able to do more, be more, have more. In Matthew 16:25 Jesus taught, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

 

Let’s apply losing our life for Christ’s sake to the three ideas of men.

 

I have more to do in a day than I can possibly get done. That’s true. In a typical day I need to say my personal prayers, read my scriptures, participate in a family scripture study, prepare meals, do dishes, listen to my 2nd grader read for at least 10 minutes, encourage my children to practice the piano, exercise, clean the house… Then often but not necessarily on a daily basis I need to work on my novel, do family history research, share the gospel with a friend, write this blog, organize family pictures, deep clean the house, preserve food (can), visit the sisters I’m assigned to visit, keep in touch with extended family members, attend the temple, plan a birthday party for a child, do my church calling, work on the annual literature conference for which I’m the coordinator, help with the high school marching band, attend cross country meets and band performances… The list could go on forever. It’s too much for one person. But as President Kiehl, our Stake President, said this Sunday at stake conference, we need to have faith that the Lord will take us by the hand and help us up our figurative mountains. We need to pray each day for what we should do that day and then with courage let the Lord guide us to do the essential, knowing that he will make us more than we can be on our own. Two weeks ago I scheduled to attend the temple with two of my friends. As the time approached I thought of all the things I could be doing at home instead. But I went anyway. It helped that I volunteered to drive my friends. Even though my trip to the temple took three hours, my day seemed to expand when I got home. I was able to accomplish the essential.

 

Mormons do have a lot of rules or commandments to follow. Don’t drink. Don’t break the Sabbath day holy. Don’t date until you’re sixteen. Don’t have sex until you’re married. Don’t forget to say your prayers. One of the gifts we were given when we came to this earth was agency. We have the ability to make choices. But we cannot choose the consequences of those choices. To help us, God gave us commandments, or rules that if followed will give us more freedom. If you don’t drink you won’t become addicted to alcohol. Addictions take away your agency. When you are controlled by a drug, you have less freedom. If you choose to attend church on Sunday and learn and grow spiritually, you will be stronger and able to accomplish more throughout the week. And God will bless you for your faithfulness. When you wait until you’re sixteen to date, you are more likely to associate with young people who respect you. You are more mature and able to make better decisions about relationships and able to focus on developing as a person and not just as half of a couple. Waiting to date also helps with the not having sex until you’re married. If you wait, then you can get to know the person without the physical pressure. You will have more trust as a couple. You are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease. You won’t have children until you can be the parent your child deserves. And your self esteem won’t be based on your sexual performance, but on your worth as a person. So, do eat healthy. Do keep the Sabbath day holy. Do have fun dating. Do commit to a person who respects and trusts you. Pray.

 

As a teenager I would often get depressed. I wanted my mom to be sympathetic and take my side. Instead she said, “When you’re depressed, Docena, serve someone else.” It seemed to me that crawling into bed, crying, and eating all the pecan praline ice cream would solve my depression. But that wasn’t what worked. Forgetting myself and serving someone else always made me feel better. And it still does.

 

Experiment on the word. Get up in the morning and ask God to direct you to do the essential. Have faith that He will. Then get to work. You will find that you have gained your life through service to Him.

 

 

I am a child of God. You are a child of God.

As a Mormon or member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are many truths that I accept but cannot comprehend. One of these is that I am a child of God. Every one of us is a child of God. Whether you’re American, Indian, Chinese, black, white, Republican, Democrat, married, single, gay, the President of a nation, or the janitor at the high school, you are a child of God. We believe that we have always existed as intelligences, that our spirits were created by our Heavenly parents, and then our physical bodies were created by our parents on earth. In Genesis 1:27 we learn, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” And just as we grow to look and act like our parents whether we want to or not, we have the potential to become like God.

 

In Moses, a book in the Pearl of Great Price, a book of scripture translated by Joseph Smith, God tells Moses, “For behold, this is my work and my glory–to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Because of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, every one of us will be immortal. We will all be resurrected which means that our bodies and spirits will reunite after death. Eternal life is a life with God. That’s the potential we have as children of God. In order to become like God, we have to follow the path or certain steps to grow to be like Him. These steps are called commandments and covenants. There are the basic commandments like Honor your father and mother and thou shalt not kill. We also have to follow ongoing revelation from God to His prophets that will help us at this time to become like God. An example would be the Word of Wisdom which is God’s law of health. That was revealed in 1833 to Joseph Smith. Covenants are promises between God and ourselves that if we make and keep, will lead us to Him. We make covenants through ordinances such as baptism and marriage in the temple.

 

I may not be able to comprehend fully the truth that I am a child of God, but I know in my heart that I am. The moments when I know of my divine nature with a greater depth are when I kneel in prayer and pout out my heart and soul to God. Then when He answers me with sweet assurance or a softening of my heart or an undeniable answer, I know I am loved by a Father who is in Heaven.

Mormon Royalty: Perceived leadership status

Every culture, group, and country revere their high profile members. Mormons or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do the same thing.  Our prophet and the president of our church is Thomas S. Monson. Almost every member of the church would recognize him in a picture or in person. A couple of years ago when the Boise Temple was remodeled and rededicated, President Monson visited. He attended a cultural celebration at the Taco Bell Arena where youth from our area performed dances symbolizing Idaho’s history. When he walked in the arena, the audience broke into enthusiastic applause. We were rapt with attention and laughed when he made a joke. We listened intently to his words.

 

This past weekend, we listened to leaders in our church testify, teach, and prophecy during our semi-annual General Conference. The conference is broadcast through the internet and TV around the world. We took notes and some instantly tweeted or posted on facebook their favorite quotes from the conference.

 

In our local wards and stakes, we also revere our leaders. The leader of our ward is the bishop. Two counselors and various secretaries serve with him. In the stake, which is a group of wards, the leader is the stake president. He also serves with two counselors and various secretaries. Within the wards and stakes, there are presidencies for the priesthood groups, the Relief Society or women’s groups , the Young Men and Young Women or youth groups, and the Primary who are the leaders of the children. As you would guess, those people who serve as leaders in presidencies are more well known in the ward or stake than the teacher of the three year-olds. Members of the church would never admit to aspiring to a leadership position. In fact, my father-in-law recently told me that anyone who aspired to be bishop should have the job because it is so much work. All positions at the local level are volunteer.

 

Recently my husband was released as the second counselor to the bishop in our ward. I have to admit (or maybe I shouldn’t) that I liked that he was known in our ward. I liked that he sat on the stand on Sundays and conducted meetings. I liked that people thanked our family for supporting my husband in his service to the ward. So I was disappointed when he was released. But not just for the selfish reasons I listed. When he served the members of our ward, he grew spiritually and as a leader in our family. Our family was blessed for his service. Our children were supportive as my husband and I were away from home at the same time to serve in our ward and stake. We had more spiritual family home evenings, scripture study, and opportunities to go out and serve. I will miss the aspects I liked. I will enjoy having him home more. Now he will serve in a different capacity.

 

The standing joke in our church is that a stake president will be released and be asked to serve in the nursery which is the class for children ages 18 months to 3 years old. Or the bishop will be released and asked to serve in the nursery. Or the Relief Society President will be released and serve in the nursery. You see the pattern. A member can go from being a leader that is known by hundreds or thousands to wiping runny noses and calming children who are experiencing separation anxiety. That person will then be recognized by a handful of children and maybe their parents.

 

Apostle Dallin H. Oaks spoke in the April 2014 conference about how callings are not a step up or down. “At this conference we have seen the release of some faithful brothers, and we have sustained the callings of others. In this rotation—so familiar in the Church—we do not ‘step down’ when we are released, and we do not ‘step up’ when we are called. There is no ‘up or down’ in the service of the Lord. There is only ‘forward or backward,’ and that difference depends on how we accept and act upon our releases and our callings. I once presided at the release of a young stake president who had given fine service for nine years and was now rejoicing in his release and in the new calling he and his wife had just received. They were called to be the nursery leaders in their ward. Only in this Church would that be seen as equally honorable! (The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood, Dallin H. Oaks, April 2014).

 

The turn-over of leadership is one of the beauties of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our callings or positions are opportunities to serve. Jesus Christ taught, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). The change also keeps us humble. As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explains, ” We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman. Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes” (Pride and the Priesthood, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2010). That’s why, truly, there should be no Mormon royalty and that heightened status of leaders is perceived and temporary. We are asked to serve in highly visible and no-visibility callings to learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, to think less about ourselves and more about others.

 

We revere President Thomas S. Monson because he is the prophet. He speaks for the Lord, Jesus Christ. When he teaches, he is telling us what Christ wants us to know. We should listen. We should pay attention. We also revere our local leaders because they speak for the Lord on the local level. Like the prophet, they have the gift of revelation for the people they serve. We love and respect our leaders because they love us. When we serve in the nursery, we love those little children with their runny noses and sweet singing voices. And the hug of a nursery child is equal to or maybe exceeds a personal handshake from the stake president.