The Mormon religion teaches that Jesus is the Christ and Savior of the world just as other Christian religions do. Based on the definition of “Christian” from Dictionary.com, a Christian is a person who “professes belief in Jesus Christ” and “manifests the qualities or spirit of Jesus”. Thus, a true Christian is one who believes in and tries to emulate Christ. “Faithful members of the Church, called Saints or Latter-day Saints, qualify clearly in both characteristics. In our belief and our action, we demonstrate that ‘Jesus Christ himself [is] the chief corner stone’ of our faith.’”1Christ asked His followers to pattern their lives after His. Thus, true followers of Christ must be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.”2 The Mormon religion teaches its members to become like Christ through love and service. This is one reason that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have paid clergy but relies on the service of its members.The Mormon religion focuses on families, believing that this basic unit of society is also the basic unit of eternity. It is within families that people learn how to love and be loved. Within families we learn other basic Christian values such as hard work, service, honesty, faith, and prayer. Within the walls of Mormon templesand through special priesthood sealing powers families can be bound together for time and all eternity.Mormon religion teaches that, “The purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help all of the children of God understand their potential and achieve their highest destiny… Our understanding of the nature and purpose of God the Eternal Father explains our destiny and our relationship in his eternal family. Our theology begins with heavenly parentage. We are literally children of God. Our highest aspiration is to be like Him. As earthly parents we participate in the gospel plan by providing mortal bodies for the spirit children of God. The fullness of eternal salvation is a family matter.3 One thing that sets the Mormon religion apart from other Christian religions is the belief in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon, as the cover states, is “another testament of Christ”. The prophet Joseph Smith translated it from gold plates, which he received from the angel Moroni. (Moroni was a Book of Mormon prophet, chosen by God to visit Joseph Smith; Moroni was a resurrected being when he visited Joseph.) The Book of Mormon contains a record of the inhabitants of the American continents and Christ’s visit to them after His resurrection.At the end of the Book of Mormon is a challenge for all those who read it. It states,
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” 4 If the Book of Mormon is a true book, then the other aspects of the Mormon religion that many find hard to believe must be true as well. One of these is that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God; that he truly did see God the Father and His son Jesus Christ in a vision; that he was instrumental in restoring Christ’s true church upon the earth today. One must also believe that a prophet leads the Mormon Church today. But the Mormon religion does not want blind followers. The Church teaches men and women to pray and know for themselves whether the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Church is led by a prophet today, and the principles taught by the Church are true. Thus members of the Mormon religion must gain a testimony for themselves of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Christ. (1) Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 70
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