I'm a Mormon!

I'm sure some of you know I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka, a Mormon, aka LDS. they're all the same thing). Some may not. Some of you may know members of this church, and some may not. I'm sure some of you are members. I'm sure everyone has heard of at least one "Mormon", Mitt Romney, it's kind of hard to ignore him right now. Anyway, the point of my post today is to share with you an opportunity to learn a little bit more, if you are interested. (all links shared are to the official webpage of the church.)

The fastest overview of some of our most important beliefs can be found in the Articles of Faith. Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith in 1842 to help people who are not members of the Church understand how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is different from other churches.

The sixth Article of Faith reads, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."

Just like there were prophets in the Old Testament, Adam, Noah, Moses, we believe that God has called modern prophets today. Joseph Smith was a prophet. We have a living prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. He has two counselors, you can see them here. We have 12 apostles, just as Christ called apostles to help lead His church. You can see who the current apostles are here. Pretty awesome.

 

Why I want to share this with you now, is because twice a year we as a church, and the world, have the opportunity to listen to these men, and other leaders of the church speak to us in what we call General Conference. It is 4 - 2 hour sessions that are held over the first Saturday/Sunday in April and then again in October. Yep, this weekend (sessions start at 10 am MST and 2 pm MST). The speakers study, ponder and pray about the messages they share. Some talks are specific to members, and some are specific to non-members (Elder Russell M. Nelson is a good example of this from yesterday mornings session). Some may be specific to certain age groups, life circumstances, or gender, but all are full of wisdom and answers, and often promises. Watching/listening and later being able to study the talks in the Ensign/Liahona (a church magazine), always helps me find direction and wisdom for my own life. It doesn't matter how old you are, who you are, or where you are. It doesn't even matter what language you speak (the church is in over 150 nations and is translated into many languages), God is your God and He loves you. He wants you to be happy!

 

You obviously don't have to view any of these links, videos, or conference. I am grateful that I have a blog where I can share so many of my activities and projects with you, as well as a peak into my family life on occasion. Here is one of those times when I want to welcome you to come past the computer screen and get a little bit deeper glance into my life and who I am. :) If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. If you want to meet more Mormons, or read more about us on a more basic level, I invite you to visit Mormon.org, where average members share their stories, experiences, and a bit more about the church. There are musicians, actors, politicians, garbage men, bloggers, teachers, athletes, Olympians, etc.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!