Mormon theology from a different perspective

I think this is a fantastic article that was written by Mike Jensen back in 2013. My parents have taught me many of the same things, but it is fascinating to hear it from someone who is not a Mormon.

The Mormon Effect

Religious freedom trampled ...

Here is an example of religious freedom being smothered here in the U.S.:

Lawsuit filed after praying family escorted from Empire State Building

The family didn't disturb anyone while praying. Why aren't we allowed to live and express our religion? Religion is about truly believing and knowing, which means we want to live up to what we know. So why do people think we should be religious in name but not be able to express it?

A Sunday citation

Here is a great quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

"Do you spend as much time making your family and home successful  as you do in pursuing social and professional success? Are you devoting your best creative energy to the most important unit in society--the family? Or is your relationship with your family merely a routine, unrewarding part of life? Parent and child must be willing to put family responsibilities first in order to achieve family exaltation. ...

"We have been trying to impress upon parents the need of paying more attention to their children, having a little more of the spirit of the gospel in their homes, a little more unity and a little more faith.; a little more responsibility religiously, spiritually on the part of the fathers; also, of the mothers; more of the teaching of the gospel in the home." (Chap. 4, pgs. 79-80)

A Sunday citation

Here is another good quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

"We are not dependent upon the testimony of anyone else for this knowledge for we know through the Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world." (Chap.2, pg 54)

A Sunday citation

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith that explained our doctrine of the Godhead being three distinct personages. Well, here is another quote from the same book that I think relates to it:

"Our scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is both the Father and the Son. The simple truth is that he is the Son of God by birth, both in the spirit and in the flesh. He is the Father because of the work that he has performed.

"The Savior becomes our Father, in the sense in which this term is used in the scriptures, because he offers us life, eternal life, through the atonement which he made for us. In the wonderful instruction given by King Benjamin we find this: 'And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.' [Mosiah 5:7; see also verses 8-11]

"So, we become the children, sons and daughters of Jesus Christ, through our covenants of obedience to him. Because of his divine authority and sacrifice on the cross, we become spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and he is our Father." (Chap. 2, pg. 52)