I Don't Normally Do This...

I'm not one to get on a soapbox very often or go off about my beliefs and faith unless someone is truly interested rather than being curious. And I'm definitely not one to just post it for all the world to see. One of my biggest pet peeves is listening to people ignorantly bash on the military or my religion. I understand that people have different believes and different moral codes to live by... I don't care to be honest, I'll listen to what people have to say as long as they sound somewhat intelligent and like they have put some thought behind it all. Lately (within the past few days actually) there has been quite a stir concerning my churches' beliefs and standing within in the Christian community. All thanks to this guy

Not Anderson Cooper, he's alright. Jeffress... that guy on the right

Ever since Mitt Romney stepped onto the presidential candidate back in 2006, the LDS church has gotten a lot of spotlight and a lot of criticism due to people, like Jeffress, who like to bite off more than he can chew about a subject he clearly knows nothing about (as can be seen in his interview). I'm in no way endorsing Mitt Romney (I'll pay attention later on when a candidate has been selected) nor am I trying to convert the world with one blog post. I just want to set the facts straight and do what I can to try to stand up for something that I hold dear to my heart against hacks like Jeffress.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a Latter Day Saint, I am proud to say that I am a Christian, indeed I profess to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have read and studied the Holy Bible, namely the Old and New Testaments and have come to know them as the word of God as long as it is translated correctly. I also, have read the Book of Mormon: Another testament of Jesus Christ, and have come to know it to be the word of God as well. I have not been a member of this church my whole life, in fact I'm a convert to this church and became a member a little over 9 years ago. So I actually researched the church, I have out it's teachings to the test and after many many many times, I have come to find this church consistent with it's teachings and that it truly is Christs' church, as it's name boldly professes to be. The LDS church, or more commonly referred to as, the Mormon church, is in fact a Christian church.

For those who wish to call the "Mormons" a cult, whether sociologically or theological, it really doesn't matter, need to look up the definition of a cult. If we use the Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of "cult" will come to see that all religions would fit under that category. Seems like people need to research definitions before flaying out words in hoping to make their point seem valid. What makes the LDS church so different from any other church in the world is that it is not a reformed church, rather it is a restored church. Meaning we believe that our church is structured after the model that Christ himself formed in ancient days during his ministry. We believe that Jesus Christ restored His church through Joseph Smith, a man called by God to be the first modern day prophet. It was through the power of God that Joseph Smith restored this church, translated the Book of Mormon, translated the Kings James Version of the Holy Bible, and bring to light many of the necessary ordinances we believe to be crucial to salvation. It was through Joseph Smith, that Jesus Christ began to run his church and continues to this day through our current living prophet. If any Christian who knows their Bible and know that " Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)" could agree that it would seem odd that a loving God would let there be prophets in ancient days but not in modern days, seeing what a mess the world is in now. So why not have prophets in latter days? Seems like a principle that makes sense considering what is said in the Bible.

For those who profess that Joseph Smith was a fraud, that he made up the entire Mormon religion, give this food for thought a mull over:

May I refer to a modern “last days” testimony? When Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to comfort the heart of his brother:

“Thou hast been faithful; wherefore … thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

“And now I, Moroni, bid farewell … until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ.”7

A few short verses from the 12th chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Before closing the book, Hyrum turned down the corner of the page from which he had read, marking it as part of the everlasting testimony for which these two brothers were about to die. I hold in my hand that book, the very copy from which Hyrum read, the same corner of the page turned down, still visible. Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.8 Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testators.

As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.9 Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as impostors and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

-Jeffery R. Holland "Safety for the Soul" October 2009

I think that it's safe to say that anyone who was willing to die for something wouldn't die for something that they made up for any sort of gain.

The Book of Mormon has undergone some extreme criticism which in all seriousness does not make any sense to me. Anyone, who's really wanted to know the truth of this book, just needs to read it (not under the influence of any drugs or stimulates may I throw in there). This is what separates those who are truly interested and those who are just curious or trying to find some way to prove it false. So what if somethings don't match up in the Book of Mormon? There are plenty of things in the Bible that don't make sense but you don't see the Lutheran or Protestant churches as a whole disclaiming the validity of that sacred text. In John we read that "other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them must I also bring and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:16)." Wouldn't it also make sense that these other folds also have their own set of scriptures? It would be unfair and unjust for a loving God to only talk to one set of people and yet not others, thus condemning them since they would not have a written copy of what was spoken to them by God himself. Any of those who really want to know if the Book of Mormon is real, read it and follow the challenge found at the end of the book.

As a side note, not totally related to the church at all, all of those who are against the church, please stop relating Warren Jeffs and all of those involved with the polygamist sect to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He and his followers are members of the Reformed Latter Day Saints, a broken off sect of the church. The RLDS and FLDS are NOT members of the LDS church.

To wrap this post up, I just want to end on this note. If you wanted to know what a Buddist believed, you wouldn't ask a Catholic, would you? If you wanted to know what a Muslim believed, you wouldn't ask a Hindu, would you? If you wanted to know what a "Mormon" believed, you would ask a good standing member of the church, wouldn't you? Ask someone who really follows and believes what the church teaches, not a "Jack Mormon" or a member who has been excommunicated. In sum, go to the source for the truth, instead of relying on the biased opinion of an ignorant Baptist pastor in Texas who has a bone to pick with my church.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission for their sins (2nd Nephi 25:24)." If this isn't a Christian statement... then I have no idea what would be considered on!

Again, my intention of this post was not to convert the world nor delve into deep doctrinal discussions about the church. It was just to clear up some misconceptions the the media has seemed to focus on about the church I belong to. If any reader has any further questions about the Latter Day Saint church, just visit mormon.org to read about our beliefs further and you can even talk to representatives to clear up any questions.

I am a daughter of two loving parents, sister to an outgoing brother, friend to many in all different walks of life, an aspiring culinarian, a dog lover, and a mentee to an amazing mentor. My name is Marlee Martin and I... am a Mormon.