Come and See

You may wonder why members of the Mormon faith get so excited about sharing their beliefs with others. After all, there are currently more than 88,000 members of the church who are serving as full-time missionaries all across the Globe. So what exactly is a missionary? "A missionary is a follower of Christ who testifies of Him as the Redeemer and proclaims the truths of His gospel." (Elder David A. Bednar).

My 19 year old daughter is one of those 88,000.  Of her own free will and choice, she made the decision to leave the comforts of home for 18 months to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She is serving her mission on the other side of the country and I have not seen my daughter in over 9 months now.  I miss her terribly, but at the same time I wouldn't want her anywhere else.  It has been a wonderful opportunity for her to spend this time devoted to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.  She has literally changed peoples' lives! She has brought meaning to their lives and helped them understand their worth as Children of God.  And in the process, she has changed her own life for good as well. Through her weekly emails I have seen the growth that has taken place in her life. She has learned life skills that she probably wouldn't have learned had she chosen to not go on a mission.  But more importantly, her own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and her relationship with Him has been strengthened beyond measure as she has shared it with others. That is absolutely priceless.

So why did she have such a strong desire to share the gospel with others? I was reading a message from Elder Bednar, one of the 12 Apostles in the church.  He asks and answers the question, "Why are Latter-day Saints so eager to tell me about what they believe and to invite me to learn about their church?"  He says...

"When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product.  As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest.  We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do.  We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true."

He continues, "Some of you may respond, 'But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings.' or 'I am not sure if God really exists.'  Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience.  Bring all that you know is true, good, praiseworthy-and test our message.  Just as Jesus Beckoned two of His disciples to 'come and see' (John 1:39), so we urge you to come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already believe to be true." (Elder Bednar-"Come and See")

I too invite you to "come and see".  This gospel has brought an immeasurable amount of peace and happiness into my life and the life of my family.  This peace and happiness is available to all who sincerely "come and see".  Jesus Christ stands at the door and knocks.  But it is we who have to open the door and let Him in.

Sharing is Natural

Sharing is natural. #ShareGoodness

Posted by LDS Youth on Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World

The other day, my husband was talking to a friend about religion.  In regards to Jesus Christ, this friend stated that his impression was that Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was a Prophet but not the Savior of the world.  It made me realize once again that many people misunderstand our beliefs about Jesus Christ. If this really were our belief, then we would not be a Christian church. My husband clarified that we DO believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  As I have clarified before, Mormons ARE Christian. We believe in the Bible just as other Christian churches do and believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that He suffered and atoned for our sins.  We believe that it is through Jesus Christ our Savior that each of us can obtain Salvation.  To learn more about our beliefs in Jesus Christ visit,

http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/?cid=wpats1

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Do you seek Jesus Christ? Wise men still do. I testify that seeking Jesus Christ will bring peace and happiness to your life and to those you love.

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Are Mormons Christian?

Watch this 2 minute video and judge for yourself. 

Last week, the popular Evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress made the comment in an interview that Mitt Romney, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was a “non-Christian” in a “cult”. The LDS Church made a simple statement in response to his comment.

“We really don’t want to comment on a statement made at a political event, but those who want to understand the centrality of Christ to our faith can learn more about us and what we believe by going to mormon.org.”

It’s as simple as that. If you want to know what Mormons believe, go to the source. Don’t rely on an Evangelical pastor or any other person who is not a devout member of the LDS faith to tell you who Mormons are and what we believe. Evangelicals are no experts on the Mormon faith. Would I turn to a Mormon to find out what the Baptists believe? No. I would go to a devout member of the Baptist faith to find out what the Baptists believe. If you truly care about getting to the truth, go to the proper source.

So then, what about this accusation that Mormons aren’t Christian? As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I am here to tell you that absolutely YES! We ARE Christians. We believe in the Bible and believe in the Jesus of the New Testament who was born of the virgin Mary. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world who suffered and atoned for our sins, died for us on the cross and was resurrected 3 days later.   Christ is the cornerstone of our religion.  How could we not be Christians when “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we prophesy of Christ…” (2 Nephi 25:26)

I have watched several interviews where Jeffress expounded on the comments that he made about Mormonism being a cult and a non Christian religion. It bothers me that he uses the word “cult” because naturally the word “cult” has a negative connotation associated with it. He did at least clarify that he was not referring to a “sociological cult” (ex: David Koresh and his followers) but rather a “theological cult”. Basically what it boils down to is that there are theological differences between our religion and his.  Ya, so what?? Aren't there theological differences between all religions? Is this reason to label Mormons a cult and a non-Christian religion? I find it interesting that Jeffress (and others as well) see fit to create their own definition of what a Christian is. I don’t quite understand his philosphy that Christians are “only those who believe as I do”.

I do have to say that it is true that we are not “Creedal Christians”. Mormons do not embrace the creeds which were formulated by men centuries after the books in the bible had been written. The lds newsroom blog explains it perfectly. “When Mormons say they are Christian, they are not suggesting that their beliefs line up perfectly with evangelicals or Catholics or other Christians. Using the term "Christian" is not an attempt to gain acceptance into the mainstream -- something that has little appeal or relevance to Latter-day Saints. Mormons are not interested in parsing semantics or embracing the Nicene Creed or any other post-New Testament creed in order to be accepted by the world of Christian orthodoxy…What Mormons mean when they say they are Christian is that they follow Jesus Christ. Their religion teaches them not only that they should embrace the teachings of Jesus but also that they should try to model their lives on the pattern He set. All Christians can acknowledge that the Lord offered two commandments as primary -- to love God and to love our neighbors. Doing so makes us followers of Christ, theological interpretations of doctrines notwithstanding.”

I've never understood how pastors of other religions can preach Christianity but then turn around and bash other churches. It seems a bit hypocritical to me. I truly wish that people of all Christian religions would focus on the common ground that we all share (Mormons share more common ground with other Christian religions than most people realize), and then be Christian enough to respect the differences amongst us. As fellow followers of Jesus Christ, let us work together to lift people up and do good in the world.

Christian-“one who believes or professes…to believe in Jesus Christ and the truth taught by him…one whose life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ”

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am a Christian.

For more information about our beliefs in Jesus Christ visit
http://mormon.org/faq/belief-in-jesus-christ/

Easter Video

A short video to remind us of the sacrifice the Savior made for each one of us.  I am truly grateful for the love that Jesus Christ has for me and you.  I know that my Savior lives!

The Christmas Spirit

We often hear the phrase, "The Spirit of Christmas" or "The Christmas Spirit".  What is the Spirit of Christmas?? I often hear others say things like, "I love the spirit of Christmas!" or "I'm feeling the Christmas spirit!" or sometimes even "I just can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit".  I myself have said all of these things. 

So how do we go about feeling this Christmas spirit that everyone seems to always talk about? I love the Christmas season.  I love the decorations, the yummy food, the Christmas music, the parties, the buying of gifts, the visits to Santa etc.  All of these things can help me "get into the Christmas spirit".  But many times I find myself surrounded by these fun things yet still struggle to feel the Christmas spirit in my heart.  Why is that? Although these are all good things, I have learned that in order for me to really and truly feel the Christmas spirit, I have to remember the reason for the season.  I have personally found that the answer to feeling the Chrismas spirit is to simply focus on my Savior Jesus Christ.  I know it's a simple answer, but nonetheless it is the answer.

So how do we do this? It is through our thoughts and actions.  I feel the Christmas spirit when I take the time to sit with my family and read about the birth and life of Jesus Christ in the Bible, or when after the kids go to bed I turn off all the lights and sit in front of the Christmas tree pondering upon the many blessings that I have, or when I sing Christmas hymns or read inspirational Christmas stories with my family.  I feel the Christmas spirit when I stop focusing on myself and my problems and look outward.  It is when I take the time to help those around me and serve those in need that I feel the Christmas spirit.  I'm definitely not perfect at doing all these things. In fact, every year I struggle with getting into the Christmas spirit.  And every year, I have to come to the realization that I need to switch my focus and turn my thoughts to the reason for the season.  It is when I do this that my heart becomes more open to the Christmas spirit. 

And what's great about this is...the spirit of Christmas doesn't have to be felt only at Christmas time.  If we choose, it can be felt all year round.  After all, what is the Spirit of Christmas?? It is the Spirit of Christ.  The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ. 

What do you do that helps you feel the Christmas spirit?? I would love to hear your thoughts.




"By focusing on your loved ones, enjoying or building holiday traditions, and following the Savior's example of service, you can give yourself and your family true, lasting Christmas gifts.

Simplify your Christmas by embracing the spiritual side of the season.


The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow Him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines and more time serving others. You may spend less money on - and more time with - the people you love. You may lose yourself and you may find everything else that matters."