- As a Mormon, has Mitt Romney sworn an oath to follow the church's prophet? If so, wouldn't that be a potential conflict with his oath as president?
- Recently, Mike Huckabee asked in an interview if Mormons believe Satan and Jesus are brothers. Do they believe that?
- Do Mormons believe Jesus is the Son of God?
- What's the Book of Mormon?
- Do Mormons believe the Old and New Testaments are the Bible?
- What is the White Horse prophecy? Does it say a Mormon will rescue the United States and the Constitution?
- Do they believe the Garden of Eden was in Missouri?
- What do they believe about polygamy?
- Is there a history of secrecy about the beliefs of the Mormon faith?
- Do they believe Christ will return to Jackson County, Missouri, Jerusalem, or both?
- Do they believe humans can become God-like?
- Do they believe in baptism for the dead?
- Who is Joseph Smith? Is he considered a prophet?
- Is it true that at one time the Church did not allow African Americans to become priests?
- Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
- Do they believe in original sin?
- Do they wear special undergarments?
- How do Mormons feel about the separation of church and state?
As a Mormon, has Mitt Romney sworn an oath to follow the church's prophet? If so, wouldn't that be a potential conflict with his oath as president?
Latter-day Saints do not swear an oath to follow the prophet or any other mortal. Latter-day Saints who have been to a Mormon temple pledge to keep the commandments of God and do all they can to build his kingdom on earth. One of those commandments Mormons believe in is to honor and sustain the law of the land. They also believe the constitution is a divinely inspired document. So, there would be no conflict between their religion and an oath to support and defend the constitution.
Recently, Mike Huckabee asked in an interview if Mormons believe Satan and Jesus are brothers. Do they believe that?
Mormons believe Jesus Christ is God the Son, the first born of the father, and the only begotten in the flesh. Lucifer was an angel who rebelled and was cast out of heaven, becoming Satan.. The question of their being brothers makes little sense to Mormons, since there is no special relationship they have, other than in the very general sense of being, along with all of us, children who were created by the same Father in Heaven.
Do Mormons believe Jesus is the Son of God?
Yes, Mormons believe Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God who died for the sins of humankind, and rose from the dead on the third day. They affirm that he was God before he came into the world, and that salvation is offered only through his atonement. Resurrection and immortality are his unconditional gift to the entire human family.(back to top)
Mormons believe The Book of Mormon is a testament of Jesus Christ, his teachings, and his dealings with ancient inhabitants of the American continent. It covers a period from roughly six centuries before to four centuries after Christ. It also chronicles the appearance of the resurrected Christ to these ancient peoples, and the eventual demise of those who believed in him and went by the name of Nephites. Mormons believe the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and told him about the record. It was delivered to Smith in 1827; he translated it, and published it in 1830. Mormons consider it to supplement the Bible.
Do Mormons believe the Old and New Testaments are the Bible?
Yes, Mormons believe in both the Old and New Testaments. They prefer the King James Version.What is the White Horse prophecy? Does it say a Mormon will rescue the United States and the Constitution?
The White Horse prophecy is the name for a largely oral tradition that says Joseph Smith predicted that a day will come when the Constitution will hang by a thread (or “be on the brink of ruin”) and the elders of Israel (or “the Latter-day Saints,” never an individual) will step forward to save it from destruction. Although no definitive version of the “white horse prophecy” has been traced to Smith, a number of sources recorded him as saying something to that effect. The denunciation of the prophecy as false and ridiculous by a few Mormon leaders is probably a reflection of the prophecy’s non-canonical status, and their wish to rule out melodramatic interpretations of what may have been a largely metaphorical prediction.
Do they believe the Garden of Eden was in Missouri?
Joseph Smith taught that the area of Spring Hill, in Daviess County, Missouri (the northern part of the state) was Adam-ondi-Ahman, where Adam blessed his posterity three years before his death. Smith never said where the Garden of Eden was.(back to top)
What do they believe about polygamy?
Mormons believe, as the Book of Mormon teaches, that the commandment of God regarding marriage is that a man shall have one wife—unless God expressly commands otherwise. Mormons believe, for purposes and reasons they do not presume to know, that at certain times God has commanded the practice of plural marriage, the term Mormons use for polygamy. This was the case with the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph Smith, the church’s founding prophet, had multiple wives. In the early days of the LDS church, perhaps 20 to 25 percent of Latter-day Saints practiced polygamy. In 1890, Mormons believe God authorized the end of the practice. Today, some breakaway sects continue to practice polygamy, but they are not affiliated with the LDS church, and individuals who practice plural marriage are excommunicated by the Church today. (back to top)
Is there a history of secrecy about the beliefs of the Mormon faith?
In the early nineteenth century, Joseph Smith and other leaders who were beginning the practice of polygamy, which they called plural marriage, did so secretly because they feared persecution. Once the church was safely out of the reach of persecutors and, some would say, the arm of federal law, they publicly announced the doctrine. (In 1890, Mormons believe God authorized an end to the practice, and it is condemned by the church today.) Other than the particular details of temple worship, which Mormons believe are too sacred to discuss publicly, no LDS teachings today are secret or concealed from the public. Many teachings of particular past church leaders are not publicly promulgated, for the simple reason that they are not official doctrine and have, in some cases, been officially repudiated.
Do they believe Christ will return to Jackson County, Missouri, Jerusalem, or both?
Both. One emblem of bringing together of all things in Christ at his Second Coming will be his appearing to his people in Jerusalem, as well as his appearing at the “New Jerusalem” which will be built up in the “Land of Zion” in Missouri. (back to top)
Do they believe humans can become God-like?
Mormons believe that Peter’s reference to “partaking of the divine nature” and Paul’s reference to “being joint heirs with Christ” reflect the intent that humans should strive to emulate God in every way. The goal is not to equal God and Jesus, or to achieve parity with them, but to imitate and someday acquire their perfect goodness, love, and other divine attributes. The eventual culmination of this process, Mormons believe, will entail the blessing of an eternal posterity of their own. (back to top)
Do they believe in baptism for the dead?
Yes, Mormons believe that baptism is necessary for salvation and must be performed on earth. Mormons believe that members may be baptized on behalf of those who have passed on, with the understanding that if those individuals accept the gospel in the spirit world, the commandment to be baptized has been complied with. In the case they do not, the ordinance is null and void. The practice has, in their eyes, the added virtue that it makes the living mindful of their ancestors and these proxy baptisms become a form of service that the living perform for the deceased.
This has been a controversial practice in the Jewish community, where many objected to the posthumous baptism of Jews, especially Holocaust victims. In response to those objections, in 1995 the church agreed to stop posthumously baptizing Holocaust victims and Jews, unless they were direct ancestors of current church members or there was written permission from all living members of the deceased's family.
Who is Joseph Smith? Is he considered a prophet?
Mormons generally hold that Joseph was a prophet “like Moses or Isaiah or Jeremiah or other Old Testament prophets.” As the prophet of the Restoration, Mormons believe that Joseph did more than speak God’s word and reveal his will to others. Specifically, they believe Joseph Smith was the man God elected to be the vehicle for the restoration of priesthood authority and the truth of the gospel that was more fully present in the Church which Christ organized during his mortal ministry. Also unlike the Old Testament model, a prophet in the Mormon faith is an ordained office from which the person presides. Mormons, in other words, continue to look to a modern prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley) as the chief administrator and spiritual authority of the church organization, with Jesus Christ as the actual head. (back to top)
In the 1850s, Brigham Young initiated a policy of excluding Mormons of African ancestry from ordination to the priesthood. Consistent with common 19th century mythologies, Young apparently based his decision on the biblical curse of Cain and of Noah's son Ham. The policy was officially reversed in 1978, from which time the privilege of holding the priesthood has been open to all worthy males. (back to top)
Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
Mormons believe in the Trinity, insofar as they believe in God the Father, in his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. They differ from most Christians, however, in not being “Trinitarian” as defined by the historic Christian creeds. They believe the three members of the “godhead” (which term they prefer to Trinity) are separate and distinct beings. They worship one God, in the sense that they worship the Father in the name of the Son, and consider the three members of the godhead are one in purpose, unity, and power.
Mormons do not believe in original sin, in the sense that the human race bears any responsibility or guilt for the actions of Adam and Eve. In fact, Mormons believe that their transgression made possible the coming of the human race into the world, with the consequent opportunities to grow through the full range of mortal experience. It was, in that sense, a “fortunate fall,” and Eve especially a heroine rather than villain in the human story. At the same time, Mormons recognize that it is not possible to live a life free of sin.
Do they wear special undergarments?
Mormons who have been to the temple, and made solemn covenants with God, wear special garments to remind them of their sacred obligations. By wearing them as undergarments rather than outer garments, Mormons emphasize the personal nature of those covenants, hoping others will be respectful of their reticence to discuss them. (back to top)
How do Mormons feel about the separation of church and state?
Mormons believe the U.S. constitution is an inspired document, and that all citizens should be actively engaged in the political process. The church endorses no party or candidate. Like other religious institutions, the church believes it has the right and responsibility to make statements occasionally about issues it considers to be of great moral significance, whether or not they have a political dimension to them. (back to top)
