Basic Beliefs
Mormons believe that God is our Father in Heaven, who created us in His own image; like Him we are divine in our nature and our purpose. Mormons believe that God knows each one of us personally. Mormons believe He loves us, hears us and answers our prayers, and by learning to be more like Him, we can live with Him again. Also, Our divine parentage and potential are in perfect harmony with the laws of nature we see around us. The first and greatest commandment is this: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Matthew 22:37) which is from the Book of Mormon. As we progress and learn and thrive, we are asked to do God’s work wherever it presents itself, extending to others the gifts we’ve received from our Father in Heaven. Religion at its core promotes the existence of God: omniscient ruler, divine creator, moral source, and supreme being.
To imperfect, often shortsighted humans, the immense nature of God can be difficult to grasp. Mormons believe As our Father, God has a greater perspective and understanding than we do. In the Church Mormons believe that God knows we must attempt challenges on our own and figuratively “skin our knees” in order to learn. Mormons believe we lived with God before this life as His Spirit Children. We came to earth to gain a body and to learn and grow. Just as God perceived that Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit, He also understands that we will sin during our time on earth. Because of this He gave us the atoning sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, our Elder Brother Jesus Christ.
During our premortal life Jesus was chosen to be our Savior, to balance the scales of justice for the sins we would commit while trying to progress in our earthly state. Mormons believe to come here we passed through a veil of forgetfulness so that we could relearn the things that we needed to in this mortal life, test ourselves, develop faith in Jesus Christ and in God, and learn to rely on each other—the spiritual brothers and sisters we once knew. In this life, there are inevitably moments when we feel alone and lonely; understanding that we are part of an eternal family can help us through such times. Our shared purpose is to continue our progression toward becoming like our Father in Heaven beyond what we could in our premortal existence; the Creation of the earth brought about necessary conditions of mortality.
Mormons believe Jesus Christ used the wondrous laws of nature to create a beautiful world in which we could gain a body, exercise agency, prove ourselves, and progress. The Old Testament descriptions of the Creation are among the most moving passages in the scriptures, pointing to the care the Lord took to ensure our mortal home was a perfectly calibrated thing of beauty. The earth and the cosmos that surround it are such brilliantly conceived systems of interdependence—even as we, ourselves, are. The bodies He gave us are created in His image: mysterious, complex mortal organisms, capable of housing eternal spirit with which we can learn, choose, thrive, and connect with each other. The first two such bodies and spirits came to the earth in the form of Adam and Eve.
When we submit to Jesus Christ’s trans formative influence, we become humble and teachable, and we recognize the divine Light of Christ inside each of us.
Jesus Christ was both mortal and divine, being the Only Begotten Son of God, with a body of flesh and bone. He and His Father are one in purpose, but They are two separate beings. That light witnesses to the truthfulness of His gospel, which contains all of the covenants, principles, laws, ordinances, and doctrines we need to become more like our Heavenly Father and to return to Him. This commitment to a “new normal” way of living is demonstrated through the act of baptism by immersion, the third step in our progression. Jesus Christ leads His restored Church today, and, indeed, the Church bears His name: it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people know about Jesus Christ. But fewer claim to actually know Him as a divine being, as the Savior, as our brother. Is it enough to know who Jesus is and His role in our Heavenly Father’s plan? That knowledge is really just the beginning. So how is this spiritual and emotional relief possible? Jesus in His own words said, “Come unto me.”
Prophets receive revelation from God, preach His gospel, and lead His Church on earth, guiding God’s people toward their own unique path of salvation throughout the dispensations. Prophets are special witnesses of God; they are revelators, they teach, they perform miracles, and they lead. The first of these latter-day prophets was Joseph Smith, a man God called as a prophet in 1830 in much the same way as He chose the ancient prophets—from among the most humble and unlikely of candidates. A prophet receives revelation for the entire Church. The Bible’s 4,000 years of spiritual history was written and compiled by men, but it is the word of God and it has the power to convert, heal, and change hearts.
Scripture study is an important part of the ongoing religious education of Church members.
Translated into 17th-century English from their original texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the beautiful Bible narratives offer us spiritual guidance as well as practical solutions to issues we face today. Seeking divine guidance or help is among the most fundamental of human instincts—it is how we know we’re not alone; it is how Christ’s Church was returned to His people.
In the 16th century, faithful religious reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin brought considerable enlightenment to a world darkened by millennia of apostasy. We have a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayers. God chose Joseph Smith as a prophet much as He chose the ancient prophets—from among the most humble and unlikely of candidates. Jesus Christ’s request to His followers was simple: “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19). During His ministry on earth, it was He who personally chose and called His twelve Apostles when He organized His Church. Regardless of era, culture, or continent, God hears—and answers—the prayers of the faithful.
To imperfect, often shortsighted humans, the immense nature of God can be difficult to grasp. Mormons believe As our Father, God has a greater perspective and understanding than we do. In the Church Mormons believe that God knows we must attempt challenges on our own and figuratively “skin our knees” in order to learn. Mormons believe we lived with God before this life as His Spirit Children. We came to earth to gain a body and to learn and grow. Just as God perceived that Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit, He also understands that we will sin during our time on earth. Because of this He gave us the atoning sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, our Elder Brother Jesus Christ.
During our premortal life Jesus was chosen to be our Savior, to balance the scales of justice for the sins we would commit while trying to progress in our earthly state. Mormons believe to come here we passed through a veil of forgetfulness so that we could relearn the things that we needed to in this mortal life, test ourselves, develop faith in Jesus Christ and in God, and learn to rely on each other—the spiritual brothers and sisters we once knew. In this life, there are inevitably moments when we feel alone and lonely; understanding that we are part of an eternal family can help us through such times. Our shared purpose is to continue our progression toward becoming like our Father in Heaven beyond what we could in our premortal existence; the Creation of the earth brought about necessary conditions of mortality.
Mormons believe Jesus Christ used the wondrous laws of nature to create a beautiful world in which we could gain a body, exercise agency, prove ourselves, and progress. The Old Testament descriptions of the Creation are among the most moving passages in the scriptures, pointing to the care the Lord took to ensure our mortal home was a perfectly calibrated thing of beauty. The earth and the cosmos that surround it are such brilliantly conceived systems of interdependence—even as we, ourselves, are. The bodies He gave us are created in His image: mysterious, complex mortal organisms, capable of housing eternal spirit with which we can learn, choose, thrive, and connect with each other. The first two such bodies and spirits came to the earth in the form of Adam and Eve.
When we submit to Jesus Christ’s trans formative influence, we become humble and teachable, and we recognize the divine Light of Christ inside each of us.
Jesus Christ was both mortal and divine, being the Only Begotten Son of God, with a body of flesh and bone. He and His Father are one in purpose, but They are two separate beings. That light witnesses to the truthfulness of His gospel, which contains all of the covenants, principles, laws, ordinances, and doctrines we need to become more like our Heavenly Father and to return to Him. This commitment to a “new normal” way of living is demonstrated through the act of baptism by immersion, the third step in our progression. Jesus Christ leads His restored Church today, and, indeed, the Church bears His name: it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people know about Jesus Christ. But fewer claim to actually know Him as a divine being, as the Savior, as our brother. Is it enough to know who Jesus is and His role in our Heavenly Father’s plan? That knowledge is really just the beginning. So how is this spiritual and emotional relief possible? Jesus in His own words said, “Come unto me.”
Prophets receive revelation from God, preach His gospel, and lead His Church on earth, guiding God’s people toward their own unique path of salvation throughout the dispensations. Prophets are special witnesses of God; they are revelators, they teach, they perform miracles, and they lead. The first of these latter-day prophets was Joseph Smith, a man God called as a prophet in 1830 in much the same way as He chose the ancient prophets—from among the most humble and unlikely of candidates. A prophet receives revelation for the entire Church. The Bible’s 4,000 years of spiritual history was written and compiled by men, but it is the word of God and it has the power to convert, heal, and change hearts.
Scripture study is an important part of the ongoing religious education of Church members.
Translated into 17th-century English from their original texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the beautiful Bible narratives offer us spiritual guidance as well as practical solutions to issues we face today. Seeking divine guidance or help is among the most fundamental of human instincts—it is how we know we’re not alone; it is how Christ’s Church was returned to His people.
In the 16th century, faithful religious reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin brought considerable enlightenment to a world darkened by millennia of apostasy. We have a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayers. God chose Joseph Smith as a prophet much as He chose the ancient prophets—from among the most humble and unlikely of candidates. Jesus Christ’s request to His followers was simple: “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19). During His ministry on earth, it was He who personally chose and called His twelve Apostles when He organized His Church. Regardless of era, culture, or continent, God hears—and answers—the prayers of the faithful.