I live in a picturesque town in the mountains of Idaho. It’s easy to see the goodness of God in the beauty of nature. It can be more difficult to see His kindness in our lives—especially when the storms of adversities come. The Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalms 14:1). It is a foolish man, indeed, who doubts the power of God and refuses His help in a time of need. The knowledge I have of God, His nature and His plan are essential when the storms of life are raging.

The Nature of God is Love

 When the storms of life, rage, it’s easy to ask, “Where is God? How could He let this happen?” God, by His very nature, will never abandon us. Elder Henry B. Eyring, the first counselor in the First Presidency—with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ—answers this question:

That aching for an answer to “How could this happen?” becomes even more painful when those struggling include those we love. And it is especially hard for us to accept when those afflicted seem to us to be blameless. Then the distress can shake faith in the reality of a loving and all-powerful God. …

My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. [1]  

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the First Presidency and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, explains the depth of Their love:

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.… Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. …He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. [2]  

When adversity seems to pile up around us—and around those we love—it is comforting to know that God is our Father in Heaven, and He loves us. He will always be there for us. In times of distress, we can turn to Him in prayer. We find answers to those prayers as we study the scriptures and serve others, becoming in tune with His Spirit.

Heavenly Father Has a Plan for Us

The other comforting thought in times of trial is that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. As the Father of our spirits, God did not send us to earth by accident. Heavenly Father created a plan that is large enough in scope for the entire human family and yet personally designed for each individual. Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

From the limited perspective of those who do not have knowledge, understanding, or faith in the Father’s plan—who look at the world only through the lens of mortality with its wars, violence, disease, and evil—this life can seem depressing, chaotic, unfair, and meaningless. Church leaders have compared this perspective with someone walking into the middle of a three-act play. Those without knowledge of the Father’s plan do not understand what happened in the first act, or the premortal existence, and the purposes established there; nor do they understand the clarification and resolution that come in the third act, which is the glorious fulfillment of the Father’s plan. [3]  

In the first act, we lived in a pre-mortal realm as spirit children of our Father. He outlined His plan for us, explaining His part and our part. In the second act, He would send us to earth to gain mortal bodies—with all of the joys and sorrows and everything in between—as a test to see if we would obey His commandments in all things, no matter what. He knew we would commit sin, and no unclean thing can dwell in His presence (1 Nephi 10:21 in the Book of Mormon: Another testament of Jesus Christ and a companion scripture to the Bible). So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to set the example for us to follow and to perform the Atonement, whereby we can be forgiven of our sins after we repent. The third act is the resolution of all things. If we have passed the test of mortality and proven ourselves faithful to God in all things, we can live with Him again.

But included in our Heavenly Father’s plan for us were trials and tribulations to test us, purify us and teach us the things that God wants us to learn. Elder Cook said:

There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences. Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God. [3]

In the midst of trials and hard times, it is helpful to understand that there is purpose in all things. Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, custom tailored to our personality and needs. That plan includes heartache and suffering as well as joy and gladness.

Several years ago, I hiked to a beautiful spot called Goose Creek Falls with the teenage girls in our ward (or congregation). As I was sitting there, looking at the beautiful scenery, I saw a large tree growing out of the rock at the side of the cliff. Not growing through a couple of boulders, but out of the bedrock. I was amazed at the resilience of the tree, and it brought to my mind some lines from a poem called “Good Timber,” by Douglas Malloch:

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out on the open plain

And always got its share of rain

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing. [4]

The beauty of the tree was not just in its leaves and certainly not in its gnarled trunk, but in its sheer determination to fight through the bedrock of the cliff and grow into a forest king. That is the purpose of trials in our lives. They are refining fires that build our character and solidify our faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, if we allow them to do so.

What Mormons know about God is this: He is real, He loves us and He has a plan for us. When we are in the midst of sore trials, and we can see Satan’s hand upon us, we just need to look up. Up to our Father in Heaven. He will always be there, and He will never leave us comfortless. He loves us with a perfect, pure love. His plan for us is perfect and pure. As we have faith in that knowledge, we can withstand the storms of life.

Cub Scouts—A Time for Preparation

In The Church of Jesus Christ, boys enter the Scouting program as Cubs at 8—the age at which they become accountable to God for their actions and are baptized. Cub Scouts is a time of preparation, a time to prepare to enter the Boy Scouts and to receive the priesthood (if they are worthy), both of which will happen when boys turn 12. Cub Scouts memorize the Scout Oath and Scout Law. They also learn why and how to follow the guidelines. In The Church of Jesus Christ, “Primary” is the program for children ages 3 to 11. Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President, said:

Primary is a time for preparation — and the time of preparation is as critical as the time of performance. [1]

Thus, preparation for receiving the priesthood begins in Cub Scouts, where the boys are taught a higher code of ethical and moral conduct. Each boy learns the Scout Oath, which is:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight. [2]

The Scout Law outlines the desired characteristics of participants: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. [2] Each trait is vital for one to honor the oath and covenant he will make when he receives the priesthood of God. But the preparation does not end with teaching values. In a world of ever-increasing permissiveness, Sister Wixom said even Cub Scouts need the frank discussions once reserved for older boys. She said the average age a boy is first exposed to pornography is 9. [1] The Cub Scout program helps to warn both parents and children of the potential dangers. I still remember my surprise when I opened my then-8-year-old son’s Cub Scout book and discovered that we had to discuss sexual predators and Internet pornography. But I realized that safety comes in knowledge; danger lurks in ignorance. From the beginning of the program, boys are taught how to make correct decisions and avoid potential pitfalls. As they advance through the Cub Scout program, they are well-prepared for the greater responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead. The values taught in Scouting reinforce those taught in the home and at Church.

Boy Scouts—Leadership in Action

The Cub Scout program in The Church of Jesus Christ teaches boys the leadership skills necessary to progress not only in Scouts, but also in the priesthood. But the training doesn’t end in Cub Scouts. Boys Scouts is leadership in action—especially for the young men of The Church of Jesus Christ who are holders of the Aaronic—or preparatory—priesthood. From the time young men enter the Boy Scouts, they have six short years to prepare for full-time missionary service and the responsibilities of the higher, or Melchizedek, priesthood. Speaking of Scouting and the Young Men program in the Church, Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (with the First Presidency, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ), said:

Some of the great blessings of these programs that have been developed are that as the youth of the Church, you will have a clear understanding of who you are, you will be accountable for your actions, you will take responsibility for the conduct of your life, and you will be able to set goals so that you might achieve what you were sent to earth to achieve. Our plea is that you strive to do your very best. [3]

hat is the first line of the Scout oath: Do your best. And as you do your best, the Lord will help you. Elder Hales continued:

During the preparatory period of your lives it is so important that you cultivate spiritual growth, physical growth, education, personal development, career preparation, citizenship, and social skills. These qualities are all part of your priesthood duties and will help in the decisions that lie ahead for the next decades of your life.  [3]

All of these are part of the Scouting program.

Duty to God—The Tie That Binds Mormons and Scouts

The strong ethical and moral values taught in the Boy Scout program are an excellent companion to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ has been loyal to the Scouting program because Scout leaders have stayed true to their ethical and moral roots. Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

Boy Scouts of today face issues not faced by generations before them:  declining morals, technology, addictive behavior and declining academic performance to name a few. I believe that the key to solving these issues lies in family and duty to God. If boys truly understood what their duty to God entails and lived it, they would grow safely into manhood.

…It is this common belief in duty to God that has forged the iron-strong connection with Boy Scouts of America we (i.e. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have shared over the last 100 years. One hundred years of evidence has shown that this impact-proof, non-rusting core principle works better than whatever has been, historically, the next-best idea. Duty to God is where the power lies. Duty to God is what changes lives. [4]

Teaching young men their Duty to God is the focus of the Boy Scouts of America. And that is the focus of The Church of Jesus Christ. Neither organization has an agenda, concerning youth, other than teaching the next generation how to be the best they can be. Both organizations’ strong commitment to their core values—which have stood for a hundred years—allows them to work together on their common goal.

Hell Is Part of the Plan of Salvation

The Plan of Salvation is God’s divine plan to enable the happiness of His children. It began in what Mormons call the premortal existence, the time before we were born to earth in our physical bodies. The key components to the Plan of Salvation are first, our own ability to choose right or wrong (called “agency”), and two, the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

Throughout our mortal lives we are expected to make moral choices and to make those choices in line with what we understand of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we don’t know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is, or if we never hear it in this life, our actions here will be judged according to what to know and we will all have the opportunity to learn the gospel at some point, even if it’s in the afterlife.

What Happens after We Die

According to the Plan of Salvation, after we die our spirits will enter either spirit paradise or spirit prison. Spirit paradise will be a place of peace and rest, including rest from temptation. Spirit prison, however, is a place where spirits will be able to feel the full weight of their sins and will be able to be tempted. Spirit prison is a place for those who either haven’t learned or accepted the gospel of Christ. This is also a place of learning. Spirit prison is the place where spirits will be taught the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they will have the choice to accept it or not. If they choose to reject it –because spirits here can still be tempted by Satan—then they will have to suffer for their own sins (because they rejected Jesus Christ, who could have saved them from the full pain of their own sins). Mormons refer to this state as hell.

For those who reject the Savior’s redemptive power, hell will be a very painful place. Once they have paid for their sins, however, they will be free to enter the lowest kingdom of heaven, because they will be clean.  In this definition, hell is surely a painful and agonizing place, but also a temporary one.  Note that hell is often described as “endless torment.”  The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of modern revelations, explains this:

Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand. Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless  torment.

Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory.   Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles.

I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest.   For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—

Eternal punishment is God’s punishment.   Endless punishment is God’s punishment (Doctrine and Covenants 19:5 – 12).

We should note that Jesus Christ is still the one who makes their redemption possible, but that through their own choices, the spirits in this state do not choose to change.

Outer Darkness

There is one more component to the Plan of Salvation. After spirit paradise or prison, our spirits will be reunited with our bodies in the resurrection, which will happen after Christ’s Second Coming to the earth. After the resurrection comes judgment day, and after judgment we will enter heaven. (And remember, those who reject Jesus Christ will still be able to enter the lowest tier of heaven after they have paid for their sins. However, their resurrection will be delayed until after the millennial reign of Christ.)

Mormon doctrine teaches of a place called outer darkness. It is the place that is a state of eternal hell. This is the place for those who have had a sure witness and perfect understanding of Jesus Christ and who have chosen to reject it. A sure witness is more than belief or strong faith; it necessitates an actual visit from the Lord, so that the person has sure knowledge that transcends faith.  Those who fall to this fate, by their own choices, are not redeemed by the power of the atonement. In the Doctrine and Covenants  we read that these spirits will have “no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame” (76:34–35). This is a place of everlasting hell, but it is also one most of God’s children will escape. Most of us will end up in some kingdom of heaven.  This is why the prophet Nephi of the Book of Mormon said that “Salvation is free” (2 Nephi 2:4).

God Is Merciful

Remember that God is merciful, that He wants us to be happy and clean. He does everything in His power to save and purify our souls. He blessed us with the ability to make choices, and He has not only given us the tools and knowledge that we need to make good choices, but He also gave us the atonement of Jesus Christ so that we may repent from the bad choices we make.

We need not fear hell if our hearts are intent and humble. Whether we have a testimony of Jesus Christ at this moment or we don’t, we can rest assured that if our intent and seeking is sincere that we will be led to truth. We will not be held accountable for what we do not know, and once we do know truth, we will find strength and empowerment through Jesus Christ to do that which is right. Yes, hell is real, but so is Jesus Christ and His saving power. With the Lord Jesus Christ as our champion, we need not fear death or sin, but can rather rejoice in His freely-offered redemption.

The scriptures teach us that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:17). In other words, pure religion is charity. Religion isn’t just a belief in a higher, divine power but also the expression of that belief. Spirituality, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, is “spiritual character, quality, or nature” and “religious devotion.” Romans 8:6 says, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Our spiritual character is a function of how we practice our religion, or our belief in God.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church, I have been taught the value of serving others. Pure religion isn’t a belief, it is action based on belief. In an April 1998 address titled “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart,” President James E. Faust, then second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ, quoted a story from a newspaper that illustrates this:

A group of religion instructors [were] taking a summer course on the life of the Savior and focusing particularly on the parables. When the final exam time came, … the students arrived at the classroom to find a note that the exam would be given in another building across campus. Moreover, the note said, it must be finished within the two-hour time period that was starting almost at that moment. The students hurried across campus. On the way they passed a little girl crying over a flat tire on her new bike. An old man hobbled painfully toward the library with a cane in one hand, spilling books from a stack he was trying to manage with the other. On a bench by the union building sat a shabbily dressed, bearded man [in obvious distress].

“Rushing into the other classroom, the students were met by the professor, who announced they had all flunked the final exam. The only true test of whether they understood the Savior’s life and teaching, he said, was how they treated people in need. Their weeks of study at the feet of a capable professor had taught them a great deal of what Christ had said and done” (“Viewpoint: Too Hurried to Serve?” [LDS] Church News, 1 Oct. 1988, 16).

President Faust continued:

In their haste to finish the technicalities of the course, … they failed to recognize the application represented by the three scenes that had been deliberately staged. They learned the letter but not the spirit [of the law]. Their neglect of the little girl and the two men showed that the profound message of the course had not entered into their inward parts.”

I can relate to the religion students who were so focused on finishing their test on time that they missed—or figured someone else would help— those in need around them. It probably would not have taken that long to stop and help either the little girl or the men. How often do I get so caught up in what I’m doing that I miss opportunities for little acts of service all around me?

Service makes us spiritual

Several years ago, I was in a store parking lot and a man came up to my car and asked for money, saying he had run out of gas. My first thought was, “Yeah, right.” So I told him no. But immediately the thought came to me that I should help him. I tried to go back and help him, but he was long gone. I have always felt bad about that. I had some cash in my wallet, but I didn’t listen to the prompting from the Holy Spirit to help. I did not practice pure religion, and spiritually I suffered, because I knew I should have helped.

A few weeks ago, I drove to the gas station about 11 at night. As I was filling up, a woman approached me and asked where a certain hotel was. I live in a small town, but there are several hotels, and I wasn’t sure where this particular hotel was. So I looked it up and told her the address. I asked if she wanted a ride because it was cold outside and she wasn’t wearing a coat. She declined. I finished pumping my gas and then left. As I drove down the street, I saw her walking, and she looked cold. I called my husband and asked where the hotel was. He told me, and it was a lot further than I thought. So I turned around and stopped and asked the woman again if she wanted a ride. I told her the hotel was further down the road than I had thought, and I was headed that direction. This time, she accepted the invitation. We chatted during the few-minute drive, and then I dropped her off at the hotel. I don’t know why she was out alone so late at night with no coat, but I felt good knowing that this time, I didn’t ignore the prompting to help. That is the essence of pure religion—helping people when they need it, not when it’s convenient for us.

President Faust said:

“We must at times search our own souls and discover what we really are. Our real character, much as we would wish, cannot be hidden. It shines from within us transparently. Attempts to deceive others only deceive ourselves. We are often like the emperor in the fairy tale who thought he was arrayed in beautiful garments when he was in fact unclothed.”

I love the title of President Faust’s address: Search me, O God, and know my heart. For those who are true followers of Christ, who want to practice pure religion with the right spirit, that is the litmus test. Honest, true seekers of Jesus Christ will want the sweet assurance that God has seen their hearts and knows their intents are sincere.

Heaven Is Part of the Plan of Salvation

Mormons see heaven as part of a great and eternal plan for our own happiness. Heaven is the goal for our lives and choices. Heaven is where we can live with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ again. It is a place where our souls are perfected and where our families dwell with us. Mormons believe it to be an unimaginably beautiful and glorious place.

To understand heaven the way Mormons do, we must understand the Plan of Salvation. God’s plan for our happiness began before we came to earth. In our pre-mortal existence we lived with God as His spirit children, and we fought Satan for our right to make choices on earth. We came to earth to gain a body, live with a family, and make ourselves more like our Savior. Our choices here matter greatly, and even though we make mistakes, the grace of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to repent, change, and start over. Our mortal life is all about choosing, repenting, changing, and choosing again. The more knowledge of gospel truth we have in this life, the greater our responsibility is to act accordingly.

Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison

Once we die and our spirits separate from our bodies, we go to one of two places (and no, they’re not heaven or a dead-end in hell!): If we had a knowledge of the true gospel and lived to it the best we could, we go to what Mormons call spirit paradise. If we either didn’t know about the truth or did but didn’t live what we know, we go to what Mormons call spirit prison. Spirit prison is not as scary as it sounds. It’s merely a place to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. Spirit prison is for learning and spirit paradise is for teaching. Spirit prison may be a hard place to be for some, especially for those who have heard and rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. This place has been referred to as hell in Mormon scripture. Once these spirits, however, have suffered for their sins, they will be released and allowed into a tier of heaven. Spirit paradise is a peaceful place, where we can rest from our cares and be assured of the reality of Jesus Christ.  There, we can also enjoy the company of loved ones who have already passed from mortality.

The Resurrection and Judgment

Eventually Jesus Christ will come again to the earth, and He will come in all of His glory. This will be an exciting time for His righteous children. Christ’s Second Coming means that we will all be resurrected, or reunited with our perfected and immortal bodies. After the resurrection, we will be judged by God the Father with Christ as our mediator. This judgment will be a merciful and honest one. After the judgment day we will be accepted into a tier of heaven.

The Three Kingdoms of Heaven

What we can traditionally call heaven is a collection of three different kingdoms, or tiers. The highest kingdom is called the celestial kingdom. This is the place for the righteous, for those who accepted Christ’s atonement and allowed it to change and perfect them. Here we can be with our families forever and all dwell with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ eternally.

The second kingdom is called the terrestrial kingdom. This is the place for those who were good people and made good choices, but who didn’t accept the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. The third kingdom, the telestial kingdom, is for those who didn’t accept any part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and who deny the witness of the Holy Ghost. Despite these differences within the tiers of heaven, all kingdoms will be more glorious than we can imagine. We should also note that depending on the state of our character, on who we have ultimately become, we will go wherever we are most comfortable. Those who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ would never feel at ease living in His constant presence, like those in the celestial kingdom would. Remember that God is merciful and He does that only which is best for us.

You Can Prepare Now for Heaven

The beautiful truth of the doctrine of heaven is that where we end up eternally is based on a glorious combination of our choices and Christ’s grace. Jesus Christ will make up for our shortcomings if we allow it. Our destiny is in our hands. Even the highest degree of heaven is possible to attain  through Jesus Christ. To learn more about the heaven and the Plan of Salvation go here and here.  To read the account of a vision of the kingdoms of heaven, go here.

Brigham Young University (BYU) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know.  In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us.  We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.

Letter to my wife about giving up our will

I want to share an idea from my New Testament class this week. We were reading in Philippians 2 and noticed the importance of our will, especially in verses 12 through 17 or so. I have always found it interesting to notice that all we have that we can truly give to God, that He hasn’t directly given us, is our will. I have always felt humble about this idea and have loved attempting to accomplish it. Basically, the only way to do this is to place our will on the altar of God. Then, once our will has been given up, we can receive God’s will in our heart. I think this is the essence of the Atonement and our best way to become like Christ.

My professor told a story that really magnified this idea that I would like to share with you. It started with him telling us about a little old widow convert from his mission in Brazil. He said she lived down by the river on property that you don’t have to purchase, because no one is interested in a property that would flood a couple times every year. This woman’s house was tin-roofed and the slats that made up the walls left small gaps. In about a 10×8 foot house she had only a small bed, a stump for a chair, and a small table made of two sawhorses and three 2×6 pieces of wood.

After the bishop of the ward had been to her house, he felt badly for her and wanted to help her. He decided to start with one piece of furniture at a time. Over the pulpit during the next sacrament meeting, the bishop announced that a family that was in need of a small table and if anyone could spare one to come to his office after church. After church, he had a light knock on his door. It was the old woman. She said, “Bishop, I want to talk to you about your announcement today.” The bishop was afraid that she was offended. Instead, she told him that she thought all families should have a table to eat at and she had a very small basic table, but that she would give it to them until they could find a nicer one. The bishop then smiled and told her it was supposed to be for her. She was polite, but told him thanks anyways. She said he should spend his time helping those who really needed it.

I love this story, and think it very much explains the way we should give up our will. I hope I can do this and hope it brightens your day also.
Love you forever,

Ian

And with the protruding belly, the backaches and the lack of balance, I’ve also recently remembered that part of being pregnant with my fifth child means that I get asked, “Are you done yet?” and “Do you really think you can handle another one?”  And I feel the unspoken question is passed through a glance, “Why don’t you use birth control?”

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church), we Mormons are often known for having large families.  What many people don’t know is that we have these large families mindfully.  Every single one of my children was intentional. We believe that before we came to earth we lived with God, as his children, and that we awaited the opportunity to receive a body and progress to become more like Him.

Because we have a belief in a life before birth, members of the Church of Jesus Christ have a unique desire to invite those spirits, who have yet to be born, into our homes as our children.   We believe that this offers them the greatest opportunity for their continued growth in a household of faith.  We also feel a personal responsibility to fulfill God’s commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth.”

Sometimes I am asked by close friends who practice other religions why we don’t use birth control and I jokingly answer, “We do!  Imagine what my family would look like if we didn’t!”  In all seriousness, in such private matters the husband and wife use the guidance of the Holy Ghost to direct them in the number and spacing of their children.  Birth control is not expressly endorsed or forbidden except in one instance—abortion.

From True to the Faith, a manual for those seeking Mormonism’s basic tenets:

“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must not submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion…Some exceptional circumstances may justify an abortion, such as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.  But even these circumstances do not automatically justify an abortion.”

We believe that the giving and taking of life are two powers that should not be handled lightly.  Failure to be cautious in the giving of life does not justify the taking of that life, or the promise of that life, after the fact.

Although procreation is undoubtedly an essential part of God’s plan for our happiness here on earth, sexuality between a husband and wife is not meant solely to create life.  It’s meant to be a unifying experience for married couples.   Modern scripture elaborates on the Adam and Eve story.  In it, God expressly commands, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh“ (Moses 3:24).

The sacred powers of sexuality and creation are revered and honored in LDS culture and as such, are guarded by our strict adherence to modesty— including the wearing of the temple garment under our clothing— and our commitment to being sexually abstinent before marriage and completely loyal to our spouse after it.

In many religions, there is an altar, a sacred place where hearts are given to God in complete offering.  For us, altars are found in churches where the sacrament is broken and blessed and in temples where we kneel across from each other and are married. It is here that promises are made and God extends His grace to His children.  Kneeling before an altar shows complete submission to the will of God and His timing.

In our home, we have another special place—our bed.  We kneel before it and offer our hearts to God and accept His will for our family.  We promise to care for each of the children He sees fit to give us—His children, not ours really.  And we share a sacrament as husband and wife that unites us in passion and joy and selflessness.

We may be done having children, we’ll see.  We always try to take them one at a time.   But whatever the future holds, I know we can handle what God has given us through His grace.  Bound together in spiritual, emotional, mental and physical unity, my husband and I pledge our hearts to each other, to God and His children.

This article was written by Miranda Lotz, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Miranda H. Lotz is a military wife, mother and avid reader.  She loves composing music and currently resides in Colorado Springs.

Strengthening Families

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Doctrine of Christ
A Blog post

This week I wanted to discuss the Doctrine of Christ. It is something very near and dear to my heart, and I know that it will bring peace to your life as it has brought peace to mine! There are 5 steps in the Doctrine of Christ and those are: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

People may find themselves at varying stages in this process, but the first step that always must be taken is faith! Whether the step be great or small, any act of faith is immediately blessed by our loving Heavenly Father. Such an example is Nephi, son of Nephi, where he does amazing works by his faith, “And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily. And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.” The people could not disbelieve him! What amazing faith!

However, our faith can also be only a desire. As Alma states in Alma 32, we must exercise our desire until it becomes faith growing brighter and brighter until that perfect day. The second step is repentance, and having touched on God’s mercy, I will say only read Mosiah 27 to learn more about the reward of repentance. Third is baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. This is the first sacred covenant that we make with our loving Heavenly Father, and as we do this, we promise him to take upon us the name of Christ (See Doctrine and Covenants 20:37). By doing this we promise to obey God’s commandments, but this is not all. It also allows us to be redeemed of our sins. Not only through just the baptism, but also receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost does essentially 5 things for us, and I learned what they were through this play on letters: Double T WDC! Which stands for: T-teach T-testify W-warn D-direct C-comfort. Last but not least, enduring to the end! For us the trials are never over, and neither are the temptations. So we can never give up! We must constantly, vigorously, and tenaciously pursue the Gospel and constantly exercise faith, repent of our mistakes, renew our covenants we made with God, and most certainly keep the companionship of the Holy Ghost!

Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know.  In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us.  We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.

We Can Do It!
A Personal thought

Life is hard; there is no doubt about that. We so often wonder why it is that life can be so difficult. We may be doing the right things but the trials and tribulations still come. How can we possibly have a good attitude about suffering, what good can such hard times bring? Paul tells us exactly why we should appreciate these trials we are given, “…but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Our trials will give us hope that can help us make it through this life. There is nothing worse than feeling helpless during a trial and not knowing if you can make it through. But once you have made it, oh the joy you feel knowing that you just made it through a rough spot and you CAN do it again! If life were all candy canes and gumdrops, we would never need to learn hope because everything would be good. If a hard time came, we would have nothing to hold to, nothing to convince us we can make it through. That is what trials can do: give us the experiences we need to know that we can and will survive! It may not seem possible at the time to appreciate the experience we are gaining but in the end, we will look back and see how we have grown, what we have learned and the hope we have gained. Trials are not easy; they will never be easy. But if we can keep the perspective that at the end of our tribulations we will have gained more experience, they will be so much easier to bear. So push through and remember the true words, “We can do it!”

Letter to a very close friend

This week in my New Testament class we were discussing the story of Peter getting out of prison. While in prison, all the people were praying to Heavenly Father that Peter would be able to get out. While they were praying, a young child saw Peter (which meant he was out of prison) and tried to tell the praying adults that he was looking right at Peter. The adults just pushed the child away, angry that he was disturbing their prayers. They did not listen to a word he said, even though he was telling them their prayers had been answered. There are two big lessons that we can learn from this story. First, sometimes we need to give little children the chance to teach us. They tend to know more than what we give them credit for. We have been commanded to become as little children. Little children are very receptive to the Spirit and are able to have very powerful spiritual experiences due to their innocence. We need to give them a chance to share those experiences and make sure we listen to them. The second lesson we can learn from this story is that we need to pray with faith. These people were just praying because they knew that they were supposed to pray. They weren’t believing that their prayers would be answered. When we pray, we need to make sure that we have faith that our prayer will be answered. This will make our prayers more meaningful and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries