M. Elder Russell Ballard the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Brothers and sisters, since 1997, the sesquicentennial of the arrival of the pioneers, has been a dramatic increase in inquiries about the Church worldwide. Causing increasing concern is that our rapid growth, some events like the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the prominence of many of our members in their respective professions. I'm sure
these investigations not only come to the Church but also to you, the members, and is not easy to explain something as vast as our Church or as wonderful as the restored gospel to people who know little or nothing about us. Even questions about a particular aspect can be difficult to answer because each one seems to be connected with others. The most common request we hear is a fairly simple, something like: "Tell me a little about their religion." In this case, the key lies in the expression a bit. We ask: "Tell me everything you know and send me someone to tell me anything else."
Of course, we accept welcomed the interest of the people, and there will be many people who want to be taught more about our doctrines and beliefs. That's why we have more than 53,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world at their own expense.
But we must remember that there is a difference between the interest and curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church who feel that general curiosity deserve clear and accurate information coming directly from us, the members, so they do not have to rely on incomplete answers, half true or false statements coming from the media or other external sources. The many misunderstandings and false information that is on the Church are, to some extent, our fault for not clearly explain who we are and what we believe.
The Public Affairs Committee, on which I serve, has concluded that it is extremely important to give clear and simple explanations to present the Church as it is today to those who are curious about the basics of the Church . I want to talk to some of the things that have proved useful. Maybe you want to prepare their own lists of topics to help them explain what they believe their friends and acquaintances of other faiths. Perhaps it will be useful, as it is for me to have prepared a page with some aspects of the Church as it is today, and give it along with a copy of the Articles of Faith
Four areas currently contribute to a person to obtain a basic understanding of the Church. Under each of the four titles are simple explanations that I have been helpful, try to imagine that the person who read them do not know practically nothing about us. The four main themes to be addressed relate to the facts, faith, family and the fruits of the restored gospel.
Some facts are the facts:
• First, "Mormon" is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints Latter Days. Often people refer to members as "Mormons" or "Latter Days": The word "holy" means "member."
• Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Currently, its headquarters are in Salt Lake City, and President Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet today.
• Third, there are currently more than 13 million members in 176 countries and territories, of which about six million are in the U.S., so we are in fourth place among the major Christian denominations in this country. As one of the Christian religions fastest growing in the world, every business day ended a chapel. Members pay a tithe, which is ten percent of their income, which makes possible the construction mentioned and other programs.
• Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer members who work without pay. Both men and women serving in leadership positions assigned to them.
• And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (For example, in America there are sixteen members in Congress from both political parties). Members also occupy high positions of trust throughout the world on business, medicine, law, education, media, sport and entertainment. Faith
People should also know something of our faith as committed Christians with strong traditional values. Along with the Articles of Faith we must emphasize the following:
• We believe in the eternal nature of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits and we can return to Him after death.
• We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior and try to model our lives after His example and His teachings. We commemorate Christ's atoning sacrifice in our Sunday services of worship, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much in common with them, Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the center of our beliefs, and everything else revolves around him (see Elders' Journal, July 1838, p. 44.). Our church is called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
• We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored today. The priesthood, or authority given to man to act on behalf of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored, as well as all the ordinances necessary for salvation.
• We believe in the Holy Bible, Old and New Testament, and we use it.
• We believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and the continuing revelation of God to man. In truth, the Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." Family
next thing is good that people know is how are family-centered our theology and our way of life. And in this too, simple explanations are useful for that is not well informed but curious to know what importance we place on family.
• Mormons put a powerful emphasis on the fact that the family is the basic unit of the Church and society. We have a deep commitment to marriage, which is defined as a union between a man and a woman. Polygamy was practiced on a limited basis during the early days of the pioneers of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, one hundred and seventeen years ago.
• Families and individuals, whether or not our religion, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. They worship the Lord together, instructing one another in the Scriptures.
• Families of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to make "family home evening" once a week, usually on Monday night. This gives parents a regular time and planned to teach values \u200b\u200bto their children and have fun with them. We encourage those who are not of our religion to adopt this practice with his own family.
• The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth and children, which support the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities to perform Christian service, sports, theater, music and scouting.
• It also puts much emphasis on other members of the family genealogy and personal family history, providing young and old a stronger sense of their roots, their identity and bonding. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to family members, both living and dead, and some are performed in our temples.
Fruits Now, even when someone begins to understand some facts about us and get to know us better by our faith and the importance we place on family, Salvador was the one who said "by their fruits" (Matthew 7:20, emphasis added). A religion, or lifestyle, must be judged according to the fruits, or results that occur. Here are some examples based on the statistics of the United States of America, which would be similar throughout the world among faithful Mormons (we refer to those who regularly attend meetings of the church and the temple):
• One of these fruits is a longer life. Studies indicate that active Mormons in religion are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is a way of life to enjoy a long and healthy life.
• Second, those who marry in the temple and continue to attend it regularly have a divorce rate that is far below the national and global.
• Third, we achieve an educational level higher than the national average.
• Fourth, over 70,000 members volunteer and pay their expenses to serve for a period of eighteen to twenty four months in humanitarian efforts, Church assignments and full-time missions all over the world.
• And fifth, we place strong emphasis on self-sufficiency and an impeccable work ethic. We encourage active participation in our respective communities and serve others. The Church continues to donate substantial sums of money as well as goods and services to humanitarian causes of all the earth, including countless hours of labor donated by members to assist in the cleaning and disaster relief.
Brothers and sisters, in today's hectic world, I've noticed that most people do not read or is interested in more than a few important facts at a time. Whatever you decide to use to inform their friends and acquaintances about the Church, write it down, make sure it is accurate and do it simple and short.
The growing prominence of the Church and the growing number of inquiries from others present us with great opportunities to build bridges, make friends and accurate information. But if you let other people define who we are and what we believe instead of explaining ourselves, it may also show a greater chance of misunderstanding and sometimes prejudice.
usually no problem with those who know our members personally, but there are millions and millions of people who do not know anyone of our religion. I hope those who know little of the church seek to know more about us, I hope to try to meet our members instead of judging by false information received from those who know nothing and, in some cases, those who deliberately mislead or defame.
You, the members can help by establishing relationships and making known to others the basic information found in the Articles of Faith, along with elements such as facts, faith, family and the fruits of the Gospel.
We must also remember that sometimes the best way to respond to people's interest may be the way we live in that reflects the joy of the gospel in our lives, we treat others and to sincerely follow the teachings of Christ.
For those who want to know something more than the few points I have presented, you can call missionaries to teach them the doctrine of chapter three of Preach My Gospel. The missionaries know how to better answer questions and lead them to conversion and baptism.
This is the time that we all share our beliefs and make other people know who we are. Prepare some simple points as I have shared with you today, and help those who are curious to know something about the Church and feel then the desire to know more about the Restoration of the Gospel.
Brothers and sisters, never cease to express his testimony with sincerity and love. The power of personal testimony can not be denied and sometimes wakes up in other people's interest to know more. I know this is true, and leave you my unwavering testimony that I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and I can testify that, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
these investigations not only come to the Church but also to you, the members, and is not easy to explain something as vast as our Church or as wonderful as the restored gospel to people who know little or nothing about us. Even questions about a particular aspect can be difficult to answer because each one seems to be connected with others. The most common request we hear is a fairly simple, something like: "Tell me a little about their religion." In this case, the key lies in the expression a bit. We ask: "Tell me everything you know and send me someone to tell me anything else."
Of course, we accept welcomed the interest of the people, and there will be many people who want to be taught more about our doctrines and beliefs. That's why we have more than 53,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world at their own expense.
But we must remember that there is a difference between the interest and curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church who feel that general curiosity deserve clear and accurate information coming directly from us, the members, so they do not have to rely on incomplete answers, half true or false statements coming from the media or other external sources. The many misunderstandings and false information that is on the Church are, to some extent, our fault for not clearly explain who we are and what we believe.
The Public Affairs Committee, on which I serve, has concluded that it is extremely important to give clear and simple explanations to present the Church as it is today to those who are curious about the basics of the Church . I want to talk to some of the things that have proved useful. Maybe you want to prepare their own lists of topics to help them explain what they believe their friends and acquaintances of other faiths. Perhaps it will be useful, as it is for me to have prepared a page with some aspects of the Church as it is today, and give it along with a copy of the Articles of Faith
Four areas currently contribute to a person to obtain a basic understanding of the Church. Under each of the four titles are simple explanations that I have been helpful, try to imagine that the person who read them do not know practically nothing about us. The four main themes to be addressed relate to the facts, faith, family and the fruits of the restored gospel.
Some facts are the facts:
• First, "Mormon" is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints Latter Days. Often people refer to members as "Mormons" or "Latter Days": The word "holy" means "member."
• Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Currently, its headquarters are in Salt Lake City, and President Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet today.
• Third, there are currently more than 13 million members in 176 countries and territories, of which about six million are in the U.S., so we are in fourth place among the major Christian denominations in this country. As one of the Christian religions fastest growing in the world, every business day ended a chapel. Members pay a tithe, which is ten percent of their income, which makes possible the construction mentioned and other programs.
• Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer members who work without pay. Both men and women serving in leadership positions assigned to them.
• And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (For example, in America there are sixteen members in Congress from both political parties). Members also occupy high positions of trust throughout the world on business, medicine, law, education, media, sport and entertainment. Faith
People should also know something of our faith as committed Christians with strong traditional values. Along with the Articles of Faith we must emphasize the following:
• We believe in the eternal nature of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits and we can return to Him after death.
• We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior and try to model our lives after His example and His teachings. We commemorate Christ's atoning sacrifice in our Sunday services of worship, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much in common with them, Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the center of our beliefs, and everything else revolves around him (see Elders' Journal, July 1838, p. 44.). Our church is called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
• We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored today. The priesthood, or authority given to man to act on behalf of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored, as well as all the ordinances necessary for salvation.
• We believe in the Holy Bible, Old and New Testament, and we use it.
• We believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and the continuing revelation of God to man. In truth, the Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." Family
next thing is good that people know is how are family-centered our theology and our way of life. And in this too, simple explanations are useful for that is not well informed but curious to know what importance we place on family.
• Mormons put a powerful emphasis on the fact that the family is the basic unit of the Church and society. We have a deep commitment to marriage, which is defined as a union between a man and a woman. Polygamy was practiced on a limited basis during the early days of the pioneers of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, one hundred and seventeen years ago.
• Families and individuals, whether or not our religion, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. They worship the Lord together, instructing one another in the Scriptures.
• Families of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to make "family home evening" once a week, usually on Monday night. This gives parents a regular time and planned to teach values \u200b\u200bto their children and have fun with them. We encourage those who are not of our religion to adopt this practice with his own family.
• The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth and children, which support the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities to perform Christian service, sports, theater, music and scouting.
• It also puts much emphasis on other members of the family genealogy and personal family history, providing young and old a stronger sense of their roots, their identity and bonding. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to family members, both living and dead, and some are performed in our temples.
Fruits Now, even when someone begins to understand some facts about us and get to know us better by our faith and the importance we place on family, Salvador was the one who said "by their fruits" (Matthew 7:20, emphasis added). A religion, or lifestyle, must be judged according to the fruits, or results that occur. Here are some examples based on the statistics of the United States of America, which would be similar throughout the world among faithful Mormons (we refer to those who regularly attend meetings of the church and the temple):
• One of these fruits is a longer life. Studies indicate that active Mormons in religion are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is a way of life to enjoy a long and healthy life.
• Second, those who marry in the temple and continue to attend it regularly have a divorce rate that is far below the national and global.
• Third, we achieve an educational level higher than the national average.
• Fourth, over 70,000 members volunteer and pay their expenses to serve for a period of eighteen to twenty four months in humanitarian efforts, Church assignments and full-time missions all over the world.
• And fifth, we place strong emphasis on self-sufficiency and an impeccable work ethic. We encourage active participation in our respective communities and serve others. The Church continues to donate substantial sums of money as well as goods and services to humanitarian causes of all the earth, including countless hours of labor donated by members to assist in the cleaning and disaster relief.
Brothers and sisters, in today's hectic world, I've noticed that most people do not read or is interested in more than a few important facts at a time. Whatever you decide to use to inform their friends and acquaintances about the Church, write it down, make sure it is accurate and do it simple and short.
The growing prominence of the Church and the growing number of inquiries from others present us with great opportunities to build bridges, make friends and accurate information. But if you let other people define who we are and what we believe instead of explaining ourselves, it may also show a greater chance of misunderstanding and sometimes prejudice.
usually no problem with those who know our members personally, but there are millions and millions of people who do not know anyone of our religion. I hope those who know little of the church seek to know more about us, I hope to try to meet our members instead of judging by false information received from those who know nothing and, in some cases, those who deliberately mislead or defame.
You, the members can help by establishing relationships and making known to others the basic information found in the Articles of Faith, along with elements such as facts, faith, family and the fruits of the Gospel.
We must also remember that sometimes the best way to respond to people's interest may be the way we live in that reflects the joy of the gospel in our lives, we treat others and to sincerely follow the teachings of Christ.
For those who want to know something more than the few points I have presented, you can call missionaries to teach them the doctrine of chapter three of Preach My Gospel. The missionaries know how to better answer questions and lead them to conversion and baptism.
This is the time that we all share our beliefs and make other people know who we are. Prepare some simple points as I have shared with you today, and help those who are curious to know something about the Church and feel then the desire to know more about the Restoration of the Gospel.
Brothers and sisters, never cease to express his testimony with sincerity and love. The power of personal testimony can not be denied and sometimes wakes up in other people's interest to know more. I know this is true, and leave you my unwavering testimony that I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and I can testify that, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
