Questions about the LDS (Mormon) faith

[VA6336]

Okay, Mormons do not believe in original sin. Can you tell me what the Mormon teaching on sin is? I know that's probably a really broad question. Let me see if I can find a more specific question. :001_smile:

 

Hmmmm...let's try this: what about the nature of man changed when God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden?

[VA6336]

We believe all people are born free of original sin (which is why we don't see a need for infant baptism, because we have not yet been able to sin at that point). But we don't believe in the immaculate conception in the traditional way.

 

Interesting. Once Mary attained the age of reason, did she continue in her blameless state? Was she unique in that respect? Or was she, as another poster responded, ordinary in that way?

[HSmomNY]

Interesting. Once Mary attained the age of reason, did she continue in her blameless state? Was she unique in that respect? Or was she, as another poster responded, ordinary in that way?

 

Mary was a good and chosen women, but no, she was not perfect. only Jesus and Hevenly Father are perfect.

[Amira]

Interesting. Once Mary attained the age of reason, did she continue in her blameless state? Was she unique in that respect? Or was she, as another poster responded, ordinary in that way?

 

No, we believe she was an ordinary person in that way. Just extraordinary in other ways. :)

 

Actually, this isn't something that we talk about a lot. We simply believe that the only person who never sinned was Jesus himself, so by default, Mary did. It gives me hope that an imperfect person could have done something so amazing.

[Mommyfaithe]

To add some clarification:

 

We do NOT believe that only mormons will be in the Celestial Kingdom. It is open to ALL who accept His Son and are Baptised (whether in this life, or by Proxy after this life).

 

Also, we wear the Garment of the Holy Priesthood, not to show that we've been to the Temple, but to remind us of the Covenants we make in the Temple. It's kind of hard to forget them when you wear them on your body. :D Just as the Lord gave Ancient Israel specifications for certain holy garments they wore (such as the vestments of the Temple Priests) that reminded them of the Covenant He made with His People, so does the Garment of the Holy Priesthood remind me of His Covenant with me and of my Covenant with Him.

 

This garment sort of reminds me of TsisTsis ...which Jewish males wear under their clothes all the time, not just the royal priesthood....different than tefillin or tallis (prayer shawls.)

 

Faithe

[MamaSheep]

Interesting. Once Mary attained the age of reason, did she continue in her blameless state? Was she unique in that respect? Or was she, as another poster responded, ordinary in that way?

 

We believe the only person ever to live a completely sinless life is Jesus. But we regard Mary as a very special person who lived a righteous life. Through Jesus she became blameless, as can any of the rest of us.

[HSmomNY]

what about the nature of man changed when God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden?•

 

From the church web site

 

• What physical and spiritual changes occurred in Adam and Eve as a result of their transgression?
  

 

Because Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the Lord sent them out of the Garden of Eden into the world. Their physical condition changed as a result of their eating the forbidden fruit. As God had promised, they became mortal. They and their children would experience sickness, pain, and physical death.

Because of their transgression, Adam and Eve also suffered spiritual death. This meant they and their children could not walk and talk face to face with God. Adam and Eve and their children were separated from God both physically and spiritually.

[Parrothead]

Do parents have the right to opt their children out of classes?:

 

I have to tell you I'm having a hard time even wrapping my mind around this question. Of course you can opt your child, or youself, out of any class you want to. They're offered by the church for your benefit, and you can choose to use them or not. It's also possible to make other special arrangements regarding classes as needed. For example, my son had his very own special primary class for a while, just him and his teacher, for a while during his most "difficult" (ie. insane and exhausting) time. It was such a relief to me to have someone responsible caring for him while I had just a little while to regroup and focus spiritually myself. He got along fine, and his teacher from that time still tells me sometimes what an interesting time they had. Lessons lying on the floor in the dark with their shoes off or whatever needed to happen for my son to focus and paticipate, and evidently sometimes ds knew more about the subject matter than his teacher, which the teacher found no end of fascinating. So yeah, the classes are tools, not prisons...lol...

I humbly beg your pardon. I knew that sounded badly when I typed it.

 

As we don't generally have adult Sunday school I think it struck me as harsh that there were classes for the under 5 crowd. But thinking on it and what you said about your son's one-on-one experience I see why "classes" for such a young group would be advantageous to the parents who wanted to attend adult Sunday school.

[HSmomNY]

It may help you understand that more than 1/2 the adults in the church are converts. So Adult sunday school class are a blessing.

[Xuzi]

I humbly beg your pardon. I knew that sounded badly when I typed it.

 

As we don't generally have adult Sunday school I think it struck me as harsh that there were classes for the under 5 crowd. But thinking on it and what you said about your son's one-on-one experience I see why "classes" for such a young group would be advantageous to the parents who wanted to attend adult Sunday school.

The classes for the under 5 kids are really very very basic. They cover the "milk" of the gospel. A lesson topic might be "Heavenly Father Loves Me" or "I can pray to Heavenly Father" or "Jesus wants me to love my neighbor" or "I can think about Jesus when I take the Sacrament". Very basic, very simple, teaching children to know and love Jesus at the level they're capable of, and preparing them to recieve the "meatier" stuff when they're brains are ready to handle it. :)

[Amira]

Okay, Mormons do not believe in original sin. Can you tell me what the Mormon teaching on sin is? I know that's probably a really broad question. Let me see if I can find a more specific question. :001_smile:

 

Hmmmm...let's try this: what about the nature of man changed when God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden?

 

Wikipedia has a pretty good outline of what we believe about sin, in addition to the link posted above. It's knowledge that makes the difference in sin.

 

In some ways our thinking isn't so very different. We believe that the expulsion from the garden resulted in our separation from God and that we are all susceptible to sin. We will all sin when we are accountable. Where we differ is that we don't believe that we are born with any condemnation for what Eve or Adam did.

 

I hope this made sense.

[snipsnsnailsx5]

I humbly beg your pardon. I knew that sounded badly when I typed it.

 

As we don't generally have adult Sunday school I think it struck me as harsh that there were classes for the under 5 crowd. But thinking on it and what you said about your son's one-on-one experience I see why "classes" for such a young group would be advantageous to the parents who wanted to attend adult Sunday school.

 

The classes for under five aren't like strict learning time. ;) For example, in the nursery which is 18 months to three...its 90% play time with a little song, a treat, and a very short lesson and activity. Like we might talk about how to respect others and then color a little picture about being nice to others.

For the three and up crowd, its a bit more of a classroom and not really play time. However they make it fun with a song time, sharing time, and then a little lesson in class with a craft/activity. Its very fun. My boys have always enjoyed their primary classes.

[Parrothead]

The classes for the under 5 kids are really very very basic. They cover the "milk" of the gospel. A lesson topic might be "Heavenly Father Loves Me" or "I can pray to Heavenly Father" or "Jesus wants me to love my neighbor" or "I can think about Jesus when I take the Sacrament". Very basic, very simple, teaching children to know and love Jesus at the level they're capable of, and preparing them to recieve the "meatier" stuff when they're brains are ready to handle it. :)

Well, yeah. Anything more would probably be wasted at such an age. Once I got over my snobbery "Ack! Preschool!" I figured it has to be something half way between babysitting and a religious education.

 

Again, sorry if anyone took offense at my idiocy.

[VA6336]

I humbly beg your pardon. I knew that sounded badly when I typed it.

 

As we don't generally have adult Sunday school I think it struck me as harsh that there were classes for the under 5 crowd. But thinking on it and what you said about your son's one-on-one experience I see why "classes" for such a young group would be advantageous to the parents who wanted to attend adult Sunday school.

 

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

[snipsnsnailsx5]

Wikipedia has a pretty good outline of what we believe about sin, in addition to the link posted above. It's knowledge that makes the difference in sin.

 

In some ways our thinking isn't so very different. We believe that the expulsion from the garden resulted in our separation from God and that we are all susceptible to sin. We will all sin when we are accountable. Where we differ is that we don't believe that we are born with any condemnation for what Eve or Adam did.

 

I hope this made sense.

 

Is my understanding correct that only after and because of Jesus' atonement for our sins is why we are not held accountable for Adam's transgressions?

[MamaSheep]

Okay, Mormons do not believe in original sin. Can you tell me what the Mormon teaching on sin is? I know that's probably a really broad question. Let me see if I can find a more specific question. :001_smile:

 

Hmmmm...let's try this: what about the nature of man changed when God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden?

 

In the Garden Adam and Eve were immortal and innocent, like little children. Having no knowledge of good and evil they could not choose one or the other. Also, we believe they could have no children while in the Garden (whether this is by nature, or due to lack of knowledge, I do not know...). By eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge they disobeyed the commandment God had given them not to eat, but it was a 'transgression', not a 'sin'. We see a distinction, which is not necessarily easy to explain briefly, but has to do with one's level of knowledge and also with whether the "wrong" thing done is actually "evil" in its nature (like killing someone) or just currently prohibited by law (like speeding--going 80 mph is not inherently immoral, but it is against the law on most residential roads; knowingly endangering others is more questionable. It's a complex road of thought to travel down, but fortunately Jesus's atonement on our behalf covers all of it and we don't have to sort out which is which).

 

After the fall, Adam and Eve became mortal beings, capable of experiencing sickness, pain, death, and all that nasty stuff, and able to understand good and evil. In a way, they stood as proxy for all the rest of us in making the choice to experience a mortal existence and learn to choose between good and evil for ourselves (as Christ stood as proxy for all of us when He filled his role--as in Adam all die, so in Christ are all made alive). They were also able to bear children (enabling them to keep the other commandment God gave them in the garden, to multiply). The world became a "fallen" world, organized in such a way that it would provide opportunities to learn through experience about hard work, sorrow, joy, pain, peace, etc. We also inherit from them this fallen world and the experience of living in it. But, Adam and Eve also gained the opportunity (but not the certainty) to receive the gift of Eternal Life, as opposed to mere immortality, through Christ, who was chosen as the Savior, the Lamb of God, from before the foundation of the World. He was part of the plan from the beginning, not just a back-up stop-gap measure that came into play because Adam and Eve messed up God's plan. Redemption through Christ WAS God's plan. The Fall was part of God's plan because it gave us the opportunity to learn by experience, and the Redemption was part of God's plan because through it we could be cleansed and healed from the sins and pain He knew would inevitably be part of that learning experience.

 

And as one of our articles of faith states, "We believe that a man will be punished for his own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." None of us makes it through life without committing sins. Each of us, including Adam and Eve, is responsible for our own choices, our own sins and transgressions. We are not held accountable or punished for sins committed by someone else. And through Christ we can be forgiven of our sins.

 

Hope that answers your question. :)

[Amira]

 

Is my understanding correct that only after and because of Jesus' atonement for our sins is why we are not held accountable for Adam's transgressions?

 

See, this is something that isn't entirely clear. To me, we're not accountable for Eve and Adam's transgression because we're only accountable for our own sins. However, we are all greatly impacted because of their transgression, and we need the atonement to overcome the sins we will all commit because of their transgression. But I've heard this explained in different ways.

[Parrothead]

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

I know my child at under 5 wouldn't have made it to classes. She had (and at 11, still has to a small extent) horrible separation anxiety. I ended up assisting, then teaching, Sunday school because I couldn't leave dd in that type situation at that age.

[HSmomNY]

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home?

 

Yes, if you want to you can bring your quiet 3 year old to an adult class. But the adult class is at the same time as the childrens class so you don't have to. As for doing Sunday School at home, you could the book are available online, but no that would not be encouraged unless there was some exceptional reason.

I don't know any mothers of young children who keep their children home, they would miss both Sunday School and Relief Society.

If your child could not leave you, you might end up as the teacher for your child's class.

[WistfulRidge]

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

 

Generally, no, they're not going to be thought less of. Though I can think of a few women in my congregation that are convinced that I'm putting my soul on the line because I won't just let my child "cry it out" for two hours in nursery. But then again, these are also the ladies that think pretty much the same thing because I'll be homeschooling my kids so I don't give their opinion any weight:tongue_smilie:. Most are very understanding about you bringing a young child with you - in general we're a very family friendly religion. For a while I did skip part of sunday school and all of Relief Society but that's because my child is exceptionally schedule orientated and those meetings happened to fall during nap time. I could either deal with a four day melt down and panic on the part of my DS or I could read the lesson at home. My teachers/leaders were very understanding :)

Edited January 1, 2011 by theAmbitiousHousewife

[Amira]

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

 

I've known some parents who keep their children with them for all three hours of church, but it's uncommon. Those parents would certainly not be kept out of the adult classes. Sunday school is not required for anyone and sometimes people do choose to stay home. But like I said, it's uncommon.

 

You can do the Sunday school program at home. We actually have at times, and are now, because we are not living in a place where the church is established. We use the church-produced books to teach our children. But no one will check to see if we had when my next sone is ready to be baptized, or when my oldest son is ready to receive the priesthood. I don't think I've known any families who have chosen to keep their children completely out of Sunday school when it was available.

[MamaSheep]

I humbly beg your pardon. I knew that sounded badly when I typed it.

 

Oh gosh, no pardon needed here. I wasn't at all offended, just very, very puzzled....lol...I had never thought about it in that way is all. :001_smile: I'm sorry if I came across as offended, I was trying to type fast and probably didn't think through my "phraseology" as thoroughly as I might have.

 

As we don't generally have adult Sunday school I think it struck me as harsh that there were classes for the under 5 crowd. But thinking on it and what you said about your son's one-on-one experience I see why "classes" for such a young group would be advantageous to the parents who wanted to attend adult Sunday school.

 

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

 

I know my child at under 5 wouldn't have made it to classes. She had (and at 11, still has to a small extent) horrible separation anxiety. I ended up assisting, then teaching, Sunday school because I couldn't leave dd in that type situation at that age.

 

Lots of moms (and dads) wind up in classes with little kids on their laps. And all the babies under 18 months are in there. If a child is having trouble in their class and needs a parent, someone will go fetch mom or dad and the parent can decide whether to coax the child back to class or just let them tag along to the adult class. Or go into the children's class and sit with the child. It's really up to the parent. My ds was in class with me regularly for...ahem...a long time...lol... In fact, I don't think he ever regularly stayed in Primary through the whole thing. He HATED singing time with a passion due to sensory issues. Sometimes his teacher would go walk with him, and sometimes he'd go sit in class with me or his dad when he couldn't take it anymore. After he turned 12 and got to go in with the deacons instead, it opened up a whole new world of uninterrupted concentration for me...lol...

 

Parents are actually EXPECTED to teach their children at home. In fact, the church classes are seen as supplementary to home instruction, rather than the other way around.

Edited January 1, 2011 by MamaSheep

[MamaSheep]

 

See, this is something that isn't entirely clear. To me, we're not accountable for Eve and Adam's transgression because we're only accountable for our own sins. However, we are all greatly impacted because of their transgression, and we need the atonement to overcome the sins we will all commit because of their transgression. But I've heard this explained in different ways.

 

That's how I understand it too. We inherit the EFFECTS of the Fall, but any "guilt" attached to that choice belongs solely to Adam and Eve.

[sewingmama]

Another Mormon popping in here:D

 

I, too, wondered if a church member would be thought less of if they preferred not to send very young children to a separate class in order to attend an adult class. Would a mom who brings her quiet 3 year old be welcomed into an adult class? Do some mothers of young children prefer to stay home during the Sunday School portion? Is there the option of doing the Sunday School "program" at home? In the Roman Catholic Church we can choose to formally catechize and religiously educate our children at home, without sending them to the parish. Most people do send them to the formal classes and many priests prefer that we do, but technically, we do not have to.

 

Nothing in the LDS church is compulsory - you are not forced to attend any class or make your children attend classes. Children are welcome in any adult class if the parent feels there is a need for the child to be with them. Family is always first and foremost in our church. However Primary is fun and the kids usually love going to it. It is much more interesting for a child to go learn their lessons with other children and lessons and activities aimed at their age group then it is for them to attend the boring adult class with mum and dad LOL. I have three children aged 4, 3 and 17 months - the older two have mostly gone to their classes and enjoyed it - some days they whine and do not want to go - so then I take them with me :)

 

My 17 month old is due to start Nursery next month but he will not be going - he will be the only child in Nursery (we have few young children in our branch) and I am opting to keep him with me rather then attend a class on his own at such a young age. Parents are free to make whatever choice they feel is right for their child:)

 

There is no formal way to do Sunday School at home. We are encouraged to always teach our children at home anyway. We have Family Home Evening (FHE) every Monday night where we give lessons and teach things to the children. Other then that we are encouraged to attend our church meetings on Sunday at the Chapel - it's one of the requirements for obtaining a "card" or Temple Recommend.

 

 

Editing to add - if there are special circumstances of why you cannot attend church then special provisions can be made for you according to your needs - there is no need for anyone to miss out if they truely can't attend church on a Sunday.

Edited January 1, 2011 by sewingmama

[Parrothead]

Oh gosh, no pardon needed here. I wasn't at all offended, just very, very puzzled....lol...I had never thought about it in that way is all. :001_smile: I'm sorry if I came across as offended, I was trying to type fast and probably didn't think through my "phraseology" as thoroughly as I might have.

Okay, as long as we are good. :grouphug:

[Photo Ninja]

I may have missed this question and answer somewhere in this long thread, but here goes:

 

Why do LDS believe that drinking coffee, tea, etc. is wrong? Some won't drink coffee, but say tea is okay, others say no coffee or tea, but hot chocolate is okay. What is wrong with drinking coffee and tea or eating chocolate candy that has coffee in it?

[MamaSheep]

Ok guys, it looks like things have petered out a bit in here, and it's getting to be about time for me to go kick off our annual family New Year's celebration, which is not remotely religious, consisting of games, movies, and an inordinate amount of unhealthy, but fun, appetizery food stuffs, and the kids getting to stay up until midnight. Dd is SOOOO HAAAAPPPY!

 

To my dear LDS sisters who chimed in, THANK YOU SO MUCH. This was WAY more than I could have managed without you.

 

To my dear non-LDS friends, thank you so much for your thoughtful questions, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the tone this discussion has maintained throughout. You are also awesome.

 

I look forward to continung (if anyone wants to) later. Tomorrow. Like...LATER tomorrow...lol...as I plan to sleep in. :)

[Xuzi]

I may have missed this question and answer somewhere in this long thread, but here goes:

 

Why do LDS believe that drinking coffee, tea, etc. is wrong? Some won't drink coffee, but say tea is okay, others say no coffee or tea, but hot chocolate is okay. What is wrong with drinking coffee and tea or eating chocolate candy that has coffee in it?

The Word of Wisdom (the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants) talks about "hot drinks" not being for the belly. Later Prophets clarified that to mean coffee and tea. Other members have thrown caffeine in there, because it's a common componant of coffee and tea, but drinking a Diet Coke isn't going to require you to confess to the Bishop. :tongue_smilie:That revelation also discusses eating meat sparingly, and eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

[MamaSheep]

I may have missed this question and answer somewhere in this long thread, but here goes:

 

Why do LDS believe that drinking coffee, tea, etc. is wrong? Some won't drink coffee, but say tea is okay, others say no coffee or tea, but hot chocolate is okay. What is wrong with drinking coffee and tea or eating chocolate candy that has coffee in it?

 

Shoot! Just saw this, and I think maybe I remember a similar question zipping past earlier. I do have to run, but here's a post I wrote on the same subject on another thread (there's a slightly different focus), and here's some info from the church web site, and if you still have questions leave a note here and if nobody else takes it up, I'll be happy to write more about it when I come back. :)

 

A very good question.

[Amira]

I may have missed this question and answer somewhere in this long thread, but here goes:

 

Why do LDS believe that drinking coffee, tea, etc. is wrong? Some won't drink coffee, but say tea is okay, others say no coffee or tea, but hot chocolate is okay. What is wrong with drinking coffee and tea or eating chocolate candy that has coffee in it?

 

In addition to the answers you've already gotten, I wanted to add that the only time we're asked about this is in temple recommend interviews, and we are simply ask if we follow the Word of Wisdom. Our personal interpretation usually isn't questioned, so you might see a wide variety of practice on this issue. In general, though, most Mormons don't drink coffee or tea (although herbal is generally thought to be fine).

[Parrothead]

The Word of Wisdom (the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants) talks about "hot drinks" not being for the belly. Later Prophets clarified that to mean coffee and tea. Other members have thrown caffeine in there, because it's a common componant of coffee and tea, but drinking a Diet Coke isn't going to require you to confess to the Bishop. :tongue_smilie:That revelation also discusses eating meat sparingly, and eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

How does your confession work?

[Parrothead]

Ok guys, it looks like things have petered out a bit in here, and it's getting to be about time for me to go kick off our annual family New Year's celebration, which is not remotely religious, consisting of games, movies, and an inordinate amount of unhealthy, but fun, appetizery food stuffs, and the kids getting to stay up until midnight. Dd is SOOOO HAAAAPPPY!

 

To my dear LDS sisters who chimed in, THANK YOU SO MUCH. This was WAY more than I could have managed without you.

 

To my dear non-LDS friends, thank you so much for your thoughtful questions, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the tone this discussion has maintained throughout. You are also awesome.

 

I look forward to continung (if anyone wants to) later. Tomorrow. Like...LATER tomorrow...lol...as I plan to sleep in. :)

You do know you'll come back tomorrow afternoon and there will be almost 10 pages to catch up on, right? LOL

[Amira]

You do know you'll come back tomorrow afternoon and there will be almost 10 pages to catch up on, right? LOL

 

Good thing there are plenty of Mormons on this board. :001_smile:

[Xuzi]

Another question I think got passed over was someone asking if there was a specific LDS curriculum that we all learn from? The answer to that one is Yes. All Sunday Schools, Relief Societies, Priesthood Quorums, Primary classes, etc. have a set manual that they teach from (usually several that they rotate through through the years). Sacrament meeting is about the only meeting in the 3 hour Sunday block where what is taught in one congregation will be different than what is taught in another, because for those meetings the Bishop decides what topics the chosen speakers will speak about.

 

In Sunday School next year (so in two days :lol: ) all Gospel Doctrine students (adult Sunday School) will be learning from this manual: http://lds.org/manual/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual?lang=eng and all Priesthood and Relief Society students will be learning from this manual: http://lds.org/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng

 

Each Primary class also has a manual that is used by that same class in each ward across the world. If I were to drive down to California to attend my parents ward on Sunday my family and I would recieve the same Sunday School lesson, the same Primary lesson, etc. as we would recieve had we stayed home. Of course, the way the teacher presents it and the class discussion will be unique in each given ward, but the lesson topic will be the same.

[AlmiraGulch]

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have taken the time to respond to all of these questions! Mine in particular (about inheriting a planet upon death, or something to that effect) was not something I would necessarily have asked in person for fear of being offensive.

 

Your responses have provided a wealth of information and I feel so much more educated now.

 

Thanks again!

[WistfulRidge]

How does your confession work?

 

If it is really nagging at you, you can make an appointment to talk to the bishop. It's just a sit down in his office and you chat. It usually just comes up in interviews for temple recommends. One of the questions is "Do you follow/keep the word of wisdom?" and this is were people usually chime in with confessions of drinking coffee or whatever etc... T

[HollyDay]

This has been fascinating and I've learned a great deal!! Thank you!!

 

One question that I have is how does LDS deal with the devil?

[Xuzi]

How does your confession work?

You call the Bishop's secretary to make an appointment (he won't ask you what for ;) ) and you go in and tell him what it is you've done. Sometimes the Bishop will just help you figure out how it is you fell into that particular sin, and help you figure out ways to avoid doing it again, but if it was a particularly heavy sin (like fornication/adultury, breaking the law, or things of a similarly serious nature) it may require disfellowshipment, or for very serious sins, excommunication. Always he will pray with you, study scriptures with you, and help you in any way he can to turn away from your sin and back to the Lord.

 

Confession to a Bishop is not required for all sins. The vast majority of it is left between us and the Lord, but members are counciled that if you ever feel like you've done something serious and need help, then the Bishop is always there. He does not take the place of the Holy Spirit in helping us forsake our sins. He's an assistant.

 

And it's not only for sins that we can "confess" to him. I went to him when I had a crisis of faith a few years ago, and felt in over my head in figuring out what it was I believed. He prayed with me, gave me some starting points to help me get out of the muck I was in, and asked me for updates every so often until I felt like I had my footing under me again.

[Tea Time]

Thanks. :) It may be that nobody will ask. But at least they can't use "Amy hasn't started a thread yet" as an excuse anymore...:lol:

 

I'm glad you started this, Amy. I haven't had time to read it all yet, but I plan to. I hope that everyone has a safe and blessed weekend.

 

Kind of off topic, but if anyone has a quick thought:

 

One of my dd's best friends is Mormon, and we have been so blessed by their whole family. She just got engaged! :lol: (first of the kid's friends to marry... I feel kinda old now)

 

If you have any good information about the wedding that my dd should know (I already know that my dd won't be able to attend the event itself, but they are having a reception that she will be attending), and if you have special gift ideas, I would love to hear them. We want to understand the customs and help make it a special time for her!

[Once]

Another question I think got passed over was someone asking if there was a specific LDS curriculum that we all learn from? The answer to that one is Yes. All Sunday Schools, Relief Societies, Priesthood Quorums, Primary classes, etc. have a set manual that they teach from (usually several that they rotate through through the years). Sacrament meeting is about the only meeting in the 3 hour Sunday block where what is taught in one congregation will be different than what is taught in another, because for those meetings the Bishop decides what topics the chosen speakers will speak about.

 

In Sunday School next year (so in two days :lol: ) all Gospel Doctrine students (adult Sunday School) will be learning from this manual: http://lds.org/manual/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual?lang=eng and all Priesthood and Relief Society students will be learning from this manual: http://lds.org/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng

 

Each Primary class also has a manual that is used by that same class in each ward across the world. If I were to drive down to California to attend my parents ward on Sunday my family and I would recieve the same Sunday School lesson, the same Primary lesson, etc. as we would recieve had we stayed home. Of course, the way the teacher presents it and the class discussion will be unique in each given ward, but the lesson topic will be the same.

 

Thanks. I was thinking more of homeschooling curriculuum. Do you mean more about Sunday classes?

[Xuzi]

This has been fascinating and I've learned a great deal!! Thank you!!

 

One question that I have is how does LDS deal with the devil?

I'm not sure what exactly you mean here? Do we believe he exists? Certainly.

[Xuzi]

Thanks. I was thinking more of homeschooling curriculuum. Do you mean more about Sunday classes?

Ya, those are the manuals for Sunday School and the like. I don't know of any LDS homeschooling curriculum. Sorry I misunderstood your question.:tongue_smilie:

[HollyDay]

I'm not sure what exactly you mean here? Do we believe he exists? Certainly.

 

I guess I'm not certain how to phrase my question. Bear with me while I try to muddle through :) Is the devil a spirit? What relationship does the devil have with other spirits, the Trinity, and mankind? Other religions refer to the devil as an adversary to wage warfare against. I guess I'm wondering how Mormons deal with the topic. Does that make it any clearer or am I still sounding like mud? Thanks for hanging in there with me!!!

[sewingmama]

One question that I have is how does LDS deal with the devil?

 

We believe in the "devil" although in the LDS church he is more commonly referred to as Satan. To understand his role you need to understand what the LDS believe is the "Plan of Salvation". Basically Satan was also a son of God the Father just like Jesus Christ. However his plan for mankind was opposite to that of the Father and as a result he was cast out of heaven with a third of the spirits in the Fathers kingdom following him - these spirits will never be born onto the earth and recieve a body.

 

Satans plan is to thwart the Father's plan - he is the opposition and the tempter trying to lead us away from eventually returning to live with our Father in Heaven. :001_smile:

 

Edited to add - yes Satan is a spirit - he will never be born unto the earth and thus never receive a body. All the possessions by evil spirits that you read about in the bible are these outcast spirits trying to gain a body of their own - which they were denied for choosing to follow Satans' plan rather then God the Father's.

Edited January 1, 2011 by sewingmama

[Amira]

 

One of my dd's best friends is Mormon, and we have been so blessed by their whole family. She just got engaged! :lol: (first of the kid's friends to marry... I feel kinda old now)

 

If you have any good information about the wedding that my dd should know (I already know that my dd won't be able to attend the event itself, but they are having a reception that she will be attending), and if you have special gift ideas, I would love to hear them. We want to understand the customs and help make it a special time for her!

 

 

The reception will probably be a lot like any other wedding you've been to, except that the actually wedding won't happen at it. Some are expensive, some are simple, some serve dinner, others serve simpler food, some have dancing, some don't. Mostly it's just a time to celebrate the wedding, even though you won't see it. Very few of the people at the reception will have attended the wedding, since space is very limited in the temple.

 

Gifts are also pretty similar, although possibly a little less expensive because a lot of Mormons go to lots of receptions. I honestly can't think of any traditional gift that is given at a reception.

[WistfulRidge]

Ya, those are the manuals for Sunday School and the like. I don't know of any LDS homeschooling curriculum. Sorry I misunderstood your question.:tongue_smilie:

 

The closest I can think of is the Liahona Academy. It has an independent study program for homeschooling that want to use it, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that actually uses it.

Edited January 1, 2011 by theAmbitiousHousewife

[Veritaserum]

I'm glad you started this, Amy. I haven't had time to read it all yet, but I plan to. I hope that everyone has a safe and blessed weekend.

 

Kind of off topic, but if anyone has a quick thought:

 

One of my dd's best friends is Mormon, and we have been so blessed by their whole family. She just got engaged! :lol: (first of the kid's friends to marry... I feel kinda old now)

 

If you have any good information about the wedding that my dd should know (I already know that my dd won't be able to attend the event itself, but they are having a reception that she will be attending), and if you have special gift ideas, I would love to hear them. We want to understand the customs and help make it a special time for her!

 

Well, there won't be any alcohol at the reception. :tongue_smilie: Your dd can come to the temple and wait outside (with other friends and family not attending the ceremony) or in a waiting room off the lobby. Doing this would allow her to congratulate the couple when they come outside and your dd could be in the pictures (which I'm guessing your dd's friend will want due to their close relationship). :)

[Veritaserum]

The closest I can think of is the Liahona Academy. It has an independent study program for homeschooling that want to use it, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that actually uses it.

 

I've looked at it, but I really prefer to keep our academics separate from religion. Also, it didn't seem all that rigorous to me. I don't know anyone that uses it, either.

[Xuzi]

We believe in the "devil" although in the LDS church he is more commonly referred to as Satan. To understand his role you need to understand what the LDS believe is the "Plan of Salvation". Basically Satan was also a son of God the Father just like Jesus Christ. However his plan for mankind was opposite to that of the Father and as a result he was cast out of heaven with a third of the spirits in the Fathers kingdom following him - these spirits will never be born onto the earth and recieve a body.

 

Satans plan is to thwart the Father's plan - he is the opposition and the tempter trying to lead us away from eventually returning to live with our Father in Heaven. :001_smile:

 

Edited to add - yes Satan is a spirit - he will never be born unto the earth and thus never receive a body. All the possessions by evil spirits that you read about in the bible are these outcast spirits trying to gain a body of their own - which they were denied for choosing to follow Satans' plan rather then God the Father's.

And this is where the whole "Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are BROTHERS!" bomb shell comes from. :lol: But we are ALL CHILDREN OF THE FATHER. In LDS culture we often refer to Jesus Christ as being our "Elder Brother", the first born of Heavenly Father's spirit children, and His Only Begotton Son in the flesh. All of us were with the Father prior to being born to this Earth (in what we call the Pre-Existance) where we learned of, and accepted His Plan to come to earth, be tempted, and either choose or reject Him, and He chose His Son to be our Savior to take on the punishment for our sins. Satan wanted there to be no choice. No free will. He would FORCE us to do only good, and then we would all be "safe". He would also take all the glory for that accomplishment upon himself, rather than giving it to the Lord. This was antethema to the Father's plan, where Free Will (or as we call it, Agency) was an absolutely necessary part. God will force no man (or woman) into Heaven. Satan and those spirits who wanted his plan to prevale where the "third part" that was cast out of Heaven (as mentioned in the book of Revelations). They will never gain physical bodies, and will never be allowed back into the presense of the Father.

[Bloggermom]

I am also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (a.k.a The Mormons)

 

I have a deep love of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful that He died and suffered for my sins so I could be forgiven through his atoning blood.

 

I am thankful that our Heavenly Father has provided a way for families to be together forever and not "until death do you part".