2 Responses to “What would you say is the most important rules of being…”
Pedro Bravo
2012-11-04 12:59:00
Hi Jørgen. Politically and socially, you can find practicing Mormons with all sorts of philosophies. When it comes to moral issues, though, we tend to be conservative leaning. In this sense, our practices and attitudes are similar to those of other morally conservative Christian religions. Qualities like temperance, humility, and charity are emphasized. You can read more details on this very site.
The two most distinguishing features of our church are 1) our restorationist foundations and 2) the way we collapse the sacred and ontological distance that separates God and man. Let me elaborate on these two issues.
The Message of the Restoration
Mormons believe that the original Gospel of Jesus Christ was lost after the death of Christ's apostles. Many noble and great men preserved many of Christ's teachings, but in the end Greek and Roman philosophies invaded the Christian gospel. Consequently, God withdrew His apostolic authority from the earth. Christianity fractured into many denominations, often with contradictory teachings.
However, the ancient apostolic authority was restored through a modern prophet/apostle named Joseph Smith in the 19th century. This restoration was realized through angelic visitation and even theophany. Consequently, Mormons are not properly categorized as Protestants or Catholics. We belong to a unique branch of the Christian tree: restored Christianity.
The second distinguishing feature of our faith is that we seek to collapse the sacred and ontological distance that separates God and man. For example, while most religions teach that God is an undefined spiritual force without "body, parts, or passions," Mormons teach that God is intensely passionate about His creation and even chooses to dwell physically in that creation, though He is not limited by it. As an example, one of the most moving passages in Mormon scripture describes God weeping because of the wickedness of His creation (Moses 7:28-33). That's not to say that God is just like man. He is perfect and glorified. But He is not a being so foreign to our experience that we can't comprehend Him, even if our comprehension is profoundly limited.
Another example: while other religions have separate clerical and lay classes, in Mormonism everyone is clergy. Men hold the restored apostolic authority explicitly, but both men and women preach and pray publicly, both hold church leadership positions, and both perform sacred ceremonies (ordinances). For Mormons, there is no clerical class standing as mediator between God and the people. Again, the distance between men and God is collapsed.
Our emphasis on personal and institutional revelation is also illustrative. All churches emphasize prayer, and most teach that God can influence our lives, but Mormons stress the idea that prayer is not unilateral communication. God can "talk back." When people investigate the church, the first thing our missionaries teach them is that they should pray to God directly to ask Him if the teachings they've received are true. After baptism, this reliance on direct guidance from God continues to be emphasized and is considered critical for continued spiritual growth. The same thing is true of the church in general. Rather than turning exclusively to the words of ancient prophets, as recorded in books of scripture like the Bible, Mormons also believe that modern prophets and apostles communicate with God on behalf of the church. Again, the effect is to shrink the distance that has separated God and man for thousands of years.
One final example. The most common way that Mormons refer to God is as the "Heavenly Father." How interesting that the Mormon name for God is intimate rather than distant. Indeed, our entire view of the afterlife is family centric. We see ourselves and all of humanity as the children of God, and we believe God loves us as a perfect father might love his children.
I hope this answer helps. Mormonism really is a beautiful and unique faith tradition.
Pamela Bonta
2013-01-15 19:14:04
Do whatever you can, however you can, to improve your own life and the lives of those around you, and do it with a Christ-like spirit.
The two most distinguishing features of our church are 1) our restorationist foundations and 2) the way we collapse the sacred and ontological distance that separates God and man. Let me elaborate on these two issues.
However, the ancient apostolic authority was restored through a modern prophet/apostle named Joseph Smith in the 19th century. This restoration was realized through angelic visitation and even theophany. Consequently, Mormons are not properly categorized as Protestants or Catholics. We belong to a unique branch of the Christian tree: restored Christianity.
The second distinguishing feature of our faith is that we seek to collapse the sacred and ontological distance that separates God and man. For example, while most religions teach that God is an undefined spiritual force without "body, parts, or passions," Mormons teach that God is intensely passionate about His creation and even chooses to dwell physically in that creation, though He is not limited by it. As an example, one of the most moving passages in Mormon scripture describes God weeping because of the wickedness of His creation (Moses 7:28-33). That's not to say that God is just like man. He is perfect and glorified. But He is not a being so foreign to our experience that we can't comprehend Him, even if our comprehension is profoundly limited.
Another example: while other religions have separate clerical and lay classes, in Mormonism everyone is clergy. Men hold the restored apostolic authority explicitly, but both men and women preach and pray publicly, both hold church leadership positions, and both perform sacred ceremonies (ordinances). For Mormons, there is no clerical class standing as mediator between God and the people. Again, the distance between men and God is collapsed.
Our emphasis on personal and institutional revelation is also illustrative. All churches emphasize prayer, and most teach that God can influence our lives, but Mormons stress the idea that prayer is not unilateral communication. God can "talk back." When people investigate the church, the first thing our missionaries teach them is that they should pray to God directly to ask Him if the teachings they've received are true. After baptism, this reliance on direct guidance from God continues to be emphasized and is considered critical for continued spiritual growth. The same thing is true of the church in general. Rather than turning exclusively to the words of ancient prophets, as recorded in books of scripture like the Bible, Mormons also believe that modern prophets and apostles communicate with God on behalf of the church. Again, the effect is to shrink the distance that has separated God and man for thousands of years.
One final example. The most common way that Mormons refer to God is as the "Heavenly Father." How interesting that the Mormon name for God is intimate rather than distant. Indeed, our entire view of the afterlife is family centric. We see ourselves and all of humanity as the children of God, and we believe God loves us as a perfect father might love his children.
I hope this answer helps. Mormonism really is a beautiful and unique faith tradition.