Mormon Church You
Filed under Transition to being an Active Member
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The modern Church of Christ exists to help you and your family draw closer to God through ordinances such as baptism and the sacrament and through support and activities in the local congregations. The threefold mission of the Church centers on drawing all people closer to Christ:
- Perfect the Saints
- A saint is a member of the Church, meaning one who has or will be sanctified (made a saint) by Jesus Christ; perfecting the saints means working to help every member establish a closer relationship to God through service and fellowship.
- Proclaim the Gospel
- The Mormon Church does this through missionary work, which includes over 55,000 missionaries in over 160 different countries.
- Redeem the Dead
- This is done through genealogy and temple work
Time, Talents, and Service
Each of us has a duty to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We need to be improving ourselves through education and service toward others. Jesus Christ taught the importance of this when he taught the parable of the talents (See Matthew 25:14-30). In that parable, a man representing the Lord gives talents, an ancient form of money, to his servants when he leaves to go into another country. To one he gives 5, to another 2, and to the last 1. Each person has at least one talent according to his ability. When the Lord returns, those with 5 and 2 have doubled their talents, while the servant with one hid his talent in the earth. This story has been so influential that today we refer to a person’s special ability to do something as a talent. The Lord blesses the first two, but curses the last. We also should not hide our talents, but use them to bless others.
The Lord has blessed each of us with many things. Some of us have great musical talent, others can teach. Some of us are blessed with great wisdom or insight. Others have a talent for serving others or sharing with them. No one is without at least one talent which they can use to serve others. Whatever our talents and abilities are, we should strive to improve them and add others. In the Mormon Church, everyone has the opportunity to serve. After you are baptized, you will receive a calling. A calling is an assignment or job in the Church. Since the Mormon Church has a lay ministry, every position, from speaking in worship services to cleaning the chapel is done by the members. Through callings we have opportunities to grow and serve.
Your bishop will invite you to take a calling. Sometimes you may feel unqualified or unprepared, perhaps even scared, but remember that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is calling you through the bishop and if you are humble and teachable, you will receive power through the Holy Ghost. You can also ask people around you for help or advice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in a new calling if you do not know what to do.
Other ways that the Mormon Church can help you is through the home teaching and visiting teaching programs. Every family in a congregation has two home teachers (priesthood holders) assigned to visit them once a month. These are generally assigned by the elders’ quorum president and each set of home teachers is two men from the congregation who will visit the members’ homes, share spiritual messages, and ensure that all their spiritual and physical needs are met. In this way, the Lord watches out for all His children. Visiting teachers are women assigned by the Relief Society who visit all the adult women in the ward. They take special care to help all the women and children of the congregation and also share spiritual messages. You should be visited by your home and visiting teachers soon after joining the Mormon Church. You can even ask who they are and introduce yourself to them at Church.
To the whole world
One of the last commandments that Jesus gave his disciples was, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). This message is still in force. The Mormon Church sends missionaries out to nearly every country on the planet, but they cannot reach everyone. It is our duty as members of Jesus Christ’s Church to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
In the Doctrine and Covenants we read: “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:81). Once you learn the truth, you should share it with friends and family. This can be scary, but remember that it is the Lord’s message that you are sharing. Just as you felt the Spirit when the missionaries or a friend shared the message of the restored Gospel with you, so others can feel that joy and peace when they hear it.
What can I do?
There is a lot you can do! When friends and family notice the great change that has come into your life because of the Gospel, you can share with them your experiences and feelings about it. You can give them copies of the Book of Mormon and highlight passages that have special meaning to you. In the front of the book you can write your testimony of the truthfulness of this message. Invite friends to Church meetings or activities with you. Maybe someone would not feel comfortable going to worship services, but they might feel comfortable going to a Mormon Church picnic or coming over to your home for a family home evening with your family. One of the most important things you can do is invite your friends and family to your baptismal service. Let them know how important this is to you. At a baptismal service, they will have a wonderful chance to feel of the Spirit of the Lord.
Remember what the Apostle Paul said:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek
(Romans 1:16).
Some may not understand your choice and may even oppose it, but you can and should stand your ground without offending your friends. Let them know how important this is to you and how happy it has made you. Your true friends will support you and will want to know why this is so important to you.
The Mormon Church has a place on its website where you can send videos or books to friends and family. You can use this for those who live far away, but remember that a personal message from you would be even more special.
Genealogy and Family History
One of the most important duties we have as members of Christ’s Church is to redeem the dead. This is one of the greatest acts of service that any of us can do. Have you ever wondered about all those who died without ever having had a chance to hear about Jesus Christ? Would it be fair if God denied them all His blessings just because they never knew about Him? Modern prophets beginning with Joseph Smith have revealed how we can bring these blessings to our ancestors.
In the Holy Temples of the Mormon Church, we can be baptized on behalf of our ancestors who never learned about the Gospel. This is called baptism for the dead (see also Temples and Temple work). The first step we need to take is to find out who our ancestors were. We can do this by talking to parents or older relatives to record what they remember about grandparents and aunts and uncles who lived before. You can also do research in Family History Libraries which are found in many Mormon Churches. Each library will have someone there who can help you find the records you need and will be able to give you advice about how to proceed. The Mormon Church also has a website called Familysearch with tens of thousands of records.
Vicarious Work in the Holy Temple
After you have found the names, you can take them to the Mormon Temple. The librarian in your family history library will help you do this. In the temple you can be baptized on behalf of your deceased ancestors and have other ordinances performed for them that will give them all the blessings of the Gospel.
