The Priesthood

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by Jesus Christ through apostles and prophets. These are righteous men who are called of God and given the priesthood. Not only are leaders of the Church given the priesthood, but all worthy male members of the Church may receive the priesthood by proper ordination by the laying on of hands by one who has authority.

The priesthood is the power and authority given to man to act in God's name for the salvation of His children. Through the priesthood we receive the ordinances of salvation. The priesthood can also be used for blessings of comfort, healing, and counsel.

There are two priesthoods in the Church today, the Aaronic Priesthood (or preparatory priesthood) and the Melchizedek Priesthood (or higher priesthood). Although the priesthood was lost following the death of Christ and His apostles, the priesthood was restored in 1829 when John the Baptist appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood. Peter, James, and John later conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood, which they had received from Jesus Christ. This priesthood, directly from Jesus Christ, is the priesthood in the Church today.

It is a tremendous blessing to be a man who receives the priesthood. He enters a covenant to fulfill sacred duties, serve others, and help build up the Church. Exercising the priesthood should only be done in love, righteousness, and patience. Through the power of the priesthood, men may bless and serve their families.

I am grateful to hold the priesthood of God. It is a sacred responsibility to be able to act in God's name for the benefit of His children. It has blessed my family and I in countless ways.

The painting used in this post depicts Christ's ancient apostles--Peter, James, and John, conferring the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Use of the image is courtesy of www.lds.org. To learn more about the Priesthood, click here.

Worship Services

Sunday worship services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are open to all individuals and families. Visitors are welcome to attend any services of the Church, regardless of their religious background or faith.

Latter-day Saint worship services are three hours long and are roughly divided into three one-hour segments. The first hour is the sacrament service. This meeting is the most important of the three and is centered on the taking of the sacrament. This sacrament (or communion) is the eating of bread (representing Jesus' body) and drinking of water (representing Jesus' blood) to remember the sacrifice and atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Following the partaking of the sacrament, speakers from the congregation address the audience on specific doctrinal topics that were previously assigned to them. There are only lay ministers in the Church. Therefore, there is no paid clergy that regularly address the congregation. Every member of the Church is expected to help contribute to the services.

The second hour is Sunday School services. Sunday School classes for youth and adults focus on teaching from the scriptures. Teachers are "called" to assist in leading the conversations. Members of the Church share experiences, insights, and testimony to uplift and teach one another.

The third hour is divided between the Relief Society and Priesthood meetings. The Relief Society is the womens organization of the Church. It is focused on serving others and building charity, love, and sisterhood. The Priesthood meetings are for all adult and youth males of the Church. Priesthood groups focus on service to promote love, self-reliance, and assiting men on becoming better husbands and fathers. During the third hour, the men and women separate to attend their respective meetings. These meetings discuss how the organizations can serve others in need and on discussing the teachings of the modern-day prophets.

For children, Primary and Nursery classes are held during the second and third hours of church services. In these classes, children sing, play, learn about Jesus, and conduct fun activities.

Members and visitors dress in their "Sunday best" when attending church services. This typically means suits for the men and dresses or skirts for the women. Although everyone is welcome to attend regardless of their apparel.

In addition, music is an integral part of our worship. Hymns are frequently sung by the congregation to help us remember and feel of the love of God and to remind us of our obligation to love others and to obey God's commandments.

To locate a Latter-day Saint worship service near you, click on the link here. My family and I have been greatly blessed from our church attendance. We love the feeling of unity within the congregation and the feelings of peace and love that come from worshipping God and His Son with fellow members of the Church and visitors in attendance. I invite everyone to "come and see" Latter-day Saint worship services for themselves.

To learn more about what to expect at LDS worship services, click here. The photo used in this post is of the Cambridge Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambridge, MA. Courtesy of http://www.lds.org/.

Families

Latter-day Saints believe families are ordained of God. We believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. We are encouraged to get married, have children, and to rear our children in love and righteousness.

Latter-day Saints believe in abstinence before marriage and complete fidelity during marriage. During marriage, spouses are equal partners and should always treat each other with care, love, and respect. Both husbands and wives have responsibilities in the family and are obligated to help one another raise a family. As families, we should teach our children the commandments, teach them to be good citizens, and work, play, worship, and laugh together. Families are the fundamental unit of society, and should be protected by government leaders, employers, educators, and society at large.

Families enjoy a unique role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons believe that families are not only important to our development here on earth, but that God has prepared a way for families to live together forever throughout all eternity.

This doctrine of "eternal families" teaches us that if we keep the commandments of God and receive special ordinances in the holy temple, we can live together in heaven as families. The sacred ordinance binding families for eternity is called the "sealing" ordinance. Any member of the Church in good standing (is worthy) may go to the temple to receive this gospel ordinance.

I am grateful for my own little family and the love and strength they give to me. Unspeakable joy and happiness come through raising a family and facing life's difficulties together. I believe that we will be together forever because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To read the full statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' doctrine on families, click here. To learn more about how families can be together forever, click here.

The Word of Wisdom

Most people know that Latter-day Saints abstain from alcohol and tobacco. But many may wonder where this "health code" comes from and what else it may contain.

The Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation in 1833 that instructed the Saints regarding food and drink. This revelation is called "The Word of Wisdom."

Although the Word of Wisdom is best known for its prohibition against alcohol, tobacco, narcotic drugs, tea, and coffee, most of the revelation instructs the Saints what they SHOULD eat. These instructions include "wholesome herbs", "every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof", "flesh . . . of beasts and of the fowls . . . to be used sparingly", "all grain", and "the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground". In modern language: herbs, grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat (to be used sparingly).

The Word of Wisdom includes great promises, both physical and spiritual, to the individuals who adhere to its teachings. These promises can readily be seen in the lives of practicing Latter-day Saints. An individual's health and body can be directly linked to their spiritual welfare. A healthy lifestyle increases one's well-being and helps us achieve all that our Heavenly Father wants us to.

It is remarkable that this Joseph Smith received this revelation in 1833, long before the detriments of tobacco and alcohol were understood.

To learn more about the Word of Wisdom and the importance of physical health in general, click here.

What is a Prophet?

Latter-day Saints believe the only way to salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It was He who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).

But how does the Lord inform us of these things and of what we must do in order to return and live with Him again? How does He communicate to us of the difficulties facing us today, as in times past?

The Lord has always used prophets to convey the gospel message to his children throughout the ages. Indeed, the prophet Amos taught, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). We can see this pattern throughout the Old and New Testaments. In the beginning, the Lord revealed his gospel to Adam. Later, this same gospel was revealed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). After hundreds of years of bondage in Egypt, the Lord again called a prophet, Moses, to lead the children of Israel to freedom and to teach them the commandments of God. This pattern of calling prophets continued with Samuel, Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, Peter, and many others. Each of them received revelation from God on what the people were supposed to do. Their duty was to then teach the people. The people were free to accept or reject their words. When they accepted the prophets and kept the commandments, they prospered. When they rejected their words, they did not prosper. Often, these prophets wrote down their teachings and prophesying. These teachings can be found in the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon.

And so the pattern continues. God continues to call prophets in our day to reveal His will unto us his children. They are mediators between God and man and reveal God’s word to His children. As discussed in an earlier post, God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet in recent times. The Church was restored in 1830 by Joseph Smith and has had a continuing succession of prophets ever since. Today, the prophet is Thomas S. Monson. He is the prophet to the whole world and the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His duty to receive the word of God, teach the word of God to the people, lead the Church, and to act as a warning voice of spiritual dangers in the world.

Prophets are a necessary step in learning the gospel and developing faith. If the Lord appeared and told us directly of the gospel message, faith would not be necessary because we would have a perfect knowledge of God. By listening to and obeying the counsel of the prophets, the Spirit testifies in our minds and hearts that God exists, that he sent his Son to die for us, and that He has restored the gospel in its fulness on the earth today.


The picture of President Thomas S. Monson is courtesy of www.lds.org.