The Gospel of Jesus Christ
‘Elder Pelatiah Brown, one of the wisest old heads we have among us… was hauled up for trial before the High Council. I did not like the old man being called up for erring in doctrine; it looks too much like the Methodists, and not like the Latter Day Saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be kicked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please; it feels so good not to be trammeled.” Joseph Smith Jr. History, 1838–1856 pg. 1522
As a nondenominational movement, our focus is on the divinity of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. We believe that God meets us where we are and, being infinite, reveals that divine nature to us, finite beings, in a way we can understand on a personal level. This means that each individual will define the nature of God in their own way. What unites us in the Fellowship of Christ is our love and discipleship in Jesus.
Breaking Fear through Faith
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6
One of the stories my mother use to share about me from my childhood is one of my fear of the dark. I was probably about 2 years of age and apparently did not like sleeping alone. One night I asked my mother to stay with me, as I did not want to be alone. She told me I was never alone, Jesus was always with me. I am told I responded with, “but I want someone with skin on them!”
Why the Book of Mormon is True
“And [God] gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon; which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them—proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old; thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.” -Doctrines of the Saints 2a:8-11
All holy books have truth and wisdom in them; yet we do not accept all holy books as scripture the way we do the Bible and Book of Mormon. We claim the Book of Mormon is “true.” We say that the Gospel is “true.” But what does this mean? What is “truth?”
The Digital Age of Missionary Work
The task of the Christian today, as in the past, is to preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the methods used today are different from those of the past, as the world has changed and the tools have also changed with it.
Christ and the Spirit of Ubuntu
The following was originally posted March 17, 2018
“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” -John 17:22
The early Christians were different than what people see Christians as today. They were pacifists, they enjoyed communal living, and their focus was on love. One might say they embodied the spirit of ubuntu.
What Is Zion?
At the heart of Zion is self-governance, the inward discipline to align your life with truth and love. It is not about external control, it is about Christlike maturity.
Taking the Book of Mormon at Its Word
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” -Joel 2:28
We, as Latter Day Saints, claim to be living in the last days. When we look at the life of Joseph Smith Jr., his visions and revelations, it does appear to be the case. Before, during, and after the translation of the Book of Mormon he received numerous dreams, visions, and revelations. And it wasn’t only him. Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith Sr., Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and other also received dreams, visions, and revelations. Truly the Spirit of God was poured out, and Joel’s prophecy was coming true! (See Joel 2:28)
A Broken or Pierced Heart, and a Contrite Spirit
There seems to be a duality between a hardened heart and a broken heart. The hardened heart is egoism, thinking and feeling as if we are separate from everything else, alone, and creating a need to compete, fight, and save ourselves. The open heart is when we can see that we are connected to everything and everyone else, creating a need to fulfill a bigger picture. A hard heart likens us to a single celled organism, while a broken heart makes us a functional cell in an entire body.
Tearing Down Social Walls
“God, the Eternal Creator, weeps for the poor, displaced, mistreated, and diseased of the world because of their unnecessary suffering; such conditions are not God’s will. Open your ears to hear the pleading of mothers and fathers in all nations who desperately seek a future of hope for their children. Do not turn away from them. For in their welfare resides your welfare.” —Doctrines of the Saints 2e:25-26 (Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants 163:4a)
Fear has no place in worship, and only succeeds in expanding the divide between cultures and beliefs. Are there places where Christians could be stoned to death for their beliefs today? Yes. But there are still plenty of places where racism, anti-semitic, anti-Islam, and homophobic thinking is so prevalent that lives have been lost. The only way to improve the status quo is to teach our children to understand the differences we all share, and teach them to love and care for all people, as Christ did.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s message was one of social and economic equality. Today it is easy to underestimate the complexity of this issue. His message, his dream, was one of true equality–not just racial equality. Race and gender are parts of this much larger and very complex puzzle.
Why I am a Mormon
“Mormonism is the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ; of which I myself am not ashamed.” – Joseph Smith Jr.
My name is David Ferriman, and I am a Mormon. What does that mean? The Latter Day Saint movement is very different from our sister Christian movements in that our view of Matthew 16:18, what the rock is that the Church will be built upon. The Church, of course, is you and me—all Christians.
A Shared Sense of Purpose
To be successful, faith communities typically create a shared sense of purpose and unity through worship and devotion. In the Fellowship of Christ, our goal is to ensure that all members of the community feel included and valued, regardless of their background or beliefs. This means that standardized forms of worship and devotion will not always be used. Each congregation will find what works best for them. And what works for them should not get locked down as if written in stone. They should work to offer a variety of worship styles and programs that cater to different local interests and needs, always evolving and moving forward.
This can become problematic as there may be those who do not want to support every type of service. It becomes important then to encourage regular attendance to help to build a sense of collective identity and belonging, so that no one left out, and none left behind.
What is Faith, and Why is it Important?
There is more than one answer as to what faith is. It means different things to different people.