The Book of Mormon: The Book of Mormon is a record similar to the Bible, only of the people living on the American continent, primarily the ancestors of Native Americans. It tells of Jesus Christ's visit to these people following his resurrection and how he taught them the Sermon on the Mount and many other things that he also taught in Jerusalem.
In John 10:16 Christ teaches, "And other sheep I have; which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." We believe that the Book of Mormon people are some of the other sheep that would hear his voice.
The Temple: As Jesus taught, baptism is essential for salvation. John 3:5 ". . . Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" But what about those who never have an opportunity to learn of Christ or be baptized? We believe that a loving and merciful God provides an opportunity for ALL of His children to receive the saving ordinance of baptism and other important ordinances. In the temple we perform these ordinances.
Here is a short video, including interviews with two Harvard professors not of our faith, describing why we build temples and how it restores the teachings of temples in the Bible:
A Living Prophet: Just as Adam, Moses, Noah and others spoke for God and led their people, we believe that likewise God has placed living prophets on the earth today to guide and warn His people. Noah warned the people of the impending flood, our prophets prepared us for world financial difficulties. In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared the following:
"I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.
"So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.
"We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed."
General Conference, 1998By and large the economy in 1998 was very good and we had little reason to think it wouldn't remain that way. But now we can see the wisdom in not living on the edge of our incomes, in setting aside some savings for a rainy day.
Isn't it wonderful that God loves us, just as He loved people in ancient biblical times, enough to guide us through the tumultuous times we are living in?
Our prophet today is President Thomas S. Monson. For a collection of his recent addresses, visit here
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