What about the man in China? Temples and Family History

Pictured: A man in China

In order to enter the Kingdom of God, you have to have faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repent, be baptized by someone holding Priesthood Authority, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. That's all fine and dandy if you live in a nation with religious freedom and missionaries that are allowed to knock on your door. But what if you're a poor man in rural China who lived a good life, but died without ever finding out that Jesus Christ exists? Is he damned for eternity? Nope!

In the afterlife, we'll either go to a spirit paradise or spirit prison, which is a lot like a spirit school. Jesus Christ opened the way for missionary work to go on in the spirit world so we can learn about Him even after we've died. So if this man in China would have accepted Christ while he was alive, he can accept Christ after he has died. God is just and fair and gives this opportunity to all His children, no matter where they live.

Hamilton New Zealand Temple

However, accepting Christ isn't enough. We have to be baptized and make other covenants in the temple, and these can only be done while we're alive and have a body. That's where we come in. At the temple, we perform saving ordinances for and in behalf of our deceased ancestors. They still have the same personality and their agency to accept or reject the work we've done for them. We can't force anyone, alive or dead, to be a Mormon or a member of Jesus Christ's church. But it's important that they at least have that option.

This is why it's so important to do our Family History. You have ancestors waiting to get their temple work done, and they're eager for it to be done before the Millennium -- tomorrow if possible.Get started finding your ancestors so their temple work can be done. So visit your local Family History Center today! Even if you can't get started on your own family history just yet, you can help others do theirs by volunteering to do indexing. Soon, you will feel the Spirit of Elijah working in you!

Family History is Fun!

Can I go shopping on Sunday?

The Short Answer: Ask God.

The Long Answer: Mormons make up a lot of little rules, and this isn't always a bad thing. They're personal commandments they follow so they can obey Jesus Christ more exactly. For instance, a lot of Mormons don't drink caffeine. The Word of Wisdom says not to have hot drinks, or Coffee and Tea. It doesn't say not to consume caffeine, but to keep from being addicted to anything, a lot of Mormons don't drink caffeinated drinks. At the same time, plenty of Mormons enjoy their Diet Coke. It's really a matter to discuss with the Lord.

In the same vein are the "Mormon Prohibited Sunday Activities:" working, shopping, housework, sports, movies, etc. The list can go on. Anything that can be done on any other day of the week and that could detract from the Spirit should be avoided. Of course, sometimes you have to go into work one Sunday, or your kid has a cold so you have to run into the store and grab some cough syrup. These situations are understandable, but they shouldn't become habits. Try as best as you can to not work on Sundays. At the very least, try to make it to church.

The better question to ask is, "What should I do on Sundays?" Go to church, visit your family, visit the sick or elderly, do service, go to a fireside, study the scriptures, watch an uplifting movie, etc. Anything that will help you remember our Savior and feel closer to the Spirit. There are many blessings that come from keeping the Sabbath Day holy, and we want you to fully enjoy all of them.

What are some good Sabbath Day activities you enjoy?

Can I wear Garments like a Camisole or Tank Top?

The Short Answer: No.

The Long Answer: What you're probably seeing at church are women wearing camisoles and tank tops under their blouses so they don't show their garments. More than just covering up our garments, it's a way that we maintain our modesty, which is something we worked on before we even went to the temple.

  

The standards of modesty upheld by the world and the ones upheld by the Church are different. Generally, what the world considers modest is usually considered immodest by the Church. That's not to say we're prudes, but we want to hold ourselves to a higher standard. The missionaries might not have explained this standard to you, or may have figured that after attending church for a while, you'd pick it up.

In my personal experience, the rule of thumb in my home was that I wore clothes that I could wear garments under when I eventually received my endowments. That means shirts or blouses with full sleeves, not cap sleeves, and a neckline that doesn't show cleavage. Skirts and shorts reach to an inch or two above the knees or longer. No clothing is tight or revealing in any way. Men also wear shirts with sleeves and shorts that are similarly long, and no clothing is tight or revealing in any way. Most importantly, pants should not sag! That's just dumb! With these standards, garments should not show at all.

But if you haven't gone to the temple to receive your endowments yet, why should you still follow these guidelines? Our bodies are sacred temples. How we treat them shows our respect for God and our gratitude for this precious gift. This includes the way we dress and present ourselves. When we dress modestly, we invite the Spirit's presence and have a good influence on others. If we dress so that undue attention is brought to certain parts of our body, it can encourage thoughts and actions that lead to breaking the Law of Chastity. Better to have the Spirit, I say.

As members of the Church, people are watching us. They notice what we don't eat, what we don't say, and what we wear. In an effort to avoid all appearance of evil, let us dress so that everyone knows that we know we are Sons and Daughters of God, and we have respect for the bodies He gave us.

Repent every day? I'm not THAT bad: A Guest Post by Sister Yates

What's all this talk about "Repent every day?"

Don't get offended by this common Mormon term.  It doesn't mean you're a sinner, sinful, awful person.  It simply means that we are all imperfect and need to change.

To clarify, repentance is:
 "...a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Since we are born into conditions of mortality, repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined. Without this there can be no progress in the things of the soul’s salvation, for all accountable persons are stained by sin and must be cleansed in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Repentance is not optional for salvation; it is a commandment of God." (Repentance, Bible Dictionary)

As it says in the Bible Dictionary, repentance is a change of heart, opinion, life direction, etc.  It doesn't just mean you stop sinning.  Repentance is encouraged each day so we can continually be close to God, and the Holy Ghost so we can receive the guidance and direction needed to return to Heavenly Father.

Ask yourself: Am I someone the Holy Ghost can be around? Is there anything in my daily conduct that needs some improvement? With these questions in mind, don't be overly hard on yourself.  We all, no matter how long we've been Mormon, have room to improve on this.  We are not perfect, but the Lord has asked that we strive for perfection, and the only way we can even begin to achieve that is through repentance.

You may be wondering, "What do I need to repent of?" The world we live in is full of unclean things. We are told in Alma 11:37, "no unclean thing can live in the presence of God."  Therefore, we need to be mindful of things such as:
-Worldly Entertainment: "Would Christ feel comfortable with this music/TV show/ movie, etc.?"
-Vulgar Language: "Would I say that if Christ were in the room?"
-Gossip: "Would the Lord ever say that about any of His children?"
-Anger: "Would this situation be something God becomes angry about?"

These are just a few examples of everyday struggles and unclean things that we, as imperfect humans, need to over come.   

How to Write a Talk

Uh oh. The Bishop just asked you to give a talk next week in Sacrament Meeting. From the sound of every Sacrament Talk Ever, this is something most people avoid. You're not a public speaker. Why couldn't the Bishop have asked Brother Smith who has something to say for every question in the Gospel Doctrines class?

Relax. This doesn't have to be a big deal. Almost no one who gives a talk in Sacrament Meeting is an experienced public speaker. I took debate for three years to gain some confidence to speak at church, and I still get nervous. However, as long as you are prepared, the Spirit will fill your mouth and you will touch the hearts of everyone in the congregation.

Step One: Identify your Topic
   This is usually pretty easy because the Bishop just gives it to you. If the Bishop gave you free reign, pray about it. If he gave you a talk to speak on, boil it down to one or two words. Then take some time to meditate on it.

Step Two: Research
    This step should take most of your time. Spend a few hours or days just doing research on your topic.
Scriptures
Church Magazines
LDS.org for basically everything else
True to the Faith is a great resource for simplified definitions of gospel topics.
Preach My Gospel can help a lot too.

Step Three: Write an Outline
    This is just like writing an essay. Remember how you thought, "I've graduated from school. I'll never have to write another essay ever again!" Well, you were sadly mistaken.
     The ward loves to hear your personal experiences, so don't avoid using them because you think you're boring. You are awesome and unique and stuff. Your experiences helped build your testimony, so use them.
     This is my favorite outline. Change up the order or add/delete stuff as needed.

Introduce yourself and your topic

Point One

     -Scripture

     -Quote from a talk

     -Personal experience

Point Two

     -Scripture

     -Quote from a talk

     -Personal experience

Point Three

     -Scripture

     -Quote from a talk

     -Personal experience

Close with Testimony on topic

Step Four: Flesh it Out (optional)
    Some people like to speak from an outline. I do not. I like to write out my essay/talk/oration. The more research you've done, the easier this will be. The better you understand your topic, the simpler you will be in explaining it.

Step Five: Practice on your Cat
     Your cat will judge you far more than the ward will. Practicing will help you get out some of your jitters.

-or-

Step Five: Practice on an Unsuspecting Non-Member Friend

     Why not do some missionary work while you're working on your talk? Practice on a trusted friend who won't be mean, but can give you some constructive criticism.

Step Six: Give a Masterful Talk in Sacrament Meeting that goes Better Than Expected

     Prepare yourself for all of the compliments you will receive from the ward. It's not just an assignment; you have helped them feel spiritually uplifted.

-or-

Step Six: Ignore Your Outline or Pre-Written Talk Entirely as You Follow the Spirit When You Speak

     This happens to me more than I thought it would. It's entirely possible for the Spirit to give your talk for you, but you have to have something prepared and have done some of the work.

Congratulations! That wasn't too painful, was it? As an added bonus, you've learned far more about this particular topic than you ever thought you would. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn about any gospel topic. That's probably why Heavenly Father has us give talks in Sacrament meeting.