What Mormons Believe: Sexual Purity Blesses Our Lives

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This article is from the July 2010 Ensign.

To check out PDFs of past Ensigns visit here.

If you'd like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints vist here.

The Church Responds to HRC Petition

To read the position of the Church when it comes to same sex attraction and regarding this petition continue on and read the article at this link:

Church Responds to HRC Petition

Here is just a small portion of the article:

"While we disagree with the Human Rights Campaign on many fundamentals, we also share some common ground. This past week we have all witnessed tragic deaths across the country as a result of bullying or intimidation of gay young men. We join our voice with others in unreserved condemnation of acts of cruelty or attempts to belittle or mock any group or individual that is different – whether those differences arise from race, religion, mental challenges, social status, sexual orientation or for any other reason. Such actions simply have no place in our society.

This Church has felt the bitter sting of persecution and marginalization early in our history, when we were too few in numbers to adequately protect ourselves and when society’s leaders often seemed disinclined to help. Our parents, young adults, teens and children should therefore, of all people, be especially sensitive to the vulnerable in society and be willing to speak out against bullying or intimidation whenever it occurs, including unkindness toward those who are attracted to others of the same sex. This is particularly so in our own Latter-day Saint congregations. Each Latter-day Saint family and individual should carefully consider whether their attitudes and actions toward others properly reflect Jesus Christ’s second great commandment - to love one another."

To read it in it's entirety visit HERE.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Compliments

I hope that each one of us will be a better husband or wife, kinder to one another, more thoughtful, more restrained in criticism, and more generous with compliments.

(Gordon B. Hinckley, A Time of New Beginnings.)

As grateful partners look for the good in each other and sincerely pay compliments to one another, wives and husbands will strive to become the persons described in those compliments.(Russell M. Nelson, Nurturing Marriage.)

I try to not be a particularly naggy or critical wife but I know that I fail in this area sometimes but I hope not too often. But as I have read over these quotes the thought crossed my mind that even though I may not be overly critical I don't think I am very generous or consistent in giving compliments to my wonderful husband. He really is wonderful.

Although I am not perfect at giving compliments one of my biggest pet peeves are the actions of those I'd like to call "Spouse-Beater-Downers". You know what I am talking about-the people that tend to tell you every negative thing their spouse has done or said or not done or not said. It would make me so sad to hear that my husband was out telling everyone the dumb things I've said or done. I hope to be a "Spouse-Builder-Upper". I hope that whenever I speak of my husband, whether he is present or not, I can share only the kind and wonderful things he does for me and our family.

Once again I think I can learn a lesson or two from my little boy. Here are a few recent statements of encouragement/compliments he has made to me:

Example 1:

"Mom, you're precious."

"What does precious mean."

"Important."

Example 2:

I couldn't get his button done on his shirt and this is what he said when I finally succeeded:

"You did it Mom! Whoo-hoo! Way to go, I'm proud of you."

Example 3:

While eating lunch-

"Mmm-mmm, tastey, tastey."

I hope that we all can strive to give more words of encouragement, more sincere compliments, and leave the negative, critical, or discouraging words alone. I love the thought that compliments can stretch us to become better as we strive to truly become what the compliment describes. Let us give more sincere compliments to those we love.

Temple Covenants

Well, it is time that I come back and give one of my follow up posts to Covenants for All Members: It's Time for a Review (you can read about the covenants that all Church members make at this post). I thought it was fitting to post about the covenants we make in temples after my last post.

Again I hope that sharing these covenants will serve as a review to all of us. Elder Ballard's words truly show how important this is, “A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort” (Ensign, May 1987, 14).

Again the list of covenants and promised blessings comes from the Eternal Marriage Student Manual.

Temple Endowment -

We covenant to:

“Observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King,—the Lord Jesus Christ” (James E. Talmage, House of the Lord, 84).

Blessings Promised:

1. “With the taking of each covenant and the assuming of each obligation a promised blessing is pronounced, contingent upon the faithful observance of the conditions” (Talmage, House of the Lord, 84).
2. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the endowment was designed to give us “a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 324), “to prepare the disciples for their missions unto the world” (p. 274), to prevent us from being “overcome by these evils” (p. 259), and to enable us “to secure the fullness of those blessings which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn” (p. 237).
3. President Gordon B. Hinckley in the dedicatory prayer of the Vernal Utah Temple said, “We pray that Thou wilt visit it, and may Thy Holy Spirit dwell here to sanctify it and make it holy unto all who enter its portals” (“We Thank Thee for This Sacred Structure,” Church News, 8 Nov. 1997, 4). Through the temple endowment, we may seek “a fulness of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 109:15). Temple ordinances are seen as a means for receiving inspiration and instruction through the Holy Spirit and for preparing to return to God’s presence.


Celestial Marriage -

Couples who promise to abide the law of celestial marriage:

• Covenant in pure love to remain faithful to each other and to God through all eternity.
• Covenant to confine their intimate affections and sexual relations to each other.
• Commit to live in ways that contribute to happy and successful family life.
• Covenant “to ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth’ (Gen. 1:28). A primary purpose of temple marriage in this life is to grow and mature in sharing God’s creative work in raising a family in righteousness. Parents enter into a partnership with God by participating in the procreation of mortal bodies, which house the spirit children of God” (in Ludlow, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 2:859).

Blessings Promised:

1. Husbands and wives will receive eternal life in the world to come, the glory of the celestial kingdom (see D&C 88:4; Moses 6:59).
2. They shall become gods with all power and “shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers” (D&C 132:19).
3. They shall obtain exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial glory (see D&C 131:1–4).
4. They will come to know God the Father and Jesus Christ (see D&C 132:48–50).