Mar

26

The Fall of Adam is one of those doctrines that really differentiate the Mormon Church from almost any other Christian Church. The main consequence is to see Adam’s Fall as a blessing and not only as a step back, in fact, it was a step forward that brought positive and negative consequences on the human race.

An important related issue, however, is that Mormons do not believe that Adam’s transgression was a breach of the law of chastity. According to Mormon doctrine, Adam and Eve were already married before partaking of fruit and therefore they could not sin in the sense most Christians believe. Adam’s transgression included partaking of a food that would make Adam and Eve mortals. They choose to do so to be able to have children.

These concepts may help to understand the following quote:

The Fall was not a disaster. It wasn’t a mistake or an accident. It was a deliberate part of the plan of salvation. We are God’s spirit ‘offspring,’ sent to earth ‘innocent’ of Adam’s transgression. Yet our Father’s plan subjects us to temptation and misery in this fallen world as the price to comprehend authentic joy. Without tasting the bitter, we actually cannot understand the sweet. We require mortality’s discipline and refinement as the ‘next step in [our] development’ toward becoming like our Father. But growth means growing pains. It also means learning from our mistakes in a continual process made possible by the Savior’s grace, which He extends both during and ‘after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23).”

Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All,” Ensign, May 2004, 97

Mar

24

I am not an American citizen so that I can’t vote in the presidential elections. However, I am still curious and more than curious to see who the American people will choose as their president.

Being a members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also know as the Mormon Church I could not avoid being interested in the possibility of Mitt Romney become the President of the United States. The Mormon Church is in favor of a complete separation between churches and the state and it will never influence a political campaign, but individual members of the church have the duty to participate in the public life of this nation in many ways, including voting or running for public offices.

In Utah most votes go to the Republican party, but Mormons are free to vote for men and women in both parties. Probably the most prominent Mormon politician, at least in terms of office held, is currently Harry Reid, who is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader and is a democrat.

Since the beginning of the campaign, however, I could clearly realize that being a Mormon can be tolerated in a U.S. Senate Majority Leader or in a governor, but not in a U.S. President.

I noticed how parts of the Evangelical world was in strong opposition to Mitt Romney, in spite of he being aligned with many of their ideals, and without the support of the Evangelicals, it is almost impossible to obtain the nomination in the Republican party. I wonder now if they are happy with Senator John McCain, who seems to me farther removed from their ideals.

In short, it seem clear that Americans, in 2008, is not ready for a Mormon president. On the other hand, they may be ready for a woman or an African-American. This is absolutely a good sign, and I hope that in a few more years they will be ready to accept the possibility of having a Mormon for president, focusing on his or her virtues and ideals, and not on their fears and bias.

Mar

18

Another good story about the More Good Foundation. This time from the Daily Herald:

For better or for worse, people trust the Internet. When it comes to finding information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often it’s for worse — especially if you’re someone who has an interest in helping the church to spread its doctrines. Jim Engebretsen remembers getting a taste of what the Internet has to say about Mormonism while serving as president of an LDS proselytizing mission in Oklahoma.

Link to the full article, Web of Reception

Mar

17

A great new website has been created by the Church about the Savior. Using the teachings and testimonies of apostles and prophets, JesusChrist.lds.org affirms our faith in the Son of God.

Now, even a computer-animated video featuring the March 2008 special issue of the Ensign and Liahona is available on the new Web site SpecialMagazine.lds.org. The video testifies of the Savior Jesus Christ and visually outlines the contents of the issue, which is focused exclusively on Him. It describes the messages and testimonies included in the magazine and emphasizes the central position of Jesus Christ in Church members’ worship. The video can be linked to or downloaded and e-mailed to those who may be interested in the message or in obtaining a copy of the magazines for themselves.

The More Good Foundation has also launched a new website about the life and teaching of the Savior Christ.org.

Mar

14

One of YouTube’s community rules is:

We encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view. But we don’t permit hate speech (speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity).

However, in spite of this rule, the very first video that comes up for the search term “Mormon” is a horrible, hateful video titled “Cartoon banned by the Mormon church,” which was created by the “God Makers.”

It’s very important to note that it’s not only Mormons who are appalled by this, but so is the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The NCCJ committee sent a letter to “Concerned Christians” which stated, among other things, that,

The film does not fairly portray the Mormon Church, Mormon history, or Mormon belief. It makes extensive use of half-truths, faulty generalizations, sensationalism, and is not reflective of the true spirit of Mormon faith. We find particularly offensive the emphasis that Mormonism is some sort of subversive plot-a danger to the community, a threat to the institution of marriage, and destructive to the mental health of teenagers. We are of the opinion that the film relies heavily on appeals to fear, prejudice and unworthy human emotions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Makers_(film)

Why has YouTube allowed this hate video about the Mormon Religion to be on their site for so long? If it was about another faith, would it be taken down already?

We, at the More Good Foundation, are asking everyone of every faith to take a stand with us and flag this video. To do this, you will need a http://www.YouTube.com account. It’s free and easy to sign up. If you have any problems, please let me know and I can help walk you through it. Once you have an account, you can search for the word Mormon. Click on the video, and below the video to the right, you will see an option to flag it and you can select the reason why, such as “Hateful or abusive content”.

Mar

11

This is something that President Gordon B. Hinckley said in 1981: a prophet is a prophet, especially a Mormon prophet!

“With the growth of the Church, we likely could never build a hall large enough to accommodate all who would wish to assemble in oneplace. Nor would accelerating travel costs make possible their coming. The gifts of science have provided a more convenient way. We are confident that as the work of the Lord expands, he will inspire men to develop the means whereby the membership of the Church, wherever they may be, can be counseled in an intimate and personal way by his chosen prophet. Communication is the sinew that binds the Church as one great family. Between those facilities which are now available and those which are on the horizon, we shall be able to converse one with another according to the needs and circumstances of thetime.” (October 1981 Conference)

The Internet is providing us with the tools we need for improving and accelerate communication among members and with friends of other faiths. It would be impossible to spread the Gospel among billions of people on the earth without the Internet. I am sure that in the days ahead we will see even greater developments and miracles.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCOS4dIm1hk

Full talk:
http://tinyurl.com/22kfc4

Mar

3

Recently the Daily Universe (BYU newpaper) published a nice article about the More Good Foundation and what we do to help the Church spread the Gospel online:

“Blogging about a conversion story or about a favorite scripture may seem strange. However, there are an increasing number of members going online to share their beliefs. The More Good Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Orem, Utah helps members do just that.

Jim Engebretsen, assistant dean of Corporate Relations at the BYU Marriott School, was serving as a mission president in Oklahoma from 1998 to 2001. Missionaries told him they were being turned down after investigators searched about Mormons on the Internet and found anti-Mormon websites. Engebretsen decided that something needed to be done and two and a half years ago, the More Good Foundation was started.

The foundation receives its name from Joseph Smith, who stated that Mormon meant “more good.” The goal is to provide a non-authoritative voice that promotes LDS beliefs and encourages members to share their beliefs with the world.”

Link to the full article: Called to Blog: Fighting for the Church Online

Mar

3

The Mormon Church released an important video clip about using the Internet for spreading the Gospel. Elder Russell M. Nelson said the Internet will help the Apostles fulfill their responsibility to preach the Gospel to all the world:

“The Internet is a very excellent way of promoting the word of God. We have confidence in this medium. We know it will appeal to a lot of people. We take seriously the responsibility that we have.”

The video is about 3 minutes long and you can watch it here:
New Web Site Focuses on Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ

I am really grateful to see how the Church of Jesus Christ is moving forward embracing the Internet as one of the main roads to spread the Gospel on the earth. A lot more needs to be done, but this is just the beginning.