Monday, October 17, 2011

Mormons and Cults

Recently my religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), has been forced under the spotlight and received a lot of media coverage due to some not so flattering remarks from Pastor Jeffress. You might think that his comments are "bad publicity" for the LDS church, but I think that it is great. Ya, there might be some people out there who think Mormons are members of a "cult", but the majority of those people decided that long before Pastor Jeffress said anything. But I hope and believe that for the majority of Americans this has merely made them wonder what Mormons are really all about.

And that is the part I think is great. I want more people to know who we are, to understand what we actually believe, and to know that we are normal (or at least semi-normal) people. So we are devoted to our religion, we go to church for three hours every Sunday, we read scriptures everyday, we pray multiple times a day, we don't drink alcohol or coffee, and we don't smoke (or at least we strive to do/not do all these things). But that is only a portion of what we are devoted to. Our true devotion comes in the form of our belief in God our Heavenly Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and  in modern-day revelation thru living Prophets and Apostles.

If that devotion is what it means to be in a "cult" then yes, I am in a cult and I am proud of it. Mormons might be a little quirky or in some instances just plain weird, but we are really just a community of people trying to live the best lives we know how by following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and by sharing that with those around us.

This church has given  my life purpose, drive, and understanding and has brought me only happiness and joy as I have tried to live my life by its teachings. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints defines who I am and the man I am striving to become.


I invite all of you to ask me if you have any questions about my faith. I can't promise that I have all the answers, but I love sharing what I do know and believe with others. But if you would rather not ask me since you get sick of hearing my voice, I would invite you to go to www.mormon.org to better understand my faith and that of Mormons around the globe.

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