Why I Believe - Part 3 - The Spirit World

Part 1 | Part 2

Everyone knows I'm a Mormon. Seriously, everyone. There have been several times when missionaries have told me that some person they met on the street, usually a person I barely even know, has told them they know me. Even more often, I get messages from people saying they've offered the missionaries a glass of water/paid for their ice cream/not slammed a door in their faces/smiled at them on my behalf. (Thanks, guys!) 

What I don't think so many people know is why I believe. (Usually asked as "why I gave up sweet tea and frappes.") The simple answer is that it's true and it's changed my life - but that's not the answer anyone wants. What they want to hear is more complicated, and I can be hesitant to share those details at a holiday dinner or in the middle of the market. I'm more than happy to share in other settings, but most people don't want to come join my Sunday school class or schedule a 45 minute discussion. 

So, I've picked 5 principles of the gospel - basic things Mormons believe - that contribute the most to my personal testimony. Mormons believe a lot more than just this, most of it exactly the same as any other Christian church, but these are 5 things that I feel most strongly tie my beliefs to this specific church. 

The Spirit World 

The Spirit World was my VERY FIRST favorite thing when I was learning about this church!

When I was younger, I struggled greatly with the idea that anyone who died without hearing about Christ or who never gained faith in Him would be sentenced to spend eternity in Hell. I clearly remember a preacher describing the image of one who was suffering horribly in Hell begging those in Heaven for even a drop of water, and the people in Heaven ignoring that request. That thought has always horrified me. Who would want to be in Heaven while knowing other people are suffering and you're not allowed to help? That concept was much of what led to my disbelief in God.

As soon as I heard this aspect of the Plan of Salvation, my heart was opened to the idea that maybe one Christian church could be true.

When we die, our physical bodies are separated from our spirits, and our spirits go to a place called the Spirit World. It's a place of waiting and rest, but also a place of learning and work. From the time of our death until the resurrection, when we'll finally be judged, we'll be engaged in teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were unable to learn about Him during their mortal lives.

In the Spirit World, there are two conditions. The first, "Paradise" is for those who accepted Christ and lived His gospel to the best of their ability. The other, "Prison," is for those who did not. I think of Paradise and Prison as states of mind. I imagine that if I leave this mortal life and realize I didn't do what I came to earth to do, I'll be pretty anguished. Those who were faithful will minister to those who weren't, helping them to repent and leave that state of sorrow.

That's one of my absolute favorite things about this religion: we don't believe anyone will be doomed to suffer for eternity just because of the circumstances in which they were born. We send out missionaries to preach to people during mortality because of the great joy the gospel brings to our lives, not because we believe those who never hear about Christ will be damned.

I know that when I die, I won't have to stand idly by knowing that others are suffering for their ignorance of the gospel. I can continue to teach others of Christ's goodness and what He's done for each of them. Even after death, I can keep following Christ's example. No brother or sister who wants to return to Heavenly Father's presence has to be left behind.

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Why I Believe - Part 2 - The Priesthood

Part one of this series can be found here.

Everyone knows I'm a Mormon. Seriously, everyone. There have been several times when missionaries have told me that some person they met on the street, usually a person I barely even know, has told them they know me. Even more often, I get messages from people saying they've offered the missionaries a glass of water/paid for their ice cream/not slammed a door in their faces/smiled at them on my behalf. (Thanks, guys!) 

What I don't think so many people know is why I believe. (Usually asked as "why I gave up sweet tea and frappes.") The simple answer is that it's true and it's changed my life - but that's not the answer anyone wants. What they want to hear is more complicated, and I can be hesitant to share those details at a holiday dinner or in the middle of the market. I'm more than happy to share in other settings, but most people don't want to come join my Sunday school class or schedule a 45 minute discussion. 

So, I've picked 5 principles of the gospel - basic things Mormons believe - that contribute the most to my personal testimony. Mormons believe a lot more than just this, most of it exactly the same as any other Christian church, but these are 5 things that I feel most strongly tie my beliefs to this specific church. 

The Priesthood

The priesthood is the power and authority of God to act in His name for the benefit and salvation of His children.

In my church, almost every man has been ordained to hold the priesthood. However, this doesn't mean that all those men are pastors or preachers as other churches think of "the priesthood," nor does it mean that women aren't able to access the priesthood power.

The priesthood is most commonly thought of in relation to priesthood ordinances such as baptism, blessing and passing the sacrament (communion), and giving priesthood blessings. Those ordinances can only be performed by those individuals who have been ordained to hold the priesthood. Additionally, one who holds the priesthood has no access to its power when he isn't worthy to do so. The powers of Heaven can only be used upon the principles of righteousness (D&C 121:34-45).

That same power is also available to anyone authorized to do God's work, regardless of whether they've been ordained to hold the priesthood, so long as they're worthy. I've seen that power magnified in my own life countless times as I've worked to fulfill my callings and serve the people around me.

My testimony of the priesthood is strong, and it's grown over time. For a while, I struggled greatly with the idea that imperfect and sometimes willfully cruel or negligent human beings can wield the power and authority of God. It amazes me that He trusts anyone with that gift, but I know that He does, and I'm forever grateful.

My testimony of the priesthood is mostly based on the miracle of priesthood blessings. A priesthood blessing is when one who holds the priesthood lays his hands upon someone in need of healing, comfort, or counsel and gives voice to the blessing Heavenly Father wants that person to hear. We believe that the words spoken during priesthood blessings are inspired by God and the Holy Ghost.

Just this week, I received a priesthood blessing because I was ill and needed to leave the Girls Camp where I was serving as a leader. As soon as two priesthood holders laid their hands on my head and began to speak, my soul felt lightened. I felt the Holy Ghost pour into me, assuring me of the things I most needed to know.

Another priesthood blessing that will always stand out in my memory is one of the many I received from the missionaries during my last semester of college. I became violently ill during the priesthood session of our church's semiannual General Conference - a time when everyone who holds the priesthood was engaged in a worship service set aside to spiritually uplift and nourish them. I felt bad for drawing them away, but I sent a text to several of my missionary friends. Two of them responded right away and came to give me a blessing.

Earlier that day, I had felt that I should ask a certain missionary for a blessing, but I'd hesitated to do so. It just so happened that the one who dropped everything to come help me was the same person. As he spoke, I knew not only that I truly needed to hear the exact words he had to say, but also that he personally had no idea what was happening in my life that made them so needed. The things he said weren't easy to hear, but I have no doubt they were inspired by God because He knew everything on my mind.

Priesthood blessings such as those have carried me through many difficult days in the past five years. I couldn't tell you how many I've received, but I've been touched by and grateful for each and every one. It's a tremendous blessing (HA!) to be able to hear the words Heavenly Father wants me to hear spoken aloud. I've never been blessed with miraculous physical healing, and I neither expect nor want to be. What I have been blessed with is the knowledge that Heavenly Father knows and loves me, that Christ is with me in all of my mortal trials, and that the power of God is always accessible to me.

We don't usually take photos of priesthood ordinances being performed, so all I have is stock images provided by lds.org. I am neither a beautiful young mother nor a sick little boy. 

Why I Believe - Part 1 - Premortal Life

Everyone knows I'm a Mormon. Seriously, everyone. There have been several times when missionaries have told me that some person they met on the street, usually a person I barely even know, has told them they know me. Even more often, I get messages from people saying they've offered the missionaries a glass of water/paid for their ice cream/not slammed a door in their faces/smiled at them on my behalf. (Thanks, guys!) 

What I don't think so many people know is why I believe. (Usually asked as "why I gave up sweet tea and frappes.") The simple answer is that it's true and it's changed my life - but that's not the answer anyone wants. What they want to hear is more complicated, and I can be hesitant to share those details at a holiday dinner or in the middle of the market. I'm more than happy to share in other settings, but most people don't want to come join my Sunday school class or schedule a 45 minute discussion. 

So, I've picked 5 principles of the gospel - basic things Mormons believe - that contribute the most to my personal testimony. Mormons believe a lot more than just this, most of it exactly the same as any other Christian church, but these are 5 things that I feel most strongly tie my beliefs to this specific church. 

Pre-mortal Life 

One of the easiest ways of explaining our core beliefs is through the Plan of Salvation. Simply put, it's the roadmap to our lives, focused on Heavenly Father's plan for the salvation of His children. The first point I want to talk about is the first point on the map: pre-mortal life. 

Where did I come from? Why am I here? 

Each of us is made up of both a physical body and a spirit, or soul. Our spirits were created by Heavenly Father long before the creation of our physical bodies. Until our spirits and our bodies were joined, we lived with our Heavenly Father. We knew him well, and we also knew one another. Everything was pretty much hunky-dory. 

Like any good parent, Heavenly Father wanted to see His children maximize our potential. During our pre-earth life, He taught us as much as we could understand, preparing us for everything that would come next. There were some things, though, that we just couldn't understand for ourselves until we had the opportunity to leave our Father's presence and experience mortality. So, life happens. 

This is obviously a huge simplification, and if you want to know more of what we believe, I'd be happy to explain. 

The concept of pre-earth life is one of the first things that drew me to this faith. It just makes sense to me. When I was learning the gospel, there were a lot of things that felt familiar, like I really already knew them and I was just now being reminded. There have been people in my life who I've met and felt like I've known them for ages, especially my sister. 

The notion of having existed premortally and having chosen to live this life also helps answer a lot of questions I've always struggled with in other denominations, like why some people are born with disabilities and other handicaps like extreme poverty. The main answers to those questions that I've gotten from other religions seem to be (1) stuff just happens to certain people for no reason, (2) some people are pre-destined to have less faith (or something) and thus are being punished in some way, or (3) we're all punished for Adam's sin. (That's a whole other can of worms.) 

Learning that I lived as a spirit with knowledge of what trials I would face in this life, and that I agreed to them with faith in Christ to redeem me from them, answered those questions I had wrestled with for my entire life. 

My belief in the doctrinal principle of pre-mortal existence is so strong that I simply can't imagine believing in any religion that doesn't teach it. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who knows and loves me perfectly. I know that I once knew Him well, although my memory of Him has faded. I know that my personality, inclinations, and spiritual gifts were formed before I ever took a breath, and that I inherited divine qualities from God just as I inherited physical traits from my mother and father. I know there's a purpose to this life for all of us, and there's a specific purpose for my life as well. 

I don't have to seek those answers from studying and interpreting the scriptures on my own, although they're there, and neither did I have to rely on the word of any priest. These are things that I've come to know to be true through prayer and witnesses from the Holy Ghost. 

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