Introduction

There are reasons I decided to write this book. The first reason is for the glory of our Father in Heaven and to add this simple witness from myself to all the witnesses that have been borne before me, and will be borne in the future, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.It is a firm belief of mine that Christ, though a great prophet, was the divine and only Begotten Son of the Father. Unfortunately, there are many misunderstandings coming from a lack of information and knowledge about the Church of Jesus Christ.

Through this work I hope to express, with sincerity of heart, our beliefs as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. Christ is the center of our faith. "Mormons" are Christians. We are called Mormons because of an ancient record abridged by a prophet named Mormon, concerning the people living on the American continent. It is an ancient record that has been given to us, for the benefit of man, and is another witness of Jesus Christ as the Bible. The Book of Mormon gives us further light on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His life through the testimonies of ancient prophets, and an account of their civilization.

Accompanied with the Bible, the Book of Mormon helps us all to understand the divine mission of the Savior and the way He established His church on earth.Mormons love the Lord. We also love the people around us. Families are a divine gift from God that we want to preserve. We have a living religion, and strive to live it day after day.Mormons have a heritage of faith since the restoration of the Gospel in our day. The early Mormon pioneers set the example of faith, traveling in their wagons and handcarts across the United States so they could freely live their beliefs; sometimes sacrificing all they had to follow the commandments of the Lord. Because of the exceeding faith of these Mormon pioneers, great blessings were bestowed upon generation after generation.

Mormons are a “simple” people that have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord.Through studying the scriptures, we will see the teachings found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the teachings of Jesus Christ. He personally has established His Church. The doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in the Church are not man made, but rely on revelations given through prophets from the day of Adam to our day.I pray with sincerity of heart that these words, under the influence of the Spirit, may soften hearts and change opinions. It is my hope that through this book answers may be found. The gospel of Jesus Christ contains all the truth for those who diligently seek it.

This work uses ancient and latter-day revelations from the teachings of both ancient and modern-day prophets as a means of interpreting and understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.This work is not an official publication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints even though it explores some of the teachings of the Church.

The principles mentioned in this work focus only on the basics of our beliefs; the basics of Christ’s teachings while he was on earth. In this study, I will refer to the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of great price.1 This work also uses quotes from General Authorities of the Church.I express my love and deep respect to all the believers in God and His son Jesus Christ and hope that all non-believers may come to a certain knowledge and love of them.

Brief explanation of the standard scriptures used by latter-day saints

The Bible: The Bible is one of the most popular book in the entire world. It is the center of every Christian religion.The word Bible comes from the Greek word “ta biblia” meaning the books. The Bible is the compilation of different writings containing records of divine revelations and dealings of the Lord with His people in the Eastern Hemisphere.The Christian Bible is separated into two divisions; one being called the Old Testament and the other called the New Testament.The Old Testament deals with events between the creation of the earth to the birth of Christ. It represents the covenants (or promises) between the Lord and His people. This old covenant as it was given to them is known as the Law of Moses.The New Testament is a new covenant, which is known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.The birth of Christ in the meridian of time separated these two testaments.For this work, I used the King James Version and also the New Revised Second Version, prepared and published in France (for the translation in French).

The Book of Mormon: “The Book of Mormon is a volume of Holy Scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel2”The book of Mormon contains a record of three separate migrations of people from the Holy Land to the Western Hemisphere.The first one occurred about two thousand years before the birth of Christ. This group left the Holy Land at the time of the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues3. The book of Mormon records the dealings of God with those people called the Jaredites, after the name of their leader Jared, in the writings of Ether: “Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.4”It is recorded in the Bible, that at this time, the earth was divided in different masses separated by oceans. “ For in his days was the earth divided5”. The Book of Mormon proves this division by the record of these people scattered at that time.The second group departing from the Holy Land occurred about six hundred years before Christ. This group consisted of people living in Jerusalem, departing to the Americas. The prophet Lehi led this group after receiving the commandment from the Lord. Lehi was a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt 6 .

The Lord had made great covenants with Joseph: “ For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord, which he made unto Joseph.7”Jacob, Joseph’s father, gave one of these blessings to Joseph’s’ seed about 1800 years before Christ. The blessing to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh was that their seed “ may grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth 8”. Why would not this include the Americas?The third migration occurred five hundred and eighty seven years before Christ after the invasion of the Babylonians in Jerusalem. Mulek, according to the Book of Mormon, was the leader of this group. They were called the Mulekites. Around 200 years before Christ, the Mulekites were discovered by some descendants of the second group9 :“Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of Zarahemla (or Mulekites) came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. And they journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.”At that time, in the Bible, the Lord's prophet was Jeremiah. He prophesied “ Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them...And ye have done worse than your fathers.... Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not…10 “The Book of Mormon contains the dealings of these people with the Lord.“The crowning event, recorded in the Book of Mormon, is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites (descendants of Lehi) soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the Gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the hill Cumorah about 400 years after Jesus Christ. On September 21, 1823, this same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith11 and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved12”

The Doctrine and Covenants: “It is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the Kingdom of God on earth in the last days. Most of the revelations in this compilation were received through Joseph Smith Jun., the first prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through his chosen prophets for the restoration of his holy work and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth.13”In it, is recorded all the things Joseph Smith needed to know to restore the church of Jesus Christ.

The Pearl of Great Price: “The Pearl of Great Price is a selection of choice materials touching many significant aspects of the faith and doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These items were produced by the prophet Joseph Smith and were published in the Church periodicals of his day.14”From the Pearl of great price and for the purpose of this work, I decided to use:The selections from the book of Moses: As explained in the introduction of this book, the book of Moses is an extraction from the book of Genesis of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible.The book of Abraham: Also, mentioned in the introduction of this book, the book of Abraham is a translation from some Egyptian papyri that came into the hands of Joseph Smith in 1835, containing writings of Abraham.

Joseph Smith-History: it is an excerpt from Joseph Smith's official testimony and history, which he prepared in 1838.

The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: This is a statement by Joseph Smith published in the times and season, March 1, 1842


SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH

In 1820 Joseph Smith was a fourteen-year-old boy. He was living in the state of New York. His family consisted of eleven souls. His father Joseph Smith, his mother Lucy Smith; his brothers Alvin, Hyrum, himself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos and his sisters, Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy15.

It was a time of great confusion. Many religions were contending one with another concerning their differing interpretations of the doctrine. While part of his family joined the Presbyterian faith, he couldn't decide which of these churches the right one was. In fact, all these churches were claiming to know and teach the truth about God, but their teachings were so different. Joseph Smith knew he needed to join a church so that he may get closer to God, but which one? He explained his confusion in this way:“During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof16 from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.17”

It is evident the confusion the young Joseph was going through was extreme. Though he was confused, he explained that he kept visiting the different churches. He expressed some of his feelings in this way: “In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?18”. Many of us go through this kind of confusion while on earth. Joseph Smith knew one way he could find out about God and His truth was through the Bible. In some way, if a person were sick, this person would go to a doctor, being the one having the knowledge and the ability to give him a diagnosis, and not a mechanic, or a fireman! In the same way, the Bible contains the word of God. God knows the truths about us and the earth better than anyone else does. He was the best person for a diagnosis on a religious matter. “While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contest of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not19; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of a man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did...20”.

It is impressive to see how much this verse helped him overcome his confusion. “At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to " ask of God," concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.21”

The young Joseph Smith decided to follow the teachings of the Bible. He would go and ask God. One spring morning, he went into a nearby grove of trees to make an attempt to pray.He said “It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.22” Joseph Smith had great faith, and was fully expecting an answer from God. Because of his faith and determination, one of the greatest experiences happened to him. In his own word he said: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said pointing to the other- This is my beloved son. Hear him!23”Joseph Smith had just received the powerful visitation of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. His purpose in praying was to ask which church of these churches he should join. He was not expecting the answer he received. He was told not to join any of those churches24. All the churches were teaching some correct principles and doctrine that would help people lead a good life, but many truth had been lost centuries before. The fullness of the truth was to be re-established again on earth.

Through this experience and many more, Joseph Smith was chosen and called to be a prophet of God. He was like Moses and other biblical prophets who learned from firsthand experience the truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and were commanded to preach it.From that day on, Joseph Smith received many visitations from angels, who prepared him to restore the Kingdom of God on earth, which is His church. Among those, was the angel Moroni, the last prophet of the Book of Mormon25. He, as a resurrected being, visited Joseph Smith and through different visits prepared him26. Since that day, Joseph Smith knew the truth and God knew that he knew the truth. He was the first person claiming that God and Jesus Christ were two separate beings. For this reason, and many others, he was persecuted all during his life. He was foretold by the angel Moroni that this would happen “He called me by name, and said unto me, that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.27” He was commanded later, to translate the Book of Mormon by power and inspiration of God.

There is an interesting story that is worth explaining about Joseph Smith History and a prophecy of Isaiah in the Bible. Isaiah said: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.28” This deep sleep spoken about is the Apostasy, or dark ages, a time of spiritual blindness.29 “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.30” Now a few centuries later, during a time of confusion about truth and religion, a young man, not learned, Joseph Smith received a book divinely inspired.A few years later, as he started the translation, this is what happened to him. This is an account of Martin Harris, a person helping Joseph Smith to do the great work of translating this book:“I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, “Let me see that certificate”. I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, “I cannot read a sealed book.” I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.31”

It is interesting to see the realization of the prophecy of the great prophet Isaiah. Isaiah described the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a “ marvelous work and a wonder.32” A revelation from the Lord given to the prophet Joseph Smith in February 1829, gave the same vision of this work: “Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.33” For every Latter-day Saint, this is a marvelous work and a wonder!

To explain the beliefs of the latter-day Saints, we will describe those thirteen articles of faith that are the basis of our beliefs. Those articles of faith were not produced by some scholars, but came right from the mouth of the prophet Joseph Smith through inspiration of God. “It is a declaration of that which is the most assuredly believed by the Church, for one making earnest inquiry about the truth.34”It is a declaration of belief to the entire world. We will explain in more details those beliefs and include the doctrines of Christ through the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The articles of faith are totally in harmony with the doctrines of Christ. Through those articles of faith, we will see the plain and simple truths taught by the Savior and his prophets. We will explain the “Mormon” beliefs and ways of worshipping Almighty God.