Answering Ayla's Questions

I love serving the young women of the Church--it's always exciting and it stretches my abilities like nothing else except motherhood. (Which it closely resembles!) We have the most amazing young women in our ward--small in number, great in faith and possibility.

On Sunday, one of those wonderful young women asked me to fill out a questionnaire for a research paper she's writing. The questionnaire is designed to determine the attitudes of the religion on the things that make us human--music, scripture, belief systems, etc. (At least that's what I think it's for. Ayla explains it better!)

I sat down this morning to answer the questionnaire this morning, and had one of those profound spiritual experiences that make the skin tingle and the heart swell. What a great opportunity to share the things I love with people who are looking for answers.

So, I'm including the questionnaire and my answers to it here. I'm not a spokesperson for the Church. I'm not a PR person or a General Authority. I'm just a believer and a follower of the Savior Jesus Christ. I'm doing my best to explain the things that make me who I am and which lie closest to my heart. If you want to answer the questions yourself and share your thoughts, please do so. I love to learn form others. And if you think I did okay, let me know that, too. (We all can use a little positive reinforcement.)

Warning: I tend to be quite verbose. Read at the peril of your wakeful status.



Religion Questionnaire

What is your religion’s view of what it means to be human?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as Mormons) teaches that humans are the literal spirit children of God. He created our spirits and gave us life as His spirit children we have infinite potential and eternal possibilities. He has sent us to earth to learn, to be tested, and to prove ourselves worthy for eternal life with Him. Because we are His children we share some of His divine qualities, although in undeveloped form. While on earth we are to improve our qualities, becoming through faith more like Him. To be human is to be a child of God.

Does your religion have a specific set of morals? If so, what are the morals based on (i.e. the Ten Commandments)?

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught to live by all the commandments of God, which are transmitted to us through prophets called of God. We keep the commandments found in the Bible and in the other scriptures, and follow the teachings and counsel of our living prophet. Among other moral elements of our faith, we are taught to be truthful and honest in all our dealings, to live the law of chastity, and to have charity and compassion for all people. For us, the commandments are woven through all parts of our lives—we choose to live at all times as witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Does your religion have specific “church” music? What is the purpose of music within your church (i.e. for learning purposes, for expression, for fun, for peace, etc.)?

A scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants, one of our books of scripture, sums up the role of music within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song
of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered
with a blessing upon their heads. (Doctrine and Covenants 25:12)

The singing of hymns and other spiritual music is a form of worship. Music is a way of communication, and opens the heart to the promptings and teachings of the Holy Ghost. We sing hymns—some unique to our religion, and others common to Christianity (e.g. Onward Christian Soldiers, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Be Still My Soul, etc.)—in all of our worship meetings.

We also encourage the creation and performance of non-hymn, but still spiritual, music. We encourage our children to sing in praise of God, and some of their earliest religious teaching comes in the form of religious songs. One particular favorite is I Am a Child of God.

Additionally, we recognize the great power of music in our daily lives. Another scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants, section 136, verse 28—given while the members of the church were crossing the plains to escape religious persecution— states:
If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving
We sing in our homes, we sing at our meetings, we sing to express our joy and to unify ourselves. Music is an important part of our worship and our culture.

Does your church you follow have a set of scriptures or religious texts? What are they?

Our eighth Article of Faith states

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as
far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the
Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

We accept, use, and follow the teachings of the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments. We also have the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ—which is the writings of prophets of God who lived in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally we have the Doctrine and Covenants—a compilation of revelations given in modern days, and the Pearl of Great Price, which consists of revelations, translations, testimonies, history, and doctrinal statements from the prophet Joseph Smith.

We also believe in an ever-expanding canon of scripture, since we accept literally the definition of scripture found in 2 Timothy 3: 16:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We accept the inspired statements of the modern apostles and prophets as scripture given to us in our day to clarify, to counsel, to inspire, and to guide in a confusing and contradictory world.

The common theme of all our scripture is the testimony of the divinity and the eternal mission of Jesus Christ. He is the focus of all our scripture, our study, and our worship.




Can you provide a scripture that represents your religious views on what it means to be human?

One of the most beautiful expressions of the nature of humanity is found in the book of Psalms, in the Old Testament:

PSALM 8
1 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

When considering the vastness and beauty of creation, the psalmist asks the great
question: who is man, and what is his place? The answer is that he is a “little lower than the angels”—not perfect, but still crowned with “glory and honor.” Man is precious and dear to God; it is man for whom He has created the world, and to whom He has given stewardship over the whole earth.

In addition, humanity, their progress and spiritual growth are declared in scripture to be the focus of God’s work throughout eternity:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

Is there any other information you would like to add that you feel would be helpful?

So much of what is said about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints these days is based upon hearsay, misinterpretation, or supposition. We invite all people to learn about us from the source—from those who live their lives as faithful, committed members of the Church—and not from second-, third, or even fourth-hand gossip. Those who are sincerely interested in learning what we have to say are encouraged to go to mormon.org and lds.org to learn for themselves what we stand for and what our message is. We urge all people everywhere to come unto Christ, to accept His sacrifice and follow His ways. Our great message is that He lives, and loves us today, just as He did in ancient times. If there is any scripture that best describes our devotion to the Savior, it is 2 Nephi 25:26:

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.